Hi all, sorry it's been so long since our last blog, we can't believe it was 3 months ago!! We just haven't had the time or energy to sit down and do it as we have been so busy with the house.
It's been a long haul and not without it's problems but we won't bore you with all the details as it could take a while!! The builders haven't been the best mainly due to a lack of them, not looking at drawings or specifications and then the Foreman Richard having an accident at a motocross meet back in August and putting himself out of action for 3 months! Without our almost daily input it could have been a complete disaster but we've managed to keep it all under control but it's been very hard work at times and very, very frustrating. They should of been long gone by now as originally they gave us a completion date of 12th August!!!
We've had quite a lot of visitors too during the summer months which was really nice as it made us take time out away from the house which we really needed so thank you all for coming down to visit.
So what has been going on then...well it's probably just easier to show you lots of pictures to explain....
The windows going in back in July
Out with the old....
In with the new....
The new windows are exactly the same style but in UPVC and as we wanted to keep the character the Georgian bar is internal and external rather than inside the unit - they look great.
The new lime render started going on in mid August, it's quite a lengthy process as it involves 3 stages but as the house is made of old Devon stone it has to be a breathable lime product.
The garage on the other hand is new build so can just be a cement based render
The house was draped in hessian for a number of weeks to stop the lime render drying out too quickly in the sun as it can crack and also to protect it from heavy rain. As we said it's a long process as if it's too hot it has to be damped down and re floated to get the right texture and finish - the renderers have to make regular visits and tend to it like a baby!! The house looked like the Black Pearl from the Pirates of The Caribbean...it felt like it too at times as we did have a couple of very wet & windy nights!!
The renderers/plasterers, Marcus & Bruce....AKA the chuckle brothers!!!
The next major job was the kitchen roof which involved taking the whole roof off and building up the end gable walls and then putting a whole new roof on at a different angle.
It was quite funny as Julie video called her mum, Brenda, on her phone one morning to show her what was going on, she took one look at it and thought that we'd had a storm overnight and the kitchen had collapsed!!
The new kitchen roof going on
And then the rear render
The new back door opening
The summer was quite a good one with a lot of sunny warm days so we did manage to take some time out to enjoy it. There was a Birdman Competiton at Ilfracombe which involved various homemade contraptions launching themselves off the harbour wall seeing how far they could fly. It was a beautiful day and really entertaining to watch, maybe next year we will enter!!
This is a statue of a young Russian girl who sadly fell from the cliff a few years ago while on holiday, her parents commissioned a bronze statue of her.
The view from the cliff top
One of the most successful competitors at the Birdman Competition...Buzz Lightyear...but it wasn't quite to infinity & beyond!!
It was a lovely day just soaking up the summer sunshine
We also had a day out at the Devon show which is just like the Kent County Show but just on a much smaller scale and just one day not three.
We had a lovely visit from some old neighbours Heather & Lawrence who used to live just up the road from us in Kent. It was great to catch up and the weather was absolutely stunning so we had a lovely walk followed by a great meal in our local the Rock Inn.
Julie & Heather
We walked through the church in the village on route and couldn't resist a photo with the beautiful flowers.
Meanwhile back at the house they began plastering upstairs and we started to paint the bedrooms.
Stairs
Spare bedroom
The upstairs bathroom started taking shape too with the bath going in and it being tiled
Shower area all tiled in the bathroom too
I have been working non-stop helping out as much as possible to try and progress things along.
I bought a mortar gun and repointed the chimney and then water sealed it all as that was one of the things that had been picked up on the original survey.
The main roof took shape and the roofer put the original roll top terracotta ridges back on
Julie bought some roof finials to go onto each dormer and the porch, they finish the roof off perfectly and it looks amazing.
One of the finials in place
We had the downstairs chimneys swept and lined when we had the log burners installed so I thought that I ought to check the ones in the two bedrooms - I couldn't believe it, I put my hand up and pulled a small twig out and then this lot came out, half a tree, soil and even pieces of horse manure!!! Looks like the local Jackdaws had been busy over the years!!
Just look at that lot!
We had more visitors and more sunny days which meant some great days at the beach.
James & Charlie, Andy & Claire and Sarah and Steve and Samson the dog
One major thing that we had arranged was for the removal of an electricity pole and transformer that was in our garden boundary and was a real eyesore and also the straining wire came down bang smack in the middle of the new patio area. We contacted Western Power way back when we bought the house and asked if we could get it moved, they came out and did a site survey and basically said that we could have it removed completely and put the transformer onto the next pole which was in the farmers field behind our house and then we could put the supply to our house underground across the field and into our garden. It was a major expense at £7,700 but they said that if we dug all the trenches we could reduce the cost by £3,400 down to £4,300 so that's what we did. We hired a mini digger and I dug the trench myself and it all went to plan so it's no longer a blot on the landscape.
