Finally the work on our house has begun. The whole thing started last June when I got itchy feet to move house, with one thing and another, (maily the stamp duty) we decided to stay put and do some home improvements instead.
First of all we were going to have an extension, but as you’ll know from previous blog posts that plan was scuppered when just before Christmas the builders tried to increase the quote on the job by 50%. Plan B was born…
Taking out the french doors and replacing with bifold doors, installing a new kitchen, raising the floor in a the back of the kitchen, blocking up a back door, underfloor heating, new flooring, removal of a chimney breast to give a flat wall and the reintroduction of a chimney so we could install a wood-burning stove. Phew!!
Apparently this whole thing will take 4-6 weeks. At first we thought we would try and move out to an Airbnb but it was working out around £1000 a week for somewhere near the girls school, so that idea was out. Instead we got removal men to pack up our kitchen, put it in to storage and put a makeshift kitchen in our hallway. So we have a microwave, coffee machine, kettle, toaster and cutlery with a fridge freezer in the study. We have access to our washing machine at night and so far it’s working a treat.
Within the first few days they had removed EVERYTHING from the kitchen/family room. The main steel to support the area where the bi-folding doors is going to go arrived, but due to health and safety and the steel being on the wrong truck, they couldn’t deliver it, instantly putting us behind by a week. Another steel was discovered near the chimney breast that’s being removed, which meant we had to call the structural engineer to recalculate. Everything back on track now though.
I like my builders, they’re local and friends of a friend. We looked at all their previous work and had an honest chat beforehand about what we expected, we have a schedule of works which gives us a good idea of what is going to happen and when. Fingers crossed we can keep the good relationship going.
Finally we are on a tile hunt. I want wood effect tiles in the main area of the family room because they conduct the heat from the underfloor heating better than wood, but I would like a patterned navy tile to go in the kitchen area. Who knew it was so difficult to get navy. Below are the tiles that we’ve ordered samples of, let me know what you think.