DevelopaDream

I am happy to say that this week we have seen some real progress at the hall. After the disastrous first spray saw paint flaking off the walls and ceiling; Dave Smith my very experienced and professional painter saved the day by helping out the spray painter guy with tips on the need for adequate preparation of surfaces before attempting to paint. The two are now working really well together with Dave doing all the preparation and Steve following with the sprayer, making swift work of this enormous task. Dave is then following on afterwards with expert finishing of the paintwork; which is no mean feat given the size of the windows and shutters. Fortunately all the windows are in good working order making it easier to paint and it has been idyllic up there in the sunshine looking out at the amazing view across the park. The main drawing room is now finished and looks stunning, it never ceases to take my breath away when I walk in there.
Having chosen some fabulous Porcelanosa marble tiles, I was soo looking forward to seeing the completed bathroom and en-suite yesterday. The Nairobi Crème looks amazing in the en-suite with the new walk in shower, lowered ceiling and lighting but the main bathroom is a disaster. Taking on more than he could cope with, the tiler co-opted in some help and what a mess the guy made! However I will not panic and now that I have the main contractor demanding that it be sorted out, not a man to be messed with, I have every confidence that it will be sorted this week. Though where the tiler will find more Cappucino polished wall tiles from I am not sure as they were out of stock at Porcelanosa last week. If there are any stockist out there who have some can you email me please as I have a feeling we are going to need them.
After what seems like endless tester pots of paint we have finally chosen all of the paint colours and with the help of my dear friend Nicci Onions from O design in Lichfield, I have finally sorted out the fabrics for the curtains. Nicci has a great eye for colour and though we argue sometimes with me being adamant that I really don’t like certain colours, I do trust her judgement and she is nearly always right.
The kitchen too is all ordered and I am very excited, I have chosen the Victorian range from Charles Yorke http://www.charlesyorke.com/kitchens.html I am sure it will look amazing in the turret. Dave is finishing painting it all ready for the installation in a couple of weeks.
The big quest this week has been lighting, with no ceiling lights in the whole apartment I am so disappointed not to be able to have a chandelier so I have been on the hunt for reasonably priced but drop dead gorgeous wall lights. With lots of space to light I am trying to find three arm wall lights but there are not many around and are proving quite expensive which mounts up when you realise that we will need thirty two wall lights in all, as well as floor lamps and table lamps. So if there are any lighting suppliers out there who would be happy to do a deal for such a large order, please get in touch.
While I have written in my book about the importance of keeping to budget, it is important to make sure that you allow sufficient in your budget to do a good quality job but at the right price. This has been a challenge with this project because this sort of property demands a high level of finish. A cheap kitchen just wouldn’t do, neither would cheap tiles, given that we have such amazing original flooring in the main drawing room. So sourcing high quality products at reasonable prices is challenging and time consuming, thank goodness for the internet.
We are all working over Bank Holiday so we should see the project getting nearer to completion towards the end of next week and I look forward to sharing my , trials, tribulations and triumphs as the week goes on.

I know that when you are refurbishing a property, things have to get worse before they get better but the apartment is in a sorry state. Things moved fast last week and after the removal of the old bathrooms and the kitchen I felt excited by the thought of the new intallations. Co-ordinating this next phase though is quite complex. You need to understand the processes involved, have ordered your materials, booked your tradesmen and made a number of final decisions. From installing the pipes for the new sanitaryware to knowing where to place the new electrics you need to understand which order the jobs need to be done in and you need to get the timing right. Last week we installed the false ceilings in both the bathroom and the en-suite, then removed and reinstated the stud wall in bedroom three. This created an archway which will make this a much bigger bedroom. Though we lose the en-suite in here we have ended up with a far more useful space than before, which saw a small bedroom with bareley enough space to fit in a bed but no storage space but which then had an ensuite as big as the bedroom. The biggest challenge is having all the materials and tradesmen on site at the optimum time. You have to co odinate the plasterer and the electrician, the plumber painter and tiler so that they follow each other in the logical order and hope that the matereials are available as promised. This did result in a number of trips to the Dulux paint centre, Porcelanosa and Junction2 last week as the materials had all arrived but they could not schedule the deliveries in my time scale. I have to say our local Dulux centre were very good and followed me in the van loaded with £1,000 worth of paint to save my suspension. To save time I decided to spray paint the larger and higher areas which I have to admit has not been 100% successful. Due to a lack of preparation there are areas now which are flaking badly, particularly on the large ceiling so much for saving time!
On a positive note we are making great progress, I just need to get the sheeting up after the spray painting which makes the place look such a mess but which does protect my beautiful floor. Then we can re sheet and get down to preparing to hand paint all the detail on the dado and skirtings. I’ts all coming together and I will keep you updated as to our progress.

