Budapest VII

 There has been some significant development over the past couple of weeks. All the electrical conduits and power points have been installed, along with some of the cabling. The water and waste pipes are in and some have been buried in concrete. As plastering requires that the place isn't an ice box, the central heating boiler is installed and working, and all the radiators except the towel rail in the bathroom are warm. The radiators will of course have to come out again for final plastering and painting of the walls behind.

Let's see... Heating out, cold water in, hot water out, heating return, condensate

The boiler itself is a 'high-efficiency, fan-assisted, condensing' type, which means that it should be cheap to run. Exhaust fumes are physically blown up the chimney. There's no hot water tank; the boiler fires up on demand and is supposed to provide instant and practically unlimited hot water. A fresh-air intake was constructed within an existing ventilation duct, but this is going to need some finishing work so that it doesn't provide nesting space for the local avian wildlife.

I queried the rather basic boiler control panel, but the full set of controls are to be remotely attached to the wall in the living area where the main themostat is going.

Last look at the single huge room

 I anticipate the possibility of wall-mounted TV sets, so both sides of the plasterboard will have plywood backing to resist pull-out. I've had previous experience of the questionable strength of 20mm plywood to heavy objects affixed thereto. I'll keep careful record of where the plywood is located.

Those ceiling fans arrived four days after being ordered. These are sitting, boxed, in a different apartment until they can be fitted at the end of the renovation. A full set of bathroom fittings have been procured, except for a small wall-mounted sink for a vanity unit inside the main bedroom wardrobe. This will come from IKEA along with the wardrobes and indeed the kitchen.

The floor and wall tiles have arrived in Budapest and I paid for them. As the flat isn't yet ready for tiling, they're languishing in a warehouse. All the IKEA fixtures are similarly languishing, but these haven't yet been paid for. I'm assured no problem with any of the furniture as it's all definitely in stock, and if there's a sudden rush for SMØRGÅSÞÖERÐ reciprolating fondilators they can be obtained within a couple of working days.

And speaking of flooring, the wood floor for the main bedroom has been ordered. The rutted and wobbly parquet is up, and it turns out that levelling the floor is an easy fix. The floors in the flat consist of 300mm deep steel I beams with precast concrete forming the ceiling in the flat below. The void is filled with lightweight aggregate - slag - and surfaced with wooden planks. All the woodwork can come up and then be relaid at a more sensible single level.

Nasty underfloor planks need levelling

Bathroom with plumbing

I'm still waiting for the new entrance door and the windows; these are due for delivery on 14th December.

There remains an issue with the internal doors, in that no carpenter is interested in refurbishing the existing olde worlde woodwork.

I would prefer doors like this, but without the glass

I have found some 'classic' style modern doors, and await a price. I pointed out to the builder that the additional cost of the new doors should be offset against the time and labour cost of refinishing the old ones.

]}:-{>

Budapest VI

 The place is starting to look a little bit tidier, now that most of the rubble has been bagged and taken away. Central heating is in progress, with all the gas piping downstream of the meter completed with new shiny narrow-bore copper pipe instead of the original old and extremely chunky cast iron. 

Bed 1 looks tidier without bin bags full of rubble

New gas pipes. Shame about the obtrusive meter

There's still no boiler beyond a rectangle marked on the wall, but water pipes to the radiators are being installed today. I am told that the radiators themselves will be arriving next week, but before these can be fitted the holes in the walls left by the old gas burners have to be plugged and made good, and the walls behind the radiators painted in a suitable hue.

Central heating pipes

I went around the entire flat today with a red Sharpie and a couple of electricians. We discussed the final locations of all power outlets and switches, not forgetting the electrical supply to the boiler for ignition and fan. I am told that we also need an electric connection to the heated towel rail in the bathroom, otherwise it won't get warm during the summer when the heating's off. And there's also an extractor fan that will need a power supply. Power outlets are also provided above wardrobes and kitchen units so that concealed lighting is exactly 100% concealed and the cupboards aren't filled with plugs and transformers. 

The scrawls on the walls. Loads of power outlets, especially in the kitchen.

 All the light switches will be 1.2m above the floor so within easy reach of an adult human elbow, except for those controlling bedside lights. These are to be lower and within range of a prone person.

Having decided that air conditioning is too much of a fag for one month a year, ceiling fans are to be fitted. I found a nice model with reversible blades (for summer and winter, so the winter heat rising to the top of a 3.6m high room will be circulated down again where it can do some good) and a central light, and I ordered three: bedroom, bedroom, sitting room. The fans are each controlled by a magic wand, which has simplified the bedroom wiring somewhat. There's simply an over-ride master switch for each fan that will be left ON pretty much all the time, and the fan and light will be controlled 100% by the remote.  I got 10% discount for paying in advance, and the fans should arrive by tomorrow... maybe early next week.

I remember being advised to ensure connectivity for digital signals, so in addition to the main incoming cable carrying TV and internet to the sitting room, I've specified LAN and coaxial terminals in both bedrooms. The electricians will start chasing the walls for ducts on Monday.

While I was there, the guy from the window company turned up and finalised the dimensions for the new glassware. I'm told that the windows will be arriving the first week in December along with a new steel high-security door.

