FLAT LIVING

One of the things about living in a flat is of course that we share the building with 2 other flats. One is now empty (the middle one) and the couple on the top floor are lovely – fell on our feet with them!

Every so often under the terms of the lease we get together to work out what needs to be done to the building. So far we’ve done a fair bit of cleaning up outside between us – weeding, removing moss, cleaning the stonework, cutting back the hedges, trips to the recycling centre etc.

We recently were told that we could get free insulation before December … which is great. What’s not so great is that we will of course have to pay for scaffolding!

Well then, said Upstairs Neighbour, how’s about we get the outside painted at the same time? We don’t want to pay for scaffolding twice! – and the painting’s supposed to be done every 5 years, but it hasn’t been done for at least 7 …

However. There’s always a however. Our Mr However is the freeholder of the building and owns the middle flat … and does not like spending money. Upstairs Neighbour has almost given up. So Hub tackled Mr However, who told several lies in his opening sentence, and then followed it up by saying now he isn’t getting the rent from the middle flat. (How do you think we’re all managing, on our pensions?? And what did you do with the rent??? There haven’t been any improvements in the last 3 years |-| )

No, Hub didn’t say anything. But quite a bit now needs doing, so somehow, we are going to have to discover if there’s a way of working constructively with him U-(

And we haven’t mentioned the need for a new front door yet – the wood of the present one is rotten at the bottom!