I am thrilled with the result of the restoration work that has now been completed on the drawing room floor. Having been surprised that the wood underneath all of that thick black varnish was not oak as expected, I am still not sure what the bright orangy red wood actually is. However,the resoration company, having stripped all of that thick black varnish off before applying two coats of matt sealant, which was then sanded back again before a final coat of sealant was applied, have done a great job. The next task is going to be painting the 48′ by 25′ room with 15′ ceilings but if it turns out anything like the floor it is going to look amazing!! I can’t wait….. watch this space for more up to date photo’s

It’s day two of the floor restoration and the team at Floorcare have made a fantastic job of stripping off the thick black varnish. To my surprise the floor is not oak as I imagined but an amazing red colour I think it could even be mahogany. Thank goodness we haven’t begun to paint anywhere yet, the whole apartment is covered in deep red dust. Will maybe need a rethink on the colours for that room now! Met with kitchen fitters and another electrician for more quotes decision time at the end of the week, think I have decided on the kitchen supplier now so need to place an order as it’s going to take three weeks delivery time.

When I tell you what I’ve done I know some of you will tut shake your head and say I should never have crossed the line but I just couldn’t help myself. From that very first moment I felt different about this one and I wasn’t the only one. I felt like a dizzy 16 year old falling in love for the first time, I couldn’t stop thinking about it, it filled my every waking moment it became almost an obsession. I made my mind up, I wanted it and though it took a while and I even had to travel the length of the country to get it, I got what I wanted in the end. Now I have to think long and hard about the consequences and how I am going to keep it. A relative accused me of letting my heart rule my head, probably, but my head did a lot of working out and while my heart is delighted the head congratulates me on a fine result. The hard part for me now is…… how far should I go?
Now before your imagination runs wild, let me explain what I have done. Having sold my last self build project, I found myself temporarily homeless. Tenants were in my other properties with AST’s still in place but I didn’t want to lose my sale so I moved out and stayed for a while in a friends’ Granny Annex. I was looking to rent a place, when I came across an apartment in a beautiful Grade 2 listed country house. It was set in stunning grounds and I just fell in love with it. However, the tenants who were occupying my old home (rented because nothing had been selling during the recession) decided that they were leaving, so there was no need for me to rent anywhere and I moved back in to my old house.
However, like a love struck teenager, I couldn’t get the apartment out of my head and browsing through Rightmove I noticed that another apartment in the same hall was for sale. I went to look at it and yes fell completely head over heels in love; I just had to have it. Now the property professionals amongst you will reel with horror, investment properties must suit certain criteria, they should after all just make you money, that is what they are for and you never, ever get attached, it can ruin your judgement. However, as a rental property, the numbers do stack up. I bought it at the right price and it is worth considerably more than I paid for it and I think it will appeal to a small but discerning market of renters. If I get the refurbishment right, I am sure I will get a good price on the rental market. High end rental property is in demand and there isn’t much of it available in our area. I know this for certain because I was looking for some myself. When I viewed the original apartment to rent, there were three of us after the same property and the letting agent said that the owners had hardly ever had a void in all the years that they had rented it out. It’s not how I usually work but I felt that if I could rent this apartment out for most of the year and get to use it myself occasionally, then it would be a real bonus.
The apartment does need refurbishing, now this is where I need to exercise some self control, after all it is a rental property, as magnificent as it is and no matter how discerning the tenants, there has to be a limit to what I should spend on the refurbishment costs. On the other hand this is a piece of history and I am responsible for its up keep. For a start, the floor in the main salon is covered in a thick black varnish which hides a magnificent oak floor, so restoring it to its former glory will be my first task. We will strip it right back and seal it before the painters arrive and this is no mean paint job. While I would love to use Farrow and Ball paint at £60 for 5 litres this is one area I am going to have to compromise on. Fortunately the magnificent windows all have working shutters, so I won’t need to invest in expensive drapes, particularly as there are exquisite mouldings around the windows which would be hidden if I did. The largest expense is going to be the kitchen, while there are remnants of some kitchen units in situ, they are not in keeping and are very cheap looking with laminate worktops, it just has to go. I would love to put in an aga and even sent for a brochure but just in time I pulled myself back down to earth and reminded myself to stick within budget, definitely no aga then! The painting quotes alone are simply horrendous. Not surprising when the salon measures 49 foot by 29 foot and the ceiling is at least 15 feet high!
It is such an exciting project and I am enjoying every minute, having always been involved with new builds this is so very different for me. And being a woman of a certain age, I know that love affairs may not last forever but I have decided that I am just going to enjoy this one for as long as I can, just don’t hate me for it!

