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S1 EP 14 | The £100k Bungalow Renovation - End of week 9
52 Plays1 month ago
The builders are working on the extension roof, Nick finally gets back to work at his own job (where everything goes wrong) and Dan showcases his viral staircase!
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Transcript
Introduction to DIY Guys Podcast
00:00:00
Speaker
Welcome to the DIY guys the podcast where home renovations, power tools and mild panic go hand in hand. I'm Nick Morris. And I'm Dan Doher. Each week we'll be chatting with some property pros, some DIY diehards, hopefully help you with some tips and tricks along the way.
00:00:16
Speaker
Welcome back to the DIY Guys podcast. As usual, it's myself and Nick. How are you doing, mate? Very well, thank you. are you? Good stuff. Yeah, not too bad, thanks. Just surviving at the moment, unfortunately. yeah Just for the listeners out there, me and the family got ill the other a week, which is never fun, is it? Especially when you have two-year-old. Yes, exactly that. Yeah, so you never get to properly rest, do you? you brought it all my way. Hopefully you're better, right? Yeah. Yeah, I'm all better, thank you. I thought I'd sit in an enclosed space with you as manager, you'd definitely catch it. i
00:00:51
Speaker
So, ah how's things going on
Challenges with Builders and Projects
00:00:54
Speaker
the bungalow? It's good, it's good. um We've had, so it's been week nine, the builders have been there non-stop, although yet again, next week, my builder's on holiday again. You know when you start to be like,
00:01:07
Speaker
we paying you too much. You know, everyone's like, everything's so expensive. It's like, you went to like Spain a month ago when I went on holiday and then now you're going to Disneyland. Disneyland's the most expensive place in the world. yeah um But he did actually say to me um once that he's got like a terrace house and he thinks he could he should have bought a semi-detached house years ago.
00:01:28
Speaker
He's been to Disneyland and said every year. Every year? Yeah, that's it. Yeah. but I think he does go the year. It must be thousands and thousands and thousands. yeah What, America? Yeah, America. Yeah, I know. so i play Flying with kids as well. I know. Although he sent um the other builder, Toby, a photo this morning. when Toby and I, I was at the bungalow, I'd say, for the first time in ages, which I go into, but it was just me and Toby, the builder, and he sent picture of him drinking champagne on the flight. I was like, God, I swear that would wind me up, even if it was my business partner or whatever. Yeah, I'll miss it.
00:02:01
Speaker
oh Actually, Toby helped me remove a toilet today, for example. Toby helped me do that. He's on a flight drinking champagne. I know what I'd rather do. but I think he gets the old annex point. so I think he yeah must get little perks, little upgrades and stuff. so He obviously does that as well. so yeah It's good. it's good um toby so Dave and Toby have been there the whole time. It's only now Dave's gone. so Next week, it's just going to be
Understanding Mansard Roofs
00:02:24
Speaker
Toby. and They're doing the roof at the moment. So i looked this up because ah I couldn't actually think what this type of roof is called. And I've seen loads of different ones online, but it's called a mansard roof. Have you ever heard this?
00:02:35
Speaker
but You know, I told you about the false front. like So we're giving it a pitch effect. And I forgot to say there's a pitch effect on the side as well. I've been so busy with other projects, I just haven't even looked at my own plans or what we're doing. And I was trying to think what that looks like, because it's like a pitch, a pitch, a pitch, and all three sides, and then a flat roof on top.
00:02:52
Speaker
So it just looks like a bit more impressive. And it's really bugging me today. So I looked up, and Mansard roof came up. So anyway, they've been working on that. And to get like really far ahead, um they actually hired a proper bricklayer in. So my builder used to be a bricklayer.
00:03:08
Speaker
but then moved into just building and doing everything. yeah So they've been laying blocks and bricks and stuff, obviously at a fairly good pace. But Dave, like I said previously, took me on early.
00:03:19
Speaker
ah so then he's still all these other jobs on the go. Sometimes he's literally like in Tunbridge and then in Kent and then in Surrey and one day flying about. so they said, oh, we need to stand on your neighbor's
Neighbor Negotiations and Roof Adjustments
00:03:30
Speaker
roof.
00:03:30
Speaker
to like do that left-hand side where your neighbor neighbor's garage roof is. She's a lovely, sweet old lady. So I messaged her. turn But everyone's always... it's not You say, oh, going to stand on your roof. You are just a bit like, oh, for God's sake. There's no like good thing of that, is there? You're not like, sure.
00:03:47
Speaker
Yeah, exactly. So she was like, okay, fine. How long will it be? So I told him, I'll tell you what, hire bricklayer, won't cost you anything extra, and he'll lay like 500 in a day or something. So they set it all out for him, and he went up on the roof, and they put down like sheets to protect her roof and all the stuff.
00:04:05
Speaker
um Because they also had to go in her back garden as well, because garage has gone, we've extended to the back Gran's old house, but the garage, like, was like a couple of meters shy of that so had to go in there her garden as well it's quite invasive yeah is yeah it's mad how important like a good neighbor is yeah i don't know think you've had experience in the past and you're bad yeah old yeah and it's just makes your life a living hell exactly where she's been really nice um she did sort of say i can say this sort of thing it's gonna 99 i'm sure she couldn't listen to this same thing with the builders the builders was telling them about the podcast they're like
00:04:41
Speaker
how do you listen to a podcast? And is it free? and I was like, oh, okay, you guys, I don't think it's for you. You're not our audience. Yeah. And I was like, well, actually, some you can pay for these days, but mostly free anyway. um So I don't think she's going listen. But yeah, she was like, oh, God, it is higher than I was expecting, like because her garage ends, say, here. And then we've got brickworks coming up to here. Like, it's a good maybe meter above hers, but it was it's because the road's on a hill, so we step up.
