Graeme & Lorraine Build a House

22 November - Home!

2007-11-22T16:21:24+01:00

Well we are in. There are still a few things to sort out but the majority of the house is done and completed. Here are some shots from the outside now that the garden has been cleared of building material (mostly!).

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9 November - Moving In

2007-11-09T23:21:56+01:00

52 weeks after the first foundation was excavated, the house is ready for us - and we are ready to move in. We still can't believe this is going to be our home!

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2 November - Nearly There

2007-11-02T18:45:55+01:00

It's all been a mad rush, but there is just too many things left to finish off, so we have put the move back until next Saturday, 10th. It should mean that everything will be completely finished rather than needing to have the various trades live with us for the next week. It also means it will be exactly 52 weeks after we started that we will be moving in.

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October 26 - The Stairs Have Landed

2007-10-26T19:26:02+02:00

Finally after many weeks of waiting and trepidation, the staircase arrived today from Poland. It was worth waiting for! A real piece of craftsmenship. Kitchen is also nearly finished and the Master en-suite is taking shape. One week to go and it is starting to resemble the last 2 minutes of "Changing Rooms".

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October 21 - Mad Rush to Finish!

2007-10-21T21:18:08+02:00

Anna paints her room a nice pink! Elsewhere, it seems like a lot to do in 2 weeks but I am sure we will be ready. Anna can always muck in with the painters if they get behind.

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10th October - Lights & Paint!

2007-10-10T21:08:30+02:00

The house is very busy just now with plasterers, painters, electricians and plumbers all over the place. We have also booked the removal van - 3rd November - less than 4 weeks. We can't believe it is finally actually happening!

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25 September - Sliding Folding Doors

2007-09-25T23:15:23+02:00

Finally, the sliding folding doors go in, and the insulation on the floor before the screed goes on.

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23 September - work continues inside

2007-09-23T17:16:13+02:00

Still waiting for the sliding folding doors to go in. Also waiting for plaster to be skimmed and the screed should go in next week. We also now have all of the services in - phone line now in and connection to main sewer complete. Still shooting for moving in before end of October.

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14th September - Windows almost all in

2007-09-14T19:05:57+02:00

The rest will go in over the weekend, except the sliding folding doors. They are coming next week. We are still on track for completing end of October.

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12 September - First window goes in

2007-09-13T18:29:36+02:00

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9 September - Plastering has started

2007-09-09T19:06:19+02:00

Windows are due tomorrow. In the meantime the plastering has started and the porch is just about finished.

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25 August - Not Much Visible Progress

2007-08-26T13:51:33+02:00

Most of the work at the moment is inside so not much visible progress whilst we wait for the windows. They are due w/b 3rd September. I did manage to get the trampoline fully set-up which keeps the kids busy during our visits.

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4 August - Low Roof Goes On

2007-08-04T18:22:22+02:00

Main visible progress this week has putting on the low roof over the kitchen and putting a brick pier into the dining room. The brick pier was needed as it turns out the structural engineer hadn't specified the 5m steel lintel that supports a large part of upstairs - and we had some resulting cracking of the brickwork! The electrical 1st fix is also almost complete.

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14 July - Scaffolding comes down

2007-07-14T20:43:57+02:00

With the roof finished and the guttering on, the scaffolding has come down (with the exception of the small platforms needed to do the low roofs over the porch and back of the kitchen). The electrician and plumber have started their first fix.

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1 July - Roof Almost Finished

2007-07-01T15:00:37+02:00

We didn't make it to the house last week due to the bad weather, but there was a break in the rain today and we managed to get along to take some photos of the roof. It should be finished this week (weather permitting) and the guttering will go on and the scaffolding will start to come down.

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17 June - Father's Day Visit

2007-06-17T20:09:41+02:00

Roof halfway there. The Soffit and Fascia boards (the white bits around the edge of the roof) are on and the roof tiles will start to go on next week. The attic has also been floored for future conversion.

