Help calm me. House buying and selling stress *Part 9*

most micro chips are made in Taiwan and they are having obvious supply problems from china. Even the car manufacturers cannot get them

Power chair, oh yes it is that mobile one that you can get onto a bus

Very good point about fire safety Razz, the lift would be out of bounds and the stairwell would, I should think, have to be surrounded by those very heavy fire doors that need to be kept closed all the time. Might be worthwhile Franbern, for a fire safety officer to come and look

Ooh no lift Franbern, what an unexpected thing to happen. Hope everyone can cope until Thursday. Can everyone use the stairs in the event of a fire? When I worked at the college I had one student on crutches, I had to walk down the stairs in front of her during the very regular fire alarm drills! Poor kid - she had something wrong with her spine and throughout her childhood had been told they would be able to operate at 16, unfortunately they couldn't.

Handyman came at 10.30 am, first varnish coat done on both rooms. I had to race out and buy another £50 tin this morning, wood is soaking it up.

I've got to do coat two at 2 pm, then sand, and coat three at 4 pm, the bl**dy mop things are only 'in transit', so won't be here today, so it's brush again. I'll be keeping the mops, which are for staining decking and will work with the varnish, but won't buy from the seller again.

I've written to the removal company and asked for my furniture and possessions back Monday onwards, apparently it takes 72 hours for it to be fully 'diamond' hard.

Such a bore, I'm glad it's nearly all over, just the hall to do.

Fish and chips tonight and the last episode of Better Call Saul!

I will be keeping the power chair in my garage, where I also keep my scooter. No need to have it in my home.

I do not understand why 'parts' for almost any repair so often seem to take ages to access. Do wonder if they are some sort of 'slow boat from China'. Back where I used to live there was a lift that went from the station to the bus station - a very, very long flight of stairs - impossible for people with heavy suitcase, prams, wheelchairs or just unable to climb stairs. That was out of order for nearly a year. Local MP tried chasing it up and all the reply was that the lift company was 'waiting on parts'. Does seem daft in the modern world, easily crossed in the matter of hours that this still happens.

Must say that most of the people here do understand that we are all doing our best. We have have put chairs on every landing so that there are plenty of stopping and resting places for everyone. Unfortunate that people in the final stages of purchasing a flat came for a final viewing yesterday - must say they were also very understanding about it.

I have now ordered my awning. Whoo.......

gosh Franbern, re the lift, very expensive to maintain. We had two to look after when in a 42 property development. Such a time-hungry and stressful job being a pro-active director. As always people will moan, especially those who never do anything to help.

I expect it is a micro chip problem, which is affecting many spare parts for many things. I do hope the temporary repair is done before your power chair arrives. They will probably just join two wires to bi-pass something called a logic gate ie switch/sensor

I have been waiting for many months for a smart meter reading device, unavailable due to semi conductor problems

Agree Karmaladynot even knowing she had purchased the 'wrong' property. Many new laws coming in January next year governing HMO's - which will then mean ANY property with TWO or more self-contained flats. Going to be a shock for many a landlord!!!!!

homes under the hammer, so many wanting to squeeze the pips via HMOs. That woman today, foolish woman with no money

Laptop posted without (and before) I told it to do so...

Anyway, they are now hoping to be able to carry out a temp. repair on Thursday. I had to tell our lovely Cttee Lady Chairman that she should not be giving assistance to any of the people here in going up or down the stairs. She could be putting both them and herself at serious risk of injury. Anyway, because of this, it was then discovered that our Community Bus Drivers (which several here use to get around) are fully trained and insured to do this.

In between I did manage to contact a window company who, hopefully, will come out to me later this week to sort out my Patio door. Did not get any time to try to sort out anything to do with an awning.

Oh the fun of being a voluntary director of the Management Company!!!! Several of the flat owners here just do not seem to realise that we, cttee members, are just as much effected as they are. I am not too bad, as I am on the first floor and always try to use the stairs whenever possible., But other cttee members live much higher up.

Going to be a busy week as I am expecting the delivery of my new power chair later in the week, waiting for the window company to let me know when their engineer will come, waiting for the lift company engineer, going out for my (summer) weekly day trip out with my daughter tomorrow - have a 'murder evening meal' which was booked months ago on Friday evening. Having a visit from another daughter and her family on Sunday.

I actually stood out on my balcony when it started to rain, enjoying the feeling of that water falling on me!!!!

I spent most of yesterday morning on the telephone to our Lift Company. We had thought that an engineer was coming in the morning to do a temporary repair (we know that some new sensors are required), but nobody turned up and my phone calls to the company brought the information that there is probably nothng they can do until thos en ew parts area available.

