Seven weeks on!

We have been here about 7 weeks now and are enjoying it very much. We haven't unpacked every box, but gradually things are finding their place. The two upstairs front rooms are our offices, with a spare bed in each to allow for visitors.
I love the non-horizontal floors upstairs and the odd corners and angles. The kitchen is lovely- so spacious and welcoming.
None of our neighbours(Scottish Power yard, Health offices) or near-neighbours (cinema/pub/nightclub)have caused us any inconvenience. We have really enjoyed being so close to shops and failities. I have loved the fact that I don't have to tell Andy to turn down the television or hi-fi in the evenings, as there is no-one to hear!
One of the things that happened just after we moved in was that the Tour of Britain cycle race started a leg in the carpark just opposite our house. The riders even came past our window!
We are beginning to notice the many draughts in this house, now that the weather is getting colder. If you stand in front of the french doors in the kitchen on a windy day, you can fell a steady breeze blowing on your face! We will tackle them, one by one!

We have now moved

New address http://www.newhamdev.com/websites/bodlondeb

We're moving in on Thursday 2nd September!

We can't wait- although we could do with a Startrek transporter to beam stuff across, as it seems a pain to have to pack things so carefully to move them only one tenth of a mile!
We are walking "hard to pack" stuff across every time we go. I wonder what the Newtown inhabitants think of us wandering backwards and forwards with two table lamps, or a loo roll and a bucket with a house plant in it!
Tomorrow is the day for the BT switch over and the removal men come at 8am on Thursday.
We have put up a range of curtain rails, door bolts, door stops, loo roll holders and towel rails, but still have more to do.
Today, we drew the rooms on graph paper and cut out furniture blobs drawn to scale, to see what we could fit where. We managed to fit everything in, although the additional boxed "stuff" will add a lot of bulk. I daresay we will manage somehow!
The phone number will be the same, we think/hope!
Looking forward to seeing you all here soon.

Jenny helps thread the broadband cable through

Rob examines his carpentry handywork in the airing cupboard

Jenny "dry runs" her favourite shower

Rob gives some love to his exposed wall

Andy rolls out the bath mat to open the bathroom

Andy takes time to relax - before the move!

Sue fitting door handles on kitchen french doors

Just look at the face showing the concentration!

Sue "the thinker" in downstairs WC

Andy vacuuming away the fluff on the new carpets

There was quite a lot of fluff on the carpets. This tested the Dyson cleaner.
It did overheat a few times. But I found the dust in the filters and then it fixed it.

It looks brilliant!

Sorry I haven't been adding comments recently. I've been busy tackling tiling and various other tasks. I had a jolly time trying to cut tiles to fit around the sockets above the kitchen worksurface. (Some silly person thought that lots of sockets was a good idea!) I managed it in the end, although I lost the whole of last weekend in the process! Since then I have been doing the grouting. It's a really nerve racking job, as you make a terrible mess over all the tiles you have so carefully put up, then get worried that the grout will set before you have a chance to clean up the tiles and neaten the joints. I'm about half way through. I have decided to tackle it in smaller sections in future, so I have more time to fiddle around before the grout sets.
The house is looking wonderful! I have to keep reminding myself that it is the same house we bought, as the change is so dramatic. The carpets make it look like a home and the kitchen is amazing (albeit slightly grouty in places!)
Andy is happy, as the final bill from the builder is about what he thought and we are not bankrupt- yet! :-)
There is a lot to do before we move in on the 1st September, but the wheels are in motion.
The immediate jobs are:

• Finish getting the surplus fluff off the carpets, without killing off our vacuum cleaner
• Finish the grouting in the kitchen (Sue)
• Sort out the change of addresses, removals, storage container, purchase of freezer, change to Broadband and TV (Andy- He is a star!)
• Put up some curtain rails- only 4 bay windows and 9 others- shouldn't take long!
• REPACK EVERYTHING! Gulp!

It doesn't matter though. The end is in sight and I am so looking forward to it!

Sue takes a quick nap and enjoys the soft living room red carpet

Roll out the red carpet! Bodlondeb is soon opening. We have the little matter of arranging various things, like removal. But we have done it once. It can't be that difficult.

Entrance hall floor now covered with a red barrier mat

We chose a hard-wearing barrier mat for the floor as you come through the front door.

It also extends into the coat cupboard.

We both like red as it is a very welcoming colour.

Vinyl laid in downstairs WC

Vinyl has been laid in the three bathrooms. We chose a less hard-wearing cheaper vinyl for the bathrooms and a thick vinyl for the high traffic areas.

Paul and Graham from Liberty Carpets

Paul and Graham pose for the camera nicely in the dining room of Bodlondeb.

Vinyl in the process of being put down.

The vinyl fitters, Graham and Paul, managed to do 3 bathrooms and a kitchen and a hallway and a large room in one day. I think that is good going!

We like the vinyl we chose. It is going to be a "shoes off" house for a while, but the left-hand side will wear better as we will be able to wipe marks off the vinyl easier than the red carpet on the other side.

Sue talks to Paul the carpet and vinyl fitter

Paul seemed a bit camera shy, but did not manage to escape the camera here!

Paul and Graham, from Liberty Carpets have fitted this antique wood panel vinyl in the kitchen, hallway and front reception room. And it looks very nice too. They even managed to get the different rooms to match up.

Vinyl arrives through window to be fitted today

The vinyl is being fitted today. It is going in the kitchen and right to the front of the house on the left hand side, including the front reception room which will be used as the main "reception room" for visitors and as a dining room when visitors stay.

