March 2004

This month shall be officially known as 'month from hell'. Total nightmare from beginning to end. The finance we had applied for still hasn't come through (we were told it would take three weeks but currently it has taken nine). Builder still hasn't been paid therefore builder isn't happy therefore builder isn't very helpful and therefore builder isn't doing very much work. BUT in our defence builder still hasn't supplied receipts or itemised bills we have been asking for for eight months. Builder has been told that he can't have money until paperwork is provided - so far he hasn't done this for us so therefore we haven't paid him.

We had two chaps (occasionally three) on site for some of the time this month. The extension roof is now completed. However, when it started raining the roof was leaking in our room, the landing, Lauren's room and the bathroom. Main builder tells workers that it can't be the valleys as he had done them himself. Workers tell main builder it is the valleys but 'no' main builder insists it is a mortar problem. Therefore mortar is duly sorted out. Mmmm it rains and roof still leaks. Valleys are sorted out and hey presto roof stops leaking. Kelvin has been up on the roof and says it is look good up there (not something I intend to go up and see - don't like ladders).

8th March 2004

Our chap who has built our kitchen came today and brought the units over. He hasn't fitted them today but I think to be honest he needed to get them out of his workshop! He has had them built for absolutely ages. The units are looking impressive. The colour of the side panels is perfect (which apparently he is relieved I am pleased with as it would be a nightmare and costly to change!). The units are in bits and will be put together when they are fitted which hopefully will be soon. The oil boiler was delivered also today - it is huge and heavy! Wasn't imagining it to be quite so big but as long as it does it's job that's all that matters.

17th March 2004

Quite impressed today as our kitchen builder came and fitted the kitchen cupboard and it looks impressive. We definately made the right decision in having the 9ft tall units, anything less would have looked daft with the ceiling being the height it is. Have gone away from the idea of having granite worktops for two reasons 1) the time it will take to get them (there is approx three month wait) and 2) we notice on the top of the boiler it states we need to have removable worktop to enable the boiler to be serviced! Have chosen a greyish worktop now to have instead, it is a better quality 40mm thick one. The doors haven't gone on the cupboards yet as the house needs to be completely plastered and the plaster needs to dry out (won't be fitted for a while yet then!).

Our sun pipe has been fitted on the landing. It hasn't been secured yet - just the 'dome' on the roof is in place. In case you are wondering what a sun pipe is - it is a clear dome on the roof with a pipe that goes down into the house and that channels natural light through a difuser in the landing ceiling. Looks pretty good!

30th March 2004

Well I never, we have 4 builders turn up today (3 of them were here early). Quite a lot was done today which makes a change. The final studwork was put up in Billy's room, also the bit over the stairs which originally was going to be sloping has been made into a shelf (much more useful) but it will still be sloping underneath so tall people won't hit their heads on it (not something we are likely to do!). The plasterboard was put up around the studwork in Billy's room and the landing. In our room the ceiling and the loft were insulated and part of the apex has been boarded in, the other half has been left for the electrician to come and do his stuff - apparently he is coming tomorrow. The old electricity meter has been removed off the lounge wall also. Long may this continue!

31st March 2004

Nearly had a heart attack this morning - was a bit late leaving for school and at 8.10am two builders arrived! Just after that another two arrived, the electrician came later and finally main builder arrived late in the afternoon. Today the rest of Billy's room was boarded in and the boxed in section above the stairs was finished. Our bedroom ceiling is nearly finished now and the top of the wall on one side has been built up to the start of the ceiling. Lauren's room has got insulation and some cladding on the wall. The electrician has finished putting in the the wires for the sockets upstairs and he has also put in the wires for the ceiling lights in the upstairs rooms - we are going for two pendant lights and finally we have a ceiling high enough to have some nice lights!

The most impressive thing today is the rendering on the back of the house - it finally looks house like. The windows have all been finished off as well upstairs and this adds to the look of the back. Although the rendering didn't have to be done yet we need the plaster in the kitchen to dry out and without the rendering the rain was seeping through the walls and the plaster wasn't getting any drier. This should now dry out and we can have the kitchen unit doors fitted. Rendering was also done on the end kitchen wall.

Our rendered house....

March - a conclusion

The majority of March was a nightmare, builders not being on site, going home early and when they were here it was just two of them. The kitchen units going in was exciting as obviously that is something I was looking forward to! The end of the month though things are looking up - I feel that in two days they have accomplished what had taken them three weeks to do earlier in the month. Lets hope April continues this trend and perhaps we are finally getting to the end of this project??????