My apartment Project log

Strife212 said:
Why do anything if you have to move out, just sell it now?
Click to expand...

1 its almost completely unsellable as it is.
2 it will be worth quite a lore more finished
3 we are still not 100% that we will have to move, it all dependent on my wife’s job but if we stay in the uk we will probably be there for at least 3 years and possibly more if I like the area.
 
I wish you every success in such a project, it looks like a fabulous space with loads of potential.

However, I see you have blind optomism, your wife is a GP but not a partner and you are an F1 so not even half way up the ladder (and yes i do know what i'm on about, my wife is also a doc (surgeon) as is my sis-in-law, brother-in-law (both GP's and partners) and both my sisters are senior nurses)....i dont see how you think the situation with jobs is so hunky dory as that is far from the truth with the whole system in turmoil and far far more trainees than Reg posts or Consultant positions and being offered a Partnership in a GP practice normally costs well over £150K buy-in and are rare as hens teeth!

Still, best of luck to you, keep the pics coming if you proceed :)
 
My wifes dad has his own single handed practice, he is getting on in years and kept working so he could give the practice to my wife in 3 years. However it looks like he is going to have to retire and close the practice. This is why we may not need to stay in the area anymore.
 
Not much as my wife and are travelling around asia between 11.12.10 and 07.02.11 however the architect is in the process of preparing the tenders which will go out to the contractors in the next week or so.

We hope to start the building work in the next 4 to 6 weeks
 
Ok small update,

We got the tenders back last week. I have not been able to go through them in detail yet however we have a problem.

http://imageshack.us/f/69/0389108dbuildingregulat.jpg/



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The most pressing problem is that the local building regulations officer is putting lots and lots of hurdles in my way. Which has resulted in me having to do a lot of extra work, including lifting all 6400 sq ft of floorboards and painting all the I-beams with fireproof paint and then relaying the floor again. I also have to install a sprinkler system in the whole house. Putting in automated roof windows that open in the event of a fire

My original renovation budget was XXXk and the tenders have come back at 200k over budget. I obviously do not have this so I have come up with the following plan.

1 I am going to have to chop out a few details and arrange for some cheap labourers to do some of the more tedious work (such as painting the I Beams) I am hoping this will get the build cost down by upto 100k.

2 I have arranged an extra 75k from the bank

3 My parents are going to help us with 25k towards the kitchen

4 my wife’s parents are also to help us with 25k

5 I am selling one of my cars which will give me another 20k

I have lost around 27k on the stock market in the last few months (paper loss) but that means that some of the cash is stuck for what may be some time.

Also I have temporarily financed the purchase of another property at auction so I will not be able to do a lot of the work until some of that money has been freed up which will take upto 12 weeks.

So things should start moving when the bank give me the money and the auction propery is sold.

I will post updates when we have them.
 
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Not my house but I would:

Probably have a double door into the Master Bedroom for the true Scarface feeling, wouldn't feel the same with only one door to open.

Not have one large dressing room but either one each or try and make one side a small office/study?

Change the kitchen layout to a standard island shape, leaving more space near the balcony doors for a casual dining area/table. The island would have a breakfast bar type seating option too, possibly like a pub/bar type arrangement with the prep side at standard height and the breakfast bar raised a further 2-300MM

I'd try and fit a small sink in the bar too, just a 1/4 sized sink+drainer, or make room for the whole sink, washing the dishes staring at a wall with my back to a wall of glass+balcony doesn't seem fun to me. Not everything goes in the dishwasher so that time would be more social.
 
Thanks for the comments.

I had also been thinking about a double door, I will look into the extra cost next week.

We have a study room on the mezzanine level so we did not think there was much point in trying to make extra rooms. Also my wife has a lot of shoes!

The kitchen plans are still not final but this is what we last came up with.

web.jpg
 
thanks very much but we are really not that successful, I made a few good moves when I was at university and have taken on quite a large mortgage to get this done, also because we are a long way up north the actual cost of the space was not that much.

Its going to be a hard year now to try and get every penny together to get this finished.
 
Just thought I would post a update.

Things have been a little slow because we are negotiating with the developer to contribute 30k towards the fireproofing costs. Its a long story but basically some work was not done when the building was originally built which has resulted in us being stuck with around 30k worth of extra costs. I think we have quite a strong case if it ends up in court.

I should have a cash injection in the next 6 weeks now from the sale of a London property so hopefully I can start some of the work in the next month or so.

I have been busy buying little toys for the house such a a Miele island extractor hood the moves up and down.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXc14M2KaB8

Its actually very impressive in real life.

I am also thinking about buying this for one of the bathrooms
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Jacuzzi-Estea...r_Units_PP&hash=item35b10bd7a0#ht_1398wt_1086

I have also bought this switch to control the lights and blinds in the living room
http://www.lutron.com/Products/SingleRoomControls/GrafikEyeQS/Pages/Overview.aspx
It may not look that exiting but its really a fantastic product.

I also bought a 91cm wide (2.1m tall) fridge, I have not ordered the freezer yet but I am going to find a matching freezer also. You could actually store a dead body in there lol
http://www.viking-europe.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=123&Itemid=95&lang=en
 
Dr House said:
Just thought I would post a update.

Things have been a little slow because we are negotiating with the developer to contribute 30k towards the fireproofing costs. Its a long story but basically some work was not done when the building was originally built which has resulted in us being stuck with around 30k worth of extra costs. I think we have quite a strong case if it ends up in court.
Click to expand...

Isn't that what you pay an architect for, to adminster these kinds of shenanigans?
 
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