Its been quiet on the blog front but that is primarily because I have been away and things are very busy on the work front at the moment. Was in Argentina in the field for two weeks and then in Norway for a couple of days, back to Stavanger tomorrow so not much spare time for the house.
The big news is that we should be finished by next Tuesday! Yes really next week! That's when we plan for the final inspection and potential hand over subject to minor bits and bobs being corrected. We were getting sceptical that they would get it done before the baby arrives, but it seems like it might just happen...
Was on site today to answer a few questions and its bedlam there. About 15 vans and trucks parked outside and all sorts of tradesman zipping past each other to get their bits finished in time. It's super-exciting!
Will post more at the weekend and next week including pictures...
Wednesday, 20 March 2013
Saturday, 16 February 2013
I can now walk down stairs and get a chilled glass of wine from the kitchen...
... because we now have stairs, a wine chiller and the bones of a kitchen :-)
Work progresses at a steady rate. The stairs were constructed by a joinery in Stonehaven, based on some pictures we found on the internet. They are looking very nice, perhaps better than we had imagined. The corian work tops are in, in the kitchen, as are all the appliances except the cooker. All the floors are complete and they start on the bathrooms next week.
Outside the groundworks are progressing and there are drains and cables and pipes going in all over the place. Having finally got rid of the old stonewall in front of the house you get a nice idea of how big the garden will be.
Interesting discussion with the builders about the landing plate at the top of the stairs. It has a slight lip on it (by design) which to them is fine but screams "trip hazard" to our oil industry, HSE sodden brains! You think you are immune to all the brainwashing but you realise that simply through a process of attrition, some of it effects your view of the world. To cleanse my sole I am going to run up and down my new stairs with an unlidded cup of coffee in one hand and a pair of scissors in the other...
Work progresses at a steady rate. The stairs were constructed by a joinery in Stonehaven, based on some pictures we found on the internet. They are looking very nice, perhaps better than we had imagined. The corian work tops are in, in the kitchen, as are all the appliances except the cooker. All the floors are complete and they start on the bathrooms next week.
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| Stairs are in and looking good |
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| Work tops are on in the Kitchen and the wine chiller is installed. No kettle yet, so glass of wine it is then. |
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| Remember that curved piece of steel... |
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| Katharine admiring her masterpiece of design |
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| Much better without that wall... |
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| Space for a lot of poo! Getting installed next week. |
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| Trip hazard or oil industry perpetuated paranoia? Either way its going to be changed. |
Sunday, 10 February 2013
Scaffolding Down
Last weekend I was down at the site cutting logs and doing some tidying up. Whilst working (read dicking around), I managed to get the Range Rover well and truly stuck (high centred) in some very deep mud. The weather has been pretty poor and the place looks like the Somme. I tried for an hour and a half to get it out but to no avail. So I left it there with a view to coming back Monday morning and eating a large slice of humble pie and getting a tow off the builders.
By the time I arrived on Monday morning, they had already dragged it clear and set to work taking down the scaffolding. This represents the start of the next major phase, working on the ground work outside (drains etc) and I was too excited to be embarrassed about my poor landrovering skills.
This was the first time that we have seen the place without the scaffold and it looks amazing. We are very happy with the way its coming along. Inside they have continued with fitting kitchens, laying floors and doing electrics.
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| First views of the house and bothy without the scaffolding |
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| View of main entrance and extension |
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| They have also been busy inside, tiling and painting |
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| Another view of the kitchen and living area |
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| Another view of the house with no scaffolding - its so exciting! |
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| The bosses checking out the bothy kitchen |
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| Place looks rather like a WWI battle field |
Sunday, 3 February 2013
Week 47 - On the home straight
Lots to report, partly because its been a while and partly because they have been very busy since the New Year started. We got all the windows in before Christmas so the place was finally wind and water tight which was good to know since there was no one about and we headed south over the holiday.
The guys were back at full speed with the New Year, and since the start of January the underflooring heating has been laid, the wooden floors upstairs, the stone tiles in the downstairs are going down, the utility room is in, the kitchen is half in, the skirting and down frames are done, some of the cupboards fitted out and the place has had a first coat of paint. On the outside the place has been rendered and the stonework pointed. In the bothy the floors are down, the kitchen is in, as is the spiral stair. Phew - I am tired just listing all that!
The fireplace for the bothy was too small, right Kw but it takes logs that are a maximum length of 10 cm. I like cutting wood, but not that much! So we sent it back and the very nice people at the fireplace company (Robertsons Stone Centre) agreed to change it for the next model up at no additional cost. Nice people!
