I hope to continue restoring my house soon and I have been in contact with a new builder.
It also looks as I will get some help from a friend who is going to visit my house and help me set up a plan for further work.
I am so glad and hope to be back on track with the house within a few months.
My new website is also up and running although it needs content
Please check out the new Auzon website here and if you have anything to contribute with please get in touch. http://weloveauzon.eu
Tuesday, 16 September 2014
Sunday, 13 July 2014
The next step...
Obviously I was very sad and upset after the last visit to Auzon.
My house is important to me, I have been putting my savings into it and I want to to be restored in the very best way. I am not the type of person who sits around feeling sorry for myself so its time to move on.
So I will be going back to Auzon in a couple of months time and talk to possible builders and sort out a few other things like changing the lock. The good thing is I have some very nice and friendly neighbours who was very supportive when I was there. I have a possibility to borrow a room for a few days so I don't have to sleep in my house again. I love Auzon and I look forward to continuing with the restoration of my house.
I want to turn the negative feeling I had back into something positive and therefor I have decided to set up a website called We Love Auzon please view it here weloveauzon.eu. It will be a community website for the English speaking residents and visitors to Auzon and the surrounding area. I just started construction it now and will post more about it shortly.
Also I wanted to share a photo I took of the chairs I bought on the local flee market for 5 Euros each.
i really like this type of chars and think they look good in my house.
My house is important to me, I have been putting my savings into it and I want to to be restored in the very best way. I am not the type of person who sits around feeling sorry for myself so its time to move on.
So I will be going back to Auzon in a couple of months time and talk to possible builders and sort out a few other things like changing the lock. The good thing is I have some very nice and friendly neighbours who was very supportive when I was there. I have a possibility to borrow a room for a few days so I don't have to sleep in my house again. I love Auzon and I look forward to continuing with the restoration of my house.
I want to turn the negative feeling I had back into something positive and therefor I have decided to set up a website called We Love Auzon please view it here weloveauzon.eu. It will be a community website for the English speaking residents and visitors to Auzon and the surrounding area. I just started construction it now and will post more about it shortly.
Also I wanted to share a photo I took of the chairs I bought on the local flee market for 5 Euros each.
i really like this type of chars and think they look good in my house.
Wednesday, 9 July 2014
About the builder Paul Mallinson and the work he has done in my house.
I started this blog two years ago to keep an record of everything that is being done to the house and also in case I would have some problems with the standard of the work or other issues with the builder.
I had of course heard many dreadful stories of builders taking people's hard earned savings and ripping people off by doing incomplete or shoddy work.
When I met Paul Mallinson and his partner Judith (http://pmconstructio8.wix.com/pmconstruction#!) exactly two years ago I felt really happy. Paul told me of his many years experience in working with old houses.They showed me photos of houses they had renovated in the past.
All the work that has been done here has been recorded in this blog and I recommend anyone who are interested in Paul's work to scroll back to the beginning and look at it all.
I don't have much experience with renovating so it is hard for me to judge especially from photos that often was not so clear but in general I was happy with what he did and I assumed what I paid was right.
This summer is the first time I have spent more than a few hours in Auzon.
I came down and slept 4 nights in the house and had a lot of time to look at all the details of Paul's work. I also had some independent advice from people who live in the area and who have experience with this type of renovation work.
Unfortunately I found that a lot of the work was not really to the standard I would expect from an experienced builder who specialises in old buildings. My experience was a real eye opener.
I am pointing out a few things here now but will possibly post more detailed about this later.
First of all we worked on the basis that Paul give me a quote for each job and I pay half up front and half when its finished. So When I asked for a quote for putting in beams and laying a floor I expect they it is the price for beams being secured properly and floor being safe to use.
The main problem is the loft floor.
First of all the beams are of a bad quality and still had the bark on them when he put them in.
He had an explanation on why he had done it and will get back to that some other time.
