I caught up with some old friends at Tom & Ali’s beautiful wedding and, as we are now occasionally grown up and sensible, we were swapping house renovation/purchase stories.

I thought I’d vaguely transcribe my summary of how The Penthouse is getting on and what is next so you get an overview too.

ornaments

Good things

  • The kitchen units and appliances are in. I have still not written a post about them because I am hopeless
  • The flat has been rewired and the holes this created have been plastered
  • I have a new boiler and clever thermostat
  • I’m involved with our Residents Association. Yeah I’m that sort of person. As part of this I’m organising planting some more shrubs and flowers so I get to play gardener
  • The neighbourhood is great. My neighbours are friendly and it is generally really quiet
  • I’m enjoying blogging (sporadically!) about house things
  • I really love the flat

Bad things

  • The ceilings. Money draining, hassle causing, hole-filled eyesore. Bleurgh

Ugly things

  • Largely because of the ceilings we still have some things in boxes (so we can move them around more easily when the work is done)
  • The patchwork of completely bare walls, partly stripped and patched in walls, untouched walls adds an element of abandoned prison chic (not the look I’m really after). Check out this combo in the background of my photo above
  • Other than the kitchen units and a base coat of paint on two of the kitchen walls I have made zero good cosmetic changes. Instead I’ve been making the place look worse as the less sexy work has been done and things have been removed

Ceiling work should be starting in a couple of weeks (subject to a structural engineer’s report) so that’s the next big (and messy!) adventure.

Jo x

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