See? Despite my recent pictures, we DO still have some daylight here in England, between about 7 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. I was even able to walk around in it a bit yesterday, admiring the Christmasy windows of the shops on our high street. (The restaurant on the left has decorations up, including a tree, but they're hard to see with that awning.)
I spent most of the day cleaning, though. I did laundry, cleaned our kitchen shelves and ran everything on them through the dishwasher, and I cleaned our bedroom windows, giving them the same treatment I'd already given the windows in the dining room and living room -- the frames, the sills, everything.
It was rainy yesterday, but it was a slow drizzle and the dehumidifier filled up overnight. I'll use the water on the houseplants today.
I tried to take Olga when I went walking, but she wouldn't go more than a few steps from the front door. I suppose the precipitation put her off. You can never tell with that dog. Remember how I said she wouldn't want to walk on Friday morning, when it was a bit blustery? Well, I was completely wrong -- she wanted a long walk and I wound up being late for work. She's a mystery.
The Russians knocked on the door around lunchtime and asked to see the deteriorated wood outside. I guess since it's a repair that involves the exterior of the house, they'll have to pay for part of it, and they weren't happy with the quote from our management company. (The Russians own the upstairs flat, whereas we rent, so the cost of repairs would be split between them and our landlords.)
Even though I'd spent the whole morning cleaning and tidying, I saw every flaw as I led them through the house to the back door. They strike me as very fastidious people and I could just imagine them raising their eyebrows.
When I showed them how the deteriorated wood trim was allowing moisture to get into our living room wall, I pulled the couch back so they could see where we'd had mold spots behind it. "Oh, that's very bad for your health," Mrs. Russia said. No kidding!
Nonetheless, they want to arrange some more quotes and I'm not sure how we'll handle that, since presumably either Dave or I will have to be here to let contractors view the problem. They're having someone work on the roof in March and they wondered if they could repair the trim then, but I told them I'd like to get it fixed before that. So we'll see.
This is the downside of renting, particularly in a shared-ownership building. We are at the mercy of multiple property owners.
Even if you own, you are still at the mercy of multiple property owners.
ReplyDeleteThat's Mrs Russia, not Mother Russia.
I should have thought to call her Mother Russia! LOL!
DeleteIt would be easy to say that’s for the management company to negotiate and fix — and fast. But life is never that simple. Despite the black mold, it sounds like your place now shines like the top of the Chrysler Building.
ReplyDeleteWell, it's not quite THAT shiny. But it's not embarrassing. :)
DeleteHow do Russians speak?
ReplyDelete"I tell you матушка, the Американец spies downstairs live like horses in a stable. Zare are wilting plants everywhere and mould on ze walls and zare fat dog snoring on ze big British flag cushion. Thank Putin ve vere born in Мать Россия and not in ze land of ze hot dog anna Barbie Mattel an Dubya!"
That's a pretty accurate description, especially the fat dog part!
DeleteSteve it seem like your landlord is just a monthly rent collector. I've been there the little time that I rented. When I moved back to Texas I said I wasn't going to buy anymore.The apartments were terrible and the townhouse was even worse. So I started back being a homeowner. Oh well, I founded out there are 8 rent houses on my street and they are accepting section 8 government housing and I have lived by crack heads,, etc. The government is paying over $1400 a month so they can live like working people. It's been bad here. I also have a neighbor and he is a homeowner who will not keep the yard nor will he fertilize his grass to get this take over weed out of it. So it seem everywhere you live these days there are people with problems . I do appreciate having an HOA because the neighborhood is still standing.(lol)Never will I live in a multiple owned (townhouses, duplex) again.(Will try hard not to) You do have boundaries (property lines)and at fault if you don't repair what is needed to be repaired with a house. Landlords are only there for the money.
ReplyDeleteI would think the management company should decide who fixes it and when, because between them and the Russians, they might never decide!
ReplyDeleteYeah, I hope this doesn't become too protracted.
DeleteThat shared ownership seems an unusual thing to me but, I guess it must be common in London.
ReplyDeleteI don't think it's unusual. It's kind of like a co-op apartment.
DeleteThat's an odd arrangement, isn't it? I mean, the things that affect your apartment are going to ultimately affect the upstairs. And vice versa.
ReplyDeleteOh, how I wish I could get motivated to clean!
I think there are a lot of buildings where people own the units but have common responsibility for the exterior and the common spaces. Condos, co-ops, that kind of thing. We're just a two-unit co-op!
DeleteI hope it is fixed properly and soon.
ReplyDeleteMe too!
DeleteThe Russians own the apartment upstairs? Do they own their home next door as well?
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you got out for a walk. We're having way too much rain to get out here. Maybe in a few days we'll see the sun.
No, the Russians only own upstairs. Next door is Mrs. Kravitz, a whole different family.
DeleteIf the Russians have to pay half the repairs to the outside doesn't the owner of your flat have to pay half the repairs to the roof? I too hope the repairs get taken care of sooner rather than later.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I assume our owner bears some responsibility for the roof. Not sure how that works!
DeleteI imagine Olga is always saying, "Steve wants to walk at the dumbest times!".
ReplyDeleteShe better go when I offer, or she'll never go!
DeleteI hope your walls get fixed soon. Mold is not good for you. I used to love walking around downtown looking at the stores' Christmas displays. I miss it. I love that tree you show in your last post. What kind is it? Enjoy your day, hugs, Edna B.
ReplyDeleteI shouldn't over-exaggerate the mold. There are some spots on the wall, but I clean them off and it takes them a long time to come back. It's not like the wall is soggy.
DeleteDo you have to let the Russians and the contractors walk through your house? Couldn't they walk outside to get to the back yard?
ReplyDeleteI would really like to know the details on who pays for the roof and what percentage each party pays.
We have a side gate that we can leave open in a pinch, but I'd rather not. I'll ask about expenses if I have the chance! Inquiring minds want to know!
DeleteSweet Olga. She likes to stay in control. :)
ReplyDeleteShe does. She gets ornery when I try to make her do something she doesn't want to do!
DeleteGood luck with the repairs! Hope they figure it out quickly.
ReplyDeleteFingers crossed!
DeleteMold, ugh. My leak didn't lead to that although because it was from the wax ring in the toilet, everything had to be extremely sanitized.
ReplyDeleteUgh. That's pretty bad too! I feel for you!
DeleteHealth wise I have been worried for you both x
ReplyDeleteDon't worry -- there's only a very small amount of mold and I clean it away every now and then. We can't smell it or anything like that. You would never even know it's there. But I still want the problem solved because it will only get worse.
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ReplyDeleteThe moisture in your living room is not fun. Hopefully, the problems will get fixed soon.
Life in England! There's moisture everywhere!
DeleteSo glad you got a dehumidifier, Inspired! so I convinced Dennis to order one for his room which is EWWWW- so moldy. Gives me a headache but he does not notice since he lost his smelling ability.
ReplyDeleteWe got the Von Haus model and it's been great so far. It's astonishing how much water I dump out of that thing every day.
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