00:05:07
Speaker
And then also this mansard roof, requires a slightly higher brick apparently in block. So even I turned up I was like, oh, that looks higher. So the neighbor said that, so it was one of those awkward things where you're like, oh sorry, hope I've upset you. But at the end of the day, she's got no windows pointing that way or anything. It's not going to block any light. No. And I always tell myself it looks nicer than the garage did. Yeah, true. agree as well will It nicer.
00:05:33
Speaker
Get some flowers, Nick, or some chocolates or something. I know, I sort i feel like I'd save that for the end, but both neighbours have been so nice, and even the one at joining us, I've always been I'm going to chase some wolves today, but they don't know where it worked, don't worry about it.
00:05:51
Speaker
yeah awful So I've been lucky with that. So yeah, they're doing well and they're on the getting into the roof. So I don't know, ah think they'll get an external company in my house to do the the roof, um get like a proper roofer in and then the flat roof bit as well.
00:06:07
Speaker
um And yeah, so ah hopefully that should happen the next two or three weeks. So watertight. Yeah, that's amazing. I think getting another company in, especially a roofing company, normally wise, right? Yeah, 100%. If a roof goes wrong, that's it. And then trying to find where it's leaking is always the number one problem. Oh, God, yeah. I hate water. I've got quite a funny story about water later, but yeah, water just gets in somewhere, doesn't it? Yeah. And down and can life just living hell. Yeah, that's the thing. It flows everywhere, doesn't it? So you just don't know where it's coming from. Awful. That wouldn't be a plumber.
00:06:37
Speaker
No, no. Or a roofer. Or a roofer, yeah. So yeah, so it's going well. um I've been there one pathetic day. So I think this is my first day. can't think if I've did been once more, but since I went on holiday in like
DIY Mishaps and Lessons Learned
00:06:51
Speaker
mid-February.
00:06:51
Speaker
but so I've just had so many things and can't remember if there's one more in between yeah and anyone who's listened might probably say, oh, you said you weren't there then. So I did a proper full day today and i was it just was chaotic.
00:07:04
Speaker
um Everything I did went wrong initially, but by the end it also became good. like So I wanted to take the radiators out in the front two bedrooms and the hall. yeah um All the pipe work's dead, like the tank's dry, but there's obviously still water in the pipes because it's all gravity fed down from the loft. So knew there's water in there, knew there's water in the rads. So was like, fine, I'll drain the rad, do it properly, yeah watch my Be A Plumber video. Yeah, did you a handy folding bucket out? This is what was just about to say. I wish I had a bloody handy folding bucket because I was like, I've got, I had all contraptions. I had my bin bag technique, like my rubble sack, which always works really well.
00:07:40
Speaker
Had these little different types of containers, like a washing up thing. But, like The first one went well, all drained off nicely, and then you go to the other one and then it sort of releases the pressure the water can sort of shoot back down the pipe. but It's really weird. So I heard it go in the other room. like, oh my God, I ran back there, that overflowed. And then by the end, long story short, I had three rooms with water everywhere.
00:08:04
Speaker
Even though I was being so careful, i had like six buckets going on, like my little bin bag was overflowing. I was like, if I had the handy folded bucket, which is not part of our advertising. No, it isn't. It is epic. But yeah, it was just one of those things. And i was like, oh, okay. That's right. Anyway, they're all drained and they're outside.
00:08:21
Speaker
whipped the pipes off, put them little copper pipe I'm going to take off soon. um And then there's the wallpaper that's left behind radiators that never got to. And even that is like quite soul destroying because I started stripping, well it's week nine now, so i started stripping walls eight, nine weeks ago. yeah And you just sort of feel like you're done.
00:08:39
Speaker
yeah. I spent a week doing this and you're still there scraping away at the things. i was a bit like, oh, what am I doing here? So I was a bit like down about it. And then that caused a big mess in the water of the floor behind the radiators.
00:08:52
Speaker
And then... I was just like, oh, God, as I'm doing all these crap jobs, ah so I cleaned all that up, and it was all nice and dry-ish on the lovely asbestos tiles. um I was like, well, clean that up, and I'll go on to, i was like, ah everything's sort of going wrong. you ah Even, oh, my steamer, for some reason, got blocked and weren't working all the steam shooting out the back. It was literally one of those days.
00:09:15
Speaker
it's no I don't know if you get this with your work. If you ever like start a project and then don't do it for a bit and then come back to it, you almost like can't be bothered to do it for some reason. That's how I felt. yeah It's really weird. well You're not dreading it, so you just put it off and put it off and then you're like, oh, get this done. and I kept talking to myself saying, oh there's not actually much to do with the grand. I got there and I was like, Jesus Christ, ive got tons to do. And I started panicking. So then I tidal that, right, let's do another shit job that I've just been putting off and putting off and just take out for the redundant toilet.
00:09:44
Speaker
Oh, yeah. So there's a massive marker on it saying do not use because the the um builders, when they put in the new drain, the pipe that goes from the toilet, the soil pipe, from the old toilet into the drain is just redundant. So the pipe's still in the ground, obviously, but goes to nothing. So I put do not use because it doesn't go anywhere.
00:10:02
Speaker
Someone had kissed in it. Oh, God. And I know who it was. It was my window guy who, again, is old and won't listen to this 100%. But the builder was oh, promise it wasn't us. And i was like, yeah, I know it wasn't you. And the only other person who's been there's been the window, Matt.
00:10:15
Speaker
so i was like oh So I was like, oh, I'm not taking out the pissy toilet. So ho I just poured some water down there to flush it out. And then it got looked clean. So i was like, this is already grim. I tried doing it for a bit. And he was there like two weeks ago or something as well. So I was like, it's Stank. I was like, this is such so grim and everything's going wrong today.
