Our house (or Good day sunshine)

Here it is, certainly the blog post we have been waiting for.....

We are in.  We actually moved in on February 13th (Friday, but all went well).  It was a rainy, cold, day.  Liam and myself moved everything up in 3 trips, the last trip ended with a Lethal Weapon conversation that basically replayed the "I'm to old for this sh!t" scene between Rigs and Murtaugh.  Thanks Liam.



Anyway, moved our stuff we did.  The next 2 weeks looked something like this.

The evening we moved in quickly turned into an evening of Holsten Pils, Champagne and a virtual house warming, class.  The pictures make more sense.

First dinner, we won't be dining like this every night.

The virtual house warming.  Clock wise from top left Ellie and flat mate in Liverpool; myself, Liam and Jodie in the new gaff; a web cam in the front living room; Brian in Maesteg and Dad and Paula in France.  

Before it turned into alcohol and friends across the internet, Rhian has got it looking like we knew it would, this is the Friday evening:

It has taken a while for Coney and Columbus to settle, indeed for a few days they seemed to be intent on burying themselves away in the safety of a duvet wherever they could find one.  Spot the cats:

It's the small things.  One thing you can do when you build your own house is get the small things done.  As the bedrooms are downstairs we thought the washing machine should be downstairs. So here is the little room with the washing machine, could be the poshest airing cupboard ever.

And with the doors closed....

This is what Saturday nights looks like...

Now, the house is almost complete indoors.  Outside we still need a driveway, fencing and some finishes to the deck.  Not withstanding all that, this is what it looks like on a sunny day (which is what is what designed for!)

View of the front door

Living space to the rear that has an elevated look into the trees, first think in the morning this lifts the soul

Part of the rear living space you can't see above is the kitchen

The front room (the one where the fire above is), we didn't think the old red sofa would cut it in the new house but the old thing has actually come it to its own

From the front door looking back in

Caitlin's room is looking, er, lived in?

Ellie's room, a bit of work to do before she comes home for Easter,

The master bedroom looking in and looking out...

The view out screams we need curtains.  The view out into the trees is onto a foot path, luckily we haven't woken up yet to dog walkers or whoever looking back in.  Coming soon, curtains and fencing.

Looking from the outside into the master bedroom, the finishing on top of the decking is clear.  Half the deck will have the steel railing, the unfinished part will have a glass finish.

It took over 4 years from start to where we are now, nearly finished.  At times we contemplated giving up.  There are a few cliches I could throw in here, needless to say we stuck at it and are so glad we did - it was worth it.

Thanks for reading.

State of the nation

A new order awaits, one more sleep, tomorrow the migration to our Grand Design in Coytrahen begins.  Actually, it began over 4 years ago, tomorrow we end it.  It's the closest Rhian and I have been to that night before Christmas feeling as kids.....probably won't sleep tonight, hence the wine.

We have tried to chip away at some things this week, a lot of packing by Rhian, some moving by both of us and I have achieved Olympic standard wardrobe wrestling.  The only thing me and Tiger Woods have in common is our backs are killing us, actually he is currently building a house as well but I digress.....

I thought a blog of the house the night before we move in would be a celebration of where we have got to and what is left.  The house is not finished, but the time has come.

First off, the results of the wardrobe wrestling....

Above, the master bedroom.  I might get the doors on later this year!

The above 2 photos are the dressing room between the master bedroom and its en-suite.

Ellie's bedroom, ready for when she returns from Liverpool, Easter I guess......

Caitlin on the other hand right in the thick of it sorting her room out.  Fairy lights - check, tables - check, toilet rolls - check.

The door mat at number 6.

The living room with the new bean bags, there will be a sofa and a tv and so on..... we haven't gone all weird.

We went to town a bit on the stools, but they work for us.......kitchen looks great.  Probably the one room that is more or less done.

Ellie decided to send her Mum some flowers to make the occasion, they went down very well.  Good work Ellie.

The essentials have been bought.

The stairs has its steps, they are covered up while we move our stuff in.  Also, the glass for the stairs and the hallway are yet to be delivered.

One more sleep......

The White Room

A lot has happened since the last blog, which was essentially the kitchen being completed.  And yet it feels like not much has happened.  Time seems to have stood still but we only have 5 more sleeps left in this God forsaken draft hole.

There are lots of things done, a load of things that are 90% done and a couple of things not done at all.  In the last category, alarmingly, is the stairs.  Probably the only thing that concerns us, the rest of it can be finished around us as it is mainly external works.

A bit of a milestone after the kitchen was fitted, the builders stores was removed from site, this made a difference to how the place felt, the view from the house out to the front changed completely as it was not a view of the stores and toilet!

Some shots from the weekend after the kitchen was fitted:

Below, the view to the front now the stores have been removed.

Below, the back room clutter free the day the tiler weaved his magic

Again, as there is no stores/toilet to the front, a timely day time shot of the front door and beyond...

We are now also able to take a different photo of the front of the house as we can stand where the stores used to be.

Another glimpse of the tiles, these are the steps down to the master bedroom...

Another tile shot...

And finally, doors.  We have gone for hardwood doors and this is how they have taken shape.  First the doors you see when you come through the front door.  Left to right, kitchen, living room, cupboard and toilet.

In Ellie's bathroom...

and in Caitlin's bedroom.  Behind one of these doors lies a bathroom...

...there it is!

The final photo shows the white walls, grouted tiles, straight lines, doors and handles all together.  This is the view down to the master bedroom.

Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, moving in day.......

:-)

You'll always find me in the kitchen at parties

The kitchen is done.  Yes, that's right, done.  The units were installed a couple of weeks ago, the work tops and other finishes have now been done.  There has also been some good progress on the tiling and other bits and pieces, but that's for another blog.

Above the second phase of the kitchen can be seen.  This resulted in worktop, glass splash back, hob, downdraft extractor, ambient lighting and pop up power supply.

We love it.  More gratuitous kitchen photos below....

We (well Rhian mainly) agonised over the materials and the colours for the kitchen.  As the rest of the room is fairly neutral, any colours that we would use to shape other things we wanted to do would come from the kitchen.  So, no pressure.

Caitlin and myself went the extra yard this week to bring the house to life.  Below is a video of the cooker hood.  It was filmed on my phone with Caitlins phone providing suitable music...enjoy...

Finally, one to show off the lights....

In addition to the kitchen, we have been able to take a different view of the outside as the workmans cabin has be removed.  Now, the view from the front living room looks like this...

Where the cabin was we can now stand and view the house.  Being able to stand back and view the cantilever room with the rest of the house felt like progress in itself.  Below, is the view back out fo the front room to where the cabin was.

20 sleeps to go.