Keeping my Head above Water

Swimming helps me on so many levels - fitness, range of movement, distraction from problems, calm meditation. I love it & do it 3 times a week. I would do more if I had the time. I'm happy to have my head in or under water.

It's so different to life at the moment. Sometimes I do just about feel that I am keeping my head above water. Sometimes, although I'm not drowning, I need a lot of advice & information. Normally, I know stuff. I'm within my comfort zone. Not so renovating my house & building an extension.

I just don't know the answers to questions & I'm beginning to feel that I must be a pain as a client. It's all quite technical & there are so many areas to research. What do I know about groundworks, underpinning, modern building techniques, wiring...? I can do the selection of fixtures & fittings. I know what I like. But the more complex things mean I don't actually know the right questions to ask, never mind the answers.

Getting 3 quotes for everything has been a revelation. Each person you talk to gives you different information, so by the time you see the final one you do, just possibly, know what to ask.  Take the driveway. I want it to be permeable & as eco as possible. One company say I need to have all the concrete dug up & removed & then start laying the resin based gravel. Another company says no, not all the concrete needs to go, only the poor stuff in the front garden. The side drive can just have 3 drainage channels. Well, how do I know which is right? I just want the rainwater to get into the soil.

I don't think I have ever had to make so many choices in such a relatively short period of time. It is daunting. Thank goodness for the internet. Thank goodness I don't have a "proper job".