00:10:36
Speaker
Be cracking up. Yeah. So anyway, I took that out and it was quite easy to take out, actually. They didn't like nail it into the ground or anything. They were silicone drowned. So perfect there was a couple of screws holding system to the wall.
00:10:49
Speaker
Yeah. i was it So I whipped that out and then poor Toby. I had to drag him away from being a builder on his own when his mates ditched him to go to Disneyland and then ask him to move a pissy toilet. Move a pissy toilet. So did you leave the toilet out front? This is what i want to know. In strainer's kit. I want someone else to recycle. Oh, it's not that old to be fair because the council put it in. So it looked all right, but it's still rank, isn't it?
00:11:12
Speaker
Yeah, it's still room in it. Although I did recycle one here, didn't I? Yeah, exactly. As a temporary toilet for six months that my builder found out the road. But yeah, and I went straight in the skipper, especially had the water in it. It's just so gross. It's so gross. And then I just stripped all that bit back and um started to remove the floor because where they, they made it a wet room.
00:11:35
Speaker
Yeah. So they boxed in the toilet, which like, why aren't they boxed in Because there's one pipe, just a cold feet going to the toilet, and then the waste pipe going the ground. But they must have done that because it's a wet room. They didn't want water running behind, i guess. Yeah.
00:11:48
Speaker
So they boxed it out and tiled that. um And then they've obviously like concreted the floor up to put like the waste for the wet room shower hole thing in the floor. um So I started just to see if I could dig that out. And even with an SDS, I probably did like a third of it before realizing, oh, if I just get bigger drill, this would be so much easier. yeah And I was tired from my annoying morning. I feel like I haven't described that many things. but I think it took me four hours just to the rads and the wallpaper. Yeah. Which is freaking ridiculous. Yeah, it shouldn't take that should it? So ridiculous. But don't you think that just with DIY or whatever, it just takes forever. It's so typical, isn't it? and you You like turn up, you're like, right.
00:12:27
Speaker
umnna smash it Yeah. And these jobs just take ages. Yeah. And I think I said to you before, we've started recording, that I should have put my AirPods in. I usually put my AirPods in listen to a podcast. And I just did it for some reason. And there was no music on. Toby was in the extension where I can't really hear it. So I was just in my head too much. was just like, oh, God, this annoying. Oh, I dropped the thing. Oh, and then Toby walked in I screwdriver in my pocket that like scraped my old arm up as well. And I was like, oh, should just go home? Should I just go home? Yeah. No, power through. Power through. Went on lunch and then that was it.
00:12:57
Speaker
Didn't bring lunch as well. And I put a banana in my bag and forgot to eat it. say yes is right Use that in the pipe. So, bro. Lithium like a Sharpie. Do not use. On the toilet seat. Someone pissed at it. It's horrendous.
00:13:14
Speaker
yeah and If you know Andy from Sundered Windows, yeah you can say... can't win
00:13:21
Speaker
ah So yeah, that was my day. But it was my first day there in ages. But actually now i now I'm in again, I'm like, oh, I'm actually a bit buoyant. yeah And I'm like, oh, I could do this and I could do that and start getting some bits going.
00:13:33
Speaker
So have you found another plumber now? Because I know you on the last episode we were talking about you looking for a new guy. Yeah, so my old guy basically is a bit poorly and had a nightmare of his van. He like had like a tiny little dink in his van, one of those ones where they basically cost more to repair it than – they offered him some money, so he sold the van and hasn't found a new one. So A, he's not that well, and B, he obviously hasn't got a van. So I still would – I'll go into that lastly. But yeah, so I've had two quotes, one from the builder's plumber.
00:14:03
Speaker
Yeah, who I've worked on loads times, really nice guy. He helped me a little bit in my house at the end as well. yeah And then this other one who's done my brother's house and his business partner's house and really good as well.
00:14:15
Speaker
um And as usual, madly different. oh really Yeah. almost want to play a game with you. How much you think? So I wish I had it in front of me, but i pretty much know it. So new combi boiler.
00:14:27
Speaker
um So then you'll need like a gas supply. The combi boiler is moving. Well, that's kind of irrelevant, but there's a combi boiler is going in the extension, all brand new yeah um in the back in the utility and just venting straight out the walls. and Nothing complicated or expensive there. um All new pipe work for, I think it's eight rads. It's like all the bedrooms, all the towel, stuff like that. Yeah.
00:14:49
Speaker
Not including the rads. Not including the rads, yeah, good point. Kitchen and utility room, first and second fix. Again, no no no fixings, of just the pipe and the labor. And the only thing, so it's a bit hard. So we'll do the first one first. Is everything all in? And the second one hasn't given me the bathroom yet.
00:15:08
Speaker
um So what do you think the high one was? One was high. I don't maybe like 30. Oh, not that high, thank God. was like 19 grand.
00:15:19
Speaker
And when I saw it i was like, Jesus. I was like, in my head, like a rewire of a big house would be like 10 to 12 and plumbing is usually slightly more, but not maybe not if you're not even paying for the rads and stuff. But if that's bathroom...
00:15:33
Speaker
sp because it'd be like to Yeah, true. um so anyway, 19 he came in with and then the other guy, didn't include the bathroom because I'll i'll talk about this in a sec, but um I was having a bit of weighing up of some
Comparing Plumbing Quotes
00:15:47
Speaker
decisions to do with that. Yeah.
00:15:50
Speaker
He quoted me 10 and a half without the bathroom. yeah So maybe the bathroom would be another two to three. Yeah. significantly different, isn't it? Yeah, yeah, definitely, yeah. It just shows, doesn't it? You've just got to shop around. These are people I've known, both of them I know as well, and it can still vary like massively from my head.
00:16:05
Speaker
quotes like it's just 19 it's just you know like instinctively stuff sometimes feels like not quite right yeah that just felt a little bit high yeah um but i guess the supply and demand isn't it is obviously you like and he's really really good and I've worked him previously, but yeah, obviously I'm looking at the 10 and a half at the moment, but i need to get him to price in his bathroom stuff.
