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My husband and I moved from Los Angeles to London in 2005. Our initial 2-year-stay morphed into a 5-year commitment so we decided to buy rather than bleed money for rent. We bought a house in Hillgate Village, one of the larger units that had already been transformed in 2002/03 from a restaurant and two flats into a contemporary 2/3 bedroom, 2.5 bath single dwelling. While the developer did a gallant job with the structural renovation, the finish was cheap and already breaking down within two years and one previous owner. Showers were leaking, there were glitches in the lighting system, and a general inconsistency in the style throughout.
Having already renovated three properties in the U.S., we were shocked by how unregulated and corrupt the construction industry is in this country. I unintentionally fell into the role of full-time project manager in order to keep the project on schedule and prevent the draining of our bank account. But despite all our efforts, the project went over schedule and over budget.
Alas, the job was finished - or at least the builders had done all they were capable of doing. Then I turned up pregnant and now we''''re entering into ...
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Leaky Shower
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Type of project: |
Bathroom (Ensuite) |
The small size of the shower makes it impossible to prevent leakage. Although a bother, it's not a problem where there is stone. However, in the area against the wall the leakage was causing water damage to the skirting. Our ...
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Steam Shower
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Type of project: |
Bathroom (Ensuite) |
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We converted this bath/shower combo into a roomy steam shower. Check my 'Steam Power' article in the Advice section to find out specifics. It's easier than one would think! |
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Back Terrace Facelift
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Back Roof Terrace |
The previous homeowners were refused permission by local Council to install a rail on this back roof terrace, rendering it too unsafe to use. Apparently neighbors had complained it would give the owners 'viewing access' to other people's private property. ...
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Red-Eyed-Gal is yet to contribute a blog entry.
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