Regarding tools/appliances, I really like Adam Savage's approach: buy the cheapest one first, and once it breaks or gets in your way you know you need to upgrade to the best one you can afford. Now this applies more to toasters and knives and other stuff where the cheapest option possible is like ten pounds and still functional, not so much blinds or washing machines, but still. You already knew that you needed a good chef's knife: go for it. You don't have value for a bread knife? Cheap out.
Or just ask for advice from someone who knows about these things. As humans the way we flourished and developed beyond the rest of the animal kingdom is through cooperation. If you asked a working chef what knives to get they could advice you on good quality knives that don't cost £100 each. For examples the bread knife I have can be bought for £22 and will last a life time. It was reccomended by a chef along with the rest of my knives. People have already attained knowledge so you don't have to. The paradox of choice is real. Just cooperate and communicate with people that know better than you.
A motto I live by is "buy the cheap one until you know enough to know why the expensive one is worth the money". Usually for hobbies and stuff. But I don't think you need to go straight from cheapest to best you can afford in one jump either. I bought a £3 saucepan. It's served me well for a year but the last few months the non-stick is starting to flake off and I'm not sure if the bottom is starting to rust. Now I might say, £3 for a year for a saucepan is fine, or I might look for something better. But that doesn't mean I'm going straight for a copper or stone base pan either. I don't need it to last forever, I'll just get the next grade up that should last a decade. But I know enough now to know that a £3 saucepan isn't good enough.
That’s a nice way to look at it! Another one would be: how much are you actually going to use it? If the bread knife isn’t “yours” and you don’t think you’ll use it, don’t bother with an expensive one. On the other hand, you might use your toaster every day, multiple times per day. You might not need all the gimicks but you do need something sturdy.
Your neuroticism around buying stuff is so freaking relatable. It's hard to know where to go cheap and where you really need to spend to get the higher quality products. The flat looks great so far! Good luck on the blind/curtain front. I think I ended up going three different tiers at my house...super cheap, mid-tier (for bigger windows), and custom for some old windows. Buying a house/flat is chaotic but the process of furnishing and making it a home is great fun. Congrats!
It's a journey to learn that skill if I'm honest. I was squarely in the "I need quality" camp for almost my whole life but the last few years I've been able to think "hmm, do I really need the best one or is a lesser one as good?" Mainly the though process that I would love to have is the one of Adam Savage. He says "If it's a tool you know you need and have used before, buy the best quality you can afford and it will probably last you a lifetime. If it's a new tool, buy a cheaper one and use it until it breaks. Then you'll know if you use it, how much you use it and if you can justify the higher price tag for the better quality one."
The relatable bit for me was when he was trying to assemble furniture with one of those horrible little allen drivers that come with flat pack furniture in the week after FINALLY moving in.. Bet the furniture thus made hasn't even gotten dusty yet! Did you allocate a kitchen drawer for the allen driver, Even?
Blinds for me are definitely a room by room choice, bedroom is best fitted if you don't want sunlight disturbing sleep, everything else depends on of you just want a plain roller blind or not, roller blinds aren't too difficult to install yourself. But with regards to rooms with specific colour schemes and vibes it will almost certainly be easier and cheaper to find curtains to match the vibe which can also be changed up to match any changes of aesthetic, which is why any where I've lived has either had an incredibly bland blind in the living room or curtains in there because then it doesn't matter if I change things up
just a quick tip for your avocado trees, place something under the pot because even if it does not have drainage holes it can still leave a water stain on the ground
Yes. Please do. And then put a mat under that too 😭 Parents had a terracotta plate that came with the pot, but still left a water mark--it's been 17 years since
@@hannahbee567 Yes, terracotta plates are porous if they're not varnished, and they will still let water through. A ceramic/porcelain or a plastic plate will work well.
@Egon Jankowski That probably won't help. The leaves would still get damaged from being battered around and "burned" by the wind chill. If a plant is used to growing in a sheltered spot and is suddenly moved somewhere exposed they can't just immediately adjust. Their entire structure is optimised for the sheltered place and it takes them a long time to toughen up. Also I think avocados are a little tender anyway, not really evolutionarily equiped for being exposed to the full force of British winters.
My goodness this shot looks gorgeous. The naturalistic lighting, the much wider mid-shot than we ever really see on youtube. Wearing warm colours to nicely stand out from the cool sofa, even the HFR gives it such a lovely polish. Your videos continue to look astounding despite having only recently moved in. Always inspiring, Evan x. I love it.
Hey Evan - I bought a house (well, a flat) when I was 30 and even now, 6 years later, I still haven't managed to get it the way I want. I kind of look at it like a plant - it'll take time to get everything grown and looking great, but if I make sure the base is good and I look after it, eventually it'll get to where it needs to be. I also went through a rough time this december (my mum died) and so I'm also aiming for a better 2022. I'm going to start with painting the hallway a dark green, despite all the home decor reasons against it. Because it's my damn house. Happy 2022, Evan!
I'm really sorry for your loss. I do genuinely hope you have a better 2022. Are you planning on painting the ceiling as well because that can look really cool.
Wow, if you're so young and childless and have property in London on a mortgage, you want stuff...charity shops!! Upgrade later, get something that does what you need it to do and upgrade when you need to. Also well done for finally getting there. We got a farmhouse in Ireland 6 years ago and my kids and I lived in one room for a week and took 3 weeks to get upstairs, 3 months before they had their own rooms, worth the first couple of years roughing it :)
When my mum goes to England she always visits charity shops. She’s British and loves to get things there she can’t get here in Canada. If I lived in England, my whole place would be furnished with charity shop items
It all will come together over a longer period of time than you will expect. For a start, buy a thing that just "does the job". You will find out if something doesn't last or fits your needs - and you only start to see them by using them and living with them. Second hand is quick because you buy what you see. No waiting time.
Handy man here. I would recommend doing cellular blinds inside the window box most are pretty easy to mount. Windows are pretty standard widths chances are the blinds will be 1 inch to short or 6 inches too long. Go with the longer ones it’s just the industries way to make an extra 10$ off the consumer. Would recommend a cordless drill. It’s a great way to improve your diy experience around the house. Congrats on the house!!
1) TOP TIP for remembering all the little things you need when moving into a house: literally go to Homesense and walk down every aisle in the kitchen, bed, and bath sections. It helps to see the random bits you've previously used but do not own, and you have the option of buying the thing there OR if you don't like the brands available you can still write down that you need the thing. 2) A universally good window covering imo is slapping a stylin' curtain rod of your choice above the window and getting the sheer white curtains from IKEA (or Homesense lol). Will match any aesthetic, breezy and clean, and you can "change" the shape of the room depending on your placement of the curtain rod. Also very easy to hem yourself if the curtains end up too long. 3) I was so confused after getting distracted by my cat, then refocusing on the video at around 6:37 only to hear you talking about "okra" on your throw and carpet 😭 It took me a minute to realize you were saying "ochre" lmao
Evan when it comes to blinds (and measuring them) + blacking out my advice would be- 1. Get a tape measure with an electronic laser measure on it. You just press the button and it can give you the measurement to the millimetre first time. 2. For blinds get black out roller blinds and place them INSIDE the alcove. 3. To FULLY black out the room with no light escaping from around the blinds get a set of curtains and put them outside the window alcove. If you get just a blind or just curtains then from experience win multiple houses you will not get a true black out. Only with both will your room be completely blacked out. Also adding curtains as well makes the room feel more finished and cost and really finishes the room off.
I agree with this a lot. In my house all the windows have blinds, and it just looks good with them mounted on the inside of the window. Then we add in a curtain mounted above, with the rod extending past the outer edge of the window casing. That way it gives you the most options. You can raise the blinds and tie the curtains to each side, or gather the curtain up in the middle.