I dug the trench by hand in the garden because the scaffold was in the way and I couldn't get the digger in but it was quite surprisingly easy going
Out in the field the trench had to be deeper and much longer so the digger did the trick - you can see the pole and transformer to the right of the picture.
Julie had a drive of the digger and to be fair picked it up really easily and quickly
View through our hedge looking towards the pole where the transformer was being moved to
We got our monies worth with the amount of kit and men on site
Going...
Going...
Gone...
Back in August we had a visit from Caroline & Mark from Birmingham who we first met on holiday back in the early nineties when we were 20 something....!! We have have kept in touch ever since but over recent years haven't seen as much of them as they now have a family and like us have been busy in general - we think we last saw them about 10 years ago. They have 3 great children now, Chris, Mike & Kate who have only every heard about us and seen old photos so it was great to meet them all and Ruby the dog. We had a great time and it seemed just like yesterday that we saw them last. The weather was great and we spent a few days on the beach and walking which was lovely.
OMG just look at this blast from the past..can't believe I have a cigarette in my mouth and an elephant on my back lol!!
The kids bought a game to play and thought it was hilarious that we ended up with cream all over our faces....
We went for a lovely meal on their last night...we can't wait for them to visit again next summer
Meanwhile back at the house we resumed work....the house was built back in 1914 and we found out from one of the local farmers that the red stone came from an old quarry just across the fields from the house. The old year stone that we uncovered all those months ago needed some TLC so I rubbed it down and Julie sat on top of the porch and painted it up and then carefully got a small brush and painted the 1914 - it looks great now.
The next major job was the arrival of our gas tank. There's no mains gas here and the house was heated by very old storage heaters which just had to go. We opted for gas rather than oil for our new central heating system and we also wanted a gas hob so as usual did our research and got in touch with Calor. They supply overground or underground tanks of varying sizes and come and install them. They were doing a great offer to supply and fit an underground tank so we opted for that option as we could have it installed underneath the front lawn so it would be hidden completely. The builders should have been long gone back in August so the plan was for us to move the motorhome from the front garden to the side of the house but we had to move to a local campsite in the village instead, it's all part of the adventure as we always say!!
They covered the front lawn with boards and then dug a very big hole
It was big enough to get a small car in...
The gas tank arrived on a lorry and resembled a "Yellow Submarine"
They lifted it into the hole onto two pre-cast concrete slabs in the bottom of the hole...
They then backfilled the hole with the soil...
All done and grass seeded and just a green manhole type cover where they fill it up, they made a brilliant job...
Our new internal & external hardwood doors arrived, they are absolutely beautiful and it did bring a lump to our throat seeing them as they are the focal point of the house - they weren't cheap but worth every penny.
The internal doors - covered in plastic to protect them while the plastering continues
So things have been progressing, upstairs is almost finished with just a bit of painting to be done and the bathroom to be grouted but it's all starting to come together.
Main bathroom - a vast improvement!!!
We are now decoratoring downstairs and again are almost finished with just the kitchen to be fitted and the wet room tiled and fitted out etc which are being started this week while the drainage works and last few bits are being finished outside.
Lounge in progress....
Builders evicted and now all painted...
It's hard getting things done with the builders and other trades on site so we've now almost evicted them from the house so we can get stuck in and finish off decorating ready for the carpets and furniture which will arrive soon.
We lived in the motorhome at the local campsite in the village for a couple of weeks but just needed more space, a proper cooker and to be able to go for a shower without going via the chickens through the farmyard so left the motorhome there in storage and moved into temporary accommodation at a local holiday park so are now "Trailer Trash" but will again be on the move as we are only able to stay there for 28 days so this week are moving back into the motorhome but to our neighbours "Mad Mary" as we affectionately call her, who owns the farm next to us and has room for us to park the motorhome up which is fantastic and will really help us out for the last leg.
Our temporary home!!!
Mum and Alan came over from France a couple of weeks ago...they were both itching to see us, the house and our new local area. It was lovely to catch up, it was just a shame that they couldn't stay with us at the house but it's something for them to look forward to on their next visit.
We had a lovely cream tea and walk around Marwood Hill Gardens with Mum & Alan
So that's what we've been up to - we can't believe that 9 weeks today it will be Christmas Day......we will have to find a spot for our Christmas tree and will definitely be having a few drinks to celebrate with a few new friends we have made over the last few months and toast our new home so look out for our next update.
J&J
x
