Well, it's the 12 December and not a single room is complete. We really are going about this arse about face. The decorators have moved in but the electrician is still taking up floorboards to put in first fix cabling. The tilers have gone to another job and send me texts almost daily to say they are coming next day and then another one on the day to say they are coming the next day, and to think we got them in to speed up the job. The problem builder has now done his bit and gone. He wanted paying for the remaining fire doors which were £900 and to leave the small tasks (worth £10) to finish off 'as and when'. I had to use the broken record technique 'I'll pay you when all the jobs are done' to get him to come in and finish off all the little jobs - one of which turned out not to be so little after all - he just lead us to believe it was. He surprised us by not wanting payment for a day spent making and fitting 2 shower bases - not for labour or materials - just goes to show you can never completely know someone.

On the other hand the drainage guy, having threatened me has now sent me a bill for £5,777.00 what he claims is the full amount for the work carried out. I have already paid him what I calculated the work to be worth (£1,480.00) and wait to see what he will do now as I don't intend to pay anymore.

So what progress have we made? The kitchen is tantalisingly close to being finished - just a cupboard to be fitted and a few cables boxed in and I can start moving in the furniture. We had black brickwork tiles and they look surperb. I spent 3 days covering up the yellow walls and green woodwork with magnolia and white - now the kitchen looks twice the size it did - it's going to be lovely. The front bedroom is now almost there, just waiting for the dado rails to be fitted in the ensuite and the carpet and we are done in there. I don't want to be overly optimistic but may also have the other two bedrooms on that floor done by Sunday. There is still, however, a mammoth painting job to be done on the lounge which hasn't been touched yet (more yellow and green) Not to mention the garden.

Been getting quotes from the yellohw pages. Very interesting will write about that next time.