Hi all,
So since our last blog we have been absolutely flat out to get the house finally finished, we can honestly say that it's been one of the hardest and emotional things we have ever done and sitting here now with a glass of rose wine in hand it seems quite surreal as since May and up until only just a couple of weeks ago it really was a full time 24/7 job.
The builders finally cleared site at the end of October and during the final week they were just flat out, it's just a shame they didn't have the same work ethic or urgency before!!! It was quite weird too as they just got in their vans on the Friday night without any comment and we just looked at each other and thought OMG they've gone and that was that!!
The final few weeks after that were really hard going with the electrician and plumber finishing off and we had just about had enough but we had come so far that we just had to carry on....it was just like a really long car journey that seemed just never ending. It really was just eat, paint, clean, sleep and repeat day in day out.
It was Julie's Birthday at the beginning of December and I knew most of all that she wanted to simply sit back on our new sofa with a very large glass of rose and just relax....After the carpets finally went down I had my work cut out and I had a real sense of responsibility but after many full on 12 hour days she got her wish.
Rather than waffling on anymore we've created some before and after photo's which show how the house has been transformed....it may just look like we've decorated but the whole place has been completely gutted!!
Dining room
Dining Room
Lounge
Lounge
Other end of lounge, this was a separate room to start with
Kitchen
Just in case you think it was just a simple case of fitting a new kitchen!!
Hallway into kitchen
Hallway & understairs cupboard
Old pantry which is now downstairs toilet & wet room
Our bedroom
Our bedroom
Spare bedroom
Stairs
Landing
Bathroom
New everything & complete facelift!! - the render is still drying out so will get painted in the Spring
There was of course one last job to do....empty our storage unit where most of life has been in a 20 x 8 shipping container since the beginning of January when we left Kent, we were dreading it but it wasn't as bad as we thought and before we knew it it was empty and the end of another chapter of our life.
Julie's mum & dad, Dave & Brenda, have been chomping at the bit to come down as they haven't seen the house since we started stripping it out back in May before the builders arrived. They finally came down last week for a few days, our first visitors to stay in our fantastic new home, they absolutely loved it. It was great for them to see what we have achieved as they viewed the house with us last October and although initially they thought we were very brave to take on such a project they could see the potential and they knew we would make it happen.
We had a lovely walk along our local beach at Putsborough in the winter sun
Brenda took this cracking picture of the sun going down from our bathroom window
And Julie found a home for our little Christmas Tree....
So that's it.....this time next week it will be Christmas Day and we are looking forward to our first Christmas in our new home......
.....and a Happy & Healthy New Year to all our friends and family
Jon & Julie xxx
