All coming together now

Two of the new doors in our hallway

Having had the four days after Easter as annual leave I managed to get a fair bit of painting done. I even encouraged Darren the plumber to come along and fit the boiler so that we could properly heat the house. But as ever the usual "who did that then" problem arose when Darren asked what had happened to the boiler flue that he had left hanging before the plasterboard for the ceiling had been fitted. The answer was that the people who fitted the ceiling couldn't be bothered to cut round the flue so it had been removed and dumped in the roof void. Then another screeding howler - they had completely covered up one of the waste outlets in the bathroom. Don't you just love this type of irresponsible work ethic? No - me neither. Anyway, after two attempts Darren managed to get a hole for the boiler flue where he needed it (which leaves me with a spare hole to fill in the ceiling), and a bit of chiselling of the screed uncovered the missing waste. Within days Darren was back - fitting the hot water cylinder, so that all remains for him to do is the connection of the rain water harvesting system to the loos, washing machine and sprinkler system.
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And then to the problem of filling the heating system with water - virtually no pressure from the mains so a call to Anglian Water elicited the fact that they refuse to connect a meter and full supply until every bit of the new house's plumbing is finished. They say its so that they can check the quality of the work, but I suspect its more to do with the fact that they charge a whopping £650 for a temporary supply and that's what they want you to take. Given this very unhelpful attitude, and the fact that we needed the house heated before much else could be done we filled the system up from 5 Brookvale's outside tap (with permission of course). The house has now been heated for two weeks and feels very cosy indeed, even with the radiators on their lowest setting.
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Over last weekend, Jan and I took the day off on Saturday, but spent a full day on Sunday - Jan tending the garden, whilst I sanded all the oak timber for the doorframes, architrave and skirting ready for Pete and Lee Brooks to start fitting out this week. I also started building the base for the "level" disabled access that we have to have, and for which we have purchased some paving slabs that will create a gentle slope from the driveway in front of the house up to the porch step.

We were given a Honda motor mower by Tony Holland at a very timely moment as the new lawn had reached the time for its first cut. After 25 minutes it was looking much better.
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On Monday last our chippies duly arrived and started work. Wow - what a transformation with all the internal doors fitted it really does look like a house now. Architrave and skirting is in place too,as well as the new back door. Unfortunately, Pete Brooks spent a few days in Barcelona in the middle of the week and was due to return on Friday. He's still in Barcelona now (Sunday) - in a rubbish hotel because of the Icelandic ash. He will not be a happy bunny. Due to this unfortunate eruption, we'll have to wait for Pete and Lee to return in a week or two to rehang the french doors, as all of them leave a little to be desired.
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Andy the electrician arrived on Tuesday and did another 1/2 day's work before disappearing again. He's trying to keep 4 or 5 jobs going and flits from one to another as people shout. Not sure I could work like that. Anyway, back he came on Saturday and we now have power to all the sockets in the house. He's promised to come back next Tuesday and complete the lighting circuit. That'll be good - I'll be able to decorate in the evenings now .........!
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The other good news is that Tony our plasterer has finished the screeding of the shower room floor and our tiles have been delivered so Vic and Dave - bathroom fitter and tiler - have scheduled the fitting out of the bathroom and shower room for week commencing 26th April. Hurrah - that means that damned portable toilet can go.
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This weekend we've been back - Jan in the garden again, although she did complete the first proper clean of the house with a vacuum cleaner. I've been concreting the ramp for the "level access" and applying varnish to the new back door. Much of this afternoon has been spent in discussing the arrangement of cupboards and work surfaces in the utility room with a friend - Jon Ward - who is dab hand at this sort of thing. He's very kindly offered to help design and fit it out for us. So - this coming week Jan and I will do something we've never done in this country before - visit IKEA! I've been to one in Malaga, but never in the UK. I'm told it will be an experience. (I hope a better one than the "experience" of my only visit to MacDonalds)

With the internal woodwork done and the electrics and basic plumbing nearly complete we seem to be making good progress. We're both feeling that Brookvale is really our home now as it all comes together.

Jan & Rog