In my case, putting blinds inside the alcove didn't work, because it blocked opening my windows. In stead, I went the opposite way, oversize blinds which blocked light well
@@barvdw I found then the light leaked from the sides. I suppose we each had different problems. It depends on what way the doors open, above the doors in the alcove, brand of blind you get (some are thicker some are thinner).
@@EmilyCheetham true, my windows open perhaps a cm from the wall, so no amount of blinds would fit. But honestly, the leakage is minimal, exactly because I went oversize. And of course, it's miles better than the old newspapers I used for most of the time before... Yeah, I was cheap.
9:52 this neuroticism is incredibly relatable. i seriously cannot buy something without doing intensive research on the various options for it. during the holidays, i had a whole few days dedicated to just researching backpacks and headphones since i needed to replace my old ones. honestly, this is really beneficial in the long-term and has always saved me from not impulse buying.
I went with curtains - it was much easier to do than blinds. Got mine from Dunelm, and they weren’t ridiculous expensive. I thought I’d have to take my living room ones to get altered but in the end I didn’t. They also really keep the heat in at night.
This is my thought when I bought a vintage ring for $250. I wore it everyday for 5 years. So it, in theory has cost me less than $0.15 a day to wear. Puts that 'big purchase' in perspective. It's totally worth it to do the "buy once, cry once" as you put it. You'll have that chef's knife for the rest of your life if you take care of it, and it sounds like you do.
Congratulations Evan! Don’t forget that you can always upgrade items in the future, you don’t have to do it all at once. Get what you need at an affordable price now and slowly replace them as and when you find versions you really like going forward. You’ve got all the time in the world now for your lovely home.
So thrilled for you, Evan. You’re finally in YOUR home. Yay!!! And it’s so great to see the old enthusiastic Evan back. What a relief for you. It was a worrying time seeing you so demoralised. Congratulations! 🍾🥂 x Ps… you know you can toast your bagels under the grill, right?! 😉
EVAN; get a dining room table on a re-use/second-hand website, i.e Craigslist or Facebook marketplace, there can be some lovely ones that people don't understand the great value of, found a designer solid-oak table on those platforms before, try it out. 2!) blinds in an alcove, if too close they will bang off the glass, if too far out or outside of alcove too much light will get in, Ikea to really good all-in-one blind fitting sets even for temporary fix till you know what you want. 3!) in short, for anyone moving soon or rn, get some sort of cheap notebook calendar thing and stick it somewhere out in the open, if you don't have soap, or mirrors or like door stops and other random stuff, right it on that list and make it first priority to get a cheap version as soon as possible; IT DOESNT have to break the bank (obvi) and if it matters enough in future you can research and upgrade as needed! a £300 bread knife might matter to a bread connoisseur but not to everyone, a fiver will do. Congrats on the new gaf! best of luck in the future, Love your videos!
The second Evan said 'a concept that he is bringing back' my head immediately went to the guest book! I don't even know where I pulled that memory from...
If you want toasted bagels you could try using the grill on your oven if it has one We basically had to stop using the toaster since the cat kept pissing I’m it so we tried the grill and it’s so much better for controlling the cooking process
So happy for you. Massive congratulations, with regards to the avocado plants and your balcony, it is always windy around blocks of flats as the wind gets caught on them and goes round and round so you may need something to break up the wind in one corner of your balcony to protect them. Hope that makes sense.
I'm so happy for you Evan! I acutally yelled: "Good for you Evan." when I saw the thumbnail. At long last, the London flat saga has finally come to its rightful end. I hope you have the best time in your new home.
So so happy you finally got your flat!!!! Your Instagram stories were killing me and giving me flashbacks from my awful experience buying my flat in London 🇬🇧 . All I would say, don’t rush to buy everything!!!!! I regretted getting stuff too quickly and it didn’t go together/ wasn’t what I wanted!!! Congrats on the new home, wishing you all the best x
The excitement i felt seeing this video! Omg! As someone who's following your difficult journey since moving from the US, the citizenship, then the flat... wow.. i am truly thrilled for you! Finally!
I have been watching you for years now, and seeing you grow and mature into the man you are today, I almost felt that I almost moved into a new flat myself. Can't wait to see the twists and turns from this point.
No joke I am still using some 99cent store and IKEA stuff I bought for my first place 18 years ago! My toaster, microwave, silverware, cooking utensils, scissors, and more. Jeez a clock for $1.99 at IKEA that uses 1 AA battery is still working! I change the battery every six months life span cost ~$22.
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Now IKEA stopped selling single-use batteries, only rechargeable ones are available.
solution to blinds being expensive and a pain to fit yourself, get curtains? might be a personal preference thing but i lived in a flat that had blinds and the room never felt dark when i was trying to sleep and i found it very distracting, would recommend curtains every day over blinds
Congrats! 🎉 Watching your tenacity and hard work pay off has been entertaining as well as inspiring. May the force of manuals and tool kits be with you for your 1st homeowner year.
Congrats on finally getting the flat! If you ever want to "splurge" for a good breadknife, every restaurant I ever worked at used the 30€ Victorinox one so I assume that's the way to go.
Yeah I did a degree in hotel and catering management (I no longer work in hospitality but that is another story) and the knives we used in the kitchens were all victoinox. Personally I've found them good value for money when looking for decent knives to use at home. I think I spent £20 on a chef's knife and had it last years
Nice knives are a must! My family has a tradition of gifting people good silverware when they marry, and I swear those knives are a godsend! Especially my grandmother's bread knife she got from her mother, it cuts so easy and so clean, and it's almost 100 years old! Sorry for the rant, I never get to be excited over silverware before so I'm taking the opportunity
I have a "serrated slicer" knife from Nisbets, a catering supply company. It's only £20 and it's much better than most bread knives because the blade is 30 cm long. I find most bread knives to be way too short (their blades are typically 20 cm) so you have to have a really short cutting stroke.
Moving during Christmas was a nightmare for me. I've just bought a house (Midlands, so affordable) and we were due to complete in November, but 6 days before a kink in the chain came up and I ended up starting the move a week before Christmas. And was promptly diagnosed with Covid on the 21st December. My nicely planned out "move from rented house to owned house steadily over 30 days" process kind of got upended and I only just finished getting stuff out in time. Still sorting out lol
I felt so connected with you through your flat buying journey because I currently rent two of those because shit just keeps getting wrong with covid and now there is a leak in the roof and it's been 6 months and we still have to pay two rents every month and I just can't anymore. It will happen it just takes more time still and I know that once we actually can move it will be great.
So thrilled for you Evan....you now radiate energy & happiness (what a difference in your whole demeanor!!) I remember doing much the same as yourself when I bought my first place back in 1997....I think I slept on a camp bed with a sleeping bag for the first 6 months & such joy when I finally got my sofa!! Everyone goes through this ritual at some point or other....it's SO satisfying putting your home together for the first time, you'll make some mistakes along the way,but it's all part of life and all good fun!! I'm sure we'll all look forward to seeing your progress along the way.Well done for staying strong and just about keeping your sanity.....many individuals would have thrown in the towel & not stuck things out as you did.