00:16:29
Speaker
Imagine he comes back with 19, you're like, damn it. yeah, it's depressing because there's, honestly think, my other guy, because he's old school. He doesn't work a full day, so he always feels a bit bad, doesn't overcharge and stuff. He doesn't have four hours. yeah um maybe half that i reckon it'd be seven wow but the flip side is he just he's just not well enough to do it and if i want to sell it this year i've started to think about how it's not the world's biggest place and i can actually do this maybe like september or something or yeah which i i don't want to say out loud because it's like a thing i does it does um so i just i don't think he can do it unless i'm
00:17:07
Speaker
doing loads and loads and loads and loads but there's only so much I can do. Yeah, that's true, yeah. So yeah, that's where I'm at with that. So yeah, I'm obviously leaning towards a 10.5. I've sent him some more information because and i've I've given you some information. Yeah, offers us more detail. I was looking at the extension in the last couple of weeks and to describe it to people who obviously can't see the plans on our Instagram channel, DIY Guys,
00:17:31
Speaker
um Basically, where the garage was has been knocked down. So if you just picture a rectangle from front to back, in the front is going to be a bedroom. Next to that, like behind that, is going to be, was going to be an ensuite. Behind that was going to be a bathroom. And behind that was going to be a utility.
00:17:47
Speaker
And you know, like instinctively, you said earlier, like it fills four rooms in what was a garage plus a little bit we've nipped. Just seems tight. Mm-hmm. And i was just thinking about, oh we've got a Jack and Jill bathroom with two doors. yeah So one goes into Lydia's bedroom and one goes into landing.
00:18:03
Speaker
And we absolutely love it. And I was thinking, God, if I do get rid of the ensuite and so just bedroom and a Jack and Jill bathroom with a door into the front bedroom, door into the hallway, was like, hey,
00:18:16
Speaker
save me a fortune one toilet rather than two one shower instead of two one tiling everything stud work everything plasterboard insulation um i think it'll save us a fortune and then labor as well we'll save us a fortune and and it will make the bedroom bigger you could have like a or a grander bathroom like a show stopping bathroom yeah and it probably wouldn't affect the utility i don't think but I was going to ask you about it because the flip side of it is we're selling this and en-suites are so like sought after. But it's because it's right next to the bathroom that makes me think is the big negative. If the en-suite was in my gran's room over the other side of the house, ah' I'd find the money and do it.
00:18:57
Speaker
But don't you think en-suite, bathroom, right next to each other is kind of borderline pointless? Yeah, I see what you're saying. like its Like you say, it is nice to have that en-suite if you have like guests to stay and stuff. Yeah, yeah.
00:19:10
Speaker
realistically, are they going to be, like, that bothered if they've got one? and I'm guessing it would be quite a small en suite. Yeah, it would be literally one of those ones that's, like, a metre wide. Yeah. Really narrow the whole... With just a shower, of you know, toilet and sink in. Yeah, but then the the negative of that is...
00:19:28
Speaker
like you say when you do have people over you might have people like showering at the same time or or not even that just one show and one having a poo or something so you just like that that is the big negative but i don't think a people have tons of people over anyway like all we have our grandparents stay over every couple of weeks to look after lydia because they live a bit further out so they stay and you do we are all you can hear us in the evening all going to the toilet together So, not in a weird way. Except for a bathroom. So it's obviously useful, but i just don't know what to do. I don't know if you can speak to an estate agency where it puts a different value on it. Yeah, I suppose it would go down as like three bathrooms instead of two. But then you're like, is it is it that? big of a deal Well, it's the thing. It's only two, but it would be technically one bathroom one on. So that's it. There's the whole thing. Yeah.
00:20:16
Speaker
um I just don't know what tos do. And also, not like dissing estate agents, but they don't like they can't predict the future and what they say isn't like goal. he' not No. I can't imagine he'd say...
00:20:27
Speaker
ah if you do an ensuite worth 30 grand more yeah yeah um i think the most would be like 10. i don't even think that necessarily even plays out yeah like it might you might get an old retired couple just need one bathroom yeah so i just don't know what to do i think the other thing is is you can always block up on the doors as well i suppose yeah if you did want to keep it as an ensuite you just block the other door up yeah or if you did want to keep it as a separate bathroom you would then block yeah the door up and then you would still have a really big bathroom um rather than having a small and sweet and then ah an additional bathroom in there.
00:21:01
Speaker
Yeah.
Bathroom Renovation Dilemmas
00:21:02
Speaker
So it's weird. I'm going on instinct again, but I'm feeling just a big bathroom with like a separate bath, nice walk-in shower or something. And then you're not just like squeezed in like this podcast studio in there. It's all just tight, you know? Yeah, yeah, exactly. Which I think the bathroom, this is a bit of exaggeration, wouldn't be much bigger than this, I'm guessing, in terms of...
00:21:22
Speaker
It'd probably be a bit wider, but I reckon it would be like narrow where you shoved everything in, like the baths down here, toilet and sink there, it's crammed in. yeah Whereas this would actually be, oh, this is a nice bathroom. So I just don't know what's better. I've no idea. Yeah, it's so hard. But if it was in Gran's bedroom and you'd put an on-suit down there, i'd definitely do that. Game changer. Yeah, it'd be awesome.
