Winter has now hit hear, and I'm spending some time indoors making plans for next season.
We have already winterised the properties but now need to do some general maintenance to get them ready for next season. Our season kicks off at Easter so these need to be done over winter.
I was wondering what sort of work the rest of you do on your properties over winter. My list includes:
- Re-painting bedrooms to eliminate grubby fingerprints.
- Tiling behind the bins in the kitchen
- re sealing shower (as per another thread)
- cleaning the wheelie bins
We are also planning a bit of upgrade work and some landscaping.
So what are your winter jobs?
Ju
Essential Off Season Jobs
I'm excited as we're getting a lot of work done in January when my builder bro in law is quiet work wise. We're having the tacky white melamine kitchen cupboard doors replaced with beech ones. Kitchen lino with ceramic tiles. Hideous carpet from hell in the lounge with wood flooring, Same hideous carpet in the passageway with quarry tiles. New boiler and finally a new roof - phew!!! Paint and freshen up too. We also need to make the garden a bit lower maintenance too.
I know we get the bookings without the above and lots of repeats but after owning the cottage for 4 years don't want to let the standards slip.
I know we get the bookings without the above and lots of repeats but after owning the cottage for 4 years don't want to let the standards slip.
Interesting topic, Ju. This is our slow month and hopefully I'll find some good ideas here to keep me out of trouble.
So... besides the more construction/mechanical-type to-dos that stack up during the year (appliance tweaks, a bit of re-wiring, etc):
* Sort/toss worn linens, duvet covers, towels, pillows
* Clean curtains, rugs and down comforters
* Buy new pillows and throws for the couches
* Update our Tourist Books
* Review our Rental Agreement and insurance policies
This year, I'm re-upholstering some dining chairs and re-doing the website, but I hope neither becomes an annual task.
debk
ps - what's a wheelie bin?
So... besides the more construction/mechanical-type to-dos that stack up during the year (appliance tweaks, a bit of re-wiring, etc):
* Sort/toss worn linens, duvet covers, towels, pillows
* Clean curtains, rugs and down comforters
* Buy new pillows and throws for the couches
* Update our Tourist Books
* Review our Rental Agreement and insurance policies
This year, I'm re-upholstering some dining chairs and re-doing the website, but I hope neither becomes an annual task.
debk
ps - what's a wheelie bin?
Our wheelie bins are large containers, into which we put our rubish, and our recycling. They are then emptied directly into the Bin van (dump truck?) each week. We have 8 in all, and by the end of the season they are fairly horrid. We always put our rubish into black bags before we put it out, but our guests are not always so considerate.
Good point about the pillows, I must take a trip to the launderette to wash a pile of them. Apparently they are much better if washed in a large capacity machine.
Ju
Good point about the pillows, I must take a trip to the launderette to wash a pile of them. Apparently they are much better if washed in a large capacity machine.
Ju
You are so LUCKY to have wheelie bins. We live in the middle of the countryside and have to transport our rubbish in the car (or the wheelbarrow) to the nearest big bin, about 300m away. We do ask the guests to take their rubbish with them, not to leave it outside for the local cats to go through. Most do, but the worst thing this summer was some rubbish that at been very kindly put into one of our dustbins (we do supply bin bags), most of which consisted of soiled nappies. The smell and maggots crawling everywhere was quite revolting!
-
cromercrabholiday
- Posts: 797
- Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 10:24 am
- Location: North Norfolk
- Contact:
In Norfolk, the local council have instituted a two wheelie bin scheme, alternating general rubbish and recyclables weekly. The thoughts of the bin of a family with a young baby after two weeks in summer doesn't bear thinking about.
We had enormous problems as commercial users once the council cottoned on. Firstly, the council didn't collect our rubbish for weeks on end despite endless phone calls and despite paying for the priviledge. We then went private and they claimed they couldn't get their truck down our road - it was exactly the same size as the council rubbish truck.
Eventually, we lobbed a smaller sum to our wonderful cleaners, who now take all rubbish to the tip after changeovers and every customer starts with an empty bin - bliss.
We had enormous problems as commercial users once the council cottoned on. Firstly, the council didn't collect our rubbish for weeks on end despite endless phone calls and despite paying for the priviledge. We then went private and they claimed they couldn't get their truck down our road - it was exactly the same size as the council rubbish truck.
Eventually, we lobbed a smaller sum to our wonderful cleaners, who now take all rubbish to the tip after changeovers and every customer starts with an empty bin - bliss.
We planned to trash two inherited and ugly bedroom carpets for Ikea's TUNDRA flooring, which is a wood laminate, also to replace the linoleum in the kitchen with ceramic tile. We've used TUNDRA flooring several times over the years on two continents and it's always been great for rentals, but we were not sure about using it in a beach house because of the sand. Even though it is guaranteed for 5 years, it would be a mess to replace. We were also concerned about laying onto slab concrete, unsure of how it might react to moisture - not that we are aware of any, but you never know with a ground floor.
Well, forget that, yesterday we made a score at a local carpet and tile place that is selling off it's back store room at 99 cents per square ft. We found a really high quality birch wood laminate made in Austria and guaranteed for 20 years with a moisture barrier on the back, far superior to IKEA. $850 paid for enough to do the two ground floor bedrooms, kitchen and dining room and food pantry, a total of about 675 square feet, price including foam underlay. This is tongue and groove, NOT glued. You lay foam underneath, but in the case of the kitchen, they recommended we leave the linoleum and go straight on top of it. Even easier!