Remember to take him to consideration if you’re going to have plants in your window before you get blinds because if you put them on the inside that could mess with the plants if that makes sense
I used to work selling custom window treatments (shades, blinds, and drapery) and we did everything from explaining how to measure to referring someone to a professional service to selling the actual product to instruction how to install or referring to a professional installer. Let me help you out a bit. Measuring yourself for window treatments is not that difficult, however sometimes paying a fee to have the measurements done professionally will also include a guarantee that if the blinds don't fit, the company that measured will have to pay the cost for new ones...not you. Just have to make sure that guarantee is included and that the fee is reasonable compared to the cost of blinds. If you want to measure yourself, the basics for blinds are you measure the width three times. Once at the very top, once in the middle, and once at the bottom of the window. You then measure the length similarly (left, middle right). If you are mounting the blinds inside your window frame (make sure the frame is deep enough to fit the window hardware securely before deciding on an inside mount), you will then use the narrowest of the three width measurements and the longest of the length measurements. When you order your blinds, make sure you confirm if you need to take a size deduction to account for the hardware or if the company making the blinds will do this. If you want to block more light and/or your blinds won't fit inside the window frame securely and/or you just want the blinds to be mounted outside of the window frame then you have more room. Measure the width you want the blind to cover and the length. Discuss deductions with the company and off you go. A tip, when you take your own measurements you really need to label each window in your house and make sure when you order you give that label along with the measurements. Homes settle (even new ones) and some windows may be just slightly different in size from others. If everything is labeled you won't be running around trying to figure out what set of blinds goes where. Good luck and if you have any more questions I'll be happy to help. I left that window treatment job some years ago, but damn if I don't remember a lot of details.
As a cleaning lady I highly recommend accordion shades over blinds. Blinds are difficult to get clean. You can even get cordless shades as well as black out shades for your bedroom.
The issues with the heating is the exact reason I paid for Hive to be installed. Control it all from the app, an idiot could do it. Plus it means I can turn the heating on whilst I'm at work so its warm when I get home.
So glad you finally got into your flat! I also bought a flat recently, moved in in August, and I'm still getting things sorted. As of this week, I finally have living room curtains and a footstool, and I'm waiting for a rug and two bookcases to arrive. There are also still a lot of things I haven't even ordered yet (I need table lamps! I need a cutlery separator! I need a bedroom rug! There are things I need that I've forgotten to even think about!). All this to say, I know from experience what a big undertaking it is buying your first flat. I hope your search for things goes well! Edit: your rant about blinds has reminded me I still need some blinds in my kitchen 😭 Also, strongly relate to your 'buy once, try once' thing. I was burned recently, though, in that the first toaster I bought for this flat was the cheapest one in the shop and exploded after about 3 uses.
I've been enjoying this series about buying and renting flats. It's great to have someone points out the crazy hurdles as a lot of influencers with lots of money make it look like it's a piece of cake but 99% of us works 9-5 struggling to be able to afford even the cheapest possible flat in not so glamorous areas.
When I moved in i bought a house that was listed as un-mortgageable and uninhabitable, well one badass mortgage broker later I got that house on a mortgage. I knew the place was in a bad way (it had been a doctors surgery before... ) I walked into it that day and realised there are no smoke detectors... none zilch... nada... took me like six months to choose a kettle.
I have been living in our rented place that was fully empty on move in and I am still buying things that I didn't think of before we moved in. Things like a funnel.. Strange little bits that you don't use all the time. We should be moving out of this place in roughly 2 years and I am honestly dreading it! we have so much stuff now. Also get all your curtain/blind needs from Ikea, they have amazing rails that you can put 2 or even 3 layers of curtains on so you can have a super chic layered look with nets/tulle and then solid colours. It's basically how they make the super pretty "pinterest" window dressings. Don't fall into the trap of people telling you Ikea is for rentals and you need proper furniture when you buy a place. Ikea is great, it's also recyclable!
Forget blinds, CURTAINS! You can buy cheap panels to start for privacy and then upgrade to a nicer fabric down the road. You just need a drill to hang the bars, but overall a pretty easy process.
I hate curtains with a passion 😭 Same for blinds honestly... I need (sorry if it's the incorrect word, I used Google to translate it) rolling shutters, otherwise it's too light in my room and I wake up at 5am because the sun is rising in the summer 😢 Plus, when shut it can keep the warmth or cold out a bit more ☺️
Lol, I have lived in my new apartment since the end of March and I still have no blinds because of al the reasons you mention. Now I think I'll just get curtains cause it's easier.
I relate so much to your process of buying new things. I honestly thought it was just me who did it 😭🥲 I rarely buy things on impulse, I have to know as much information about the product before I buy it to weigh out if it's worth it and generally so I can know everything I can about it. Glad I'm not alone on this!!
Congratulations on your new home. It is wonderful to see you so happy, content and relaxed! I don't watch your second channel often but we could see your stress on here as well. So glad that it's finally sorted. Wishing you every blessing in your new home.
Congratulations Evan ! As a fellow flat owner I can recommend a Good electric drill set ( you will need it all the time and makes the live so much easier). I can recommend the Bosch professional GSR 12V-15 ( it optional comes in a bag with all the bits and bobs you need). Also we opted for the professional blinds and I will always do it again. We bought some that black out the entire room and also help in the summer to reflect the sun. We also got some moskitiera that also prevent that polls come into the bedrooms - never slept better 😍
Make/get some curtains. Blinds are a pain to wash and they break easily. Curtains are just a rectangle of fabric, or even several rectangles. Very easy to sew, mount, wash, replace.
Congratulations 🥳. I’m so lucky that my mum started a glory box for me for when I move into my own place and since I’ve been working I’ve added to it, plus since I started building family members have given me stuff for the house for presents, for example I got a slow cooker for my birthday. Christmas 2020 I got a $100 gift card which got me a kettle, toaster, microwave, deep fryer, toasted sandwich maker, etc etc
As for someone who recently paid to get some nice curtains, it's easy to put up by yourself, but it looks so much better when a professional measure and decide based on your space. I would never put up a curtain/blind as good as it looks now
So happy for you Evan, stop being so hard on yourself, moving homes is one of the most stressful things you will ever do in life, but you've done it. So enjoy, and yes only invest in certain things as you say you don't need a £100 bread knife, but a chefs knife is an investment 👌 With the blind situation, get a professional company in that guarantees their work and product, unless you are fully confident in installing blinds. Even the cheaper ones are not cheap and the cost of replacing blinds if you damage them whilst installing plus any repairs to walls, window frames etc can mount up quickly. I adore your content, its been a pleasure watching your TH-cam journey.....BUT when you said you needed your plants home, you spoke about them in such a passionate and charismatic, relatable plant parent way, I actually cheered. I've over 150 plants in my 3 bed home, 3 cats and 2 kid's 16 & 24 (she is currently looking at homes in Bothwell so will be out this year!!) I adore the chaos. There's always a clean mess somewhere, tonight is an easel in my kitchen, paints on a sideboard as my youngest completes a painting for university. My coffee table is currently a cleaning area for camera lens, batteries and stuff as my eldest gets ready for a work trip...life can be stressful Evan and owning a home can bring more stress to your life...or you look at it all like its an adventure and the stress is just a future story you will one day talk about fondly, even laugh about. So enjoy it, fill your home with memories and a little mess. Fill your walls with your most treasured photos (my girls both own a wall in my hall for the art!!) I can't wait to follow the rest of your journey, and I wish you all the best for 2022. May your first home be filled with laughter, joy and happiness (oh and many more plants 🪴 😊) Take care 🙂
Okay certain items are worth the extra money to get good quality, but some things you really don’t need to splash out on. Toasters are basically what they are, an expensive toaster is probably just overpriced. Blinds, I would say, are worth spending on. You don’t need to go REALLY boujee, but having them nice quality and well fitted is super useful. Tbh fitting them can be done fairly successfully (as long as you have the right tools ie masonry drill bit if drilling into the lintel) but getting ones that actually work and continue to work is super helpful.
From one conscientious manual reader to another: Alleluia und herzlichen Glückwunsch! We have all been watching you move closer and closer to a nervous breakdown, and now you look so happy and ecstatic. Simply great!
Congratulations! For furniture you can thrift basically everything apart from maybe some soft furnishings. I got a 70's solid oak wardrobe for £40 a couple of years ago, they will usually do local delivery as well for a small fee. Allow yourself to live in the place for a bit and write notes any time you think of an improvement. Also know that no one will judge you for not having the place perfectly decorated immediately, you will add to it over time as you live and travel and collect things.
