Life after the builders

Life just won't be the same without these chaps! House builders extraordinaire!

They finished building the house and had already returned to Devon by the time I got back from London.

Just one more peak at the house

Part of the 'L' shaped sitting room

In through the front door into the hall. To the left by the window there will be a shower room - I've just noticed the window has clear glass, this will be interesting!

And then the long and arduous task begins of packing up to go home

It will never all fit in!

But it does - just!

A big 'Thank you chaps'. Everybody who sees it says how nice the house looks. Already it has a lovely feel to it when you're inside. We just need to add the finishing touches - like walls, floors, stairs kitchen and bathrooms!

Just t0 show though that work still continues even after the builders have gone! Yesterday morning a huge consignment of insulation arrived by lorry. Luckily Jock was about and helped Niels unload the bags and carry them down to the house.

Ian returned in the week with his digger and dug a trench for the water pipe from the mains down to the house site

You can see the blue pipe waiting to be put into a trench under the lane

Ian digs out a channel and the best bit 0f the whole day for Niels at any rate

Is he gets to drive the dumper truck - fortunately away from the house! He called it the jumper truck maybe because he's danish - maybe just to reflect his driving!

Pictures speak louder than words

The house gets lovelier and lovelier. It's nearly finished. The builders go back to Devon this weekend. They have done a brilliant job. I have to say these were no ordinary builders! They liked black olives, feta cheese, wrote poetry and always took their shoes off when they came in! I hope they take up the offer and visit us with their families when we've finally settled in with floors, walls, rooms and things!

I'm flying to London this morning to spend a few days with Jo. I'm really looking forward to seeing her and spending time together. I shall miss this though. It's still such an amazing feeling to know that this is home and to be surrounded by so much that is beautiful.

The windows go in

Yesterday morning the house looked like this

And then all of a sudden (only I don't suppose the builders thought it was all of a sudden!) it looked like this.

I'm wittering on again about something I get excited about, but I do love these windows. I could just stand and look at them for ages - which I did

I wanted to play at opening and closing them but Micky pointed out as I threw one open that the seal around them hadn't set - I shut it again and hoped that in my keeness to play at houses I hadn't caused a permanent draught!

And here is the view I'll have when I'm not just looking at, but looking out of, the windows!

There was a lot of this going on. They want to finish this week and go home. They have worked incredibly hard long days and the results are stunning.

It's ever so exciting I still can't quite believe it's ours. There is an enormous amount still to do! The joiner can start in May, and we have found an electrician (plus Ollie) and a plumber. Next week Martin, and Ian come back (hopefully) and put in the septic tank and do a bit of landscaping. We still need to clear the felled trees from the land and supply the building warrant chap with detailed plans of the electricity installations and plumbing - plus adhere to further changes needed! We are waiting for water and a phone line. BT say they are putting in more phone cable as the lines have run out. I shall go off air here at the end of the month, so hope something will happen soon! More importantly Niels needs internet access for his job. He gets up at some awful early times in the morning to complete his work schedule before switching over to house matters. He's a busy chap. The kids are coming up in May to help, which will be wonderful and very welcome. Is there any one out there who would like a working 'holiday?!' you'd have a lovely time - and my cooking is improving!

Today

This morning the house looked like this. The cladding on the gables is finished and the windows have gone in. What a difference a day makes!

Steve isn't just leaning out of the window - he's leaning and 'learning.' Mark is doing something and Steve being the apprentice needs to see what!

No, he doesn't need to see Mark having a cup of tea. This is later in the day and Mark is having a well earned break and now it's possible to come inside and sit down in an almost real house almost out of the draught!

Alan comes into his own banging in nails and gunking. If you look closely at the bottom of the green plaster board as it joins the foundations you will see some black gooey stuff

Here it is in close up. It acts as a seal where there is a cold bridge, and it's particularly gooey

Looking out from the kitchen window - I'll never get anything done!

Four windows in a row will give lovely views from the open plan kitchen and dinning room

The walls start to spread round the house

Micky continues up on the roof!

From here the house looks almost finished!

Now for those of you that are sick and tired of pictures of timber framed houses - surely that can't be possible?! This afternoon we took a little diversion down the lane with the camera to take some pictures that are guaranteed to make you go Ahhhhh!

Lambing starts much later here, mainly I suppose because of the weather. Mother and baby are both doing well

I do look rather handsome and cuddly don't I and indeed I'm very photogenic

Ere - where's my mum gone?

Growing!

Even the sheep are amazed - they stop dead in their tracks!

The house is growing! Every time I go to update my blog something new happens!

Chief tile stacker, sandwich maker, porridge maker, tea maker, shed organizer, and gunking expert (we'll come to that later!)

Micky turns grey in seconds!

Niels 'pops' up from the hill side for a chat

He's been causing mayhem in the woods!

Doesn't it look good

The lovely dormer windows look like little individual houses in their own right.

I nearly missed these. Zinc guttering

Now the cladding goes on

Tomorrow the windows go in

Phew! The weather has been fine, cold but very little rain. This evening the light on the snow covered mountains (top right of the picture) as the sun got lower was beautiful