Getting Started!

the view from my back garden

 

I'm waking up earlier now the mornings are brighter so my days feel much longer. I'm not complaining, as the brighter days lighten my mood and with the clocks changing at the end of this week, that can only get better. I still don't have much energy, but I am managing to fit more in all the same.

I've nearly finished the unpacking, which sounds like I have made fantastic progress, but I'm only unpacking the kitchen, bathroom, and my clothes for now. The rest of the stuff will be better off in boxes until the messy work is finished. Niall is working his way through a long list of minor repairs and fixes, and I've been busy arranging for tradesmen to come and quote for the first stage of the work.

The work will start very soon. The plasterer is going to board and skim all of the ceilings; he's fitting it in by working evenings and weekends and should be completed by April 14th. This has to be followed by the electrical work but I haven't found anyone to do that yet, so that's my priority for tomorrow. And once the electrics are finished, we will start on Project 2 - installing my new kitchen.

I will be buying the kitchen units and worktops from IKEA but won't order them just yet because it will all have to be stored here. The units will be assembled and fitted by my nephew's FiL, with my BiL helping out, and they think it will take them about a week. At the same time I'll order the appliances, probably from Currys as I'll save about £1,000 if I buy from them instead of IKEA, but I don't know whether I will need to pay Currys for installation or whether BiL will be able to do that for me.

The other two big jobs are the bathroom, which hopefully will follow on after the kitchen is done, and the gas/central heating. I have arranged for the gas man I used in my previous home to check everything, but I also want to apply for a grant to improve the energy efficiency of the place. I don't know whether I even qualify for the grant, but I have nothing to lose by applying!

It sounds a lot, doesn't it? But one thing after another and it will get done in time. Gardener M is coming over on Friday to look at the garden and we can decide what needs to be done. I can't afford to spend a lot of money on the garden this year, but there is plenty of maintenance to keep M busy for the next few months at least. Oh, and both fences have to be replaced!