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11 June - Roof Goes On

2007-06-11T20:24:21+02:00

It's amazing what can be achieved in a day. Most of the roof trusses are on. This is supposed to take 2 weeks, so not sure what they will be doing for the other 9 days.

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Week 30 - More Preparation for Roof

2007-06-10T19:14:06+02:00

The wallplate is on (the wooden strip on top of the brick to connect the roof to the rest of the house) and the fall protection is in place. The roof will take 2 weeks to put the trusses on and then another 2 weeks to put the tiles on.

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Week 29.5 - Roof ready to go

2007-06-06T21:31:41+02:00

Back from holiday and roof is about to go on.

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Week 28 - Upstairs Rooms

2007-05-26T19:52:34+02:00

Last visit before we go on holiday. The day we get back the upstairs should be completed and the roof should be going on. Did I say that it is getting exciting!

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Week 27 - Anna gets to stand in her room

2007-05-20T19:23:02+02:00

Progress has been slower than planned this week due to problems with supply of bricks and blocks etc. But the materials are all on site now, so it should shoot up (weather permitting) from here. Plan is for roof to start going on, on 6th June.

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Week 26 - Onwards and Upwards

2007-05-12T18:43:20+02:00

So it really feels like we are pushing forward. The floor is all in and sorted, the bricks are going up beyond the first floor. We have selected roof tiles and windows, and we are starting to do the thing Lorraine loves best - shopping!

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Week 22.5 - We Do Have a Floor!

2007-04-18T18:08:30+02:00

It is hard for me to believe after all of the problems, but we now have a floor. This means we can proceed to getting the bricks up to roof level. A couple of problems with steels on the day and we still have a 2 concrete slabs to go on, but that shouldn't hold things up. Whoopee!

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Week 21 - We have a stopcock

2007-04-08T14:22:35+02:00

Progress this week. Jim fitted a stopcock so that we can get a water supply connected.

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Week 20.5 - We almost had a floor

2007-04-08T14:14:48+02:00

So after a long wait, the floor went on - well almost. Due to a mistake by the builder, the architect, the steel fabricator or all 3, the floor wouldn't fit. Back to the drawing board - and another 2 week delay. Did I mention that this wasn't going to be easy!

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Week 20 - Steels are on

2007-04-08T14:02:28+02:00

(Pictures taken 1st April) The steel beams are on now ready to take the floor. Rosemary, Jim, Jennifer and Caitlin came to have a look.

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Week 19 - A view from the scaffolding

2007-04-08T13:53:29+02:00

(Pictures taken 25th March). Not much visibly has changed since February, although all of the lintels etc. are now on. We are waiting for the steel beams to support the pre-cast concrete floor. At least we can now get a view from above ground level and begin to imagine what it will be like looking out from the bedrooms on to the garden. We now have a new builder on board now, Charles, who will take the job on when we get the floor on and all the brickwork up to roof level.

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Week 14 - Work Restarts

2007-02-18T17:11:29+01:00

Since the last posting a lot has happened. Our main contractor has run into problems and we have had to re-engage all of our suppliers/sub-contractors directly. This has meant Graeme becoming Project Manager temporarily and having to order materials, scaffolding etc. So, after 5 weeks we are moving again. Some of the lintels are on, and barring surprises we should be ready for the first floor at the end of next week. There is then likely to be a delay of a couple of weeks for the first floor slab and steels to be delivered. We also hope to have another builder onboard to manage the job for us by then. No-one said it was going to be easy!!!!

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Week 9 - The kids lay their brick

2007-01-13T17:59:28+01:00

Jonathan visits the plot for the first time since building began and we put the kids brick in place.

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Week 7.5 of Build - We have Walls!

2007-01-02T23:52:06+01:00

Just back after Christmas and we have walls - at least internal walls. The external bricks have been delayed, so the brickies are about 1 week behind schedule. Oh, and they forgot a window! Just as well we visited!

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