Below is one of the beams after some of the bark was removed, only done after I asked him to. As one can see the beam looks very rough. The cost for these beams and fitting was 1,260.00 €
Here I am going to focus on the way the beams has been secured and how little support they have.
Paul also charged me 7000 Euros to fit new windows and doors, and I found out to my horror that the front door does not lock. What on earth is the point of a door which is not lockable?
I wrote to Paul Mallinson about some of the faults and asked him to put in some more support for the beams.
Here's his reply: 'Time renovator can do it better as I am doing no more for you. Good luck.'
Just need to point out that Paul's website stating that he is a renovating specialist.
This is his website
http://pmconstructio8.wix.com/pmconstruction#!
Paul Mallinson argues that we don't have a contract so I have no legal rights to complain about his work. Further he has informed me that he is taking legal action against me for publishing this.
I think as a customer I am in title to state my opinion about the products and services I have bought. I cannot see that I have done anything illegal. I have asked Paul several times to put in some extra support for the beams to make it more solid but he refused to do so. If Paul would go back and do the work required for me to feel safe then I will remove this post. Until then it will stay.
I have kept a record of all costs and all emails where we agreed on work and prices.
These are all the fees quoted by Paul which I paid by bank transfers.
I had of course heard many dreadful stories of builders taking people's hard earned savings and ripping people off by doing incomplete or shoddy work.
When I met Paul Mallinson and his partner Judith (http://pmconstructio8.wix.com/pmconstruction#!) exactly two years ago I felt really happy. Paul told me of his many years experience in working with old houses.They showed me photos of houses they had renovated in the past.
All the work that has been done here has been recorded in this blog and I recommend anyone who are interested in Paul's work to scroll back to the beginning and look at it all.
I don't have much experience with renovating so it is hard for me to judge especially from photos that often was not so clear but in general I was happy with what he did and I assumed what I paid was right.
This summer is the first time I have spent more than a few hours in Auzon.
I came down and slept 4 nights in the house and had a lot of time to look at all the details of Paul's work. I also had some independent advice from people who live in the area and who have experience with this type of renovation work.
Unfortunately I found that a lot of the work was not really to the standard I would expect from an experienced builder who specialises in old buildings. My experience was a real eye opener.
I am pointing out a few things here now but will possibly post more detailed about this later.
First of all we worked on the basis that Paul give me a quote for each job and I pay half up front and half when its finished. So When I asked for a quote for putting in beams and laying a floor I expect they it is the price for beams being secured properly and floor being safe to use.
The main problem is the loft floor.
First of all the beams are of a bad quality and still had the bark on them when he put them in.
These big beams had the bark on and even more important they have very little support.
He had an explanation on why he had done it and will get back to that some other time.
Below is one of the beams after some of the bark was removed, only done after I asked him to. As one can see the beam looks very rough. The cost for these beams and fitting was 1,260.00 €
Here I am going to focus on the way the beams has been secured and how little support they have.
This beam is hold up by only one screw on the right side.
As seen on these photos the beams are only secured into the wall with four screws which are set into the mortar and and its not into the stones but in the loose sand mix which don't have much hold at all. All the beams holding the loft floor are done in this way.
This is the support for the main beams in the middle of the room.
An other view of the beams
Paul also charged me 7000 Euros to fit new windows and doors, and I found out to my horror that the front door does not lock. What on earth is the point of a door which is not lockable?
I wrote to Paul Mallinson about some of the faults and asked him to put in some more support for the beams.
Here's his reply: 'Time renovator can do it better as I am doing no more for you. Good luck.'
Just need to point out that Paul's website stating that he is a renovating specialist.
This is his website
http://pmconstructio8.wix.com/pmconstruction#!
Paul Mallinson argues that we don't have a contract so I have no legal rights to complain about his work. Further he has informed me that he is taking legal action against me for publishing this.
I think as a customer I am in title to state my opinion about the products and services I have bought. I cannot see that I have done anything illegal. I have asked Paul several times to put in some extra support for the beams to make it more solid but he refused to do so. If Paul would go back and do the work required for me to feel safe then I will remove this post. Until then it will stay.
