Plus One

So I've missed the seventh anniversary of this blog by a couple of days... No great shakes, since I did a big nostalgia-fest last year, but it's still disappointing that I didn't even realise until yesterday, when I happened to see the reminder on my cellphone, and then just couldn't be bothered to write anything.

Things have changed a fair bit since then, but almost everything I wrote then still applies... particularly the bits about writing. This year has been a bit drier on the work front - after my long-term role ended, I've had only a few scraps of work here and there. My finances are a bit rubbish, largely because of another inflated service charge bill, ostensibly for renewing the main roof.

On that subject, in spite of assurances from the managing agents that the landlord will allow the roof renewal to go ahead once the residential leaseholders' services charges are paid, they have also expressed some doubts. I've paid a total of something like £5K over the last two years on the understanding that the first floor roof was supposed to be done back in 2011 and that the main roof was to be done this year... and yet neither is any closer to happening. For this reason, I've actually engaged a solicitor to look into it for me.

Considering how expensive the roof non-renewal has been so far, it almost feels pointless and contrary to take on the additional expense of a solicitor, particularly after he told me that I probably won't be able to recover my expenses from the landlord... Any of the solicitor's bills could be crippling. Unfortunately, after owning a flat under a leaky roof for five years, it's only about the money in an abstract way. The point is that I've paid inflated service charges for absolutely necessary work which the landlord has failed to go through with. The point is that the managing agents had to threaten the landlord with ditching his business before he agreed - in principle - to carry out the work this time, and now it looks as though it's still not going to happen.

All this came about because I happened to hear someone up on the roof a few weeks back, then overheard part of a conversation about the roof and alternative methods of roofing, and decided to call the managing agents to ask what they knew about it... and they knew nothing about it. It doesn't inspire me with confidence when the landlord (most likely him, anyway) goes behind the back of his managing agents to look into alternatives after they've gathered quotes for the job. Two years ago, he insisted they look into 'liquid roofing' for the first floor roof, but still wouldn't agree to the expense. I've no idea what it'd cost to renew the roof with fibreglass, but I'm guessing it's not the cheapest option... and it's also not compatible with the work that needs doing when the landlord doesn't own the entire building, and so wouldn't be replacing the entire roof...

Finding myself a regular income just got that little bit more important, however you slice it...

Another expense was about £2.5K on a new boiler - very important now the weather is turning and the bills are set to rise - along with a heated towel rail for the bathroom. Thankfully, my folks bailed me out for that one, so I haven't had to delve into my savings too deeply as yet. I'm hoping that the new boiler will give me a more manageable winter fuel bill, but I'm still keeping the heating off for the time being, and until it gets completely critical.

On the upside, in about two weeks, I'll be celebrating the first time I met the young woman who is now my girlfriend and, a month after that, we'll be celebrating a year of being a couple... We celebrate being a couple basically every time we meet, but it'll be nice to have a proper anniversary.