House Shopping - Epilogue

Today, almost five weeks after getting the keys to Highlands, I took the day off work to meet with the Slateman and a home efficiency adviser.  Also the plumbers were coming back.

(Among the things I've learned in these five brief weeks is that the adage "the only thing two plumbers/electricians/roofers will agree on is that the third plumber/electrician/roofer is wrong" is very very true.)

We had a list of questions to ask the Slateman.  Should we re-build a "missing" brick column in the basement?  Could we tidy up an exposed interior brick wall?  And most importantly, could my newly delivered wall oven potentially be built into a brick wall in the kitchen that we hope to renovate some day?

Oh right - and then there is the little matter of the front chimney.  I don't know much about masonry, but I'm pretty sure that the grey stuff you usually see between bricks is important.
(Photo courtesy of Zaphod who got up on the cold slate roof (unasked) and then messaged me to say "I did this for YOU, Fenchurch.")

After we had concluded our discussion about the priority of the work that needed to be done, the Slateman told us that he was on his way to install some snow guards.  He mentioned the street.

"What's the house number, if you don't mind me asking?" 

And sure enough - it was the first house we had looked at.  We asked him to congratulate the new owners for us.  "And if they decide they don't want those lion drawer pulls," I added, "I'll be happy to take them."

Of course, the conversation then turned to the second house on our shopping list which has also been sold since we first looked at it and where, as it turns out, the Slateman has also been called on to do work.  Again, we asked him to give the new owners our best as they definitely have their work cut out for them.

"You'll have to let us know in a year whether we made the right choice." I commented.  The Slateman indicated that he already knew - and that we had.  Time will tell.

And as my soon-to-be former LandLady remarked "All of these houses sold and renovated means good things for your neighborhood."

Posted by Fenchurch.