00:21:41
Speaker
yeah Yeah. That's where I'm at with that at the moment. So that's why I haven't got the full price from the yeah plumber as well. Although my only... Having young kids is like, if one of those bedrooms is a kid's bedroom and then people will want to use that bathroom while the kids are asleep or something, it's only unar negative I can see, I suppose. Yeah, agree. If separate, then you're like, oh, don't go in that one because it's like... little Jimmy's asleep all over yeah that's what mean I just don't know what to do but in my head was like it's good because I'm probably going to save myself like five grand or six grand or something instantly um almost need to start like actually I keep literally
00:22:23
Speaker
We're playing with just money that my brother has a bit of and I'm just like collecting as I do work and putting in a bit in and i need to actually sit down and say, right, I've got this plumbing quote, put it on the spreadsheet. I've got the windows, this left to pay, put it on the spreadsheet and just be like, right, what do we actually have? yeah And weigh it up a bit more. But it'd be interesting if anyone knows, thinks at home, your instincts. But yeah I just don't want to have a small bedroom, tiny ensuite, small bathroom.
00:22:50
Speaker
Utility room's fine being small. I don't think that matters as much. It's like you feel like you're cramming it in, I suppose, rather than going, let's just make two out of those three rooms not really deep. Exactly. Exactly. Yeah. Because it already already feels tight because it was a garage and then we've lost like the cavity wall and the block work and the brick work and you have to leave a little gap between the neighbor's garage. So we've probably lost like 40 odd centimeters already. So it's tight. If picture of this garage we're weirdly in now. Yeah. It gets tight all of sudden, doesn't it
00:23:21
Speaker
So, yeah, I'm going back and forth with that, but I don't know what to do, so please help me. Yeah, someone help me. Send help. But that's exciting that you're getting everything going and you're starting to consider these like bigger sort of things.
00:23:35
Speaker
Yeah. And you're you know getting in there with the cost and stuff. Yeah, and actually the one of the plumbers, the the cheaper plumber actually is like Chris said, my brother is so good about him. He's got like five guys and they're all good. And they just come in and go boom, like three days, we just have this done sort of thing, first fix. And i was like, oh, that is a big bonus, isn't it? ah You sort of would pay a premium for that in a way, wouldn't you? To be like, wow, all the rads are done, boiler's like in place, like roughly where it's going to be. Yeah. was like, God, when you're trying to flip a place quickly, yeah that's that's a good thing to have. so Or even if you live there, right? If you can have it done in like three days, you're like, yes, I'm in.
00:24:18
Speaker
Yeah. So and i was um when I removed the rads today, I was like, well, shall I? I started doing some plumbing chases, but only like the vertical. I was like, I'll do the horizontals underneath. i was like, well, they're surely quoting me for that. like, am I doing that? So I was like, no, I'm not doing that. So i'll just walked away. because Unless they say i'll we're not 500 quid off or something, there's no there's just no point.
00:24:39
Speaker
So much ag. And speaking of decisions, I know you were talking about like your porch and what you're deciding to do with that. do you know you're going to move Yeah, i don't know if you guys can tell if I'm panicking or not, because I also was like looking at the pool, only from one comment. This is how easily swayed I am and weak.
00:24:57
Speaker
Someone, I put a YouTube video on my channel last Friday. Someone was like, I love the pool, just keep it. And i was like, what? And i was like, oh my God, I hate And I was like, I could just put like the gray anthracite windows in it with a new door.
00:25:11
Speaker
And I saw AI did, which I know I shouldn't talk about. We said earlier you don't like ai um But it's quite useful for that sort of thing. You just like match these new grey windows we have with that.
00:25:22
Speaker
yeah And I was like, oh, actually, it does look all right. But then I then compared it with the neighbours opposite. And it just does look smarter. Yeah. And there's something about... the house is kind of rectangular from the front because it's a semi-detached bungalow then we've extended that garage so having like a rectangle on a rectangle kind of makes sense like visually doesn't it as well of course but again it's going to come down to cost and i need to get it's an extra unfortunately yeah yeah so i need to get like the builder price to knock it down i mean i can do that that'd be fun yeah yeah good afternoon putting it back up Point it back up, yeah. going to have to dig the foundations. I think the council almost want the same.
00:25:59
Speaker
It's like the main house for the blooming porch. um So stuff like that is going to cost me you know a few thousand, isn't it? yeah And then doing the brick work again at the bottom and then the glazing I was always going to do, obviously.
00:26:11
Speaker
um So I've just got to get a price
Porch Renovation Considerations
00:26:13
Speaker
for that. But yeah, so again, my brain, not just because it's video, but just money, I'm starting to panic a bit. Just there's always, how everyone has it, right? Unless you've just got... um infinite amount of money yeah was just like oh that would save money and like the on-sweep but can't make house crap you can't do all this no was about say you have disliked that from the start yeah exactly so I think especially where you don't understand if you're like we're just leaving it yeah where you've got to do stuff you might as well spend that little bit extra I think so as well especially as I can demolish it so the builders need a digger for the day some concrete and then a bricklayer for another day can't cost
00:26:52
Speaker
ludicrous son surely who's this person that likes know likes his dodgy pulse yeah yeah mad isn't it how you like your influence from like one person yeah definitely because you have to make all these decisions and they cost a lot of money yeah I think you always i always found that when we were doing our house like wow, there's so many decisions to make all at once. yeah It does get a bit overwhelming. And like you say, only takes someone to go, oh, actually want this. didn't even think about
00:27:24
Speaker
That's why I'm with the ensuite. I'm like, ah because we've obviously got Lydia and you're like, oh, if the kid's having a bath or someone needs a poo or something, they need a second toilet or something. they And then you're just like, oh, but what was if an old person buys They don't need two toilets. Like, why do you need two toilets there's just two of you living in there? I'm just like, oh, so confused. It's true, but yeah, I always think you can't have enough toilets, right? Yeah, I know. just don't know what to do. I think I was thinking I could do is get, you know, the spray paint and just spray it all out on the floor and actually mark it out and say, a bed is like whatever, six foot wide yeah or five foot wide.
