So Father-dearest has been imparting his words of wisdom regarding all things property related.
And one of the things is to get more than one quotation. Which means trying to get more than one builder to come out and provide said quotation. And in the knowledge that the builder he has recommended is likely to be the one I go with anyway.
But apparently it is always best to be sure and you never know and whilst he was fine for thingymabobby's job he may have 'gone off the boil' or have new people working with him ...
And so on it went.
Three quotations are the norm and recommended and .... next to impossible to get. I managed to get one other builder to say they would come out and have a look. No promises. Depended how big a job it was going to be. They had a lot on etc.
Part of the problem seems to be that I don't know what needs doing. I'm hoping they will tell me but then Father-dearest has so many scare stories of shady tradesmen and the like and it is really worrying me. So I was hoping that Reliable Rob (the recommended) would be able to come over first and at least then I would have an idea as to what he thought in terms of things that needed doing and so I would be prepared for this other builder - let's call him Alternative Andy.
Reliable Rob couldn't come until after 6pm. Alternative Andy would come over at 2pm (was nearer 3). I won't bore you with the details but having been told I could pick the keys up as soon as the office opened (but not to turn up until they told me they were ready) I didn't get them until just after lunch so it was 1.45pm before I got to the house. My House!
And so I was waiting. Of course there is no power on so no way of making a cup of tea or anything and I didn't want to venture into the village in case Alternative Andy turned up. It did I suppose give me time to marvel at my wonderful house and measure rooms and windows and start making a list of things that need doing (that were obvious to me). I've got some nifty software to mock up the rooms so was putting the dimensions in and things. So I guess the time did sort of fly by and then I heard a van pulling up and there was Alternative Andy.
Are they supposed to take notes or something? Write things down? Maybe he has a super-human memory but he just wandered around the house and the only use he made of his pen was to poke holes in plaster and things. I'd got the survey report with me to show him although he didn't seem too interested in it. Muttered something about the surveyors never really picking up on half the things that need doing. Warning bells started clanging at that point.
And eventually we ended up in the attic and he then climbed into the attic space with a torch and reappeared to tell me that my problem was I was one beam short of a full roof.
I've been accused of many things but that is a first.
Very dangerous - apparently - going to be a lot of work - obviously - and costly - of course. He would be struggling to fit the job in but if he could it wouldn't be for at least another 8 -12 weeks. Actually probably nearer 16 weeks. And no point doing anything else until that was done and certainly not to move in. He would quote me for the roof only at this stage and then when that was in progress he would have time to go over the house in more detail and draw up a list of works.
I wanted to cry but held it together until he had gone. Then I cried. I even started to doubt the sanity of buying the house. My house! Had I bought a crock and would it just eat up all my money (which it already had in reality so probably more accurate to ask if it was about to eat up all the parents' money)?
Anyway I still had over an hour before Reliable Rob was due so I walked into the village, which has a lovely little tea room, and I consoled myself with a pot of tea and some rather nice coffee and walnut cake. I also used the loo because the water doesn't seem to be on in the house and I'm not sure if that is something I do and if not, who does it. Another question for Father-dearest or the Mother-ship.
Oh if you hadn't already noticed I decided they needed nicknames too.
Reliable Rob was on time - as you would expect given the name I've given him. And he did have a notepad and a pen which he used to write with and not to poke holes in things. Well there was a bit of poking but at least he was writing too.
He also studied the surveyor's report. Properly.
Oh and he explained about me taking readings (and showed me the meters and things) and what to do about getting things switched on. And he found the water mains tap thingywhatsit and turned the water on. A precaution in properties left empty for any length of time apparently. So now the toilet works at least.
He was lovely.
And he went through each room and checked the windows, light fittings, sockets, switches, etc. and eventually we ended up in the attic and he in the attic space. And I told him what the other guy had said about me being a beam short of a full roof and he laughed and then said he would see about that.
When he emerged he said he did understand why I might have been told that but it wasn't, in his view, as bad as all that. There did need to be some structural strengthening but basically the roof was not dangerous and would hold up. He would put some steel things in and that would sort it out. He lost me at this point as you might have already worked out. Anyway he also suggested I think about insulating it at the same time as it would save me money in heating bills and he thinks there is some government scheme available at the moment where I can get a grant towards the cost. I said I would google it.
He wanted to get his electrician in to look at the wiring as he thought that looked quite old and was probably in need of updating given modern requirements. He also did not like the windows. Not only did he think some of them were showing signs of rot in the wooden frames but he thought they would leak heat (so make heating the house more expensive) and in terms of security I might as well put a big sign on the door saying 'robbers welcome'.
He's going to send me through a list of essential and recommended works with guide prices but a definite price for the roof because that is a condition of the mortgage so needs sorting within the next 6 months. Also that would put it into the late autumn/early winter period so needed doing before then. If I do my homework on the loft insulation grant and find out who is contracted to do the work (and sort out any form/application), and if he gets the job, he will then liaise with them so that it fits in with the work he is doing up there. He also said that he is busy at the moment but also has a large enough team that he could take mine on, or at least start it, because another largish job is almost finished.
He just felt like a really safe pair of hands. Will have to see when the quotes come through.
But he said there is no reason why I can't move in right now if I want but if I'm moving in on my own then he would really like me to seriously consider the windows and general security of the place. He wouldn't like to think of his daughter being in there as it is at the moment.
So he's sending me some literature and links to go through for me to look at replacement doors and windows. And alarms from some reputable firms he has had dealings with.
I have relayed all this to the parents and now just waiting on the quotations but I think unless Reliable Rob is off the scale in terms of pricing I'm likely to go with him.
Update - he has emailed through the links. The Mother-ship is currently shouting out the pricing of bullet proof security shutters (I think she may have gone off piste because I didn't see those in the stuff Reliable Rob sent) and Father-dearest is engrossed in the possibilities of camera doorbells and being able to shout amusing (to him) things at delivery people. Involving them in this may have been a mistake.
Wie waren die Wurstchen? (wouldn't let me do the special German u by the way)
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