Starting on Phase 1 of the Renovations

At long last, the renovations have started! It's going to be very busy here for the next three months but by the end of November all the major work will be done, leaving just some of the flooring and decorating to be done. 

So far, the old kitchen has been removed. I still have to lift the laminate flooring and the sink unit won't be removed until the new one is ready to be installed, but the room is ready for the electrician to sort out all the sockets. Friend L wanted the old kitchen so, over two weekends, her son dismantled it and took it over to be stored in her garage for the time being. 

This is what it looks like now (they're not good photos but they are only for my reference) although I have removed some more of the laminate flooring.

The appliances were delivered on Saturday and are currently stored in the room that will be my study. All the kitchen units and one of the worksurfaces will be delivered on Monday 15th with the other worksurface arriving on the 26th. That will all be stored in the (now empty) main bedroom ready for the kitchen to be fitted, which will start on Monday 22nd. In the meantime I have a temporary kitchen set up at the end of the living room.

Three radiators were removed last week as they were blocking where some of the new sockets will be placed. I haven't yet agreed a date for them to be moved to their new positions, but it will hopefully be sorted before the temperature drops.

The electrician started today. So far he's worked in the main bedroom, adding a TV wall backet and the trunking to hide the cables, plus four new sockets and removed the two sockets that will eventually be hidden behind the new fitted wardrobes. He's also done lots of banging and thumping up in the loft to prepare for the new lights and sockets in the other bedrooms and the hall cupboard. He'll be back on Thursday, when he'll do the sockets in the study and start on the kitchen. I haven't taken any photos yet so will add some to my next post.

The bathroom should have been started already but it's been delayed and will now be done during the first week of October. The floor and wall tiles have already been delivered and are currently stored outside under cover. All the rest of the bathroom stuff has been ordered locally with the agreement that they will store everything and deliver on a daily basis as and when bits are required. That has really helped as I have no idea where I could have stored it!

Also in October, the new windows and external doors will be fitted, and at the end of the month, the new bedroom units will be fitted. I haven't agreed a date yet for the study to be decorated and new IKEA units to be fitted but I don't think it will be too delayed ... it's being fitted by the same family members who are fitting the kitchen so they may want a rest before they make a start on the study! Finally, work starts on the hard landscaping in the garden in November though progress on that is obviously dependent on the weather.

More photos to follow when there's been a bit more progress.