The February issue of New Idea. In it you’ll find some of my top tips. You’ll also find a reference to the 80s flick The Money Pit. I’ve never seen it, so I thought I’d dig out a couple of extracts…
If you’re contemplating DIY (why I ask) then you MUST see the scaffold segment below. Followed by what’s probably a collection of the best bits. Watch and be warned!
When Christopher Lawrence interviewed me on Hobart’s ABC radio recently, he introduced the segment with some reminisces about Cary Grant’s film, Mr Blandings Builds His Dream House. While he acknowledged that Cary’s house was a new one, he did say the principles were the same.
You get a budget, find a builder and before you know it, the project is off the rails. In this interview, I gave Hobartians my top tips on how to advoid this happening to them. You can listen to the interview here.
For those more interested in Cary, here’s the synopsis of the film:
Jim Blandings is tired of the city life so he decides to move to move his family to the country. Of course, that means a brand new house, a very long commute into the city, and maybe the loss of his sanity.
I love this excerpt - it’s where Muriel has unwittingly caused a massive variation …brilliant!
I’m convinced that leafblowers are the most inane and useless product ever invented. When the lazy so-and-sos down the street bring theirs out, I know I’m not the only one cursing. The solution is a humble product that’s almost become obsolete. Do you agree? Watch here and tell me.
Want to watch the next episodes where I look at the wonders of Sikkaflex, stepped drills, and my Victoria and Albert hammer? Subscribe by email if you do.
While the makeup person was giving me a new face before my interview on 9am’s David and Kim yesterday, she told me about her own renovation experience. It was yet another example of the pitfalls involved in getting friends and family involved …
This renovator’s ex-father-in-law was a builder and when she and her ex-husband wanted to renovate their house, he said: “Let me help! I’ll organise all my tradies to do it”. Unfortunately this meant that this renovator couldn’t get quotes.
“How could I ask them?”, the father-in-law said. “They’ll be offended. But don’t worry - everything will be alright.” She felt they ended up paying even more than people who DIDN’T have a builder in the family.
The one bright spot in the whole thing was their kitchen. The father-in-law was pulling an almost-new one out of a house that was itself about to be renovated and so she snapped it up. “It’s jade green,” she told me, “with some missing cupboard doors which I had replaced in cherry red. People come to the house and just go ‘wow’.” They also saved a mozza doing it that way.
(Hint: for renovators on a budget try EBAY for kitchens other people are selling because they’re renovating. There are some good bargains to be had.)
The whole story reminded me of one I use in my book - The Renovator’s Survival Guide. In it, Margaret, one of the most capable people I know, tells the story of how she and the owner of the warehouse floor above her engaged an architect- friend to do the design.
“I know there’s an adage that you should never work with friends, but we did it anyway and it was a disaster,” she says.
The architect thought she’d drawn a $700,000 project but when quotes came back they were between $900,000 and a million dollars an over. “We were so plain about the fact that there was a genuine budget, that was not going to be exceeded, and so we wasted a lot of time with her,” Margaret says.
Of course, watching out for the pitfalls of building and renovating with friends and and family, isn’t the only tip you should take on board. There are plenty more in this interview with David and Kim - and I loved the fact that Kim’s husband apparently liked my book’s BLONDE MOMENTS! Check the interview out for yourself here.
Time and cost blow outs are two of the most common problems renovators experience. Talkback callers to Melbourne’s 3AW shared both their questions and answers …
One renovator in particular called the station while I was on air with Denis Walter and described her frustration as she tried to makeover her bathroom and laundry. She had tried to find a builder to give her a fixed price quote on this relatively small job but could only find tradespeople willing to do it on a do and charge basis.
Did you know that at the free RENOSURVIVOR community I set up you can check out my collection of Delicious resources, share your stories and ask your questions? All without boring your friends?
Well, the site’s still in its infancy, but I was so excited last week to see that we’ve now welcomed our third member - Stephen - who immediately posted pics and comments. The best thing is, he’s apparently looking forward to my book (I am seriously flattered and hope it meets expectations) AND coming along to Archicentre’s 10 things you should know about renovating before you start seminars.
I was so thrilled to see the first comments on the RENOSURVIVOR community, that I’m going to repeat them here.
“Hi Amanda, I have already booked through Archicentre a couple of weeks ago. I saw your video on Yahoo7 and now I’m looking forward to the seminar a great deal. I’m more of a hands-on renovator, doing as many of my own jobs as possible, but it’s not easy. I’m practically holding down 3 full-time jobs at once - father, office manager and renovator. I was just beginning to believe that after the renovation I should write my own book to help others avoid some of the nightmares, especially surviving the stress on families and partners. I’m eagerly anticipating your book this weekend. Best wishes, Stephen.”
In case you haven’t checked RENOSURVIVOR out yet, you may want to mosey on over for a second or two …
Stephen’s also added his own top tip on my book website, which you can check out here. (I love getting feedback - it’s such a novelty; I find it so exciting.)
My book’s in store … although you’d really have to know what you were looking for to find it!
At my local bookstore - Better Read Than Dead - my book’s in the architecture ‘overflow’ section, coincidentally right above the book of a colleague of mine, Faie Davis. (Hers is the Look Book - bottom shelf. I’m right underneath the dummy.)
The Renovator’s Survival Guide is finally out. In case you missed this 40 second trailer that gives you a quick insight into what it’s all about, here it is again!
Yesterday I was interviewed by George and Paul on 2UE. I thought I was so clever recording it over the net so that I could post it here later… Unfortunately I screwed up so you missed the bit about the lovely plumber who offered to take off his boots and this sage advice I repeated from another renovator…
Earlier in the week Jayne, a blogger over at Webchild and also a renovator, reviewed my book. I couldn’t help but giggle knowingly when I read the following. And I loved it so much I repeated it on air.
Here’s what she wrote:
“As to the renovating procedure in toto, let me just say that everything the battle-worn renovators before me have said is completely true - tradesmen who don’t turn up, messes of apocalyptic proportions, delays and more delays, legal loopholes, blood, sweat and tears. Of course when I was told this prior to our own project all I heard was “Blah, blah, blah, Egyptian crystal chandelier, blah, blah, blah, open living area, blah, blah, blah, walk-in wardrobe with extra shoe storage.” I wish I had paid attention.”
Are your friends tired of listening to your renovation tales? Want to ask questions but not sure where to go? Then why not join the free RENOVATION COMMUNITY
You’ll also find a reference to the 80s flick The Money Pit. I’ve never seen it, so I thought I’d dig out a couple of extracts…
