The image is blocked at work, but it was only a suggestion!

It's amazing, you're missing out lol

So got the handyman/cleaner from work to come and look at the house, both to clean and to see if there's anything that needs rectifying immediately. There was nothing catastrophic on survey (felt roof needs redoing on extension in the next year or two) but there were a couple of things that I picked up as well as the handyman:

• porch light only comes on via a switch in the hallway. Useless if you want to take your shoes off before coming in at night. Will need to fit a PIR sensor or similar to the light.
• a few bits of wallpaper have started peeling at the edges, probably because it wasn't stuck down well. Have bought some wallpaper adhesive in a tube and an artist brush.
• I want to replace a few of the radiators with more modern ones.
• I want to replace the door handles to all the rooms so they match. I probably need new mechanisms too.
• A few of the sockets and switches are very subtlely askew. I need to sort them out with the aid of a plumb line.
• Some of the rubber strips around the windows need reseating
• The slimline tall space-saving fancy radiator in the kitchen is slightly askew. There's a subtle leak because a second bracket wasn't used.
• The sink and oven may need replacing if they can't be cleaned
• Some faint paint splatter on the tiles in the kitchen, utility room and upstairs toilet need removing
• Some of the fixtures eg door mechanisms, hinges, door windows need cleaning to remove varnish or paint
• One of the utility room doors is an internal door, not an external one. Has a catflap fitted too.
• Side gate needs a proper mechanism so I can open it from both sides.
• The hallway/landing walls weren't properly smoothed before being wallpapered so every bump and irregularity shows up.
• Upstairs toilet door has a slide bolt instead of an internal lock on the handle.
• Bathroom door doesn't fit properly because they recessed the hinges too far.
• Same for the door to the boiler
• Bedroom 2 window didn't open properly. Because of the mechanism, if I fully turn the handle, I'm pushing against the mechanism. I have to do a 45-degree turn for it to open.
• Master bedroom door didn't shut properly. I don't rememeber this from the viewing but closer inspection shows they took the door off to get the bed out and didn't fix it back properly.
• Bedroom 3 was wallpapered and then painted.

A lot of DIY was done which I didn't pick up. Things like extension were done properly (complete with paperwork). Nothing horrendous and if I had a week off work, I reckon I could sort out the little things.

Big projects:
1. Driveway - currently has a small garden blocking part of it. If I get the garden removed, get the drive paved and get the kerb drop extended, it'll look better and I'll be able to fit three cars on the driveway easily.
2. Garden - hate ponds. Needs to be removed and filled in. Take out the crazy paving and get it slabbed properly. Need to think about plants. I'm not greenfingered but I need to learn.
3. Knock the utility and kitchen rooms together to make one large room.
4. Replacing all doors and windows with new ones. I like good solid doors for the rooms.
5. Turn the garage into a mancave of sorts.

I'm at home now, and can see it. Heck yeah, that looks cool!

Very 1970s there!

You need to clean the oven and the sink? Whatever happened to self respect? When we sold our houses, we spent time making sure everything was clean, before we moved out, so everything was clean when the next people moved in. My mother would have been mortified if we moved out of a house and the sink and the oven were dirty!

Oven Pride FTW!

Even if they'd cleaned the place (which would have been nice), I would still have had it cleaned properly. Carpets have been steam cleaned. I'm going to tackle the wallpaper issues this weekend as well as the kitchen and bathroom floors. At the same time, I need to get my stuff packed and either into storage or for moving, as well as ordering sofas.

We're now thinking of getting a cheapo sofa for somewhere to sit for the next few months and then get a proper set. Bed is more important. We have built-in wardrobes.

Why buy sofas twice? If you need something cheap to sit on just get Ikea chairs. Easy to sell on too or use in other rooms.

POÄNG Armchair, oak veneer, Alme natural £55

Amazed by this stuff. Took the shelves out of grill and oven and stuck them in the bag with some of the fluid. Used the rest in the oven. The sides were difficult because of metal slides for the racks. Went back 24 hrs later to clean up. One rack will mint. The other two need another round. Same with the oven - made a huge difference but still manly areas. Found I could take off the metal slides so will clean them with some more fluid and go round two in the oven and grill.

Did you just type out the instructions from the side of the box?

No. Frustrated that after a second shorter course it still hasn't fully shifted. Also slightly disgusted that I don't think the previous owners ever cleaned it. Gonna give it a rest and try something different tomorrow.

Welcome to adulthood kid

Lolz

I've always been happy to my share of cleaning. Even when I rented a one bedroom flat for a year, I was happy to keep everything clean. The bedroom is where my Achilles' heel has been since I've always let it slide a bit more than the other rooms. Funnily enough, if the bedroom is too messy, I can't sleep and have been known to get up at 2 or 3 am and tidy it all up.

I also built the spare bedroom bed. Pretty much everything upstairs has been cleaned or wiped down. The main jobs left are to finish cleaning the kitchen and utility rooms, working how to get paint off lino (too many spots to try and scrape off), and clearing up the front and rear gardens. I've had someone in to replace all the door handles upstairs with new ones that have locking mechanisms.

I like your sense of priorities! isn't there only 2 of you in that house? are you really that scared she'll walk in on you in the loo?

Lolz more for when we have people over and staying. Our own bed has been ordered but will take four weeks to arrive. It's one thing to live in your own filth but quite another to live in someone else's hence the house is getting cleaned top to bottom before formally moving in and in the meantime I'm getting a few things fixed.