SCRIPT: Maria RENOVATES Her FLAT [September 18, 2018]
Renovating a house can be challenging yet satisfying.
Jeff: Your mum told me last week that you’ve got your own place. I think she was a bit sad you’re moving out of the family home.
Maria: Yes, I’m moving into a small flat. But sad? Not at all! Mum and Dad are pleased! My sister moved into her own place three years ago. I think they’ll enjoy having the flat to themselves.
Jeff: When do you move in? I’m already looking forward to the house-warming party.
Maria: There won’t be one for quite a long time. I’ve got a lot of renovation to do before I move in. If you saw the condition it’s in, you’d be worried.
Jeff: Really? Why?
Maria: The flat is forty-two years old, and the old guy who lived there previously did no decorating or renovation for years. He just didn’t look after it, so it was in a bad condition, but that’s why I got it at so cheaply.
Jeff: I won’t ask you how much you paid for it!
Maria: Good, because that’s a secret between me and my bank manager. I haven’t even told my parents how much I paid.
Jeff: How big is it?
Maria: Three hundred and fifty-one square feet. It’s a nice size. Perfectly big enough for me.
Jeff: What renovations are you having done?
Maria: Everything in the bathroom is going to be pulled out and I’m turning it into a shower room, like the ones in Japanese hotels. I’ll also put a washing machine there.
Jeff: I like the sound of that.
Maria: At the moment there’s a small separate kitchen. I’m having the walls knocked down and making the kitchen part of the main living area. I will have an oven fitted there, too; I like to cook and I don’t want a just microwave. Oh, and the walls! All the walls in the flat are covered in brown tiles. Horrible! They’re all going to be torn off, and I’ll have the walls painted in a light colour.
Jeff: And what about the bedroom?
Maria: It’s sixty square feet: just enough room for a big bed and a desk for my computer. I won’t have space for wardrobes in there, so I’m having a big bank of cupboards built in the living area.
Jeff: And do you have a view?
Maria: Not much of a view - it’s just onto the street, but it’s pretty bright. There are two windows in the living area. And at night time, there’ll be lots of lights, and all the lighting in the flat will be controlled from my phone.
Jeff: You’ve got everything planned!
Maria: I saw what I could do with the place the first time I saw it - and the price was very attractive. I’ll have to spend a lot of money replacing the windows - they’re so old, I’m afraid they’ll fall out! Luckily, a friend of mine who’s studying architecture at university has done the redesign, and he’s only charging a very small amount.
Jeff: Is all this work going to take a long time?
Maria: I’m not too bothered about that. It will be exciting to watch it take shape. I’m just waiting to sign the contract and then it will be all systems go. Wish me luck!