Hi Geoff,
I'm not sure if you were talking to me about the meter box or not, but I am in a bit of a complex, meaning my street is full of semi detached (share one wall) 2 bedroom houses/units. I share a locked cabinet where the elec meters are with surrounding properties. I have a shared driveway with my neighbours and I assume the locked up meters are from the same properties. It's a metal cabinet and my gas meter is the same, although I have my own separate gas meter.
My first job is to put shade cloth up as the back of my place faces west, so very hot. I can't afford a verandah or anything, unfortunately. My dad put up a blanket (hanging from under the gutters) and that was sufficient, so I'm going to copy what he did and use poles (from a temporary marquee, similar to curtain rods) along the bottom (with rope threaded through) and maybe something like tent pegs in dirt to tie rope to, for some stability. I just haven't worked out the logistics yet, or bought the shade cloth. I have a cheap drill from Kmart and hopefully some screws of my dads that I can use. I'm assuming I wouldn't be screwing into timber, and because of this I'm feeling tentative (silly I know).
Job #2 may be painting the interior and I'm not sure what I need, I've only started researching today. I also have a bookcase I'd like to paint, but like the house paint, I don't know what I'd need
I have a dining table I need to resurface the top of (with stain/varnish). My dad started this job but never finished it before I had to kick him out for leaving me with a rent debt. I don't have an electric sander so would be doing it all by hand, unfortunately. I kind of know what I'm doing except for knowing which grade sandpaper to buy, or stain colour. The timber is pale like pine so I have painted a pine sanding block my dad made to match my chairs with vegemite and I'm planning to take this to a paint store and hopefully the colour will match close enough.
Then flooring (lino and carpet), but I think it may be best to pay professionals for this, when I maybe have the money...it could never happen with my finances :(
And that's all I can think of right now :)