h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I'm in the process of renovating the house and this has involved knocking down several walls. The place is a mess and all I want to do is sit on the computer. Am I in denial??

Erm...not literally sit on the computer.....

more accurately sit at the computer.

Went through all of that myself, didn't actually knock any walls down but re-plastered them all and replaced all the ceilings.

And living with it is the worst part.

It wasn't so much the mess as that was easilly cleared up, it was the dust. It got everywhere!!


All I can say is beand soldier on.

The more you put it off the longer it takes and you don't want to live with the dust any longer than you have to.

You are of course right but the problem is that nothings finished yet - and I feel as if it never will .....

I stop work on Friday for 2 weeks and by that time (I hope) plasterers will have finished and the great clear up can commence, until then its ....

Would you like dust with your soup Dear?

Yeah, while you are living with it time does seem to drag.
At least you have plasterers doing it.

Ahh the smell of fresh plaster, I can still remember the smell vividly and it isn't pleasant, not nasty, just not pleasant.

I did most of the work here with some help from my family whilst doing full time work. It did take a lot longer than I thought it would.


Even take-away food got dusty as soon as it was exposed to the house

AAAARRRRGGGGHHHHHH,

Had the joiner here to-day, quoting to fit the new front door.

Couldn't believe it, £200!!!!

Surely there must be some mistake, its just a door....be getting more quotes tomorrow....I hope.

I'm afraid he's quoting you for a days rate.

That's what it seems like to me anyway!!


If he can do a couple of those in a day he only has to work three days a week

It all depends I suppose on exactly what type of door it is.

If it's a casement door then it only takes less than a couple of hours to do.
If on the other hand it isn't and he has to build the surround then it's a lot of work.

I live in a 200 year old cottage and its a Stable Door - very pretty, but it has to be shortened by 3 inches and the frame has to be built out by 3 inches (coz its a short fat doorway with a tall thin door).

It requires 2 deadlocks and various other furnishing items applied but I still can't see £200 in it - the door and all the furnishings for it (including locks) only cost £250.

Gotta be able to get it done for less than that...surely!!

I would have thought the going rate for a chippy is about the £200 mark per day and it sounds like a days work.


You might be able to get it cheaper but if you're gonna pay the going rate make sure he guarantees his work.

The wood itself is fairly cheap but what you pay for as with most things isn't the value of the basic materials, it's the cost of manufacturing the product.

The same with a tradesman, you are paying for his time and yes there are probably cheaper people out there but how shoddy would the finished work be.

Only you can make the final decision as to who to go with but the overiding factor has to be "value for money" and not just cheapness.

Thanks for the advice - I hate making decisions about spending money and spending money seems to be all I'm doing at the moment...

Will make a decision by the weekend and hopefully by this time next week I'll be sitting pretty and ready to decorate.

Here's hoping!!!

"Am i in denial"? No, you're on de property ladder.

"It's a short, fat doorway" Only invite Jimmy Krankie and Lisa Tarbuck to the housewarming.

"It's only a door.......getting more quotes tommorrow" Yep, it's definately a door, that'll be £100.

"It's a 200 year old cottage and it's a stable door" Thank your lucky stars, mine was built in the 70's and you'vbe never seen such unstable doors.

Hope this all helps

Yea thanx - laughter is the best medicine.

Put the wood in the gap on the way out!!!

And don't forget to wipe your feet

Mind you don't put your foot on that Krankie....

Would a tall one be a Lanky Krankie?

A smelly one a Manky Krankie?

And one that lived alone a.........No, best not.

Leave it...leave it..

Don't forget the stupid one


Planky Crankie

The one with hayfever....Hanky Krankie

The one with a fetish....Spanky Krankie




What have you started here??????

And the one that works for Andrex, the Hanky Krankie

Or the one in the porn industry, the Hanky Panky Krankie