Naturally, because nothing is ever simple, three things have gone wrong. So far...

The only remaining existing ceramicware

Having chosen all the ceramicware for the bathroom, plus the shower cubicle and all the taps, I was annoyed to learn that the shower cubicle "has been sold to somebody else, but we do have another similar [but rather more expensive] one." Owing to my allergy to 'Bait and Switch', I have asked that my builder find similar items elsewhere and the previous supplier can go and engage in autofornication. Mucking a customer about over $200 and waving bye-bye to $900 does not strike me as particularly good business practice.

The other thing that has gone awry is the parquet floor. Now that the wall as gone it is obvious that the floor resembles the Rolling Hills of Eastern Europe. I have asked for a quote for skimming the concrete flat and relaying the parquet.

It doesn't look it, but there's about 70mm level difference across the parquet

]}:-{>

Budapest V

And so it begins. The contractor started last Thursday with a jackhammer.

The he ting system is going in this week and the electrics and plumbing will start a week after that.

New windows and front door have been ordered, the tiles will arrive in about three weeks, and I have made an initial payment.

Exciting, isn't it?

]}:-{>

Budapest IV

Progress is still slow. However, I got a partial quotation from a builder, and I now know what the kitchen will cost, and approximate costs for floors.

Pending finalising costs and getting a programme for getting it done before the heat death of the universe, I've been sightseeing. Although there's a comprehensive public transport network, I've walked bluddy miles in both kinds of weather. 

Roman baths at Florian ter flyover

Aquincum theatre

Aquincum in the rain

Aquincum colonnade

Aquincum: Painter's House reconstruction

Sunset over Pest

Buda Castle and the Danube

Elisabeth Bridge

Arpad Bridge and Margaret Island. Sunny weather

The other kind of weather

 ]}:-{>

Budapest III

Progress is agonisingly slow.

Builder No.1 turned up, listened to what I wanted to do, and said he's get back to me within a week. Then he disappeared into the aether, and two weeks later has been impossible to contact.

Builder No.2 appreciated my plans, noted that I know what I want and have some understanding of construction, and then told me that he's fully booked and can't possibly take on any new work until at least January next year. So why talk to me at all, if you've just signed contracts and filled your order book? Because I know what I'm talking about and there's limited chance of ripping me off, perhaps?

Builder No.3 appears keen, having been to the apartment twice and taken copious notes and measurements. But still no cost and time estimate. I'm stuck in Budapest at $35/day and achieving very little.

Not entirely true. I have made repeated visits to the premises and taken many measurements. The kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom layouts are pretty much finalised. I have an appointment early next week with a kitchen design specialist, and I have sources for tiles and hardwood flooring lined up.

The latest, and hopefully final, kitchen layout

Still no news on replacement windows and doors, nor on central heating or bathroom fittings.

As I said: agonisingly slow.

]}:-{>

Budapest II

So the Goat has met a builder and is awaiting a quote. He is meeting a second builder on Friday, and a third the following Tuesday. He's also been discussing tiling for walls and floors.

Tiles.

All manner of ceramic tiles are available, but blue terrazzo is inexplicably Not Coming In Budapest. The Goat has been on Facebook Messenger and Skype with Beloved Wife in an attempt to get an agreeable colour scheme, and to this end he's spent interminable hours in front of Google SketchUp.

The hallway with 

blue floor tiles

The hallway with slate tiles

The bathroom with slate

The kitchen with slate

The kitchen with blue terrazzo on the floor

The kitchen with wood worktops and floor

 No decisions have yet been made, except the layout of the kitchen is fixed so the power and water points can be finalised.

]}:-{>

Budapest I

The exterior

The Goat has been busy since his contract in Qatar reached its logical conclusion.

Beloved Wife and her Goat have now got into the minefield known as ‘real estate’.

Having looked at numerous properties in Budapest, the Goat agreed that ‘The FixerUpper’ was the one that they’d want if only it were possible. And then the Goat suddenly reached the end of his contract in Doha and thus a construction industry project manager became available to oversee renovation of a fin de siècle apartment. 

There’s a lot of work to do. The place needs a total rewire, replumbing, new heating system, and gutting the gas system. The heating system consists of three horrible and ancient gas heaters that will have to go before they kill all the occupants by vomiting carbon monoxide… A combination boiler that will deliver hot water at the taps and for the heating is a major part of the refurbishment.

The master bedroom

 A wall needs to be moved, or more accurately demolished and a new one built a couple of metres away. Glorious parquet flooring will be retained where possible, a new kitchenette will be built, and the old and rather barren kitchen will become a master bedroom.

The kitchen

The kitchen and sitting room

The bathroom and toilet are both completely horrible, a situation made worse by the existence of the toilet in the ghastly German style.

Current advice includes that refurbishing the windows is probably more effort and cost than simply replacing them, and the old wooden units would still be draughty.

The Goat is currently preparing layouts in AutoCAD. He discovered that this building is far from square, which will be interesting. He’s staying in Budapest, seeing quotes from builders to do the work. Of course, all the really good English speakers are in the UK doing the ‘Polish plumber’ thing, so language may be an issue. Fun, innit?

]}:-{>