Spent a long time pointing out to thm that we have six floors and some of our falt owners are well into their 80.s and90.s

Just popping in to say to anyone else, absolutely no point in using a brush to apply clear varnish on a large floor area.

I've just been doing the third coat, bent over like a silverback gorilla with one knuckle on the ground, and as it's clear it doesn't really matter. You can see where it is because of the shine. I'm cross with the ebay seller for not responding to my email to get the 'mops' faster by paying postage. At least I've made a start, and the mops might come tomorrow when the handyman is coming. I'll see how long the handyman has got, hopefully he will be able to do two coats!

Sorry your patio door has come off Franbern, we used to have a horrible sliding door to our kitchen and it often came off but was only wood, I could normally heave it back on.

Have a great time Whiff, hope you've factored in a few treats.

Do be careful karmalady, I can hardly walk after this varnishing job, feels like I've been to Timbuktu and back on a very wide horse!

Enjoy the train journey whiff, I am glad you have rain today, nothing here yet but fingers crossed and it is always lovely to come home to a newly cleaned nest

I decided to get on with the two vegtrugs, before the rain made the present compost far too heavy. They are now done and each one took 7 new bags of a mix of john innes 2 and 3. Lots of heavy lifting done this morning, I just grit my teeth and get on with it. Thankfully am still strong. Compost and potting grit, for the extra drainage cost me £86. Still I don`t think I will ever need to change it again as I had the good stuff. I have ordered 12 inch dwarf echinacea. I have lots of tall echinacea and they are good in drought. 12" tall will be perfect for those 2 planters. I am drought proofing as this extra hot weather is going to happen most years. I shall plant them as soon as they arrive and then top dress with more grit

You are all so busy. I have been taking it easy as I have a 4 hour train journey tomorrow. Cleaned the bungalow this morning as I like coming home to a clean and tidy home.

It's been steadily raining for 4 hours now but the humidity is high and it's still 27.5 ° in my living room. At least the garden is getting a good soaking.

I have a list of jobs that need doing nothing on or in the bungalow as that's all done . It's the garden and greenhouse that need attention and my garage tidying out. Hopefully the striking bus drivers will be back at work next week they are voting today and tomorrow on the new pay deal.
Luckily I have still been able to use 2 buses as they are a different company

That trunking Franbern I could use in my greenhouse to seal some gaps and make it warmer for the winter. As I intend to grow some things in it over winter.

The old panels that blew out with Arwen I am going to use inside to double insulate it using them horizontally but not sealing them as I can take them out late spring.

Take care everyone

Ahhh, keeping on keeping on, step by small step. Comfy by winter

Yes Franbern, always stuff to do if a property owner, always best to keep on top of it. Silicone spray on window and door mechanisms for me to do in september. Two wooden benches to preserve. Two trugs that need different drought plants and soil, need to prep for that by next monday

I have realised that the Patio Door has somehow come OFF its bottom runner. Been in touch with a window company who will come in later in the week to sort it.

Morning all, quite humid and overcast here.

I'm varnishing again at 12. I've got muscles in my bottom I'd forgotten about after yesterday's bout.

I'm pleased I've finally found a place for my tall columnar water butt, and have attached it to the strong trellis attached to the fence with an old bike chain. I think I told you it was attached to the downpipe originally, and the tiny stand was blown away by the storm, nearly ripping the downpipe off. I bought a new stand but it was too wide, and the butt was blown off again. I tried to give the butt to my neighbour but she couldn't find a place for it, so now it's now back here. Any storms and will probably bring the fence down, but hey ho.

Thanks for the recommendation Franbern, I've got a lot of minor repairs to do now. The plaster around the electric point hidden by the wardrobe is all shattered, and the wardrobe was obviously there when the room was painted so I have a big white area where it had been. The concrete floor edge has broken where the men were standing too, I should have covered it in cardboard. Whole place is a mess but I'm keeping on keeping on!

razz re the gap under you skirting boards. Have a look on amazon at D Quadrant trunking. This comes up in various depths and colours - white is the easiest to get. Sticks down firmly to floor and will probably completely fill in that gap with little cost and work. Easy enough to wipe down and paint the existing skirting before you do this.

I now this stuff is meant to be able to place wires in it. But no reason to use it purely as space filler.

Oh dear. I am having problems with my large sliding patio door. It is not running at all smoothly and will not close completely. Not sure if it is anything to do with the hot weather. So, will try to find someone who can come out to have a look at it for me. But am vaguely hoping that as it cools down and we get some rain it may sort itself out.

Nice owning your own property , but always something to be concerned about.

Pilbury dough man Well done!

Went to a lovely surprise birthday party on Saturday, I was worried about finding it, but with satnav, got there without a problem. Nice and cool in the garden this morning, but yesterday was sooo hot, I sat with my feet in a bowl of cold water, it felt really good!

