Thursday, 13 November 2008

Final totals, or how to really blow a budget

When we started renovating what was the middle bedroom into an office space, the original budget was around £800. We knew that we needed all the tools and equipment for painting and redecorating, not to mention the wallpaper stripping, but boy did we ever go over that.

Professional replaster: £460
Waste haulage of the old carpet, plaster rubble, and wardrobes: £100
Paint & painting supplies: £120
Tools (wallpaper stripper, sander, heat stripper, jigsaw, floorboard saw, plaster float, trowels, shop vac, etc):£480
New subfloor: £70
Underlay: £45
Laminate: £60
New radiator fittings: £25
Expanding foam to seal walls: £80
Skirting board: £40
New light fixture: £20
New electrical sockets, wiring, and switches: £30
Incidentals (flooring screws, glue, bits & bobs, etc) : £50

Final total: £1580

Not quite double but very close. Getting the plastering done by a professional was well worth the extra. The next room will be easier I hope as the plaster is in better shape, we won't need a new sub floor, and we won't need to seal the walls with foam. Although its going to be tempting to remove the chimney breast to open up about 10% more floor space.

On another note. We originally set this blog up with the intention that it was to chronicle the restoration of the dung heap for friends and family. Thanks to Google Analytics we can see who visits and when. For instance we've had 3 visits from Malaysia, a few from the Netherlands, and even Sweden. (Must be Ikea spies) Please feel free to click the comments link and just say hello. We are really chuffed to bits that people have taken the time to read our misadventures in DIY.

Lastly for the day, the workshop/shed delivery has been confirmed (finally) and it will be delivered and setup on the 19th. Pics of that pending comedy of errors will be forthcoming.


1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Things are looking good. A must remember for all future undertakings-- plan for double your best estimate and you will probably come out closer to the final cost. Isn't being owners of an "older" home grand !! Keep plugging. It's all worth it in the end.