5th January 2003

I think we have finally made a start today! Kelvin and his Dad ripped the bath and water tank out of the bathroom (old cast iron bath with huge water heater over), they also got rid of the old bathroom cabinet and towel rails and removed some tiles. The water tank was a nightmare to get off the wall and proved to be half full up with water and rather heavy (as Kelvin's dad will agree with as he was left holding it in the bath before dropping it on his feet!), the bath also proved troublesome as it was jammed in place and was quite content to stay there! Both are now duly removed and waiting to go the rubbish dump. The old curtains have gone and I have bought new net curtain with fishes all over (much to Lauren's delight!) to replace them. Kelvin now has to get a cloakroom suite from work and hey presto the bathroom is getting there (or is usable for the time being). When we move in we will be putting the washing machine and tumble drier in their as well because 1) the plumbing is already there and 2) there is absolutely nowhere else for them to go! Going to give the walls a coat of pink paint (paint courtesy of my Mum) and the tiles are either going to be removed or painted over.

The final bits of the shed have now made it into the garden as well. Kelvin laid the base yesterday but couldn't continue as the front and back of the shed were way too big to come through the house. With the help of his Dad and Gary (chap who works at the farm up the lane) they managed to cart the two shed pieces up the lane, through two fields to come in over the back wall. At one point Kelvin got trapped between a pallet and a shed bit (which of course the other two found very amusing) but they are now safely in the garden ready to be put in place.

With Lauren's 'help' we cleared and cleaned her new bedroom, Kelvin put together her new 'fairy bed' (it is actually a cot bed because the room is too small for anything else but we convinced Lauren it was a fairy bed!). One room at least is nearly livable!

10th January 2003

We have finally signed the contract! Exchange should take place on Monday or Tuesday with completion set for Friday 17th January 2003. At last I feel we are getting somewhere but I shall feel a lot more happier when exchange has happened. The original plan was to move on the weekend between exchange and completion - yep you've worked it out - there isn't a weekend between exchange and completion! Therefore tomorrow sees us moving as much furniture as we can and all items we can live without for a few days. I have started packing like mad, done a few trips to the rubbish dump and given loads of stuff to the charity shop. Feeling very pleased with myself. It certainly feels good to clear out! Kelvin has managed to borrow his truck from work tomorrow, should be interesting trying to winch the piano onto the lorry with the crane (well you can't just have the crane and not use it can you?!). Last night I nearly set fire to the kitchen but luckily it didn't get that far. Somehow a box knocked one of the plates on the hob on which started burning some plastic on a chopping board. The smell and the smoke was awful. No damage was done apart from me being very shaken up.

11th January 2003 (Moving Day Part I)

Well, today was certainly tiring! Kelvin borrowed his lorry from work and with the help of two friends (thanks Roger and Ross!) we have moved quite a lot of furniture, as usual we over estimated how much we could do in a day and there is still quite a lot here. Moving the piano was easy with the crane on lorry (too easy perhaps?) but unfortunately it won't fit into the dining room of the new house. It would not go around the 'kink' in the hallway but when the renovation work is finished the kink won't be there any more and it will be simple to move it. Piano has new home in the lounge with our wardrobes that wouldn't fit up the stairs!

And this is what happens when you leave 2 men alone with a sofa and a lorry......................

While all this furniture moving was happening Mum and I packed plenty more boxes and I finally think we may be getting there. Tomorrow we are going over to the new house as Kelvin is putting together the new shed (weather permitting) and Mum and I are going to put the house in some semblance of order!

12th January 2003

Well, what a day?! Firstly this morning we had to catch our fish as we aren't taking our fish tank with us, I volunteered for this as it seemed like a good idea at the time but as the time went on the fish started swimming quicker! I did catch them all in the end and they are now safely installed in their new home.

At the new house our wardrobes needed the tops removed and 2 side pieces taken off to move up the stairs and then they only JUST fit (and I mean only just!) but they are up in our bedroom now. Don't think our bed will fit though! The piano is staying in the lounge as it simply will not move which means our lounge suite only just fits (one of the chairs is slightly behind the side of the piano) but it is looking more like a home. My Mum has been a godsend and has made things fit in cupboards perfectly - one cupboard appears to have never ending storage space! The dining room is nearly there (just needs Kelvin's computer and the fridge/freezer now). The lounge is nearly there apart from the TV and associated bits - we have one cupboard that won't fit but the main furniture does. Lauren's bedroom has her bed and wardrobe and our room has all our furniture apart from our bed and bedside tables. The kitchen is full of cacti at the moment (I really need to get rid of some of them!) and we have kettle, sugar, tea bags etc so the important stuff is there (priorities!).

This afternoon Kelvin, Mum and I put the shed together - Kelvin doing most of the work and Mum and I holding pieces in place. It is all up now and just needs to have the roof felted so hoping we can get that done before the rain comes it which no doubt it will soon.

15th January 2003 (Moving Day Part II)

OH MY GOD, Why are we doing this? Today I think has been the worst day in the house sale/move (so far!), why on earth we didn't get removers in I shall never know (and I certainly know if I move again I will get them in to do it!). Kelvin picked up the van at 8.30am, Lauren safely deposited to school (excited!) the move started - Mum arrived at 10am to take charge (she just LOVES moving!), my cousin Christopher helped for some of the morning and my other cousin Nick helped briefly in the afternoon. The first 2 loads on the van weren't too bad (apart from when Kelvin got out to the house with the first load only to discover I had both the door keys and he couldn't get in), the last load was a nightmare, we ended up finishing unloading it at about 11pm. Kelvin and I unloaded most of the last one by ourselves while Lauren was riding her bike around in the dark at 10.30pm! Lauren's room was put into some order so she could go to bed and she was asleep with in seconds (snoring her head off!). Kelvin and I fell into bed - which was a mattress on the floor as he hadn't had time to put our bed together, at about midnight absolutely exhausted. I had hoped to clean the old house today as well - no chance! We didn't exchange either - grrrrrr.

