When I bought my house back in 2016, I knew it had many problems but loved the feel of it and saw potential. One of the interesting quirks was that it had an external laundry.
Now I grew up with an external laundry which we enclosed on the back of our house in about 1976, along with the new family room which was de rigueur in the renovations department at that time. We engaged a builder who turned out to be a bit of a cowboy - misreading the measurements for the second bathroom adjoining the laundry which meant we ended up with an enormous luxurious laundry...and a teeny tiny bathroom. It was so small it needed a sliding door! The builder was a lanky Dutchman by the name of Henk Graauwelman (who could forget that name) who, at the same time that he was providing us with an indoor laundry, built himself a house in Blackwood with an external laundry. My house. Yes, you wouldn't read about the coincidence!
Anyhow, it was already in a pretty rough state by the time I moved in and I always thought I would convert an indoor area of the house to be my laundry at some point, but when it came down to it, I decided I quite liked having the noise of the machine and piles of washing away from my kitchen and dining area...so the external laundry persisted. Well it has got worse in the last 10 years and, knowing I have visitors coming at Christmas I decided I was too embarrassed to have a laundry like that any more.
Exhibit A
Horrible cupboards that back straight on to the wall, doors that don't close....
As so often happens when you get used to things, we've just put up with this. Its so bad that I rarely (never) clean it, because its too horrible to go in to and somehow doesn't seem worth it!
So works are underway! The plumbing and electrics have been rerouted and the cracked white tiles removed from behind the sink.
At the moment the old cupboards are still in place but they are coming down soon and I DO need to wash the floor...although it's only going to get filthy again once they start installing everything....
The quote has come through for the carpentry and I am resuing left over tiles from my ensuite makeover so I'm hoping I can get this done for a reasonable price.
My front garden is another matter. It too was always a bit dodgy but I have worked on it over the years and from time to time it looked quite nice...or at least loved.
Now, with several years of overseas travel (where I invested very little time in caring for it) and through the passage of time, the retaining walls are collapsing and major works need to be done.
This was never pretty but the very wet winters we've had have left the sleepers rotten and covered in moss.
Don't even start me on these steps....
The approach to the house is dodgy in the extreme and has meant that a dear friend with a disability and even some elderly friends now, cannot visit as it's too tricky underfoot.
Nice new roof though!!!!!
Look at this mess, about to collapse!
And so, the new designs have been drawn up! The garden man is visiting this Sat to horrify me with the cost of changing all this...
Here's the plan......
Of course I won't be paying him to plant all these plants. That will be a me job once the form is established. It's going to be big, dusty work! Stay tuned for updates!
