Renovation project - Alfresco dining with a difference!
We look at the kitchen where we are and it really is not usable,
this is an amazing kitchen and I will explain in detail so you can
understand just how good it is.
On one side there is an old unit next to this is a cooker, this
cooker is one step up from a camping stove and every time you try to
light the ring it explodes, I hate it!!!!!!
There is an old fireplace next to the cooker that has been boarded
up
On the other side is a Formica table, a kitchen cupboard that is
not attached to anything, with a
wooden dresser top that is nailed to
the wobbly wall, an old sink unit which still has the lead water pipe
with a tap sticking out of the wall and a concrete cupboard
underneath, but the best bit is the tiling around the sink unit, wait
for it, but the tiles on a board are actually nailed on to the wall!
Yes you read it right the tiles on a board are nailed on to the
wall!!!!!
This wall is also wobbly, it is just a piece of hardboard that has
been nailed in place, not fully nailed in place as it is wobbly and
also completely rotten and damp
The wall separating the kitchen from the living room has an
amazing stone arch, lots of which is covered in plaster, which looks
like it was thrown at the wall rather than trowelled on. There is
also a small cupboard in the wall and plug sockets everywhere.
Now the plug sockets should not be a problem other than they are
in plastic trunking, the light switches are the same, there is
plastic trunking everywhere.
This is quite common in France and if you have your house re
wired, please be aware. Unless you actually state that you want the
wires in the wall or hidden away, you are likely to have plastic
trunking on all of your walls.
Unless you know this information before hand you can pay for a
rewire and end up far more upset than you were with the original
wiring.
We are still waiting for the saniflo unit to arrive so John is
going to sort out a few of the problems in the kitchen, if he
doesn't it will cost us more as we are having to go out to eat every
evening and that sort of defeats the object of staying here.
The sun is shining so we are able to move the kitchen outside,
there is a small porch area opposite the toilet in the back garden.
So today John removes everything, thank goodness for the sun!
The kitchen also looks a lot bigger now its emptied. But we also
get to see just how bad the damp and dry rot is at the hardboard
wall, it is totally rotten.
This is another tip to be wary of when buying in France, if you
see a new dry lined wall you really need to know what is happening
behind it, as often a damp problem is not sorted out, a new wall is
built to cover it, this had also happened to friends who had bought,
by the time they had removed all of the new walls they found a big
problem with their house (their house was also a lot bigger as the
walls had been covered more than once, so always a silver lining!)
Here are the photos of the kitchen and our new outdoor kitchen.
Again do not be put off by what may appear to be scare stories,
just be aware of the following points:
- Buy with your eyes open and with the knowledge required
- If you are buying a very old stone property cheaply it is not
going to be perfect
- If you are buying a house that has had work completed, get
copies of the insurances from the company that has completed the
work
- If you are going to renovate yourself, do not buy something
beyond your capabilities unless you can arrange for a project
manager you know and trust to over see the work being completed
- Be wary of new dry lined walls
- Do not be scared of damp, it is a common problem in many old
stone houses
- Remember how much fun we have had renovating in France, do
not be afraid but do not get completely out of your depth and be
aware of how much you are spending and how much the property will be
worth once finished. It is a balancing act.