16th January 2003 (Exchange YIPPEEEEEEE!!!!!)

Lauren and I were back at the old house at 7.15am cleaning! I took 2 lots of stuff to the rubbish dump (boxes we didn't use and some other bits and pieces), cleaned like a mad thing and loaded the car up with stuff we hadn't taken yesterday. Kelvin got the afternoon off work and came to finish off the jobs I couldn't do (emptying the fish tank, removing computer network cable etc ). Was going to dump the fish tank but he found somebody who wanted it for their son. Kelvin rather cheekily offered our dustbin to our neighbours and when they said yes he asked if they'd take it full! Then discovered we hadn't taken our 2 ladders and there is no way they would fit in either of our cars! We have had to leave then with neighbours and Kelvin will pick them up when he coming through the lorry. The most amusing thing though was what do with our old Christmas tree (it was a cut real tree) - neither of us wanted to take it in our cars - Kelvin had a bright idea - he planted it in the garden! It looks really good but obviously won't survive as it doesn't have roots (hopefully the buyers won't be too mad when they find out!). On a more positive note today we finally exchanged with completion set for tomorrow - HOORAY! Mum came over this evening to offer her organisational expertise - I actually cooked a meal - had to borrow a baking tray from mother-in-law and a washing up bowl from her as well but we finally managed to put some stuff away. Bought a washing line (rotary) plus a cat flap. Now just need some weather to dry the washing and to convince the cats to use the cat flap!

17th January 2003 (Completion - finally!)

I went back to work today - couldn't find my uniform so ended in a blue flowery skirt, blue jumper and Bart Simpson socks! Luckily I'm not front office based so could hide away and no customers saw me! I dropped the keys back into the house and it seemed very final shutting the door and walking away - very sad. Lauren wasn't bothered at all and was quite happy to leave to the house. Completion finally occurred which is a very strange feeling knowing we no longer own our first proper home. Mum again came to help unpack things (thanks Mum!) although at the moment it feels like we aren't particularly getting anywhere. The architect phoned today and cancelled our appointment for Monday to view the plans - have rebooked that for Wednesday now.

18th January 2003 (Shed day!)

After having had no shoes/uniform/bedside lights/clock/'urgent' boxes Mum came over and we completely emptied the shed out (in the rain) and loaded everything back inside in order. We have 'storage' boxes at the back, 'accessible storage' at the front plus the rabbits, tumble drier and freezer. It is so much easier to find things. Made great headway in unpacking the dining room/kitchen stuff - we finally found the crockery! Mum brought over a funky tall shelf unit which fits perfectly in the kitchen so I have somewhere to put bits now.

20th January 2003 (supposed to be 'BT' day)

BT came out today to put the phone in - yet again not such a simple task. Firstly, there was not space on the pole outside to run a line from so the engineer had to go about 2 miles down the road the junction box to run new lines, then he finds out there isn't a cable there to run a line from so we can't have the phone today. Hopefully tomorrow they are going to run a new cable so perhaps I will finally be able to get online tomorrow. Kelvin fitted our lovely brand new toilet today - he ripped out the old one which smashed into about 40 pieces (his exaggeration not mine!) and left a huge gaping hole in the floor which has now been covered over and the toilet fitted. It is very handy living about a mile away from Jewson!

21st January 2003 (wahay we have a phone!)

BT finished the line works today and although we have a phone we are 'sharing' it with someone else (we think with Kelvin's mum and dad). Apparently there was not enough space to run a line nor enough space in run a new cable from the junction box. Therefore we have a 'digital splitter' on the line outside which is fair enough EXCEPT (big except!) it halves our internet connection. BT apparently can't do anything about this as 'they don't guarantee lines for internet usage' - we'll see. A big bonus today is that I now have a kitchen (sort of!), I have a sink and two cupboards and a nice space for my dishwasher (when I get one!)

22nd January 2003 (there will be more photos soon - promise!)

I have a washing machine! It is all connected up now - haven't used it yet but no doubt it will get its fair share (or more) of washing. I only have one plug socket in my kitchen so the washing machine has to run on an extension lead from the bathroom, so I can't do washing, cook, boil a kettle etc at the same time - I think I need to plan my day very carefully so as not to need more than one thing in my socket at once! We went to visit the architect today to see the plans for the first time - WOW!!!! They are amazing, he has done such a good job of making the best use of the space available. We made a few minor adjustments which he now needs to amend and then once finalized by us they are submitted to planning (and we have to pay him!) so no turning back now - not that I actually want to turn back. Once I have a set of the final ones we shall scan them in and put them on here.

23rd January 2003 - it is confirmed I am very lazy.

We bought a dishwasher out of the local paper this morning, I have decided I am definately a lazy person but I don't care! Dishes take up too much time, it is already plumbed in, has been run through once to check for leaks (there were none) and now is half full of dishes - very worth the £30 it cost! Also today we have a 'sort of' driveway rather than a mud bog. Kelvin laid our bargain paving slabs today using a base of sand left over from his parents conservatory! They are a bit uneven but who cares when you don't end up ankle deep (ok a bit of an exaggeration!) in mud!

January - a conclusion

Well, what a month, it seems like we have always been on the go when to be truthful the hard work hasn't actually begun yet! We have moved and I suppose that is a big event, the house is fairly livable which is good and now we just have to wait for all the red tape to be sorted (plans, planning, building control and the builder).