Weekly Round Up Week -1: Pre-Build Hustle
Welcome to the first installment of our weekly renovation diary!
We're excited to bring you along on this journey as we transform our 1950s bungalow into our forever home. Each week, we'll be sharing the highs, lows, and everything in between as we navigate this renovation . So let's dive into what happens before the actual building even begins...
✅ What We Did This Week - Summary
The pre-building phase is proving to be just as intense as actual construction! This week has been all about project management - juggling quotes, suppliers, and timelines while making critical decisions.
Met with 3 garden clearance specialists (quotes were in the thousands
Decided to hire a digger WITH an operator (€350/day versus €110 for just the machine)
Added a mini tipper to our equipment rental to move the garden waste quickly.
Paid a depost our garden shed from www.colourtrendsheds.ie after comparing 3 suppliers with lead times ranging from 3 to 23 weeks. These guys bent over backwards to sort us out (not an ad!)
Arranged for shed foundations to be poured next week.
Spent time in the garden measuring and considering light to determine optimal positioning for shed and future garden office
Researched vehicle and pedestrian gate options and measured the existing gate posts
Used the drone to inspect the roof (and got the attention of some local buzzards!)
Pulled up the carpets in the hall, corridor, kitchen and lino in guest loo ahead of next week's asbestos removal team
Found a brass surround for a sunken door mat under the old carpeting
Found and treated 30+ ant hills making the grass a mini mountain range throughout the property (I fear this is the beginning of a war…)
Equipped the kids with their own gardening tools from Lidl that have contributed to the mini mountain range..
Set up a "site kitchen" with kettle and mini-fridge. If you know Naomi, you’ll know tea is an essential part of her existence.
Chased the construction drawings - we are one week from the builder coming on site so we need accurate costings
Received bathroom quotes of €18k for sanitaryware (prompting an immediate pivot to online research)
Researched and got quotes for MHRV systems that work with our flat roof constraints (we’re looking at €8,000-10,000)
Experienced an impromptu bathroom flood when a corroded radiator pipe exploded at the handle 🤦♀️
Outdoors 🌳
Garden Clearance, Ant Wars, Location for Shed & Garden Office and Gate Measuring
We had three garden clearance specialists come to provide quotes, but the prices were shockingly high for tackling the years of garden waste and enormous hedges. This sent me down a rabbit hole of researching mini-diggers and waste removal options. After doing the math, it became clear that hiring a digger WITH an operator was the smarter move - they'll accomplish in one day what would take me three.
A good chunk of the week was spent in the garden with measuring tape and sun tracking apps, trying to determine the optimal positioning for both the immediate shed installation and future garden office. It's amazing how much time you can spend just standing in different spots of the garden at different times of day, analyzing light patterns and sight lines. researching gate options for both vehicles and pedestrians took us down yet another renovation rabbit hole.
We also deployed the drone for a roof inspection. The latter provided invaluable insights into the roof condition (and got the attention of some local buzzards who clearly weren't expecting aerial company).
We’ve also initiated the battle of the ants. The grass is absolutely riddled with ant hills, we checked they were active and have treated with an eco friendly option first. Let’s see how it goes.
Indoors 🏠
Microcement, Carpet Removal, Exploding Radiators and Vintage Discoveries
The week started with a visit from the microcement applicator to talk us through our options. We’ll definitely need a full blog post on this!
In addition to revealing the original vinyl floor tiles, the carpet removal operation revealed a surprise - a brass surround for a sunken doormat that had been hidden for decades. We also spotted some other original features we had previously missed. These little discoveries make the dirty work worthwhile!
And speaking of unexpected discoveries - this week provided a clear demonstration of just how corroded the plumbing is in this house. While attempting to turn off a radiator valve, the pipe disintegrated at the handle, unleashing water right onto the bathroom floor. Nothing like frantically mopping up sticky black water while searching for the main shutoff valve!
Worth noting: locate all water shutoffs before you start work on an older property.
Budget Corner 💰
This week delivered a reality check in the form of bathroom quotes - €18,000 for sanitaryware alone! Whilst eyewateringly expensive, it forms a great basis for knowing what I need, so now the online options spreadsheet must begin!
The decision to hire equipment with operators versus DIY approaches comes with upfront costs but potentially major savings in time and effectiveness.
Design Decisions 🎨
The MHRV (Mechanical Heat Recovery Ventilation) system research has been challenging due to our flat roof constraints. We've researched and received quotes for systems that won't steal precious ceiling height while still delivering good energy efficiency.
What We Learned 📝
The range in lead times between suppliers is staggering - from 3 weeks to 23 weeks for essentially similar products!
Bringing your own kettle and fridge to site from day one is essential
Always factor in extra time for obtaining crucial elements e.g. technical drawings - our one-week countdown to construction start is more stressful than it needs to be
Coming Up Next Week 🔮
Next week is action-packed!
The asbestos removal team will be on site
We'll have the digger and operator clearing years of garden overgrowth
The shed foundations will be laid.
If all goes well with the construction drawings, we'll finally have accurate costs for the main construction phase too.
With our builder scheduled to start in just one week, the pressure is definitely on!
Question of the Week ❓
Has anyone tackled a low-profile MHRV system installation with flat roof constraints? I'd love to hear recommendations for systems that don't steal too much precious ceiling height!
