So, what's left to do...

Specifically, the bits that are alas, beyond my skills or abilities!

Greg Penn

Feb 03, 2026

When I bought my first home…

It’s fair to say, I didn’t know much about DIY, renovating, interior design, or even how to find, and turn off, a stopcock! I was, it’s fair to say, utterly hopeless when it came to being handy round the house!

Despite my folks being serial renovators, up until that point, it certainly hadn’t rubbed off on me… in fact, I’d go so far as to say I’d actively rebelled against it - as youths often seem to when it comes to their parents…

But, I’ve worked my socks off to learn as much as I possibly can, and am willing to turn my hand to almost anything. I am immensely grateful to the skilled people that give their time to creating content online - blogs or videos - showing amateurs like me how to have a go at stuff… and it is beyond satisfying when you can look back at something knowing you’ve done it yourself, especially for someone who’s career at that point had seen significantly more building of spreadsheets and presentations than it has houses!

But, even with my often misplaced optimism, there’s things I have to admit are beyond me - whether that’s because of specific skills or craftsmanship is needed beyond those I’m able to learn, or because it takes more than one person working solo to do it, or tools and equipment beyond those I can justify, to get the job done…

So, I thought for my very first ever post I’m sharing only with those that are paid subscribers (thank you, Thank You, THANK YOU! You’ll be hearing those words very, very frequently and I’ll do my best to show my gratitude in the content I create for you - but please know, you are now, more than ever, a very real and tangible part of continuing to bring Admirals House back to life)… I should perhaps give you a bit of an idea of exactly what I’ll be saving up for, to hopefully keep us at Admirals in the longer term!

These are the main stairs that go to the very top floor… they wobble, having dropped for some unknown reason (slightly alarming given the 4 floor drop beneath them), and that window above, in the roof at the rear of the house, leaks - hence the water marks… I’ve done what I can to repair it, once quite precariously out on the roof, without scaffolding, and once with doing as thorough job as I know how to… and failed.. so one day I’ll need a professional!