Birch is a little lighter in color than I had ideally planned to go, and in the kitchen the ceramic tile may have looked better, but what I don't like about ceramic in any kitchen is that anything dropped breaks, and glass shards scatter everywhere. In the end, given that it's a rental, the added safety aspect of a soft landing won out and the price at roughly GBP 100 per room for 5 rooms is perfect!
Am now excited to see it go down and will post photo!
Well, forget that, yesterday we made a score at a local carpet and tile place that is selling off it's back store room at 99 cents per square ft. We found a really high quality birch wood laminate made in Austria and guaranteed for 20 years with a moisture barrier on the back, far superior to IKEA. $850 paid for enough to do the two ground floor bedrooms, kitchen and dining room and food pantry, a total of about 675 square feet, price including foam underlay. This is tongue and groove, NOT glued. You lay foam underneath, but in the case of the kitchen, they recommended we leave the linoleum and go straight on top of it. Even easier!
Birch is a little lighter in color than I had ideally planned to go, and in the kitchen the ceramic tile may have looked better, but what I don't like about ceramic in any kitchen is that anything dropped breaks, and glass shards scatter everywhere. In the end, given that it's a rental, the added safety aspect of a soft landing won out and the price at roughly GBP 100 per room for 5 rooms is perfect!
Am now excited to see it go down and will post photo!
Waves from America
Hey, Joanne, ask us in five years. We just bought TUNDRA for our new little beach cottage. I've never used a laminate before and am a bit nervous... but I actually liked the look of this and the price was very right. It's also only for the (low traffic) bedrooms. Fingers crossed!We've used TUNDRA flooring several times over the years on two continents and it's always been great for rentals, but we were not sure about using it in a beach house because of the sand.
Hey Deb,
To stop sand and dirt getting walked into the floor, they advised us to put runners in the doorway and any heavy traffic areas. Makes sense. I'm going to do this for the kitchen, but I doubt we'll get sand in the bedroom, at least not enough to do any damage. Don't be nervous, I think you made a smart choice and it will be fine for 10 years.
TUNDRA has gone up in price, maybe because everyone thinks it's so good, or maybe others have jumped on the bandwagon and now producing a cheaper version of the same thing, so the original now looks quite expensive by comparison. IKEA have introduced another range called HEMPSE, which is about 25% cheaper than TUNDRA, and looks identical to me. The only difference I can find (and I called them on it yesterday) is that it only has two choices of wood, whereas TUNDRA has four. If I hadn't found this great deal, I would be putting down one or the other.
The important thing about laminate is to treat it like any wood floor, and not to start laying it the minute it arrives in the house. It needs a couple of days to aclimate, also be careful how you fit it to doorway thresholds and walls because it needs expansion joints like any wood floor. For this reason, we are doing it now while the heating is on and before we winterize the house. I'm not the expert, and it sounds like yours is already done and looking beautiful, but if anybody else needs more info, feel free to PM me and I'll refer questions to 'im indoors who does the real work.
To stop sand and dirt getting walked into the floor, they advised us to put runners in the doorway and any heavy traffic areas. Makes sense. I'm going to do this for the kitchen, but I doubt we'll get sand in the bedroom, at least not enough to do any damage. Don't be nervous, I think you made a smart choice and it will be fine for 10 years.
TUNDRA has gone up in price, maybe because everyone thinks it's so good, or maybe others have jumped on the bandwagon and now producing a cheaper version of the same thing, so the original now looks quite expensive by comparison. IKEA have introduced another range called HEMPSE, which is about 25% cheaper than TUNDRA, and looks identical to me. The only difference I can find (and I called them on it yesterday) is that it only has two choices of wood, whereas TUNDRA has four. If I hadn't found this great deal, I would be putting down one or the other.
The important thing about laminate is to treat it like any wood floor, and not to start laying it the minute it arrives in the house. It needs a couple of days to aclimate, also be careful how you fit it to doorway thresholds and walls because it needs expansion joints like any wood floor. For this reason, we are doing it now while the heating is on and before we winterize the house. I'm not the expert, and it sounds like yours is already done and looking beautiful, but if anybody else needs more info, feel free to PM me and I'll refer questions to 'im indoors who does the real work.
Waves from America
-
Alan Knighting
- Posts: 4120
- Joined: Mon Oct 18, 2004 7:26 am
- Location: Monflanquin, Lot-et-Garonne, France
There is a similar laminate floor covering system available in France. Manufactured by Lapeyre, it's tongue and groove and comes in a variety of wood finishes.
Joan has it in her dressing room and after four years is still looking extremely good. I have no idea about cost as it was part of an overall job done by a local builder.
Alan
Joan has it in her dressing room and after four years is still looking extremely good. I have no idea about cost as it was part of an overall job done by a local builder.
Alan
Hi.I think this is one of those products that has just improved over the years.I know it had a bad reputation.We put a tongued and grooved laminate down in the kitchen in the house we rent out,it looks and feels great!We've always had ceramic tiles before but like Joanna says most things that hit the floor break with the tiles.The UK house has come with this floor too-or at least it's wood and looks the same.All I was going to say was that this is really good too.Our other UK house had an expensive Italian floor( tiles) which lookedd fantastic but was very cold in winter.The flooring we bought in France wasn't expensive,but I can't remember how much it was. Happy laminating 
www.thepetitmanoir.com
www.thepetitmanoir.com