00:28:00
Speaker
Mark that out and just look at everything and be like, oh, actually, this is good. Even like a bath size, everything into massive of detail. And I was like, then I can maybe appraise it a bit more because at the moment I'll just, ah my instinct is is too cramped, but it might be fine. I remember I did that when we were thinking about having the utility in our extension, like measured everything out and then allowed for like all the size of the stud work and stuff like that. And then like the eye, like kitchen island stuff like that.
00:28:26
Speaker
and be a bit tight but did it does fit and it's so helpful to mark things down and you can actually physically see because sometimes you don't think about other bits that are around it and then you do mark it out and you're like oh that's actually really close to like that window for example yeah it's hard though isn't it because you've gotta to think of everything you've got to be like well you've got to put 4x2 for the stud work so don't you can't just be like oh I've got oh I've got two meters you know I had two meters because it just goes shrinks and shrinks and shrinks you've got do it really precisely well Yeah, yeah, exactly. So precise. Really difficult. But yeah, who knows? We shouldn't do these podcasts after work because I'm knackered from today. Your brain's going down. And I'm down and my brain's going. was there all day as well. So I'm a bit like, oh, what should do? And then updated the spreadsheet doom.
00:29:13
Speaker
So then now I'm down about that. So it's all going wrong. This is the most upbeat episode ever. Yeah, exactly. Everyone's depressed after this. I'd like to take out piss-stained toilet. And your radiator's leaked everywhere. Yeah, was so proud of that. Toby was like, oh, but the camera's not on now. Although that would be amazing, just seeing you run into all the different rooms. trans luckly The old plumber left these, like, you know, that blue paper there. Oh, yeah. We still didn't get it.
00:29:43
Speaker
This is why plumbers must just be like, you guys, especially as have a spark here, well just don't touch our stuff. So, yeah, one of those days. Yeah. Yeah, doing well. Doing well. So I did update the spreadsheet. do Yeah, I was going to say, if you updated the spreadsheet, anything exciting, say things So savings wise, no, I'd have to start with that. Sorry, mate. No, literally nothing savings wise.
00:30:10
Speaker
Unfortunately, the window man who did the windows ages ago and I said, oh, he's really useless at billing me. Finally billed me. I don't I'm disappointed. He literally like came to my mum's house to do like a job. Yeah. and Like a portrait sticker something. He just did it for free because we've used him a million times. Yeah. And then he invoiced me. like got done it mom right now ah so that was I've started a new column. So at that point, i hadn't spent anything on the windows and doors. So the three and a half grand includes the windows for bedroom one, bedroom two.
00:30:40
Speaker
It's going to be, that includes the window in the kitchen at the back that he's going to do, which is just like for like, I was going to make it bigger, but I'm now thinking like for like, um and then the patio doors at the back.
00:30:50
Speaker
So in my head, that sounds all right. That's including VAT, which is like 700 quid of it. yeah And um excuse me, i always think like, it should ever be more than like a grand a door in my head, you know, a window, sorry, in my head. And you've got big patio doors as part of that.
00:31:07
Speaker
So in my head, I don't think actually think that's that bad. um So the window guy is coming back to do the extension, utility window, bedroom in the front window. um and then he's got price up the porch, which I have no idea what's going to cost. He has given me a rough guide, but it depends what I do. And then I've spent a lot on the Builder this week, which sounds bad when he goes to Disneyland. Yeah, exactly, yeah. No shit you have, yeah. I've been dealing with Mickey Mouse. Part of it was me actually offering up the cash as well. No one else should do this, by the way, is that because we've got a long like relationship, with like probably nearly a decade with this guy now. But I literally like got paid for a job and I was like, oh, i just want to give it to you rather than just thinking it's my money. Then you are asking money. I'd have to keep asking my brother for more and more money for it. So was like, I can actually put it. So we paid him 11,500 between last week and this week. this week But that has bought us loads of time to buy all up the roof and holes. Well, hopefully it will. Yeah, hopefully, yeah. So with the build at the moment, I've spent just shy of 40K.
00:32:12
Speaker
um And I think it's going to end up being 50 or like the mid-50s with the extras maybe. So, um you know, you could say I'm sort of 75, 80% there on that cost. um I think the best thing overall is the build is 40K and I've spent 46. All the other stuff is still right, but then the house looks like a dump. Yeah, yeah. Depends how you look at that. Yeah, that's true, yeah. And I remember you were talking about like a lot of heat pump. Is that something you're still considering as well?
Exploring Heat Pump Installation
00:32:40
Speaker
Well, the plumber who priced me the large amount said, did you look into it? Because the government do a seven and a half of grand grant. so I was like, oh, awesome. He was like, I think you'll apply for that. So so literally, but I don't think you're allowed to. Is it not you're not allowed to check? I don't think you're allowed to check the install. They've got like registered installers. Okay, yeah. may have to check whether you're good for it. And he looked and said, you are.
00:33:01
Speaker
And i was like, oh, great. But I was like, how much actually is it going to Yeah. And he was like, oh, to be honest, they're extortionate and he'll be better off getting a combi, sadly. he It was like ah between 11K and 13.5K. So I'd still be four to, I don't think it'd be 13.5K. It's a bungalow at the end of day. So even if you go to the bottom half of that, that's 3.5K. Yeah.
00:33:23
Speaker
yeah um Extra where the boiler's going to be, obviously. Like even if you probably give him some money to install it, say two grand. and Yeah. be that I'm guessing. It's just when you're selling it, I think if you're doing your own house, it might be worth because it's supposed to be cheaper. It saves your bills slightly, doesn't it? Yeah. It's such a good incentive from the government, but it almost feels a bit like, oh, should they should they not do it? So it's just literally better than a boiler. Yeah, exactly. if you really want yeah If you really want to go green, then you should be like backing it. Yeah, but interestingly, the job I'm doing in Tunbridge, they are having a heat pump. So I'm going to be interested to see how that goes and actually if it's any good, um how they rate Even stuff like noise of it. i just love I'm so fascinated by it because I've never seen one installed.