Flat tour might be good? What (rough large area) of London town did you buy (N/S of river, E/W side of town) - as a Londoner myself, different areas/sides of town have v.diff feels. ;-)
If you want blackout blinds for your room- don’t recess them whatever you do. Put them on the outside of the recess with some extra length on either side- closer to the window the more light is going to come out on the border!
Your bagel reminded me of high school in CT. We had bagels for breakfast that a little man in an alcove would warm up in a microwave behind him and hand out with cream cheese. We’d have to either cut them and put cream cheese on them with a knife or just rip parts off and dunk it in the tub. To this day, the ultimate bagel is one that is warmed and not toasted. Also, looking forward to that Duolingo video. I keep getting your notifications and congratulating you when they pop up. It’s a silly feature, but I like it!
Hehe...my girlfriend went to school (primary, secondary and university) in Connecticut. She's from Southbury (and then went to UConn). Neat coincidence. :)
@@jlynct Small world ^_^ She had an ex from Hamden and she's still super-close to the family. They're really nice. Only problem with Connecticut is too many Yankees fans... 😛
Publish an Amazon wish list of what you need. Put a note in the lobby of what you are looking for. Shower curtain or sheets for a blind. Check dumpster. Keep a list on the counter of what you need.
Having lived in many flats with “black out” blinds. Unless they are fitted to the frame/alcove on tracks, they don’t back out. Curtains are better for keeping heat in and the sun out
wow, you've suddenly become an adult!! casually but nicely dressed, in the livingroom instead of a bedroom, the lovely flowing hair, and now a home owner, yeah, you suddenly leaped into adulthood, congratulations!!!
On the blinds issue, you could get a frosted window cling. They’re a hell of a lot cheaper, create privacy without blocking out light, and since it’s frosted it dispersed the light so it’s not as harsh coming through the window and creates a really nice soft lighting effect inside. I got it bc of privacy and also to help me not get distracted watching things out the window so idk if it would be something you’d find useful but maybe something to think about
I am about to be moving soon, so this video not only made me laugh since it’s relatable but I just realized that I am in fact still missing a good chunk of things for my new place😅 Congrats on getting out of flat-hunting limbo !
I know how you feel about trying to deck out your new flat, everything feels so unnecessarily expensive. I wanted a sideboard to put my TV on and I had seen the design I had liked, but they would have cost me about £300. But one day I went into Home Base (a DIY shop) and came across a sideboard that was just the right design, it was the last one in stock and it was a display one and I snapped it up for £150, I am still very smug about that purchase. Reserve the big spends on what's important to you and will last long after you have moved out of this flat :)
TOTALLY with you on the toaster & bread knife!! No bells and whistles needed! C O N G R A T S on VIEWFINDER!!🎉🍾🥂 I'm very happy that you've FINALLY gotten to move in! Love the colors too. And the Guest Book idea is awesome!
This has made me ridiculously excited to own a flat or house one day and make my own big decisions regarding furnishing etc. despite the fact that I am 21 and am a looooong way off proper homeownership yet.
Congrats for finally reach the end of the torture! But I must say, I never heard of a finished (already built) flat or house that doesn't have toiletpaperholder 🤔 is that normal in the uk? Do people take them with them when they leave? 😵 Anyway, I wish you all the best for your journey with your very own flat 🤗
congratulations!!! i moved on 19th december once, long ago when nothing was open christmas week, with a 5month old, so not able to get out much, i know the "FUN" you have had, enjoy
Toasters: All toasters eventually fail because the heating element burns out. If you buy a cheap one, you'll have to buy another whole toaster. If you're planning to use the toaster regularly, I'd recommend Dualit because they stand behind their products, and you can normally get parts to repair them.
Congratulations 👏 Evan if you haven’t already you should have a house warming party. When it comes to bread knives you don’t need an expensive one because of the shape of the blade they don’t get damaged as easily and last longer than other knives.
@@AndySelf my parents still have a bread knife with a wooden handle they got when they got married. It wasn’t expensive but it’s still good. Still cuts bread well.
For blinds/curtains/ check where the sun will be during the summer months you might need blackout quality, fit blinds/Curtains outside the recess so then it doesn’t matter if the glazing opens outwards or inwards and you get the full width window use, some blinds can be fitted directly onto the glazing of an-opening door top down or bottom up.
Evan blinds are super easy! Honestly - have them in the recess of the windows - minimises light coming into the room and the companies that make blinds made to measure will take into account fixings when you give them side to side measurements in the recess - we measured and fixed all our blinds in our new house - it's a doddle!
This man is doing exactly what I want to do when I’m older When I’m old enough I plan to move to the UK and live there for a long time Also congrats on the apartment dude, it took ages
Oh my word, I never thought this day would arrive, with or without blinds, lol roll holder, or dining table, the joy in your face when talking about your new flat is so heart warming. Evan you so deserve this moment in time. Have to say watching your arms swing about with your cup of tea, (about to spill at any moment) was nerve wracking…..🤭 looking forward to the “house tour” 👍🤗
Regarding tools/appliances, I really like Adam Savage's approach: buy the cheapest one first, and once it breaks or gets in your way you know you need to upgrade to the best one you can afford. Now this applies more to toasters and knives and other stuff where the cheapest option possible is like ten pounds and still functional, not so much blinds or washing machines, but still. You already knew that you needed a good chef's knife: go for it. You don't have value for a bread knife? Cheap out.
I like this!!
Or just ask for advice from someone who knows about these things. As humans the way we flourished and developed beyond the rest of the animal kingdom is through cooperation. If you asked a working chef what knives to get they could advice you on good quality knives that don't cost £100 each. For examples the bread knife I have can be bought for £22 and will last a life time. It was reccomended by a chef along with the rest of my knives. People have already attained knowledge so you don't have to. The paradox of choice is real. Just cooperate and communicate with people that know better than you.
A motto I live by is "buy the cheap one until you know enough to know why the expensive one is worth the money". Usually for hobbies and stuff. But I don't think you need to go straight from cheapest to best you can afford in one jump either. I bought a £3 saucepan. It's served me well for a year but the last few months the non-stick is starting to flake off and I'm not sure if the bottom is starting to rust. Now I might say, £3 for a year for a saucepan is fine, or I might look for something better. But that doesn't mean I'm going straight for a copper or stone base pan either. I don't need it to last forever, I'll just get the next grade up that should last a decade. But I know enough now to know that a £3 saucepan isn't good enough.
That’s a nice way to look at it! Another one would be: how much are you actually going to use it? If the bread knife isn’t “yours” and you don’t think you’ll use it, don’t bother with an expensive one. On the other hand, you might use your toaster every day, multiple times per day. You might not need all the gimicks but you do need something sturdy.
I would add Cheap out by buying second hand.
Your neuroticism around buying stuff is so freaking relatable. It's hard to know where to go cheap and where you really need to spend to get the higher quality products. The flat looks great so far! Good luck on the blind/curtain front. I think I ended up going three different tiers at my house...super cheap, mid-tier (for bigger windows), and custom for some old windows. Buying a house/flat is chaotic but the process of furnishing and making it a home is great fun. Congrats!
It's a journey to learn that skill if I'm honest.
I was squarely in the "I need quality" camp for almost my whole life but the last few years I've been able to think "hmm, do I really need the best one or is a lesser one as good?"
Mainly the though process that I would love to have is the one of Adam Savage. He says "If it's a tool you know you need and have used before, buy the best quality you can afford and it will probably last you a lifetime. If it's a new tool, buy a cheaper one and use it until it breaks. Then you'll know if you use it, how much you use it and if you can justify the higher price tag for the better quality one."
The relatable bit for me was when he was trying to assemble furniture with one of those horrible little allen drivers that come with flat pack furniture in the week after FINALLY moving in.. Bet the furniture thus made hasn't even gotten dusty yet! Did you allocate a kitchen drawer for the allen driver, Even?
