Can you believe it - we're updating our blog and we've got progress to report!!
With the new ground floor done, and winter taking hold, Max and the guys turned their attention to the outside! Brrrrr! So scaffold went up at the back and they began stripping off the old first floor dormer extension (above). 
In next to no time the frame of the new first floor extension began to take shape (above) and the new pitched roof added (below).
It even looks like were getting somewhere on the inside, with the Thermafleece insulation being stuck between the timber frame.
And before we knew it, the slates were going on to the new back roof - wow! The only down side of the roof was the state of the original. It was pretty much shot. The guys have saved around 50% of the slates, so we're using new slate on all the back and then when we get to sticking the three solar panels on the front, the whole front roof will be stripped, re-felted, re-battened and re-slated using the original slate saved from the front and back, so it should still look old and match the neighbours!
With all this progress, we wondered what had happened to the smallest room...
Now the scaffolding is up at the back, the old dormer is mostly dismantled and the new framing is up - all in a few days! Now we need it to stop raining so the roof can come off. It could take a while!
Lack of blogging does not mean lack of work. I nearly said progress - now that would be pushing it!
No, between work, sourcing lots of things for the house (solar panels, radiators, etc), Steve swanning of to Botswana (see here for some pretty pics), both being under the weather and generally being emotionally knackered, we simply ain't had the time!
Ahead of EDF (we could be very rude but won't cos we might just end up in court as it is - they are sooooooo bad!) coming in to switch the leccy supply to the whole terrace (our two cottages and our our neighbour's Debbie and Tony's supply), the ever increasing mountain of rubble had to be taken off site. Enter one man and his grab truck. Now, this thing really can do some damage. Its a good job we needed to redo the drive!
Anyone who has watched any of those property developing programmes or Grand Designs will be familiar with the term 'unforeseens'. So are we.
The first 'unforeseen' was actually a foreseen that we hoped would not materialse. But it did. The back wall of no. 4 has been knocked about so much it couldn't withstand our new alterations, so, down it must come and a new wall up in its place. But that can't happen until the existing leccy cables running along its length are removed.
So, the leccy cables had to be done. Having finished the waste and rain water trenching and piping, much of the back garden had to be dug up again, even deeper this time, to lay the new leccy cale underground the whole length of the cottages. EDF came along today and laid the new leccy cable underground. You've got to admit, the back garden does have a certain something!
So, to a real unforeseen. Our builder, Max, was concerned about the state of the concrete floor. And with good reason. It took us a week to pick ourselves off the floor and decide to go ahead with this extra spend (and boy was it an 'extra'). The old floor came up and the bare earth (no foundations on these fen cottages) and in came the digger. Yep, a digger in your living room! I wonder what Liz is thinking she's going to put in that hole?
Above you can see the acros supporting the new steels that have just gone in having just taken out the main wall through the cottage to create our one large open plan living space. So, whilst Max played on his over-sized Tonka toy, Vas and Pete barrowed out the waste to create, another mound of muck and rubble! This is less than a quarter of what needs to come out. Its gonna be some pile!
And how are we feeling? Surprisingly calm! We have loads to think about. We're constantly thinking ahead looking at things we need to order in so things start to deliver as and when Max and the lads need them. We ain't really needing much yet - there's still much more coming out than going in!
We've had our stressful moments, especially when having to think about major overspends on unforeseens, but we settle back down once the decision is made and await the next one!
It's not just the house that's getting some attention! I'm not sure this wasn't all just an excuse to play with a nice yellow digger! I don't know what they're looking for, but I hope they find it soon.
and here it is!
These aren't quite the finished plans (I didn't have small enough images copied to hand to scan for here), but these aren't far off final plans.
At the front, the main change will be the removal of the existing hideous porches, reinstate an original type canopy over the main door (no.3 on left), and add a false door to no.4.
Its all change at the back! The current eyesore that is the dormer extension on no.4 goes and is replaced with a new first floor extension across the back of the entire property. This will house three bathrooms, a large double bedroom and our dressing room.
Here you can see the extent of the first floor extension, the extension of the current roofline to form a canopy along the rear of the house to the back door, and the new gable end windows for the main reception (ground) and study.
The new kitchen/diner replaces the kitchen, utility and bathroom of the current no.3. Receptions 2 and 3 are pretty much as they are now, but in no.4, the existing reception and kitchen are combined to form a great new large reception room with open staircase. The shower-room will serve reception 2 which doubles as a ground floor bedroom.
Upstairs, bedrooms 1 and 2 are as they are now, but with the addition of ensuite bathrooms and a dressing room for bedroom 1. The study is formed out of two existing bedrooms (and will double as another spare bedroom) whilst bedroom 3 and the bathroom are formed by the new extension.It's surprising how quickly a house can be reduced to its bare boards! Luckily we never liked it anyway!
Liz's office and spare bedroom number 1 soon became one room in preparation for our new office.
