And we're in!

Well, we've been in for a few weeks but after the days of packing, days of moving, weeks of unpacking, parental illness, residential Welsh courses, job interviews, endless still-to-do lists and a strange feeling of shock, we sort of feel in now and the guests are booking in!

It has rained about twice - feebly at that - in 4 weeks which must be a sign of some sort and we've been treated to some great sunsets...the ground is frozen solid so we have to wait for a garden but the view helps.

The final air test pleased everyone - at .365 and we're able to monitor what is happening inside the house. The clear weather means we're generating a good amount of electricity for March/April so I'm learning to put machines on during the day...not always good at remembering that!

Best of all is the warmth...so much so I have to remind myself to put on double what I think I need to go outside. And the animals finally have some space to move around without being on top of each other. My lovely flat has been painted and sanded and scrubbed and is let to a very nice couple...and we can just see it from here! And the caravan is in great hands waiting to have a log burner installed last I heard...

I'm just looking forward to a summer (and, hopefully, continued sun but that might be too much to ask for) here in our home at last with room for people to come from far and wide to stay.

A post of thank you's to come but for now here's some pics:

Tourer for Sale

3 berth Abi Marauder for sale 

£450 - pick up only

Been used for extra space for breakfasts and occasional office while building a house. 

Working gas hob and grill, electric hook up and leisure battery, new Whale hand pump tap, new door lock with keys. Clean, no damp. No gas fire but I've been using a plug in electric heater.

Van is 3m 60cm long and the storage for gas & towbar is 1m 20cm so total of 4m 80cm long and 2m 5cm wide

Flat for rent!

 Lovely 2 bedroom 1^st floor flat available from mid March

Parking & 2 entrances – will be painted white & floors sanded.

£500pm + bills 

Its moving too fast to document...

More and more happens and I get further and further behind!

But I've scrambled together a few photos off Rob's computer and he is taking more today - we spent the weekend scraping and sopping up the plaster that had been dropped on the concrete (see pics of plasterers below!) so that John could come today to polish it...then Lawrence comes Wednesday to jet wash it then we seal it Thursday.  It isn't exactly clean but then, we're not that fussy.

So, more up to date pics to come but here is a hint of what has been happening in Cae Bach.

We've got stairs so no more ladders:

Landing:

 We've driven builders potty with our doors - each one a different size, bent and in need of work to get door knobs in - but they do look great. Can't change them now anyway, as each frame is clearly different:

Kitchen a few days ago - it now has fridge, sink and tap, and the shelf you can see on the side is up but need new photos. We're painting it a blue we've yet to finally pick:

Inside the study, shelves and desk. I've ordered a double decker sofa/day bed from Loaf and it has millimetres to spare so I'm hoping they are as good as their word and put it up for me!

The weatherboarding is almost finished now but this was when the glass porch out the back was installed. Rob wishes he'd had it on more of an angle but it is looking like it'll be a good spot to be outside and out of the rain...especially for cats:

The final slates over the undercroft entrance...

 
More to come asap!

Happy New Year!

I know - it has been ages but there has been some redundancy business and a Christmas and a boozy new year to get through...and a lots been happening.

The plasterers came with their amazing stilts...

The first coat of paint was sprayed...

Here's a little tour, starting with the studio:

Studio from the utility:

Utility - this has the heating controls, water tank, electrics, a drying cupboard and sink:

Front door and hall - some boot storage and a dog gate to come:

Kitchen (left), living room (right):

Little bathroom downstairs and bedroom door on the left:

Office window - desk to come in front of the window:

TV/little spare bedroom. Just bought a sofabed!

Our bedroom...

Our bathroom...turning into my favourite room!

It all begins again tomorrow - warmcel coming to insulate the walls (hoping they are not soaked through after this Christmas) and then we're meeting men about concrete floors while Colin the builder gets on with the garage, finishing the roof and then some cladding.

Lots to do but it really shouldn't be long now...really!

Airtight! (We can still open windows though - in case you're worried...)

Here are a few pics of the window/door fitting, membrane sticking and MVHR pipework...I'll take some of the windows and doors themselves, and of the MVHR unit at the weekend.

But for now, they had to cut away the blockwork to put in the compac foam with enormous screws to support the doors (this is the front door). Then we'll have to build back around it...

I think this is the downstairs bedroom window - it has been covered on the outside to protect the window box from the endless RAIN: it is just ply at the moment so we don't want to let it get soggy. When the exterior trusses are built there will be another 300ml of Warmcel added to the outside to meet the weatherboard etc and the edges of the window boxes...and we have quite large interior as well as exterior window ledges as we like the idea of them...you can see the redder ply here, which will be plastered:

Below is a shot of the MVHR pipes (which transfer warm air around the house) snaking around the ground floor ceiling - apparently they need to go back around and add all the bolts - the pipes fit neatly into one another but to avoid rattling they need to be connected. And then...Rob found an unopened box of specialist foam...which should have been placed around the pipes where they come into contact with the wood...so he got as much in as he could yesterday but some sections have been plasterboarded already and we can't get to them!

Our house being wrapped up!

And proof in the pudding...it was a bit nervewracking but after some drying (with hairdryers!) lots of taping, and lots of crevice filling, the first airtightness test came in with a figure of .35 on sucking and .5 on the blowing...rather good apparently! (I think 10 is the required level for new homes?)

We know this good figure will be weakened by a few things - the membrane will be punctured as the trusses go on and the MVHR unit now has got its hole in the side of the house, for example - but fingers crossed we'll be very snug!