I got a message from a member today asking about kitchen suppliers. As some of you may know I had a nightmare scenario last year when I bought and paid for a kitchen on Ebay which never got delivered, so Deb wanted to avoid a similar experience. She asked me for my recommendations; I sent her the following reply but wanted to put it out to the community for your input. Can you recommend kitchen suppliers close to Sutton Coldfield?
I wrote:
Hi Deb,
Kitchens are a minefield; it depends on budget style etc. Personally I think kitchens and bathrooms date so I don’t spend too much on them but I don’t go for mega cheap either. I used Howdens in Lichfield on the last house and have used Magnet too, they have a good designers and Howdens generally have everything you need in stock so you don’t have to wait. They have a high end range and if you use high quality surfaces such as granite, oak or Corian the kitchen will look expensive. You can enhance the design by adding high quality appliances my favourite is the stainless steel fridge draws try Boots online and you could add an integrated coffee maker if you really want to show off!! Take a look at the carcass options and don’t go for the cheap ones either as they are a giveaway when you open the doors, ask your supplier what options they have. The ones I mentioned have a good, if limited range of handles so I would look on the internet. Tell them you are an interior designer doing this for a client and ask for trade discount too. If you want to someone to fit it for you give me a ring and I will recommend some people.

Best wishes

Ann

Happy New Year Everyone!

As we all know 2009 has been a challenging year for everyone involved in property. While some of us have been fortunate to benefit from the low interest rates, we know that this is short term and the lack of reasonable funding has caused a major slowdown in business development, which will have a far reaching effect on profits and cashflow for sometime to come yet.

However, I begin 2010 with great enthusiasm and an underlying feeling that things are getting much better. My hope is that soon we can all get back to doing what we do best which is building properties and property portfolios and securing our future lifestyle rather than trying just to survive. So my personal wish is that all of you have a very happy and prosperous new year and that you keep the community informed as to your plans and progress. Tell us how we can help you in anyway and if we can’t help directly, I bet somone in the community will know a man who can.

While there are great networking sites like LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook remember we are small and niche we are all in property so get to know eachother and help eachother to have a cracking 2010!

Love and best wishes

Ann XX

Taken from Developadream group discussion on LinkedIn posted by Developadream member Will Miller

There’s a new way to sell your property online for free and its causing quite a stir.
Channel 4’s Sarah Beeny has launched a new website which will change the way we buy and sell our homes!
Completely free to use Tepilo.com simply walks you through the process of buying or selling a home giving you practical advice on how to make the most of your property through design, negotiation and marketing.

