Plumbing, Electrics, Plastering and a Few Sleepless Nights

Katy and I have started on the Victorian house this week and I think that it is going to be an interesting, if lengthy job. Houses may have been built to last 100 years ago, but they didn't care too much about straight-lines and right angles. Everything is wonky and curvy and falling apart.

It looks as though we will have to completely gut most of it and re-plaster all of the walls. Add to that the electrics, which need redoing and the plumbing which needs extending from the one small bathroom on the ground floor to two more bathrooms on the upper floors. It is a big job.

I have spent a good few sleepless nights wondering if I got the money right for this one. I have had to bear in mind three flats worth of kitchens and bathrooms, ripping out electrics, building walls and adding fire escape routes and so on. I have also had to employ a builder to get all the major work done. Chris has had an architect draw up the plans and planning permission has been in place for a good few weeks. I haven't let on that this is the biggest thing I have tackled (by far) but I am confident....I guess.

Katy and I will do all the ripping out, then we pass it to the builder to do the wall rearranging and to do the loft conversion and then we go back in to sort out the electrics, plumbing and fitting out. Then the painting and decorating will be done. I guess in a way, I am acting as more of a project manager in the early stages. I will be here every day that the builder is on site though as we can't afford to fall behind in our schedule. Time is money they say!

Claire was telling me that she thought I could easily have done the building work myself and in a way she is right. But I don't have a team of guys to help me and this project isn't exactly a labour of love for me. If it were my house I would spend weeks getting it right, but I don't have that luxury now.

So I am putting my trust issues to one side and using a builder who I have known for few years. Sid is his name and I know he is trustworthy. He must be getting close to retirement now and I know he doesn't take on too many jobs himself any more. In fact his company is working hard and he is sitting around getting paid. Sounds good to me! But he has agreed to lend me a few of his blokes and oversee the work himself as a favour. So fingers crossed it all works out.

If this job pans out as it should then Claire and I will have a nice little profit out of it. It is certainly a vision of where I would like to be in the future. These sorts of big jobs are the big payers. Anyone can make a few hundred quid on the odd kitchen fit out, but converting a whole house is something else altogether.

This is probably going to be a recipe for disaster!