My Old Man's a Dustman

We have everything we need to make Tino a home finally, experience taught us to buy the important expensive and finishing items first, even if they have sat in their box or wrapper until this point, the whole heating system, kitchen sink, spiral staircase, fitted wardrobes, knobs, handles, kitchen table and benches, the bathroom suite.

It is very easy with a project like Tino to put the budget to it's extremes. Buy well, as with our previous post try and use as much as you already have, the kitchen has been made from the Teak we originally took out of the crews quarters, the pine kitchen table and benches were made from the dividing wall between the kitchen and hallway, the internal walls have been made from the pine tongue and groove we took out of the bedrooms, the bed was made from the mahogany in the hallway, all our hardwood flooring is reclaimed some from a County Hall in Surrey, some from St Dunstans College Catford and some from St James' London all at a good price probably a fifth of the price of new wood, our radiators are reclaimed from Holy Trinity Convent, Sundridge Park Bromley.

We imported the handles for the kitchen and our sink, hob shower and taps are all from clearance sections, places like screw fix reduce items at different times of the year for silly reasons, keep your eye out.

My point is don't be too hasty with your purchases do your homework with prices, "your profit is in your buying" as the old man use to say, can you get it from a salvage yard or at a discount most designs are a replica of a previous design and "is there a cash price?" Another phrase we heard a lot growing up....

In regards to tradesmen choose wisely they all have a tendency to slack of towards the end of any job, my advice is to only have one trade a time on any project if possible otherwise it becomes like Grange Hill within a few hours.

Draw out any plans you have do not under any circumstance leave it to the tradesmen to decide, if possible do any prep work before, set the ball rolling on the right foot, ultimately it is you that will have to look at the finished product everyday so get it right first time draw it out there will be little decisions to make during that will have a big impact on the finish better to be prepared and know exactly what you want and how you want it to look, realise, taking on a project like Tino you are going to come up against some opposition from all angles so you have to be strong in your decision making, once you have started there is no going back.........

The Old Man, Terence William Yardley 1941 - 2010 and his three boys