Bathroom Tiles

It’s official: no more earth to step on, anywhere in our house, anymore. Tiles are ready, everywhere.

While the bathrooms are (obviously) the smaller rooms, they sure make up for their size with the complexities of designs (our fault) and the fittings (also our fault). To explain:

 

Pigeonholes

What we did not want: mounted shower/bath caddies that stick out, take up space and deteriorate with time.

What we wanted: oversized pigeonholes which do not take up space.

 

Tile Trims

What we did not want: white plastic trims that yellow and deteriorate with time.

What we wanted: aluminium trims that complimented the overall colour scheme of the room.

Shower Floors

What we did not want: shower trays that yellow and mould with time.

What we wanted: walk-in showers.

Feature Walls

What we wanted: subway tiles. Lots of them.

 

Bonus Bit: The Outside Stairs

Starting to hide away all that grey membrane.

Through the Trenches

“Hello?”

 

“Permit’s out.”

 

“Great, when can you start?”

 

“I’m here.”

 

“….wait what?”

 

I don’t think we’ve ever experienced both ends of the spectrum as we did when obtaining the road works permit to trench for our drainage system. But starting the process coincided with the start of the new scholastic year, and new procedures implemented by Transport Malta meant that what was typically a quick process was now a really dragged out and bureaucratic one that took weeks to sort out. And when the permit was done, the works were done that very same morning.

Nothing glamourous about digging a hole in the road. So here's our guy in an orange shirt next to a green cement truck instead. Very glamourous. 

One Year On

The years feel shorter as you get older, but it has felt like an age with all the things that took place since we signed the contract exactly one year ago.

There is still a lot to be done - I still chuckle when I recall the real estate agent saying we'd be done in six months - but I take this as an opportunity to look at what we've achieved so far. The gears for the start of the second year of home ownership are in much faster motion than the start of the first year (there's quite a bit going on right now in the background). I will say this though: furnishing and finishing a place is not for the faint of heart. I don't know if it's a Maltese thing, but it is incredibly draining to see a task out from beginning to end. The biggest challenge is dealing with the contractors (as evidenced by my recent string of posts); unfortunately you have to learn to tread that fine line between being stern with them and making sure they don't flip you off and simply tell you to go find someone else. By the end of it all, we'd know exactly who to recommend and who to stay the hell away from.

I am taking this anniversary as a chance to mentally reset. We know many others who are currently going through what we are right now, and they have very similar challenges with contractors and delays. It seems to be the norm, so knowing that we are not the only ones grinding through it does bring a bit of comfort (misery loves company I guess?). 

I am taking this anniversary as a chance to remind myself that, I would much rather be going through this than going through the Storm before the Calm. 

Things Contractors Do #6

Step 1: Support a rival football team.

Step 2: BANTER ON THE WALL