The vinyl is Antique wood panel effect. Quiet thick and hard wearing. Should look nice. Come back soon to see!

Screed has been laid down on ground floor ready for vinyl

Wayne Steadman laid the screed surface on the ground floor from 7pm to 10pm !! Monday evening. Crazy hours. He went back and loaded the van for the next job afterwards and probably got to bed at midnight! What a worker! Apparently 7 days a week too!

Andy prepares to plant the ice cream rose in the new garden

The ice cream rose has been transported from the flat (where it has grown well with the welsh rain on it!) to the house.

Andy is seen here preparing to plant it on Saturday evening.

We had a nice time, Sue tiling and Andy cleaning the house.

We also had a cuppa coffee and doughnut sitting in our new garden.

The rose fought back and scratched me - OUCH!

It did finally stay in the pot as we realised we still had to paint a final coat on the wall.

So - add that to jobs list......

Action shot of Sue tiling the kitchen

Sue has started tiling the kitchen with the hand made tiles. Some hassle with cutting them, especially L-shaped pieces to go under the sockets. But she is making good progress now. She is back for second "wind" on Sunday. She wants it done by the time the vinyl floor is laid on Tuesday.

First meal at house with friends - a takeaway curry with wine!

Near completion of house.
Remaining tasks are:-
1. Connect gas to range cooker
2. Sue is tiling in the kitchen
3. Screed to be laid over concrete floor on Monday
4. Last bits of rubbish to go to skip
5. Laying of vinyl floor and carpets by Liberty Carpets (Tuesday next week)
6. Curtain hooks and poles
7. Talk to Wrights Radio Relays about installing equipment in loft for TV

We decided that we needed to celebrate the near completion of the house on a Friday night with Dave and Jo. Dave also celebrated news of his new job.

Range Cooker installed in new kitchen

Note from Sue: this has 3 ovens!! Just imagine how many cakes I will be able to cook! Just imagine the Christmas dinner that Andy is going to be cooking later!

Andy demonstrates light and power in the loft

Note from Sue: This was a late addition which Andy requested to enable him to watch more TV (actually to watch TV at all!)

Andy starts hoovering out the dust ready for carpeting

It's amazing- and hard work!

This is my first comment since returning from New Wine.It has been wonderful to see the leaps forward with the kitchen,the tiling and the decorating. It really looks like a house now!
With the end being in sight, various unenviable jobs emerge. I have used wire wool and brasso to polish 10 brass door kick plates. That was gutsy, arm aching stuff. Andy has been sweeping, hoovering up dust and digging the garden. I have cleaned the three loos- not my favourite job, but at least it is done.
We expect the decorating to finish tomorrow and the carpets and vinyl to be done next week. We are hoping to move around the 1st September! Whooppee!

Spindles and Newel posts added to stairs

Andy dismantles emergency exit bar and replaces it with a normal door bolt

Andy has first fire in his new garden

Sue starts preparing to tile the kitchen

Sue surveys her new kitchen

More blog updates

Next week

More decoration planned.
Building regulation sign-off planned.
Kitchen fitting to be completed (there has been some hassle over cabinet for gas boiler)

We think the carpet fitting might start the week after next and the upstairs can be carpeted first and then the vinyl downstairs after the kitchen is decorated. We then need the plumber back again to connect up the gas range cooker.
So....
Short of some decoration, kitchen (another 2 days work) and a range cooker.
We need some vinyl floor covering and carpets fitted and then we are ready to move in!

Sue wants it to be start of September

Personally, I am more realistic. The builder has gone over his estimate on first week of August. The carpenter took longer than planned. The tiler took an extra day or two (because we used hand made tiles). The kitchen fitter said he would finish by end of last week, and he hasn't fitted one door handle yet!

So, I think 15th September is much more likely. Would be good to have a week to tidy and clean the flat before we hand back the keys. We will then (hopefully) get our deposit back - yippee!!

Andy

Garden still has some plants including some mint

Garden still intact - some montbretia attracts a bee

Exposed brick wall feature - more cleaning by Sue

New cupboard for gas meter

Kitchen progresses (as at Friday 6th August)

Wood added to fill "gap" above bay windows in front reception rooms

Sorry Rob. No exposed beam here!

Dining room ceiling painted white.

Smart coving downstairs

More decoration downstairs. Coving white. Lining paper magnolia

Living room looks quite "tidy" now. I am welsh already!!

Boxing in and skirting has been done in both upstairs bathrooms

Boxing in and skirting added in main bathroom by Bob the carpenter

Boxing in and Skirting by Bob the carpenter in ensuite bathroom

Bath panel is fitted

Lime mortar begins to go white on exposed brickwork

Rob will love this post!

Sink in front of garden window

Sorry - no flowers on the window sill

I think they are boxes of kitchen bits wrapped

in red plastic!

Kitchen progresses more (Thursday 5th August)

Cabinets now hung on the wall

and sink set into worktop

Evidence that Mark Foulkes has been

working hard in the kitchen

He's gone home!

Outside boiler flue and weird pipe?

Methinks I will have to ask what this does?

Could be finished off, I think.....

2 new internal doors fitted: bathroom and ensuite room

Here is an example of one of the new internal doors

fitted today on the bathroom

Concrete garden becomes a soil garden again

More shouts of "Yippee!" from Newark

as Sue gets her garden back

P.S. you can click on any image to see it larger

and there is even a zoom facility after that.

How cool is that?