Blinds for me are definitely a room by room choice, bedroom is best fitted if you don't want sunlight disturbing sleep, everything else depends on of you just want a plain roller blind or not, roller blinds aren't too difficult to install yourself. But with regards to rooms with specific colour schemes and vibes it will almost certainly be easier and cheaper to find curtains to match the vibe which can also be changed up to match any changes of aesthetic, which is why any where I've lived has either had an incredibly bland blind in the living room or curtains in there because then it doesn't matter if I change things up
just a quick tip for your avocado trees, place something under the pot because even if it does not have drainage holes it can still leave a water stain on the ground
Yes. Please do. And then put a mat under that too 😭 Parents had a terracotta plate that came with the pot, but still left a water mark--it's been 17 years since
If you feel that its to flimsy use a stick to tie the tree to it will support it
Yeah, they’re called catch trays, I think
@@hannahbee567 Yes, terracotta plates are porous if they're not varnished, and they will still let water through. A ceramic/porcelain or a plastic plate will work well.
@Egon Jankowski That probably won't help. The leaves would still get damaged from being battered around and "burned" by the wind chill. If a plant is used to growing in a sheltered spot and is suddenly moved somewhere exposed they can't just immediately adjust. Their entire structure is optimised for the sheltered place and it takes them a long time to toughen up. Also I think avocados are a little tender anyway, not really evolutionarily equiped for being exposed to the full force of British winters.
The level of anxiety I feel watching Evans tea slosh around over his new couch is excessive 😆
He needs to make sure it’s only solid mugs for future videos
So true!!!
Oh thank God! Not just me then - half of me was listening to him and half was watching his ever changing hands & the mad spin level of the tea!
Saaaame
Just commented about this myself. Do you reckon if he gets enough comments he'll get a mug with a lid?
My goodness this shot looks gorgeous. The naturalistic lighting, the much wider mid-shot than we ever really see on youtube. Wearing warm colours to nicely stand out from the cool sofa, even the HFR gives it such a lovely polish.
Your videos continue to look astounding despite having only recently moved in.
Always inspiring, Evan x. I love it.
Hey Evan - I bought a house (well, a flat) when I was 30 and even now, 6 years later, I still haven't managed to get it the way I want. I kind of look at it like a plant - it'll take time to get everything grown and looking great, but if I make sure the base is good and I look after it, eventually it'll get to where it needs to be. I also went through a rough time this december (my mum died) and so I'm also aiming for a better 2022. I'm going to start with painting the hallway a dark green, despite all the home decor reasons against it. Because it's my damn house. Happy 2022, Evan!
Good Luck
I'm really sorry for your loss. I do genuinely hope you have a better 2022. Are you planning on painting the ceiling as well because that can look really cool.
Dark green is a wonderful color!! Don’t doubt your gut!! Very sorry to hear of your loss. Prayers of strength for you. 🙏🏻❤️
May her soul Rest In Peace, God’s got you.
Sorry for your loss, fellow human being :(
Wow, if you're so young and childless and have property in London on a mortgage, you want stuff...charity shops!! Upgrade later, get something that does what you need it to do and upgrade when you need to. Also well done for finally getting there. We got a farmhouse in Ireland 6 years ago and my kids and I lived in one room for a week and took 3 weeks to get upstairs, 3 months before they had their own rooms, worth the first couple of years roughing it :)
YES!
I furnished my first two places using charity and seconds shops, and furniture stock disposal places. It was great fun.
When my mum goes to England she always visits charity shops. She’s British and loves to get things there she can’t get here in Canada. If I lived in England, my whole place would be furnished with charity shop items
Yes! 😊
It all will come together over a longer period of time than you will expect.
For a start, buy a thing that just "does the job". You will find out if something doesn't last or fits your needs - and you only start to see them by using them and living with them. Second hand is quick because you buy what you see. No waiting time.
Excellent point re: second hand. Because I have heard horror stories of people ordering items and waiting months.
I am so happy that this journey can have such a satisfying ending, congratulations Evan!!!! Homeowner
Handy man here. I would recommend doing cellular blinds inside the window box most are pretty easy to mount. Windows are pretty standard widths chances are the blinds will be 1 inch to short or 6 inches too long. Go with the longer ones it’s just the industries way to make an extra 10$ off the consumer. Would recommend a cordless drill. It’s a great way to improve your diy experience around the house.
Congrats on the house!!
1) TOP TIP for remembering all the little things you need when moving into a house: literally go to Homesense and walk down every aisle in the kitchen, bed, and bath sections. It helps to see the random bits you've previously used but do not own, and you have the option of buying the thing there OR if you don't like the brands available you can still write down that you need the thing.
2) A universally good window covering imo is slapping a stylin' curtain rod of your choice above the window and getting the sheer white curtains from IKEA (or Homesense lol). Will match any aesthetic, breezy and clean, and you can "change" the shape of the room depending on your placement of the curtain rod. Also very easy to hem yourself if the curtains end up too long.
3) I was so confused after getting distracted by my cat, then refocusing on the video at around 6:37 only to hear you talking about "okra" on your throw and carpet 😭 It took me a minute to realize you were saying "ochre" lmao
Evan when it comes to blinds (and measuring them) + blacking out my advice would be-
1. Get a tape measure with an electronic laser measure on it. You just press the button and it can give you the measurement to the millimetre first time. 2. For blinds get black out roller blinds and place them INSIDE the alcove. 3. To FULLY black out the room with no light escaping from around the blinds get a set of curtains and put them outside the window alcove.
If you get just a blind or just curtains then from experience win multiple houses you will not get a true black out. Only with both will your room be completely blacked out. Also adding curtains as well makes the room feel more finished and cost and really finishes the room off.
I agree with this a lot. In my house all the windows have blinds, and it just looks good with them mounted on the inside of the window. Then we add in a curtain mounted above, with the rod extending past the outer edge of the window casing. That way it gives you the most options. You can raise the blinds and tie the curtains to each side, or gather the curtain up in the middle.
In my case, putting blinds inside the alcove didn't work, because it blocked opening my windows. In stead, I went the opposite way, oversize blinds which blocked light well
@@barvdw I found then the light leaked from the sides. I suppose we each had different problems. It depends on what way the doors open, above the doors in the alcove, brand of blind you get (some are thicker some are thinner).
@@EmilyCheetham true, my windows open perhaps a cm from the wall, so no amount of blinds would fit. But honestly, the leakage is minimal, exactly because I went oversize. And of course, it's miles better than the old newspapers I used for most of the time before... Yeah, I was cheap.
A list of all the things this boy didn’t realize he needed and will not buy because he is a perfectionist
9:52 this neuroticism is incredibly relatable. i seriously cannot buy something without doing intensive research on the various options for it. during the holidays, i had a whole few days dedicated to just researching backpacks and headphones since i needed to replace my old ones. honestly, this is really beneficial in the long-term and has always saved me from not impulse buying.
I went with curtains - it was much easier to do than blinds. Got mine from Dunelm, and they weren’t ridiculous expensive. I thought I’d have to take my living room ones to get altered but in the end I didn’t. They also really keep the heat in at night.
Curtains are also a million times easier to clean, blinds just collect dust and are a total pain to deal with 🤣
My quote from Dunelm for curtains and blinds for my wee flat was over £2k. I ended up going to Budget Blinds lol
This is my thought when I bought a vintage ring for $250. I wore it everyday for 5 years. So it, in theory has cost me less than $0.15 a day to wear. Puts that 'big purchase' in perspective. It's totally worth it to do the "buy once, cry once" as you put it. You'll have that chef's knife for the rest of your life if you take care of it, and it sounds like you do.
