Week 79: Deliveries, Deals & Dispatched Orders
It’s 1st of July (wow, where does time go?). I've decided to be a goody two shoes and start my blog mid week instead of leaving it at the last minute, only to be greeted by exhaustion come the weekend. Where is the sanity in that? Believe me, a week is a long time and things can quite easily be forgotten if not noted there and then.
Last two plus weeks I've been doing nothing but completing the purchase of my bathroom. Timing is of essence, if I had more of it then I can shop around, compare notes, reviews, do price checks and finally purchase a bathroom that I am happy with overall. Everything is just an utter rush! I did have some merchandise in mind several months ago but these have long gone and no traces left of these original deals. This is where all the frustration kicks in. When you like something you can’t purchase it too early as where will you hold the goods? Then when you purchase nearer the time (as instructed) everything is either sold out or so rubbish and ugly that for the love of God you just can’t use it. I'm afraid that the bathroom, although practical, is not going to look great because everything I wanted was out of stock and settling for 5th choice was not what I had envisaged. I just pray the end result looks somewhat decent.
Deliveries, this is another grey area and one of the main reasons I was leaning towards a smaller independent store so I could gain aftercare should things go pear shaped. There is a lot of hype on great, cheap on-line companies but there is a reason why they are so cheap. To be able to get a 3 piece bathroom suite for £99, just how much longevity will you get from this product? My bill came in a lot higher than I would've liked but at least I had seen, touched and scrutinised every aspect of the bathroom and can take it back with no questions asked should the need arise. Also, the chap at the store was so helpful and raised a few interesting points that I had overlooked. This level of service is impossible had I purchased it straight off the net. I am happy with the quality as it is a premium product and not flimsy. I have decided to invest a little more and go for (not necessarily top end) but robust, durable merchandise that I don’t have to keep replacing with wear and tear.
Tip: Buy quality and it will give you a number of years to go with.
I might dabble and buy a few bits over the net for my next project but just couldn't afford the risk on this property as too many things had already gone wrong. What I would need to research is some frugal short-term storage, ‘a man with a van’ with some fantastic rates. That way I could purchase bits as I go along and make use of these deals that I always seem to miss when it comes to buying. The other thought was to purchase and send straight to the property in question but then what if it gets damaged, lost, stolen or worse causing injury by getting in the way. These are some things you will have to think about.
My latest delivery went all awry as there was no one on the other side to sign for the goods upon arrival. Our plasterers were onsite and they signed for an electric shower which was also due for the same day but from a separate company. Some misunderstanding had occurred and our plasterer received the parcel and had left for the day thinking that was the end of it. Sods law as soon as the main shipment arrives and lucky for us the driver left it with the neighbour. This is just pure chance, imagine taking in 3 x bathroom suites. It's not a small package, especially an 800mm by 1700mm bath tub. I will forever be indebted by this kindness.
Tip: always be on good terms with everyone. Humanity is one race and we all need each other whether we like it or not.