We still have lots and lots to do here in the villa and the garage but to be honest I am getting real fed up with it all. We take 2 steps forward and 10 steps back. We added a little bit of yellow paint to white to make cream but it turned out to be a hint of pale green, which was very nice so we did the painting and it looked lovely, but then got the tiles out and the colour does not match. They have been stored for 7 years and I thought they were beige. So now have to redo the painting again. Should have looked at the tiles first eh! they are beige with a hint of orange not green.....  Also not enough tiles for the bathroom  so have to plan something else for there.  Got the kitchen out that we also brought here 7 years ago and now don't like it, so maybe this will do as an outside kitchen, that is if we ever get the area finished..... Still need to get a jcb in to flatten the ground so cannot do the stones until we get that done, than have to find someone to transport the stones. I have sent the mayor a message to ask if he knows of a jcb owner at a good rate.  They are charging us too much 290 lev for 1 hour with a driver and you know it will go into two or three hours plus extra for transporting the jcb 15km each way..... Me thinks they are taking the michael eh.  If I get the builder in, he charges 220lev a day for himself and 2 labourers so swings and round abouts  GuessI need to give myself a good kick to get me motivated again eh!!

The JCB rate is 60 Lev an hour, I know this because one of my friends has one, but nowhere near you I am afraid. Not sure of the general transportation costs of JCB suppliers, depends how far they have to go to get to you.

No help to you Bernie, the price in my area is around the 55-60 leva per hour, depending on what he's actually doing with the machine.
Our guys usually drive the machine to the job and charge a nominal fee for that part of the exercise...usually about 3 leva per km.

Shame you live so far away.

justbazz wrote:

No help to you Bernie, the price in my area is around the 55-60 leva per hour, depending on what he's actually doing with the machine.
Our guys usually drive the machine to the job and charge a nominal fee for that part of the exercise...usually about 3 leva per km.

Shame you live so far away.

I think they are just trying it on with us Baz so have contacted the mayor to see what price he gets same with the transporting of the stones 300lev to travel 7km. The worst thing is people are saying na na that is expensive but there is no alternative unless I can get the cooperation to help us out. Will see what the mayor comes back with then see if he can help with the transport of the stones.

It's all trial and error here - just look at the internet for years we have been trying to get internet I tried everyone in the town and frineds than found out he man living behind us is an alarm engineer who also has connection with internet but it only took us 7 years to find him

I have not heard anything from our own mayor re hiring a JCB and any work force available to help us with doing a driveway, so I went to the Mayor a few more villages away as we have nobody in any of our villages who does this kind of work apart from the chap that build our garage and he has work up till Nov.

The mayor said he would come and have a look and then see if he can help, he does have an ironmonger in the village so he can cost us for making new big gates.

We have decided to move the vehicle enterence further down so it comes in behind the garage there is a lot more space there but we have to build up the area and slop it into a driveway for parking. Hard to explain but here are some pictures.  We will still need to put stones down in front of the garage and make a new pathway

This will be the new drive enterance
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This is part of the area to be stoned outside the garage
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This area oaver by the small tent and behind it will be stone and path I think
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At least I am starting to plan, that is a good sign  

Moving the gate will make it a lot easier to get in and out...the original location was really tight, unless you drove a Mini!

justbazz wrote:

Moving the gate will make it a lot easier to get in and out...the original location was really tight, unless you drove a Mini!

Yes, agree with you I have not tried to get Fergie in our out just in case I scratch her but I did on a few occasions take Bettsie Pajero in and out but I must say I did not like it one bit. A real stupid idea to put the gates so near the villa and a lamp post. It only dawned on me the other day to put a small gate there and moved further down to the end of the garden where theres is about 14mts square doing nothing, the area just needs to be build up and the new as wide as possible maybe 3.5 or 4mt gates if allowed can go in there at a slant from the road or dirt way.

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Well here we are again in yet another situation,  I just give up. We spent a lot of time and hard work and money building the gazebo in the garden, it was not much see below, but we are building it ourselves and we are learning as we go along.

Then our Bulgarian friend said he would come and help as they were coming to dinner anyway.  It appears we did it all wrong, we have to make a square base box all around and fill it with concrete and put metal pegs in to hold the metal beams, not wood as this will rot away in about 10 years. So before I knew what was happening our wood uprights were cut off and it took all day to dig 1/2 a square around the existing footings and put boards up all around for concrete filling.   So we have now gone from a simple outdoor shelter using all the old materials from the Granny house to what sounds like a complete entertaining centre and a msure will cost a few thousand lev.  I said no metal use the wood we have, it is good but in one ear and out the other so tomorrow we will meet in town and price up the materials needed. Only than will I have to step in and upset everyone,    All I want is a simple gazebo style shelter. This one will have 12 metal erected poles the length is 7mts but 5.1/2 wide.
 
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Oddy , you,d best step in NOW..upset or not...or you will never again be able to do things your way..or without them overtaking your project...we learnt this in the very early days
be polite but firm...get it across you want to do it your way...and although they may not think so , you do know what your doing....

on a lighter note , i have not come across a Bg yet that will conceed graefully to this.......  so be warned

also tell them who the **** is bothered about 10yrs down the line .....

varnagirl wrote:

Oddy , you,d best step in NOW..upset or not...or you will never again be able to do things your way..or without them overtaking your project...we learnt this in the very early days
be polite but firm...get it across you want to do it your way...and although they may not think so , you do know what your doing....

on a lighter note , i have not come across a Bg yet that will conceed graefully to this.......  so be warned

also tell them who the **** is bothered about 10yrs down the line .....

Thank VG   Got to town and was taken to the metal shop the 12 post, 36 bolts bolts and 12 sleves  would have costs almost 500lev so I had to step in and say sorry this is not what we want and left the shop. When they friends came out I told them All I want is a simple shelter with a concrete base, these prices are totally stupid. We will look around ourselves for the materials next week but thanks for your help.  

I will keep you updated.  The Babuk mayor came here this morning with the metal man re the new gates and making a driveway.  I want wide gates maybe 5mts would be better, I will see what price they come up with.  He has to send someone along to build the posts so he will also give us a quote on the cost of the post and cement for the drive. We do need a JCB first to flatten the ground. The gazebo will have to wait for a while

well done...you are your own person ..

I have seen these gates as I asked for 6mt gates but I think they are a little too big so maybe 4.5 or 5mts would be sufficient, but it will depend on the price of course.

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The will go in here once the area is flattened and concrete posts and drive is put in.  Waiting now for the total cost......

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Then stones will come around in front of the garage and villa  here and where the old gates are
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They can't seem to get a JCB here at the moment as they are all being used on the new roads in Silistra and also in the coperations construction of new roads in the next village. So got fed up of waiting and got my spade and away I went.  Therefore, it went from

This

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to This

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What is it they say, if you want something done - do it yourself   Can't do any more for a while now as it has been raining none stop since 4pm yesterday.

Blimey...well done you...bet there were some aches tho after.....

varnagirl wrote:

Blimey...well done you...bet there were some aches tho after.....

Hopefully tomorrow I can get a bit more done