00:34:08
Speaker
So yeah, I looked into it, but as we're selling it, it'll just be mad. Mads Radon foreground. I didn't realise was that that expensive. I thought, like you say, it there would be like for like for a combo. Yeah, so expensive. I don't know what the tech is in there. Yeah. um Yeah, so I don't think many people do it as well, but the plumber basically said he did a course. Yeah. Thinking everyone's going to want it and then no one's wanted it. Yeah, yeah. So I think that he's doing the first one down in Tunbridge. um He said it's actually really easy for him to install and stuff. But they're just expensive to buy.
00:34:38
Speaker
It's nice and solar panels, isn't it? Yeah, yeah. I'd love to get 1,000 solar panels and get free electric. Yeah, exactly, yeah. Like 500 grand or something. Although, have you seen them now starting to do the ones you plug in? Oh, really? Yeah, they're apparently they're trialing them at the moment. They're releasing them in like shops like Lidl or whatever. But yeah, you can buy little ones that you p plug in. Oh, nice. So you can just put up and then plug in. It saves you some dosh. I mean, we haven't seen sun this year. No, yeah, yeah. Other than that. If I had panels, then we'll be laughing. Yeah.
00:35:09
Speaker
Yeah, i was like, i always want to do those. Like we did all my house. i was like, oh, we could do that. And i looked into it and it was just like, oh, you need to find that 30K. Yeah. have a roll Yeah, exactly. It's shame, isn't it? Because it's probably the right way to go. Yeah, exactly. Some people sell it to the grid, don't they? Yeah, I've heard that. Yeah, that'd be great, wouldn't it? Pretty cool, like charging your car and doing your house, like for free. All for free, yeah, exactly. That'd be amazing, wouldn't Yeah.
00:35:34
Speaker
So, yeah, so then that is probably a no. yeah Sounds like a no, yeah. Yeah, unfortunately, unfortunately. But... um So I think next week, I'm hoping, I just don't know how quickly that roof's going to go on. I think it's quite difficult because they've got to sort of tie in the old house
Roofing Complexities and Decisions
00:35:53
Speaker
and the new house. yeah And again, because we're selling it, he was like, oh, the felt and stuff and the roof tiles are like, not the roof tiles really, but the felt and stuff on the old house is just knackered.
00:36:02
Speaker
He was like, if yes this is your house, I'd recommend... stripping it back and redoing it so it might take him a while to do it properly without any yeah this is in bad nick but again this is one those things to be mad for us to just do a whole roof yeah yeah but then hopefully they're doing that next week and i'm assuming getting someone in to do that um then i can start thinking about the stud work which they're doing in the extension okay yeah as part the quote and i'm excited about that because extensions to like rewire for me it's so easy Yeah, I can imagine. Click the table to the walls. I bring it in all stud work. I reckon I could actually do the utility room. I was going to say one day, two days max. But I reckon if I did a long day, could do four rooms just like that. Just smash through it. So easy.
00:36:48
Speaker
So easy. I'm quite looking forward to that stage. but and So we're nearly getting to watertight stage and... Like persevering, basically. Yeah, yeah, nice. So, yeah, it's going well. Love it, mate, love it. I don't know why while I'm so down. Oh, yeah, yeah. You're like, oh, good, to yeah.
00:37:07
Speaker
So, yeah, and then we've got um we've got another a guest on next week, haven't we? Yeah, looking forward to next week's guest, um Owen over at Owen Electrical. um If anyone's followed him, you'll know he's he's a bit of a geezer, isn't he? Yeah, he's a he's great fun. He's a proper electrician, isn't he? Yeah, you say proper electrician in front of me? Yeah, yeah, proper electrician. To me, for he is a proper electrician. He's doing it like day in, day out, and he films every day, doesn't he? Yeah. So I'm interested to see how the hell he does that because I try and do content outside of work and it's so hard ah i know it's crazy and he's building his own clothing brand as well so i just don't know how you're doing yeah even just the filming yourself working it sounds farcical it's hard yeah yeah setting all up making sure yeah batteries and stuff all lighting's okay and actually filming is hard so how he's doing that and he's he's following is growing massively
00:38:00
Speaker
Even since like speaking with him you want come on? And him coming on, it's gone up low. Yeah, yeah. it's really interesting speak to him and maybe he can teach me some things. As someone who does it more regularly than they so Funny, sorry to interrupt, funny about social media is about how hard it is. This is how impressive his growth is.
00:38:17
Speaker
I did a video, i don't know if you saw it, of like the three years since we moved like since we bought the house to moving in and stuff. yeah It's the the most views I've ever had on Instagram, right? So 306,000 views. And like, whoa, that's amazing. So in your head, you'd be like 300,000 views. Like even 1% would be like 3,000 followers. 10% would be 30,000 followers. I've had 1,400 followers. That to me just sounds so like that. Yeah, how does that add up? It just shows you just need millions and millions and millions.
00:38:46
Speaker
Yeah, and just keep doing it. and Just keep doing it. That's why things like this podcast and social media it is actually people that have like grafted and just worked and done It's really fair play to them. That's the thing. You only see people filming themselves at work or two sat here having a chat, but the actual effort that goes into behind the scenes, you just don't see it. I don't how the hell he does that. going to have quiz him. Unless he's buying followers or something. Yeah, exactly. It all comes out now. I'm looking forward to chatting to him. He's coming to my house well. Yeah, he is the second live guest. Yeah, so he's not coming. It's too embarrassing. No, yeah. He's not finished. No, exactly, yeah. Oh, I meant to talk you about this podcast studio as well. For anyone that has just listened for the first time, I built this podcast studio in my garage for like 200 quid. We've got all these soundproof panels and stuff.