Congratulations Evan! Don’t forget that you can always upgrade items in the future, you don’t have to do it all at once. Get what you need at an affordable price now and slowly replace them as and when you find versions you really like going forward. You’ve got all the time in the world now for your lovely home.
Congrats man, you truly have won the London property market
HECK YEAH THANK
So thrilled for you, Evan. You’re finally in YOUR home. Yay!!! And it’s so great to see the old enthusiastic Evan back. What a relief for you. It was a worrying time seeing you so demoralised.
Congratulations! 🍾🥂 x
Ps… you know you can toast your bagels under the grill, right?! 😉
EVAN; get a dining room table on a re-use/second-hand website, i.e Craigslist or Facebook marketplace, there can be some lovely ones that people don't understand the great value of, found a designer solid-oak table on those platforms before, try it out.
2!) blinds in an alcove, if too close they will bang off the glass, if too far out or outside of alcove too much light will get in, Ikea to really good all-in-one blind fitting sets even for temporary fix till you know what you want.
3!) in short, for anyone moving soon or rn, get some sort of cheap notebook calendar thing and stick it somewhere out in the open, if you don't have soap, or mirrors or like door stops and other random stuff, right it on that list and make it first priority to get a cheap version as soon as possible; IT DOESNT have to break the bank (obvi) and if it matters enough in future you can research and upgrade as needed! a £300 bread knife might matter to a bread connoisseur but not to everyone, a fiver will do.
Congrats on the new gaf! best of luck in the future, Love your videos!
The second Evan said 'a concept that he is bringing back' my head immediately went to the guest book! I don't even know where I pulled that memory from...
It's such a neat idea! If I get my flat cleaned up, I should institute that idea here.
We have a guest book at our house for when family and friends stay 😂
@@riinak7212 I would consider it but I'm sure it would only be used by the same 3 people so it would be a bit boring 😬😬
@@AMayT1992 sounds lovely - do they actually use it? The theory sounds easier than remembering to get it filled in
If you want toasted bagels you could try using the grill on your oven if it has one
We basically had to stop using the toaster since the cat kept pissing I’m it so we tried the grill and it’s so much better for controlling the cooking process
wot
@@caramarie2000 what are you failing to understand
@@jmurray1110 your cat peed in your toaster
@@caramarie2000 to the point we keep a small bread board on it to stop her from doing so
So happy for you. Massive congratulations, with regards to the avocado plants and your balcony, it is always windy around blocks of flats as the wind gets caught on them and goes round and round so you may need something to break up the wind in one corner of your balcony to protect them.
Hope that makes sense.
CONGRATULATIONS EVAN, I’m so happy for you
Thank ya Brie!
I'm so happy for you Evan! I acutally yelled: "Good for you Evan." when I saw the thumbnail. At long last, the London flat saga has finally come to its rightful end. I hope you have the best time in your new home.
So so happy you finally got your flat!!!! Your Instagram stories were killing me and giving me flashbacks from my awful experience buying my flat in London 🇬🇧 . All I would say, don’t rush to buy everything!!!!! I regretted getting stuff too quickly and it didn’t go together/ wasn’t what I wanted!!! Congrats on the new home, wishing you all the best x
If you have an oven, you can toast bagels in there 😂 heck, you could even put them in a pan on the stove and toast them that way lol.
And you can even use an iron :)
Came here to say that your oven will have a grill (broiler) 🤣
I've never thought of toasting a bagel. Never knew it's a thing😅
The excitement i felt seeing this video! Omg! As someone who's following your difficult journey since moving from the US, the citizenship, then the flat... wow.. i am truly thrilled for you! Finally!
I have been watching you for years now, and seeing you grow and mature into the man you are today, I almost felt that I almost moved into a new flat myself. Can't wait to see the twists and turns from this point.
No joke I am still using some 99cent store and IKEA stuff I bought for my first place 18 years ago! My toaster, microwave, silverware, cooking utensils, scissors, and more.
Jeez a clock for $1.99 at IKEA that uses 1 AA battery is still working! I change the battery every six months life span cost ~$22.
Now IKEA stopped selling single-use batteries, only rechargeable ones are available.
solution to blinds being expensive and a pain to fit yourself, get curtains? might be a personal preference thing but i lived in a flat that had blinds and the room never felt dark when i was trying to sleep and i found it very distracting, would recommend curtains every day over blinds
Congrats! 🎉 Watching your tenacity and hard work pay off has been entertaining as well as inspiring. May the force of manuals and tool kits be with you for your 1st homeowner year.
Congratulations!
You are now a Brit, and own property in Britain. So please say cushion for the very lovely lumpy thing on your very lovely sofa!
Congrats on finally getting the flat!
If you ever want to "splurge" for a good breadknife, every restaurant I ever worked at used the 30€ Victorinox one so I assume that's the way to go.
Yeah I did a degree in hotel and catering management (I no longer work in hospitality but that is another story) and the knives we used in the kitchens were all victoinox. Personally I've found them good value for money when looking for decent knives to use at home. I think I spent £20 on a chef's knife and had it last years
When we finally got a decent knife we got a Victorinox and I love it! So reasonably priced for the awesome quality
Nice knives are a must! My family has a tradition of gifting people good silverware when they marry, and I swear those knives are a godsend! Especially my grandmother's bread knife she got from her mother, it cuts so easy and so clean, and it's almost 100 years old! Sorry for the rant, I never get to be excited over silverware before so I'm taking the opportunity
I have a "serrated slicer" knife from Nisbets, a catering supply company. It's only £20 and it's much better than most bread knives because the blade is 30 cm long. I find most bread knives to be way too short (their blades are typically 20 cm) so you have to have a really short cutting stroke.
can't lie, I'm impressed Evan didn't spill his drink! Anyway, so proud of you for managing to buy a flat!!
The video we’ve all been waiting for. Bloody thrilled for you Evan ✨✨
Moving during Christmas was a nightmare for me. I've just bought a house (Midlands, so affordable) and we were due to complete in November, but 6 days before a kink in the chain came up and I ended up starting the move a week before Christmas. And was promptly diagnosed with Covid on the 21st December.
My nicely planned out "move from rented house to owned house steadily over 30 days" process kind of got upended and I only just finished getting stuff out in time. Still sorting out lol
I felt so connected with you through your flat buying journey because I currently rent two of those because shit just keeps getting wrong with covid and now there is a leak in the roof and it's been 6 months and we still have to pay two rents every month and I just can't anymore.
It will happen it just takes more time still and I know that once we actually can move it will be great.
So thrilled for you Evan....you now radiate energy & happiness (what a difference in your whole demeanor!!) I remember doing much the same as yourself when I bought my first place back in 1997....I think I slept on a camp bed with a sleeping bag for the first 6 months & such joy when I finally got my sofa!! Everyone goes through this ritual at some point or other....it's SO satisfying putting your home together for the first time, you'll make some mistakes along the way,but it's all part of life and all good fun!! I'm sure we'll all look forward to seeing your progress along the way.Well done for staying strong and just about keeping your sanity.....many individuals would have thrown in the towel & not stuck things out as you did.
Remember to take him to consideration if you’re going to have plants in your window before you get blinds because if you put them on the inside that could mess with the plants if that makes sense
I used to work selling custom window treatments (shades, blinds, and drapery) and we did everything from explaining how to measure to referring someone to a professional service to selling the actual product to instruction how to install or referring to a professional installer. Let me help you out a bit. Measuring yourself for window treatments is not that difficult, however sometimes paying a fee to have the measurements done professionally will also include a guarantee that if the blinds don't fit, the company that measured will have to pay the cost for new ones...not you. Just have to make sure that guarantee is included and that the fee is reasonable compared to the cost of blinds.