The site, which is set out in a easy to use format helps the vendor to present their home in a glossy magazine format, and gives you the opportunity to describe your home how you want to, allowing you to focus on the key unique selling points of your home.

Talking about the launch, Sarah Beeny said: “Now more than ever is a time when people need to save money when selling their home – we hope Tepilo will give people the confidence to enable them to sail through the process easily.”

Continuing she said: “We hope Tepilo.com will help get the market moving along again but most importantly empower people to take control of their biggest asset in a hassle free way whilst saving thousands of pounds. So, what are you waiting for? You have nothing to lose - If you would like to sell your home why not upload your home today – and if you’re buying, come and see what’s on offer!”

New joiners will also have a chance to win an expert visit from Sarah, who will assess your home and provide you a comprehensive review including advice on how to maximise its potential.

While we haven’t got our new video player embeded on the site yet you can take a sneak peek at the some of our videos on this link http://www.bizzibox.com/Business/DevelopaDreamLimited very excited! If you want us to feature you on our video channel which also appears automatically on You Tube let me know and I will can discuss a video shoot for early 2010..

Have a great Christmas and a prosperous new year

Love

Ann

I have had such a lovely week and it has been little to do with my property business, which I am always very passionate about, sometimes to the point of obsession. But his week has been about my wonderful girls, my three lovely daughters. My girls have always been the centre of my universe, my driver, the reason I set myself goals and am driven to achieve them, my girls are my WHY.

Firstly I collected the middle one from university in Bristol, I am so proud of her, despite her dyslexia she has worked so incredibly hard and managed to achieve 3 A grades at A level exactly what she needed to study Economics at this prestigious university. She is finding the course challenging but she has tremendous tenacity and a phenomenal work ethic, she is driven to succeed and when she does, the world will be her oyster.

Then on Monday and Tuesday I went to Cambridge looking at all the colleges with the little one who wants to study engineering there. We stayed with a friend’s daughter Dr Jen who has just completed her PhD in Plant Sciences and is a research fellow working in the field of Bio fuels, I mean wow! From our little village school to the hallowed fields of Cambridge! What opportunities lie ahead for Dr Jen, travel, top jobs with a huge salary to go with it, the list is endless.

The final highlight of my week was on Thursday when I went to collect my eldest daughter from her college. Natalie is bright, articulate, funny and extremely intelligent however Natalie is autistic. This dreadful disability means that whatever her intellectual ability, she has major difficulty using that in the real world. She has been lucky; she has been to some wonderful special schools and colleges and has made unbelievable progress. She is currently at a specialist college run by Linkage Community Trust, a simply wonderful organisation that educates and supports young adults to achieve independence. However, her LSC funding comes to an end soon when this stage of her education is complete. So what opportunities for Natalie and tens of thousands of young adults with learning difficulties just like her? Let me tell you, shockingly very little, places like Linkage are few and far between, funding the provision is complex and is a struggle and it also means she is miles away from us. She has so much to offer the world but the provision to support Natalie and those like her is disjointed and as always underfunded by the government. These young people are trapped in the benefit system, desperate to train for work and lead as normal a life as possible but unable to fulfil those ambitions because of the rules and constraints of the system.

I have included a link to the National Autistic Society website here,
http://www.dontwritemeoff.org.uk/
please support their Don’t Write Me Off Campaign simply by clicking through the pages and entering your name, the site will send a message to MP’s to review the benefit system to allow disabled adults to begin to work without losing their right to benefits. I am not asking for money but if you can spare a moment of your time today, please read a little about this very important campaign.

My mission in 2010 is to raise awareness of the plight of this ‘lost generation’ of young adults who have so much to give society and help to try and improve their opportunities and quality of life. Joining the NAS campaign is a start and I hope that you will join me.

Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year to you all!!!

Ann