An old German adage says you build your first house for your enemy, the
second one for your friend and the third one for yourself. I was doing my best
to learn from mistakes made by my parents in their house and to avoid what was
done wrong in two rented flats I dwelled in.
My first piece of advice – do not let yourself get carried away by
purchase-related euphoria. I plead to have well underestimate the scope of
works my flat required. Quickly after the purchase I realised it would not be just
a thorough refurbishment and decided nearly everything would be ripped off, as
brand new stuff would serve years. Cool down, take a deep breath, since all works need to be well-thought-out!
The second piece of advice – work out layout in advance – it pertains
specifically to placing equipment and fixtures which require water and
electricity connections (sink, kitchen, dishwasher, etc.) – rewiring and
plumbing come first and should match how you want to get your flat arranged,
not the other way round.
The third piece of advice – hire an architect if you lack time or idea to
design your dwelling. With hindsight I do not regret not taking up one, but I
see advantages of having a helping hand of a reasonable, experienced architect.
While being generally very satisfied with the outcome, there are some
errors which could have been evaded.
The bathroom light switch location on the hinge side of the door is the paramount
glitch and my mistake since I failed to notice importance of door opening
direction (and ordered to swap the bathroom and toilet doors just ahead of the
assembly). Actually if I am to be the owner of the flat when the next remont is
done, light switches of the bathroom and the toilet will be combined and placed
between the doors, on handle sides. I thought the solution would be peskier
than it really is once I have got used to it.
I have chosen triple-glazed windows to get better insulation and noise
protection. The difference in price was marginal but it turned out putting in
internal rollers to it would be a problem (since the upper tube hits a wall
while a window is being fully opened). Two companies refused to assemble it,
the third one did it, after I signed a declaration I would not complain about
the outcome. Actually the problem has turned out to be inflated (I had taken
measurements before commissioning the assembly), however such buffers (made by
my father) had to be stuck to balcony doors (the most frequently opened) and
once it gets warmer, I will have to buy a sample of while paint to cover them.
The socket in the kitchen for the dishwasher (separate circuit) was
placed before I worked up the layout of the kitchen, including where the
dishwasher is placed. The upshot is that an extension cord (meeting safety
criteria) had to be used. Just for the record, the previous dishwasher socket
was just next to and below water valves!
The unpainted (this still needs to be done) has pipe is another example
of minor glitches I have overlooked. In the hall one can spot the old fuse box,
if the bespoke shoe cabinet was four centimetres deeper, more shoes boxes would
fit it, compartment for ironing board and drying rack in the bedroom wardrobe
should have been located on the outer side, and so on and so forth…
All in all, I have not underestimated the expenses (building materials,
labour charges and furniture set me back nearly exactly 1,500 PLN per sqm),
however grossly underestimated the duration of the venture. Seven months lapsed
between the purchase and the moment I moved in. Location and layout of the flat
are nearly perfect, the place feels like home, finally!
To celebrate it, I organise Easter this year at my place, a culinary
challenge ahead, though at my parents’ insistence, we shared the work.
For the very ending, a series of snaps for the sake of comparison:
October 2018 when the remont was at its worst vs. yesterday. Oh, what a makeover!
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