Project Baby’s Room has been (almost) completed. At least all the bits that Andrew and I can do are now finished. It’s taken a long time too! We started getting quotes for changing the study into the baby’s room in September. First we decided to put in airconditioning. We thought it would be an easy job, to put a unit on the wall and attach it to the compressor on the balcony. Wrong!! We couldn’t get quotes because noone could find the correct unit. Andrew finally contacted the Mitsubishi distributors in Australia only to find out that the gas used in the system is no longer allowed to be imported into the country, and so they would have to try to locate a second hand unit for us. They successfully managed to find a unit, but then it took ages for them to give us a quote for installation, and every time Andrew rang to talk to them the cost (verbally given) went up, until we finally got the quote. They finally installed the unit in late November, though that was also a drama that took several days to complete. We then had to argue with the company when they sent us the bill, as we were charged for an item that they didn’t install, and we were also charged for some other things that we didn’t agree with. Andrew discussed it with the company and they ended up reducing the bill a little.
Next was the wardrobe saga. In October we got quotes for the wardrobe, and chose a company to do the work. They asked 10% to be paid when we booked the job, and another 30% when the job went to production. We didn’t have any issues with this practice. The idea was to pay 50% when the installer came to install the wardrobe, and a final 10% when it was all done to our satisfaction. The first installer never arrived because the doors were made the wrong size and had to go back to be remade. The second installation date set saw the installer turn up, so we paid our 50%, but he didn’t manage to finish the job, and he also broke the overhead cupboard so it had to go back to production. The third installation date arranged was cancelled the day before, and rescheduled for 2 days later which was their last working day before Christmas. Unfortunately they didn’t manage to make it that day either. The next installation date set in mid January saw a guy turn up, do some work for a few hours, and then tell us that he had to get some more things remade….the draws were the wrong size, as were the doors. The next installation date set was last Wednesday, and once again the wardrobe and overhead cupboard couldn’t be finished. Our next date is on Wednesday this week. So we’ve paid 90% of the quoted amount for a job that was supposed to be finished by the end of November last year, we’ve had people turn up 3 times to install it, and we still don’t have a completed wardrobe. I’m sure it will be finished…one day!
To turn the room into a proper room, Andrew and Gabe built a door frame in the Christmas break. The door frame was built to match the others in the flat, but it was taller than a standard sized door, so we’ve decided to get a lead light window to go above the door. Gabe showed us how to fix holes in plaster board, and so Andrew has been busy trying to repair all the holes created when the aircon went in. The door frame was built further into the room than the light switch, so Andrew moved the light switch and plastered over the hole of the original switch, and then we painted the entire room and door frame.
For now we’ve finished, though there are still two jobs to do. 1) get the wardrobe finished, and 2) design and get the lead light window made. It might have taken us 5 months to get this far, but I’m proud of what we’ve achieved in our 1 bedroom plus study flat.
Presenting….the baby’s room!
We just need the baby to go in it now.
