Today it’s the BIG day. Today is carpet fitting day – which creates MUCH excitement!!
To me, the project deadline for a property renovation is always dictated by when the carpets are being fitted – that’s because, I always have to know that everything “dirty” has been done inside the house before the carpets arrive. I am absolutely obsessive about not getting dirt or anything on new carpets and so when the carpets arrive – that’s my cut off point for any other work happening inside the house.
As you may remember, I had four different carpet companies quote on the job and in the end I had to compromise my “wants” to bring it closer to budget. The original quotes were around 2.2k-2.4k for the whole property, but in the end we have decided to keep the carpet in the lounge (which is not very old, is cream and feels good underfoot) so the total price (including fitting) came in at £1680, which was slightly over my original planned budget of £1500.
Admittedly, I still stuck to my guns on the striped staircase carpet – although I have pared back from the original very striking design and compromised on a much more “acceptable” stripe – which is less of a design statement and more of a “contemporary look”. Funnily enough – it would appear I have chosen a popular design as my electrician happens to have just chosen the same carpet for his stairs and hallway, and also my tiler did the same earlier this year – so maybe I am “on trend” when it comes to what home-owners in the area are looking for! (can you tell I have bored everyone who has entered my property with the striped stair carpet story!)
I know the laminate floor I am fitting in the hallway has toppled the budget, however I do feel that in such a heavy duty area this is the right choice – plus I chose a colour which will match with the stripe of the carpet and so should complete the modern, homely look I am after (fingers crossed!).
Have I got too personal about the flooring?
Maybe.
But, then I wanted everything in the house to match the various elements of each room – and the flooring is an important part of that. I am not an interior designer, but I do want to try and match colours so there is a “theme” – and the property needs to feel like a modern home which will suit a buyer. The trick is – to make the property feel personable, but not too personal. It needs to feel like a home, not a house. I don’t want to create a “show home” ala Barrett Homes, but I also do not want a complete “blank canvas”.
I like to put a little bit “extra” into each and every project – and this isn’t just about the money I spend on doing the renovation, it’s about the thought I give to how I can make the property have more “stand out” appeal and make it just a little bit more “special” rather than a bog standard renovation.
So for me – the highlights of this property which I worked with are:
– The Neff range and orange glass splashback – now you can really see just how big this dining kitchen is
– The downstairs additional room – this could be used as a study or a bedroom
– The spacious hall and stairway – the laminate floor and striped carpet make a feature of this area and really create a sense of space in the property
Other people may have chosen different areas to focus on – such as the large, private back garden, or maybe even the bathrooms – but I chose my 3 areas from the outset and have focused on these. Obviously, you can always do more – but that would increase the budget and the timeline and so I made my choices early on and I have stuck to these.
The estate agents are due on Monday – and then we will have the moment of truth…
Am I nervous?
A little…
Progress so far:
Until next time…