for STRAIGHT TALK
CAROL McGIFFIN
THE WAY I SEE IT…
Wise words from our feisty, fearless and funny columnist
‘One of my least favourite things to do, ever, is visit a DIY superstore. There is absolutely zero pleasure in wandering around, staring at taps, toilets and other unfathomable stuff. It feels almost zombie-like, gliding from aisle to endless aisle, trying to imagine what all these bits of bathroom will look like when all put together. So why have I had to spend my past two weekends doing it? Well, we’re doing up our bathroom and I’m beginning to wish we’d never started. I mean, the water was coming out of the taps and shower, and the toilet flushed, so who cares if it looks like it came from George and Mildred’s yard sale, in its delightful apricot colour with a bath so stupidly big, you’d need to start filling it before you set off on your two-week holiday to have one when you got back.
But we’ve started so we’ll finish and anyway, the other option was to move.
Everyone says, “Oh it’ll be worth it when it’s finished!” But I’m not sure. Or, “Once you’ve done one room, you’ll want to do them all.” Don’t bet on that because the way I’m feeling right now, that couldn’t be further from the truth.
I suppose I should be grateful I’ve managed to avoid home improvement for so many years. I only attempted it once, about 20 years ago, when I employed a ‘design company’ to just get on with it. Big mistake. What I got was a Homes Under The Hammer job for Grand Designs prices. I swore bac