I have kept a record of all costs and all emails where we agreed on work and prices.
These are all the fees quoted by Paul which I paid by bank transfers.
House
Expenditure
|
|||
Date
|
Description
|
Amount
(Euros)
|
|
15/06/2012
|
Flashing
|
500.00 €
|
|
15/10/2012
|
beams
|
1,800.00 €
|
|
25/10/2012
|
gutters
|
700.00 €
|
|
18/12/2012
|
windows
and doors
|
7,443.00 €
|
|
18/12/2012
|
6 handles
|
198.00 €
|
|
06/01/2013
|
Remove
wall and ceiling up
|
1,250.00 €
|
|
04/02/2013
|
buy new
beam for roof
|
250.00 €
|
|
26/02/2013
|
beam
placed
|
250.00 €
|
|
26/02/2013
|
beam
for roof buy and place
|
300.00 €
|
|
04/03/2013
|
Corner
wall
|
900.00 €
|
|
04/03/2013
|
heads
for windows
|
600.00 €
|
|
04/03/2013
|
Postbox
|
250.00 €
|
|
04/03/2013
|
Floor
boards 2nd floor
|
1,500.00 €
|
|
03/04/2013
|
Fitting
2nd floor
|
1,000.00 €
|
|
03/04/2013
|
Extras
including electricity
|
200.00 €
|
|
23/04/2013
|
Walls
|
700.00 €
|
|
27/04/2013
|
beams
for loft etc.
|
1,260.00 €
|
|
26/07/2013
|
loft
floorbards
|
1,800.00 €
|
|
10/09/2013
|
loft
windows and spiral staircase
|
2,400.00 €
|
|
18/10/2013
|
fitting
windows and staircase
|
824.00 €
|
|
12/11/2013
|
insulation,ceiling
boards,25literxylophen etc.
|
2,472.00 €
|
|
16/12/2013
|
gutter
|
406.00 €
|
|
18/12/2013
|
insulation
and floorbord fitting on loft
|
2,425.00 €
|
|
08/01/2014
|
electrics
|
710.00 €
|
|
20/01/2014
|
Sink
tap and table from Ikea
|
283.00 €
|
|
08/02/2014
|
walls
|
500.00 €
|
|
11/03/2014
|
loft
loo, walls and door
|
1,200.00 €
|
|
19/03/2014
|
Rendering
loft walls
|
1,700.00 €
|
|
19/04/2014
|
Bed and
matrass
|
500.00 €
|
|
24/04/2014
|
loft
walls
|
1,700.00 €
|
|
22/05/2014
|
Bed
|
500.00 €
|
|
€36,521.00
|
|||
Wednesday, 2 July 2014
A stop over in Paris
On my way to Auzon....
My usual stop over in Paris this time included the Martial Raysse exhibition at Centre Pompdou.
Monday, 2 June 2014
My first load of boxes and suitcases arrived in Auzon!
First load if stuff has arrived in Auzon.
It is 10 suitcases and boxes with things I will need as the house gets more habitable.
Thursday, 22 May 2014
My bed in place
I have a place to sleep when I visit Auzon in July.
It is very exciting as it is the first time I sleep in my house.
Sunday, 18 May 2014
My bespoke bed in progress...
Paul is making this bed for me. It is made to fit on the low ceiling space on the loft.
I can't wait to se it finished in place.
Thursday, 24 April 2014
Wednesday, 23 April 2014
Monday, 21 April 2014
Wednesday, 16 April 2014
Tuesday, 15 April 2014
Another layer on the loft walls
A mix of sand and lime before the final coat of plaster.
I love the uneven rustic look.
Monday, 14 April 2014
Rusty bits from the old door gets a new life!
Cleaned, painted and ready to go back on the old door.
Paul took all the rusty bits of the old door and gave them some TLS
I look forward to seeing the door when its all back!
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