If you want to measure yourself, the basics for blinds are you measure the width three times. Once at the very top, once in the middle, and once at the bottom of the window. You then measure the length similarly (left, middle right). If you are mounting the blinds inside your window frame (make sure the frame is deep enough to fit the window hardware securely before deciding on an inside mount), you will then use the narrowest of the three width measurements and the longest of the length measurements. When you order your blinds, make sure you confirm if you need to take a size deduction to account for the hardware or if the company making the blinds will do this.
If you want to block more light and/or your blinds won't fit inside the window frame securely and/or you just want the blinds to be mounted outside of the window frame then you have more room. Measure the width you want the blind to cover and the length. Discuss deductions with the company and off you go.
A tip, when you take your own measurements you really need to label each window in your house and make sure when you order you give that label along with the measurements. Homes settle (even new ones) and some windows may be just slightly different in size from others. If everything is labeled you won't be running around trying to figure out what set of blinds goes where.
Good luck and if you have any more questions I'll be happy to help. I left that window treatment job some years ago, but damn if I don't remember a lot of details.
The cinematography of this video is simply impeccable, I need a bigger screen
Thank you! I filmed all the extra lil bits today :)
I know rightt 😭
As a cleaning lady I highly recommend accordion shades over blinds. Blinds are difficult to get clean. You can even get cordless shades as well as black out shades for your bedroom.
Congratulations! It's been such a roller coaster, but I'm glad you finally got it figured out! Wishing you all the best! ❤️😀
The new place looks lovely, congratulations
The issues with the heating is the exact reason I paid for Hive to be installed. Control it all from the app, an idiot could do it. Plus it means I can turn the heating on whilst I'm at work so its warm when I get home.
yeah I was trying to get Tado for the homekit integration but might end up with Nest using Homebridge
Congratulations. I have been through the emotions 15yrs ago and can relate. But don't forget: You don't own a house, a house owns you.
Many congratulations Evan. So relieved/pleased for you xx
So glad you finally got into your flat! I also bought a flat recently, moved in in August, and I'm still getting things sorted. As of this week, I finally have living room curtains and a footstool, and I'm waiting for a rug and two bookcases to arrive. There are also still a lot of things I haven't even ordered yet (I need table lamps! I need a cutlery separator! I need a bedroom rug! There are things I need that I've forgotten to even think about!).
All this to say, I know from experience what a big undertaking it is buying your first flat. I hope your search for things goes well!
Edit: your rant about blinds has reminded me I still need some blinds in my kitchen 😭
Also, strongly relate to your 'buy once, try once' thing. I was burned recently, though, in that the first toaster I bought for this flat was the cheapest one in the shop and exploded after about 3 uses.
I've been enjoying this series about buying and renting flats. It's great to have someone points out the crazy hurdles as a lot of influencers with lots of money make it look like it's a piece of cake but 99% of us works 9-5 struggling to be able to afford even the cheapest possible flat in not so glamorous areas.
When I moved in i bought a house that was listed as un-mortgageable and uninhabitable, well one badass mortgage broker later I got that house on a mortgage. I knew the place was in a bad way (it had been a doctors surgery before... ) I walked into it that day and realised there are no smoke detectors... none zilch... nada... took me like six months to choose a kettle.
I have been living in our rented place that was fully empty on move in and I am still buying things that I didn't think of before we moved in. Things like a funnel.. Strange little bits that you don't use all the time. We should be moving out of this place in roughly 2 years and I am honestly dreading it! we have so much stuff now.
Also get all your curtain/blind needs from Ikea, they have amazing rails that you can put 2 or even 3 layers of curtains on so you can have a super chic layered look with nets/tulle and then solid colours. It's basically how they make the super pretty "pinterest" window dressings. Don't fall into the trap of people telling you Ikea is for rentals and you need proper furniture when you buy a place. Ikea is great, it's also recyclable!
Forget blinds, CURTAINS! You can buy cheap panels to start for privacy and then upgrade to a nicer fabric down the road. You just need a drill to hang the bars, but overall a pretty easy process.
I hate curtains with a passion 😭
Same for blinds honestly...
I need (sorry if it's the incorrect word, I used Google to translate it) rolling shutters, otherwise it's too light in my room and I wake up at 5am because the sun is rising in the summer 😢
Plus, when shut it can keep the warmth or cold out a bit more ☺️
plus lots of charity shops sell curtains, if you're looking for a stop-gap measure!
@@myra0224 Shutters? So no fresh air?
@@qwertyTRiG What? Why wouldn't I open my windows?
@@myra0224 Don't shutters block that?
Lol, I have lived in my new apartment since the end of March and I still have no blinds because of al the reasons you mention. Now I think I'll just get curtains cause it's easier.
Don’t worry about finding stuff stray away - we sat on deck chairs and slept on an air bed for first 5 months as all the money went on the house 😂
I’m amazed you didn’t spill your tea! Kudos to you, my friend 👍 and congrats on the awesome new flat ☺️
I relate so much to your process of buying new things. I honestly thought it was just me who did it 😭🥲 I rarely buy things on impulse, I have to know as much information about the product before I buy it to weigh out if it's worth it and generally so I can know everything I can about it. Glad I'm not alone on this!!
Happy for you Evan, please share your full journey buying a place!
Watching Evan adult is adorable 😄 I've managed to get hand towels and hand soap sorted... But still can't get on the property ladder 😓
Curtains - measure them from the roofline to the floor - leave enough room around the edges to cover any light leaks
Congratulations on your new home. It is wonderful to see you so happy, content and relaxed! I don't watch your second channel often but we could see your stress on here as well. So glad that it's finally sorted. Wishing you every blessing in your new home.
Congratulations and Happy New Year! I've been following you since several years, and I'm genuinely happy for you :)
So thrilled for you! I'm wishing you many happy years in your new flat. Welcome to homeownership!
Hi Evan, congrats on the flat :) so happy for you.
I like your desk so much, Would you share with me the details on where did you get it from?
Thanks
Congratulations Evan ! As a fellow flat owner I can recommend a Good electric drill set ( you will need it all the time and makes the live so much easier). I can recommend the Bosch professional GSR 12V-15 ( it optional comes in a bag with all the bits and bobs you need). Also we opted for the professional blinds and I will always do it again. We bought some that black out the entire room and also help in the summer to reflect the sun. We also got some moskitiera that also prevent that polls come into the bedrooms - never slept better 😍
I hope your girlfriend will now get to know your true, happy self now that all that stress is in the past!
Make/get some curtains. Blinds are a pain to wash and they break easily. Curtains are just a rectangle of fabric, or even several rectangles. Very easy to sew, mount, wash, replace.
Congratulations 🥳.
I’m so lucky that my mum started a glory box for me for when I move into my own place and since I’ve been working I’ve added to it, plus since I started building family members have given me stuff for the house for presents, for example I got a slow cooker for my birthday. Christmas 2020 I got a $100 gift card which got me a kettle, toaster, microwave, deep fryer, toasted sandwich maker, etc etc
As for someone who recently paid to get some nice curtains, it's easy to put up by yourself, but it looks so much better when a professional measure and decide based on your space.
I would never put up a curtain/blind as good as it looks now
So happy for you Evan, stop being so hard on yourself, moving homes is one of the most stressful things you will ever do in life, but you've done it. So enjoy, and yes only invest in certain things as you say you don't need a £100 bread knife, but a chefs knife is an investment 👌
With the blind situation, get a professional company in that guarantees their work and product, unless you are fully confident in installing blinds. Even the cheaper ones are not cheap and the cost of replacing blinds if you damage them whilst installing plus any repairs to walls, window frames etc can mount up quickly.
I adore your content, its been a pleasure watching your TH-cam journey.....BUT when you said you needed your plants home, you spoke about them in such a passionate and charismatic, relatable plant parent way, I actually cheered.
