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Bon Journal
Finishing the house
Every time I come to Holland, to this unfinished house, I start longing to return to my own finished house in London. I close my eyes and wave my hands, as if by magic, the house would become finished and liveable. That is perhaps one of the reasons why I haven't moved here completely.
Enough wishful thinking. Although I'm pretty hopeless at building work, I have managed projects before. One of my former employers had sent me on a three-day professional project management course, and I still remember the key lessons.
One is to identify the critical path - what has to be done. Another is to set the milestones. Finally, it's important to build slack.
Finishing this house is absolutely vital for my own sanity. So I will apply those project management skills now --- starting with the following list.
| Area | Work | Effort | Priority/Importance |
Front of the house |
Plaster outside wall |
Hire professional |
Low - weather dependent |
|
|
Paint outside wall |
1 day |
Low - weather dependent |
|
|
Change door knob |
0.5 hour |
Low - pleasing to eye |
|
|
Change mail box cover |
0.5 hour |
Low - pleasing to eye |
|
|
Fix doorbell |
1 hour |
Low |
Hallway |
Plaster & paint wall adjacent to neighbours |
1.5 days |
Low - pleasing to eye |
|
|
Fix gyps board to walls upstairs, paint over |
1.5 days |
Low - pleasing to eye |
|
|
Paint stairs or sand down to expose original wood |
several days |
Last - to dry when Anne is away |
|
|
Get doormat |
1 hour |
High - to keep the house clean |
Living / dining room |
Sand down and paint insulated wall |
1 hour |
High - to finish the living room and to make way for shelves |
|
|
Measure, cut, fix in skirting board |
0.5 hour |
High - to finish the living room and to make way for shelves |
|
|
Measure, buy, put up new shelves |
1 day |
High - to finish the living room and to make way for shelves |
|
|
Paint pipes and close holes |
|
Low |
Kitchen |
Plaster and paint wall |
Hire professional |
Med - to finish kitchen |
|
|
Fix skirting boards |
1 hour |
Med - to finish kitchen |
|
|
Measure, select, buy, fit, blue tiles |
1 day |
Med - to finish kitchen |
|
|
Build cabinet around the boiler |
0.5 day |
Med - to finish kitchen & prevent draft |
|
|
Build shelves next to boiler cabinet |
|
Med - to finish kitchen and make extra storage space |
|
|
Build window sill above radiator |
|
Med - to finish kitchen |
|
|
Replace door lock |
|
Low |
Bathroom |
Fix leak in toilet |
|
High |
|
|
Diagnose and fix lack of hot water in shower |
|
High |
|
|
Remove old tiles around bathtub and sink |
|
High |
|
|
Make wall around bathtub |
|
High |
|
|
Fill holes, cracks, remove cement spills |
|
High |
|
|
Fix new tiles |
|
High |
|
|
Make cabinet above sink mirror |
|
Low |
|
|
Install floor heating |
|
Low |
|
|
Get outside fan |
|
Low |
|
|
Add natural light - window |
|
Low |
|
|
Replace door panels with glass |
|
Low |
Front study |
Add curtain rail |
|
Low |
|
|
Buy & fix curtains |
|
Low |
Lower desk |
|
High |
|
Back study |
Knock out inner wall & insulate |
3 hours |
High |
|
|
Paint walls |
|
High |
|
|
Make desk |
|
High |
|
|
Make shelf space |
|
High |
|
|
Make closet |
|
High |
|
|
Replace curtains |
|
Low |
Bedroom |
Finish paintwork |
|
Low |
|
|
Replace curtains |
|
Low |
|
|
Paint ceiling |
|
Low |
Attic |
Finish front section |
|
Low |
|
|
Make shelves |
|
Low |
|
|
Finish insulation |
|
Low |
Upstairs patio |
Get rid of screen door |
easy |
Low |
|
|
Paint outside wall |
|
Low - weather dependent |
Shed |
Knock out and replace entirely |
|
Last - low |
Garden |
Paint garden door |
|
Last - low - weather dependent |
Next, I will act as project manager, or rather, quartermaster, to make sure the project is delivered on time and within budget.
9 January 2004 Friday
London house to let
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