We are DIY royalty in our own minds. It helps when people validate our Queenness and Kingness by praising our ability to crack on with a job without procrastinating. How do you find the time, they say. How do you know what to do? We smile smugly with our paint spattered crowns and survey what we've done in the two weeks since settlement with a little bit of pride, and try not to worry about what's to come, since it's not seemly for kings and queens to look rattled.
Jamie's pride and joy and the whole reason for existance, the Shed, has now been epoxy'd. It stinks. He is yet to create a door that will suit - the driveway slopes downwards, so the garage door can't lift up and accept a Series Land Rover into the maw. A roller door, perhaps, might be better.
The walls have been removed from the living and kitchen areas, and the laundry has disappeared. The eighties carpet hidden underneath tiles has been thrown into the skip. I would like to say that we did this ourselves, but for the very first time in our lives, we got a builder to do it. The window that once looked out onto the neighbours has been filled in. We will have windows to the north (the sunny side) and a sliding door instead. HOld this image in your head so you can be awed when the windows go in and the kitchen is done.
Meanwhile, I make do with a camp kitchen. One must drink endless tea and coffee and make sandwiches. We have a 12V fridge in the hallway.
We also painted a little - the bathroom, and used up extra paint we had lying around on the ceiling and walls. It'll serve as an undercoat - I've selected some paint colours with the help of Chat GPT. To say Chatty has been useful in this regard is an understatement. I mean it can tell you quickly why a particular colour will work, adjust according to your needs (no peach or grey undertones, thanks) and explain why and where to use the colour andp particular sheen. I chose colours in an hour - I think it'd take me days to consider my choices if I didn't have Chatty. If only it could paint for us - but we've decided to buy a sprayer, and are hoping it will be quicker.
The roof does not need replacing, but we have no insulation there, so we do need a quote to see how much that will cost. It's one job my King doesn't want to do - he doesn't want to die or injure himself sliding off said roof.
I did say I wish my son was a builder. Perhaps this got him thinking about his worth, as that night he dreamt I slept with a builder, and he was so angry and annoyed he divorced me. Disappointed, too. I laughed. Builders listen to KRock and have pot bellies and watch football. The hot ones are too young for me and have moustaches, as is the trend these days. The electrician was so vacuous he couldn't even level two light switches on the same wall. I am loyal to my King.
If you missed it, the bathroom has also been freshened up, and the green paint gone. In a year or two we might find enough money to redo the bathroom, but it's liveable now. I look forward to a new window that isn't frosted, so I can see the sky.
We have cut down trees and pulled out shrubs and removed tons of rubbish we don't need, like rotting garden edging and tiny rocks that are ugly and serve no purpose. We've filled two skips with rubbish to the grand total of $800, which seems like far too much money to spend on cleaning up one's house, but that is Australia for you. And people wonder why people fly tip. At least the green waste isn't too expensive to get rid of.
I can't imagine we will do this again. This will be our forever home. I'm feeling mournful that we didnt' do it earlier, but the time comes when it comes. I hope we are healthy enough to enjoy it, and by investing time now, we can enjoy a bit of rest and enjoy being in this beautiful town.
With Love,
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Crikey, you've really got stuck in! We moved in here 5 years ago and the only change I've made is the tablecloth. The previous owner left all of her furniture behind as well as delph, cutlery, pots etc. We even wear the collection of Crocs she left behind. Whenever I move in somewhere, I'm already planning moving out:)
That epoxy > stink is brutal, but thinking of a ROller door for the downhill driveway and the Series Land Rover sounds spot on.
North side windows and a sliding door will lift the mood when winter bites, and it’ll go faster with the sprayer after the undercoat.
DIY crowns earned, and Jamie’s Shed is about to become a proper throne room, definately.
Haha yes, I hope so....
Wow, you all are super busy bees. Do you hava post with the outsside of the new place?
I am assuming the LandRover rebuild is done or on hold? If it is done, do you have some piccs of the final look? If there is a post of it, just share the link and I will take a look there.
Oh it's soooo on hold!!!!!! As soon as we have a spare minute we will get her going but things are crazy right now!
You guys got a lot of irons in the fire for sure. I wish I had just a little bit of your energy.
It's that last push of our early 50s... Then I'm just gonna chill!
What an overwhelming amount of work. You're doing well so far. Sharn would have collapsed into an anxious, heaving pile of foetal positions about five weeks ago, were she in your shoes.
I thought about epoxying my garage, (and I have a painter friend willing to do it for basically the cost of the noxious substances) - but it is a luxury I don't need at the moment, other expenses summon me.
Simultaneously, given another recent job interview I've had, I've started a wish list of "stuff" / "things" we'd both like to do / experience / buy.
It's about $80K worth of things. Mostly travel, most vague estimations, but the type of Bidet my wife wants to install is astronomically expensive.
Oh I've done that a few times and so has Jimbo!!!!
Well screw the expense, you will have clean bits and that's priceless...
She wants to turn the bathroom into a spaceship. I had to learn how to reattach a toilet seat today. Wasn't on the list of things to do, but its a skill I now have.
There's a whole heap of skills we gain in a lifetime that never were on any list...
I still can't cut in though and have given up painting.
You are certainly making a lot of progress, and your forever home will be beyond worthy of the king and queen of the mansion!
It's nice to look out the bathroom window at the blue sky. And even better, at the stars. Candles and stars.
Oh yes, you know, I can't wait to see the sky at night there. I have seen the full moon in the morning to the east but I think the sky will be lovely at night...m
You’ve gotten so much done already! I can imagine how tiring but also exciting it must feel seeing the place transform bit by bit. Can’t wait to see how it all looks when the new windows and kitchen are finished!
Good job! After 10 years in what I consider my forever home, a lot has been done and a lot remains to be done
What a satisfaction it is when we manage to remodel spaces in our home after wanting to do so for so long. Congratulations, enjoy it 💞
!LADY
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I hope Jamie can find a good solution to the door on the shed. It's amazing 2 walls are gone! Loving seeing the progress...
Wow, that's an exceptional job.