We are a bit stunned to be at the end of week eight already.
Our crew; Neil, Harry and Taylor have worked really hard again this week, with the addition of the plasterers and roofers.
This week:
Monday morning was absolute total chaos, but in a good way.
It began with council workmen arriving and cordoning off the pavement right across the road from us, and a huge lorry unloading small diggers and piles of sand. The council spent the day digging up the pavement and laying cables.
Shortly after all this began, the Wren lorry arrived with our kitchen, which was all unloaded onto the pavement outside our house. Not to do the Wren guys an injustice, they were going to bring it all indoors but our guys needed to organise where to put it.
We aren't quite ready for the kitchen to be installed yet, so our living room became a kitchen storage depot - it was a bit like a game of kitchen Jenga. I would point out that we offered our living room as storage, the crew were going to take the entire kitchen delivery and store it on the company site to make our life more comfortable. We thought it would be easier for them to have access to it in our home, we like to make their life as easy as possible too.
No sooner had the Wren lorry departed, a skip was delivered out front to take away lots of rubble and dirt.
It was an hour or so of noise, chaos, comings and goings.
The wooden window frames and door were removed from the end of the house and the new kitchen room has been opened up into the new extension - it makes for an incredibly large room. The crew have been busy covering everything with plaster board this week, that sounds simple but it takes a lot of work to achieve.
The end of the house was fixed with plastic sheeting to keep out the elements. Bless the crew, they built a door frame in the middle of it and re-hung the old door so that Eric had a way out to the garden.
The plasterers have been in this week doing the ceilings and walls. Our new study is completely plastered and the new kitchen/diner is three quarters done. The lovely plasterer is coming in this morning (Saturday) to finish off so it is ready for next week. The plasterer impressed me by having a radio station on that was playing Christmas songs.
Huge congratulations to one of the crew, Taylor who passed his driving test this week!
Piccadilly Circus in the house on Tuesday with lots of people in and out - plasterers, roofers and a council inspector oooer! The building inspector paid a visit to check the extension, he had a couple of requests and the crew dealt with it quickly and efficiently.
The roofers have also visited to finish off the extension roof with guttering, fascia and drain pipes, it is looking pretty smart.
One of the team Harry has been tackling our tiny utility room this week. It is nearly finished and has gone from a dark dingy spider trap to fancy and modern. Our teenage son can no longer say 'I am not going in there, it's scary!'.
It seems that almost over night the house has gone from a building site to looking like a house again. Only a much better, more swish and swanky house!
Next week the kitchen should be fitted and the windows and door in the extension and I also heard a rumour that painters will arrive too.
A shout out to Louise in the office who has also dealt with our requests to add more work to our renovation list without seemingly pulling her hair out. She takes it all in her stride and is always patient and extremely helpful with our requests.
I know we keep saying it and it sounds like we are sponsored (I promise we aren't!). But we cannot recommend these guys enough, for any kind of building work whatever it might be, you won't be disappointed.
And now we begin week nine...