Off to park now, looking forward to the thunderstorms tomorrow, when my little dog is going to the groomers just in time for the weather change

trip hazards, slip hazards, we have to be ever watchful. Sometimes we just cannot see for looking. Razz, thin coats are much better, the first coat is the hardest to put on and from now it will be much easie

Thank heavens for a fresher feel outside. Hair cut first and then I shall take today as it comes. I need to do a car run, to test if I can find my way to this new dealership garage, without sat nav. I used to drive hither and dither, thought nothing of it. That feeling definitely changed with age

Razz at my last house, I painted all the internal doors and the bannisters with a special wood grain type paint. It seems to have gone out of fashion now as I cannot find it anywhere, but twenty years ago could get it in all wood colours. Painted, then 'grained' with a special comb. Then when dry needed two or three coats of clear satin varnish to finish it. I found that small tin of varnish lasted forever. Would put lid back on as tight as possible and then could open it and use it sometimes years later. Cannot really go wrong with this sort of thing. Just brush on and wait to dry. Only will need a very light sanding down between coats two and three. I think I remember I used to wash brush out in cold water, and store in a plastic bag.

Most paints sold for home use these days are water based. Means that brushes are easily and quickly washed in cold water and dried and stored easily for re-use. So pleased do not need t have white spirit anymore.

I have today replaced the so -called non-slip mats,on my patio steps. I purchased these when I first moved in, for safety. They look lovely, BUT after only a very short time started to move on the tiled patio steps (down from my patio door). I then stuck them down with sticky pads, again worked for a few weeks then they came loose.

When my neighbour came to measure up for the awning he was horrified that I had these on those steps. Told me (what I well knew) that were so very dangerous. So, I did order some better replacements and am getting rid of those.

Ideal day for doing, firstly I gave those steps a very good clean - dried in a matter of minutes. Managed to get off all those sticky pads. Have now put the new stuff down and I think these will do the job, very safely and very well. Feel annoyed with myself that I needed someone else to point out this danger (just that I purchased the original mats as they were advertised as non-slip). So often we just 'live' with things that we KNOW are not really right!!!!

Finally finished, but the wood still feels 'bare'. I don't think I put it on thick enough Off to the beach in the sea fog, then Tesco for an E filled ready meal, I'm fed up!

White edging sounds great. I wish I'd asked for new skirting boards, they are a horrible mess now the unit and the wardrobe have been removed.

Finished the first coat, except a short bit behind the door, how daft am I. Will do it before I do the second coat. Short black hairs suddenly appeared, I'll pick them off before the second coat at 2 pm. Thank heavens I've started, I've been so anxious about it. Have put cling film over the top of the varnish can, and put the brush in a zip lock bag, hopefully won't have dried out.

Don`t worry about that gap for now razz. Do the floor and later you can get someone to put a white edging down from the skirting to the floor, Same as can be done with laminate to make it neat

Pilbury dough man here! I do look a b&gger in this overall. It's paper so not too hot but the knees are already suffering, I think I'll have to duct tape them. I've just been cleaning the footprints off, letting it dry for fifteen minutes, then I'll give it a light sand as it's such a small area. Now I've inspected the bathroom floor closely, I'm going to have a draught and will have to find out how to fill in under the skirting board. The boards aren't thick enough and there's a big gap under the radiator. Finding some socks so I don't mark the wood again, and some plastic gloves.

Sorry karmalady I should have said 'allotment', burgage is the medieval term. There is a covenant so it can only be used as a garden. Poor residents in Cornwall, thinking it was their forever home.

razz I had two of those same oil heaters as you, they were marvellous at the time, thermostat, wheels etc but heavy and I didn`t need them for here. I gave them away, far too heavy for me to lift, anyway not needed here

You will manage re the varnish razz, at least the wood will be warm so it will dry quickly and in a few days time, you will have a usable floor

That is a lovely neighbour Franbern, generous with his time and kind. I do believe in karma, you are kind to others and kindness comes back in multiples. Same as me giving stuff away, it always comes back to me and last month I had an unexpected tax refund of over £900

Last day and night of this awful confining heat. I did have a fleeting thought about an awning but tbh it would not be worth it for me. It would not add anything to my present system and the shade comes to the back at around 1.30 anyway

I had to look up the word burgage. There is something like that in a small unspoilt area in cornwall, it includes the village and the whole area is now on sale as it is now owned by a `posh` independent school. The residents are so fearful now of being turfed out of their homes. I expect yours is an area of land. What is the betting that someone is eyeing it for a housing development. Brown envelopes are still going on

We crossed posts Franbern, lucky you having such a nice neighbour! Enjoy your afternoon in your daughter's garden