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Which I'm doing by sitting in the lounge with the laptop because it's windy outside and I don't seem to be able to tear myself away from a computer. Just possibly I have a problem.
I did get some weeding done and the lawns mown earlier, which may also count.
Anyway I've done all the work I intend to do today (yes it's a Saturday but significant parts of this week have been a wash) and now have a few precious hours just to sit back and not do anything important. Except perhaps, y'know, update my LJ with things that have been happening.
The biggest of these things is the fireplace being replaced. he builder has been here for an hour or so progressing it most mornings, which has had the side effect that I have needed to be out of bed around 7:30. That being about sunrise at the moment has helped.
This is kinda good for getting things done, but has left me wiped out in the afternoons and evenings because I haven't been finding time for a nap. Back on the burnout track means doing stuff - particularly work-type stuff - is often hard slog.
Anyway, fireplace. The woodburner itself (a little Woodsman ECR MkV - the wetback, cooktop model) is installed and plumbed in. Final council inspection is scheduled for Monday [touch wood]. There's a little work left to do putting doors on the cupboard built to take up the rest of the chimney space, but the builder has billed me for all the expected work so I've been able to calculate that this little exercise has cost a bit over $8000 all up (chimney demolition/disposal, council fees, woodburner, tiles, installation, plumber, making everything look good, cupboard). Which is about twice what I was originally thinking, but there you go. Renovations are expensive.
Going through the builder I actually saved at least $400 on the cost of the fire itself, which I am promptly spending on getting the shower and bathroom ceiling painted, because he was going to have the paint left over anyway. The right sort of paint (oil based). The people who installed my shower used water-based paint and it's starting to peel pretty badly. The bathroom ceiling has needed doing for years and while EQC said they would, I don't 100% trust that to still be there after the assessment is reviewed. Anyway, ghod knows when that would be, and I'm already (supposedly) getting a whole lot of really unnecessary painting out of them in the kitchen and laundry.
I'm also seriously considering paying someone to help me Clean All the Things once the builder is finished in the dining room (at least one session of sanding left).
So my financial imperatives for the next 6 months are:
- pay the fireplace back off the mortgage (revolving credit carefully managed can be a good thing)
- purchase a smart-phone around Xmas.
- prepare for a fairly hefty tax hit next year (I know what my terminal will be, and it's highly unlikely I'm dodging a provisional double-whammy for a third year. Things would have to go really badly.)
After all that I may have decided which of the next big house projects to take on (or circumstances may have pointed the way). Will it be the carpet? the wallpapering? the kitchen?
Drat, the sun has been clouded over. Time to move on.
I did get some weeding done and the lawns mown earlier, which may also count.
Anyway I've done all the work I intend to do today (yes it's a Saturday but significant parts of this week have been a wash) and now have a few precious hours just to sit back and not do anything important. Except perhaps, y'know, update my LJ with things that have been happening.
The biggest of these things is the fireplace being replaced. he builder has been here for an hour or so progressing it most mornings, which has had the side effect that I have needed to be out of bed around 7:30. That being about sunrise at the moment has helped.
This is kinda good for getting things done, but has left me wiped out in the afternoons and evenings because I haven't been finding time for a nap. Back on the burnout track means doing stuff - particularly work-type stuff - is often hard slog.
Anyway, fireplace. The woodburner itself (a little Woodsman ECR MkV - the wetback, cooktop model) is installed and plumbed in. Final council inspection is scheduled for Monday [touch wood]. There's a little work left to do putting doors on the cupboard built to take up the rest of the chimney space, but the builder has billed me for all the expected work so I've been able to calculate that this little exercise has cost a bit over $8000 all up (chimney demolition/disposal, council fees, woodburner, tiles, installation, plumber, making everything look good, cupboard). Which is about twice what I was originally thinking, but there you go. Renovations are expensive.
Going through the builder I actually saved at least $400 on the cost of the fire itself, which I am promptly spending on getting the shower and bathroom ceiling painted, because he was going to have the paint left over anyway. The right sort of paint (oil based). The people who installed my shower used water-based paint and it's starting to peel pretty badly. The bathroom ceiling has needed doing for years and while EQC said they would, I don't 100% trust that to still be there after the assessment is reviewed. Anyway, ghod knows when that would be, and I'm already (supposedly) getting a whole lot of really unnecessary painting out of them in the kitchen and laundry.
I'm also seriously considering paying someone to help me Clean All the Things once the builder is finished in the dining room (at least one session of sanding left).
So my financial imperatives for the next 6 months are:
- pay the fireplace back off the mortgage (revolving credit carefully managed can be a good thing)
- purchase a smart-phone around Xmas.
- prepare for a fairly hefty tax hit next year (I know what my terminal will be, and it's highly unlikely I'm dodging a provisional double-whammy for a third year. Things would have to go really badly.)
After all that I may have decided which of the next big house projects to take on (or circumstances may have pointed the way). Will it be the carpet? the wallpapering? the kitchen?
Drat, the sun has been clouded over. Time to move on.