I've over 150 plants in my 3 bed home, 3 cats and 2 kid's 16 & 24 (she is currently looking at homes in Bothwell so will be out this year!!) I adore the chaos. There's always a clean mess somewhere, tonight is an easel in my kitchen, paints on a sideboard as my youngest completes a painting for university. My coffee table is currently a cleaning area for camera lens, batteries and stuff as my eldest gets ready for a work trip...life can be stressful Evan and owning a home can bring more stress to your life...or you look at it all like its an adventure and the stress is just a future story you will one day talk about fondly, even laugh about. So enjoy it, fill your home with memories and a little mess. Fill your walls with your most treasured photos (my girls both own a wall in my hall for the art!!) I can't wait to follow the rest of your journey, and I wish you all the best for 2022. May your first home be filled with laughter, joy and happiness (oh and many more plants 🪴 😊) Take care 🙂
Nice to see you settled at last Evan, hope you have many happy years in your new home. God Bless.
Congrats Evan. You did it! Finally everything worked out lol Here's to the new year as a homeowner 🎊
Okay certain items are worth the extra money to get good quality, but some things you really don’t need to splash out on. Toasters are basically what they are, an expensive toaster is probably just overpriced. Blinds, I would say, are worth spending on. You don’t need to go REALLY boujee, but having them nice quality and well fitted is super useful. Tbh fitting them can be done fairly successfully (as long as you have the right tools ie masonry drill bit if drilling into the lintel) but getting ones that actually work and continue to work is super helpful.
From one conscientious manual reader to another: Alleluia und herzlichen Glückwunsch! We have all been watching you move closer and closer to a nervous breakdown, and now you look so happy and ecstatic. Simply great!
Congratulations! For furniture you can thrift basically everything apart from maybe some soft furnishings. I got a 70's solid oak wardrobe for £40 a couple of years ago, they will usually do local delivery as well for a small fee. Allow yourself to live in the place for a bit and write notes any time you think of an improvement. Also know that no one will judge you for not having the place perfectly decorated immediately, you will add to it over time as you live and travel and collect things.
Flat tour might be good? What (rough large area) of London town did you buy (N/S of river, E/W side of town) - as a Londoner myself, different areas/sides of town have v.diff feels. ;-)
So so happy you finally got your new home!! Congratulations 💓
Your avocado trees are only five years old??? Mine looked like saplings even on the third year. Please do a growing guide from start to finish!
If you want blackout blinds for your room- don’t recess them whatever you do. Put them on the outside of the recess with some extra length on either side- closer to the window the more light is going to come out on the border!
Your bagel reminded me of high school in CT. We had bagels for breakfast that a little man in an alcove would warm up in a microwave behind him and hand out with cream cheese. We’d have to either cut them and put cream cheese on them with a knife or just rip parts off and dunk it in the tub. To this day, the ultimate bagel is one that is warmed and not toasted.
Also, looking forward to that Duolingo video. I keep getting your notifications and congratulating you when they pop up. It’s a silly feature, but I like it!
Hehe...my girlfriend went to school (primary, secondary and university) in Connecticut. She's from Southbury (and then went to UConn). Neat coincidence. :)
@@riinak7212 Cool, that’s like half an hour from me!
@@jlynct Small world ^_^ She had an ex from Hamden and she's still super-close to the family. They're really nice. Only problem with Connecticut is too many Yankees fans... 😛
Publish an Amazon wish list of what you need. Put a note in the lobby of what you are looking for. Shower curtain or sheets for a blind. Check dumpster. Keep a list on the counter of what you need.
Yes please and then others can give you gifts 😉🥰🤗
HOLD THE CUP STILL
You would not believe how much anxiety this gave me. Haha 😄
Having lived in many flats with “black out” blinds. Unless they are fitted to the frame/alcove on tracks, they don’t back out. Curtains are better for keeping heat in and the sun out
wow, you've suddenly become an adult!! casually but nicely dressed, in the livingroom instead of a bedroom, the lovely flowing hair, and now a home owner,
yeah, you suddenly leaped into adulthood, congratulations!!!
On the blinds issue, you could get a frosted window cling. They’re a hell of a lot cheaper, create privacy without blocking out light, and since it’s frosted it dispersed the light so it’s not as harsh coming through the window and creates a really nice soft lighting effect inside. I got it bc of privacy and also to help me not get distracted watching things out the window so idk if it would be something you’d find useful but maybe something to think about
I am about to be moving soon, so this video not only made me laugh since it’s relatable but I just realized that I am in fact still missing a good chunk of things for my new place😅 Congrats on getting out of flat-hunting limbo !
I know how you feel about trying to deck out your new flat, everything feels so unnecessarily expensive. I wanted a sideboard to put my TV on and I had seen the design I had liked, but they would have cost me about £300. But one day I went into Home Base (a DIY shop) and came across a sideboard that was just the right design, it was the last one in stock and it was a display one and I snapped it up for £150, I am still very smug about that purchase. Reserve the big spends on what's important to you and will last long after you have moved out of this flat :)
TOTALLY with you on the toaster & bread knife!! No bells and whistles needed!
C O N G R A T S on VIEWFINDER!!🎉🍾🥂 I'm very happy that you've FINALLY gotten to move in! Love the colors too. And the Guest Book idea is awesome!
I bought matching kettle and toaster from Argos for about £35 all in. I inherited the bread knife and it's really old.
This has made me ridiculously excited to own a flat or house one day and make my own big decisions regarding furnishing etc. despite the fact that I am 21 and am a looooong way off proper homeownership yet.
Congrats for finally reach the end of the torture! But I must say, I never heard of a finished (already built) flat or house that doesn't have toiletpaperholder 🤔 is that normal in the uk? Do people take them with them when they leave? 😵
Anyway, I wish you all the best for your journey with your very own flat 🤗
I went for a floor standing cage that holds three stacked rolls and has a bar for the roll.
congratulations!!! i moved on 19th december once, long ago when nothing was open christmas week, with a 5month old, so not able to get out much, i know the "FUN" you have had, enjoy
The jeopardy of watching Evan's cup of tea trying to decided when his hand waving would spill it all over the new sofa :-)
Toasters: All toasters eventually fail because the heating element burns out. If you buy a cheap one, you'll have to buy another whole toaster. If you're planning to use the toaster regularly, I'd recommend Dualit because they stand behind their products, and you can normally get parts to repair them.
Congratulations 👏
Evan if you haven’t already you should have a house warming party.
When it comes to bread knives you don’t need an expensive one because of the shape of the blade they don’t get damaged as easily and last longer than other knives.
Fine for occasional use, really annoying for frequently slicing home made bread
@@AndySelf my parents still have a bread knife with a wooden handle they got when they got married. It wasn’t expensive but it’s still good. Still cuts bread well.
For blinds/curtains/ check where the sun will be during the summer months you might need blackout quality, fit blinds/Curtains outside the recess so then it doesn’t matter if the glazing opens outwards or inwards and you get the full width window use, some blinds can be fitted directly onto the glazing of an-opening door top down or bottom up.
every time evan almost spills his drink I lose a year off the end of my life
Evan blinds are super easy! Honestly - have them in the recess of the windows - minimises light coming into the room and the companies that make blinds made to measure will take into account fixings when you give them side to side measurements in the recess - we measured and fixed all our blinds in our new house - it's a doddle!
This man is doing exactly what I want to do when I’m older
When I’m old enough I plan to move to the UK and live there for a long time
Also congrats on the apartment dude, it took ages
Oh my word, I never thought this day would arrive, with or without blinds, lol roll holder, or dining table, the joy in your face when talking about your new flat is so heart warming. Evan you so deserve this moment in time. Have to say watching your arms swing about with your cup of tea, (about to spill at any moment) was nerve wracking…..🤭 looking forward to the “house tour” 👍🤗
I bought a flat in London in the last year, so I feel Evan's Joy too. I'm also looking forward to the flat tour. :)
How didn't you realise there was no soap... what were you using ;-;
No towel either one has to wonder if he was washing his hands