00:39:32
Speaker
um And I've been trying to find like a nice table and chairs to get the finishing shots. And I've been on Facebook Marketplace and, oh my god, um I'm just fuming about it. There's basically people who would be like 30 pounds for these table and chairs who live in the area where people like, oh, wicked. Is this still available? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Cool.
00:39:49
Speaker
Oh, yeah, I'll take it. Thanks. And they'd be like, oh, no, it's 280 pounds. And you're like, what? And you're like, oh, no, it's 280 pounds, 30 pounds just to get you interested sort of thing. And I'm like, oh, it's a new table and chairs. was like, what sort mental marketing tag is that? You'd be like, oh, was looking for a secondhand cheap set. But now, oh, no, they're so nice. And then I went down the listing.
00:40:10
Speaker
And it's basically they AI'd it again to your fury. Yeah. The same table in, like, 20 living rooms in 20 locations in, like, Kent, Surrey, everywhere. Yeah. So I'd say I've been looking, I found one and the woman was like, sorry, it's gone. yeah now I've been looking, there's just nothing coming on. I was like, who's triple-drawn and not? But like 30 quid, like surely like price it realistically. If it's that good then it will sell. If it doesn't, then you've obviously overcharged it. What sort mentalists would go on looking at like the cheapest, the most expensive I've seen them do, it was like 48 pounds and all their ones. Yeah, yeah. I clicked on it and it'd be like,
00:40:47
Speaker
Oh no, $2.80. So you'd be like, what the hell? like No one's going to be like, oh, I was really wanting to pay full check, card but I will pay $2.80. Yeah, yeah. Which is insane. On Facebook Marketplace. Yeah, massive. yeah I mean, i love Facebook Marketplace because I literally bought Lydia second-hand bike.
00:41:00
Speaker
Oh, nice. Her first ever bike. Amazing. She was out there on the weekend. It's got like little scratches on it, but it's so perfect because she literally um was like crashing and falling over and just scraping for you. Like, yeah that's fine. Well, it's cool, yeah. But for these table chairs, don't see like that.
00:41:16
Speaker
It's full of absolute crunks and nothing. It's just like, who who's listing this random stuff? It always cracks me up when people list stuff and it's like in horrendous condition and it's like 100 quid. You're like, ma I wouldn't even take that for free. Yeah, like your charts are like, I'm knocked into 90 pounds. Let's do that with it.
00:41:35
Speaker
But yeah, but we shouldn't do these after work. i feel like this is the most negative. No, exactly. I've said some positive things, but I've mostly have been a bit down. Yeah. So anyone want to donate us a table and chairs? was going to say money. Yeah, but money as well. table chairs would be good, to be fair. I do want to finish off this with something fancy, but the whole point was doing it, this podcast room, on the cheap. And also, it's mental to spend money when I say I don't have enough money. Yeah, exactly. Like a neon sign with our names on it there. That would be absolutely effective. So yeah, that's where I'm at. So yeah, I'm looking forward to next week's O-In and I'll be more positive. Nice. Yeah, that's it. Yeah. I'm going to have a run at it, I think. I'm like, I'm getting more like work.
00:42:18
Speaker
my other work has got a bit more like I just need to do a day rather than a week. Yeah, exactly. So I'm looking forward to taking getting that rhythm and start smashing things out. Not maybe physically. yeah Yeah, exactly. Yeah. Yeah. And, uh, I meant talk to you about my stairs. Oh yeah. Yeah. your post yeah I was just like putting in these spindles and I was like, Oh, it's looking really good. And you know, when you like do bits and pieces and then you're like, stop for a cup of tea, obviously proper trades. And then, um,
00:42:48
Speaker
I was standing there like drinking my cub tea looking at it. I'd love to have just feel my face because the realisation slowly was like that one's upside down. was like how have done that? It's horrendous. It looks like a similar detail in both ways. Yeah exactly. One end's fatter than the other basically. I think that's how I messed up but I was just like god damn it, how have I done that? Yeah, so ripping it out. The shame of having to rip that out. Could you rip it out nicely or was all Or did you have to start again? Yeah, yeah. i I managed to rip it out quite nicely to be fair. So it wasn't too bad. So I didn't have to fully start again. but What's annoying, I guess we're not trying to be perfect on this show, but I feel like I cook up, like even like IKEA stuff is basic. Yeah. I just always make one mistake, even if it's like a tiny mistake. Yeah. um And me and Emily bought like,
00:43:39
Speaker
side tables the other day and she put one together and I put one together we both made the time same thing so like hopefully everyone is just doing this sort of stuff because these people that just build this stuff perfectly just be human just yeah exactly yeah but damn you Swedish people and your flatback stuff I won't go on a rant but I hate it yeah I'm over over it thought you were to say that Emily built hers like immaculate and yours was like falling down. Well, did one with Lydia. Lydia helped me. She slowed me down massively. It was like cute moment. But I was like, she was like, can I have these? was like, wait, what are they? She's like, all the screws. I know she's like putting them in her kitchen. Why do you want screws? She just hoards it. Yeah. It's like kids, yeah. just put random stuff in their pockets.
00:44:24
Speaker
So, yeah, that's where I'm at, my moody self. So I'll be more positive next week. Yeah, yeah. Well, you got Owen to cheer you Well, nice one. nice Nice to speak with you, mate. So, yeah, was good seeing you, mate. Yeah, was nice. Thank you, everyone. Thanks for tuning in As always, if you've got any emails, feel free to drop us an email at hello at the DIY Guys podcast or you can find us on Instagram. at the DIY Cars podcast, and you can drop us DM. and Obviously, feel free to add comments and likes and subscribes all over the place, wherever you get your podcasts.
00:44:59
Speaker
it' so Yeah, yeah. So do it. So ah thanks for everyone tuning in, and we'll catch you next week. you next week.