DIY Dilemma

I've been redecorating the bathroom for a long time now - new everything and lots of nice blue lights, i've took my time and bought really nice stuff for it.

I need to replace the door as the old very cheap one looks horrible and has a bit missing/kicked through (not by us).

I liked the look of the oak veneer doors in BnQ - OK a bit expensive and whatever I choose I've got to do all the house (5 doors) so about £270 total... not too bad BUT the door frames are pretty poor as well - poor white gloss and several poor repairs and holes etc filled and where door hinges have gone in the past so OK I need some door frames which would match the door but that's about £120 per door so x5 doors = £600 and nearly £900 for doors is a LOT of money though I know if I did it it would look very nice and that would get the whole house done. I have some money saved up which I was going to use to remortgage but now I can't get a better deal than my SVR anyway ho hum what to do - what would you do? (buy plants probably LOL though as a minimum I need to replace the doors with something and I don't really like pine)

 

We have had new doors upstairs as ours were very old cheap ones. 4 in total
The doors were about £90 each, they are the oak veneer type. Very nice.
This wasn't to bad.
It's when you come to buy the hinges , handles and bathroom lock.
It can double the price.
But saying that.
If you have spent so much time and effort so far I would go for the most you can afford.
Doors and frames are usualy there for a long time.
To fit something that you are not happy with and something you use and look at everyday would drive me mad.

 

"I can't get a better deal than my SVR anyway ho hum what to do - what would you do?"

In that situation I would overpay the mortgage. It is often surprising how many years even a modest overpayment can knock off the term.

And interest rates are "cheap", and the chancellor is set to borrow money to give us all !! so whatever you have extra could be put to good work, and by the time he jacks the taxes back up again after the next election you'll already have made a big dent in your mortgage.

If you are interested you can find overpayment calculators here: http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=155707

PS If the reason you are on SVR is that you have a high loan-to-value ratio, and may be facing negative, or at decreasing, equity, then overpayment will improve that, and give you a better chance of remortgaging later on

 

And dont forget if you know a pensioner with a B&Q card, its 10% off on wednesdays, also if your buying your doors and frames together you could try to "barter" and they price match..

 

Pensioners get 10% off at focus everyday at our local ones :gnthb:
also would you be looking to do the work before Chrimbo with the way things are with finance at the moment .in the new year there might be some fantastic deals to be made

 

Also lookout for money off vouchers in the papers we had one for Wickes a while ago that gave us 20% off of everything we purchased including stuff at special price anyway. There's one in the sun today for 15% off at Homebase

 

Forget B&Q, buy them from a builders merchant or timber merchant if you negotiate youll save ££s.

You will easily be able to negotiate a good price as custom is curently low due to the fall in the housing market and lack of building work going on.

 

I am puzzled Men8ifr, lots of Blue lights in the bathroom??? You must be a single guy. Do they really give off blue light? Can't think of any women who can do her make-up in the morning with a casting of blue lights on her face. :skp:

 

There getting wise to this one! I know someone who works at B&Q and they were saying that people kept doing this so now they ask what the pensioner plans do with there purchases (such as do they know what there for?, of course for some thing's it's obvious) so make sure there well briefed!:hehe:

 

Maybe should have added except for the wall mirror/light which is little while lights around it though I did consider getting one with blue lights to match everything else...

 

Could be a good plan - the expensive stuff is the wood that goes around the outside of the frame on the wall -
Door = £50 (veneer)
Frame = £35 (veneer)
Surround stuff = 70

 

We got some excellent engineered wooden doors with oak panels and used this in the bathroom. We also purchased some teak wooden accessories including towel rail, shelf and shower board from John Lewis which have been excellent and low maintenance. Also, have a look at this garden furniture site for more teak ideas.