Advise on the right steps for house decoration

[wind2000]

I'll have keys for a house this Friday on the completion of sale (a typical small/medium sized mid terraced house in S6). I would need to do a lot of things within a timescale of a month. I just wanted to hear from people who had similar experience of buying and decorating a house.

 

1. I bought a cast iron gas stove from ebay for my living room. I don't want to have an expensive/decorative fireplace. The chimney has been bricked up. Who is the right person to do the job (gassafe, builder or wood burning stove installer)? Do I need to obtain a certificate as for wood burning stove?

 

2. 4 double glazing windows need to be installed, including the one in the living room. I am unsure whether window or fireplace installation should be the first. Should I just call a window company to get a quote and ask them?

 

3. In two rooms upstairs, there is an old heater, with an exhaust chimney through wall. As a pipe is connected to it, I guess its gas heater. Outside of the house, it looks like this (I just googled):

 

http://www.colourbox.com/image/exhaust-chimney-of-an-old-gas-heater-in-a-house-image-1642962?ver=a&utm_expid=22365066-12.LQUruejPQVuO46hzBZUNtA.1&utm_referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.co.uk%2F

 

Is this something that a Gassafe person can remove? In the kitchen, an old combi boiler would need a good service (or repair - I can't make it work, although the seller said it's working). When I ring a Gassafe person, can I tell this as well?

 

4. I have single panel central heating radiators. I am thinking about replacing them with 2-3 column radiators. Is this a good idea? Or should I go for double panel radiators such as Stelrad Elite Radiators K2 Double Convector (Is this the right one?)? Could the old combi boiler be affected by this change, so that I need a new combi boiler?

 

5. I would like to get a joiner to replace a dated kitchen worktop with a solid oak worktop, to hang some internal doors, and to install handrail/guardrail to attic room.

 

6. After all the work above, I would need to install laminate flooring for all rooms (3 bedrooms and 2 reception rooms). I am hopeless at DIY. But I am thinking of laying laminate flooring and painting the wall by myself, as I am keen on saving. I am unsure whether installing laminate flooring on stairs and landing is a good idea.

 

I think it is important to find the right people at the right time, to save time and money. Any thought or advice would be appreciated.

[biotechpete]

Are you planning on living there or getting the work done before you move in?

 

The way I would go is

1. Plumbing, boiler work etc

You need hot water & heating most of all. Yes changing the radiators can affect the boiler, particularly if you are increasing the output of the system. As a rule of thumb you can add up the output (kW) of all the radiators and add extra for hot water and another 10% allowance for really cold weather. A good heating engineer will be able to tell you if the boiler can cope. If it's old, with the price of gas increasing rapidly the pay back on changing to a modern boiler is well worth the outlay.

 

2. Windows/doors

Get them changed if they are single glazed or rotting etc. Get it done before you do any other decoration because there is a risk it will mess up the plaster around the windows.

 

3. Decorate

This depends on exactly what you need to do, whether given you are laying new floors if you want to put new skirts on. Do any walls need re-skimming? Are you planning to add insulation anywhere?

 

4. Floors

Floor and wall coverings generally go last. The thing to bear in mind with laminate flooring is that the sub-floor needs to be flat & level. I know my terrace has original floor boards which are very uneven. It's pretty easy to lay with basic DIY skills though. There are guides on how to lay it in places like Wickes and all the DIY books.

[wind2000]

Are you planning on living there or getting the work done before you move in?

 

2. Windows/doors

Get them changed if they are single glazed or rotting etc. Get it done before you do any other decoration because there is a risk it will mess up the plaster around the windows.

 

 

Thank you so much for your reply. I have about a month before I move in. Re. windows, I haven't arranged window companies to come and give me a quote. But i just rang a company today to get a rough idea of how much it will cost in total. It would be just usual upvc double glazed windows. Does £400-450 per window sound about right?

[p-and-d]

Sounds a lot to me