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!