Unlike Vicaima who supplied the interior doors, they took 10 weeks to arrive and when they came they were the wrong ones (our fault, well actually their crappy website but...). Anyway they refused to swap them, despite the fact they were off the shelf, miserable buggers! Fortunately our friendly builders offered to buy them off us, so all was not lost.
Current timeframe says we will be in by the end of February, so there is still lots to happen in the next 26 days - watch this space....
The guys were back at full speed with the New Year, and since the start of January the underflooring heating has been laid, the wooden floors upstairs, the stone tiles in the downstairs are going down, the utility room is in, the kitchen is half in, the skirting and down frames are done, some of the cupboards fitted out and the place has had a first coat of paint. On the outside the place has been rendered and the stonework pointed. In the bothy the floors are down, the kitchen is in, as is the spiral stair. Phew - I am tired just listing all that!
The fireplace for the bothy was too small, right Kw but it takes logs that are a maximum length of 10 cm. I like cutting wood, but not that much! So we sent it back and the very nice people at the fireplace company (Robertsons Stone Centre) agreed to change it for the next model up at no additional cost. Nice people!
Unlike Vicaima who supplied the interior doors, they took 10 weeks to arrive and when they came they were the wrong ones (our fault, well actually their crappy website but...). Anyway they refused to swap them, despite the fact they were off the shelf, miserable buggers! Fortunately our friendly builders offered to buy them off us, so all was not lost.
Current timeframe says we will be in by the end of February, so there is still lots to happen in the next 26 days - watch this space....
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| Outside, pretty much finished, including the pointing and the rendering of the extension |
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| Big windows in - finally |
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| Windows from Nordan - Finally |
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| Kitchen half in... |
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| There will be a stair case here... |
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| The heat recovery unit, this is about the only place they have laid the wooden floor and then not covered it with protective material. So its the best chance to see how it looks |
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| Main bedroom |
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| Making the most of the scaffold before it disappears |
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| Bothy kitchen in |
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| Spiral stair in bothy |
Monday, 24 December 2012
Christmas 2012
We had initially hoped to be in for Christmas this year but the weather and Nordan have conspired against us. Its good to have this blog and to be able to look back and realise how far we have come in the last 9 months because at times it seems really slow.
All of the windows are now in and the place is finally fully wind and water-tight. The taper has been in and most of the plasterboard is taped up. The relevant parts of outside has been rendered, now all thats left is
Second fix plumbing and electrics, bathrooms, tiles, flooring, kitchen fitting, cupboards, painting and the garden.
Current plan says we will be in by the end of Feb. we shall see.
In the meantime wishing you all a Happy Christmas
All of the windows are now in and the place is finally fully wind and water-tight. The taper has been in and most of the plasterboard is taped up. The relevant parts of outside has been rendered, now all thats left is
Second fix plumbing and electrics, bathrooms, tiles, flooring, kitchen fitting, cupboards, painting and the garden.
Current plan says we will be in by the end of Feb. we shall see.
In the meantime wishing you all a Happy Christmas
Saturday, 1 December 2012
Week 38
I have been away in the Middle East for two weeks so I was pretty excited to get back and see what was happening. Things have really slowed down since the windows were delayed. There has not been anything to do inside until the place is wind and water tight. Outside the stone masons, who never cease to amaze me with their talent have been building the outside walls. Those are now finished.
When I got down there on Thursday, the Bothy windows were in. That looks fantastic and gives a taste of what the other bits are going to look like. There was also a front door and the external walls were all finished. Even more exciting there was a large pile of windows which had finally been delivered. I was back on on Friday afternoon and the joiners had already put most of them in. I also chatted to Ian (the foreman) and he said that they should be finished with the windows early next week which should see things speed up again.
When I got down there on Thursday, the Bothy windows were in. That looks fantastic and gives a taste of what the other bits are going to look like. There was also a front door and the external walls were all finished. Even more exciting there was a large pile of windows which had finally been delivered. I was back on on Friday afternoon and the joiners had already put most of them in. I also chatted to Ian (the foreman) and he said that they should be finished with the windows early next week which should see things speed up again.
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| The Bothy with windows and a door |
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| Very nice stone work |
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| Nice light for taking pictures of the house and bothy |
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| Inside, everything that can be done has been |
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| We have a front door! Very exciting! |
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| A selection of windows - about time |
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| Some of the windows already in |
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| Can't wait to see this without scaffolding. Should be in about 2 weeks. |
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| My wall is just about finished |
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| View of farm and steading from the east |
Tuesday, 30 October 2012
Time lapse animals
This week the timelapse camera has captured a few interesting things (but no space aliens). There is rabbits galore, these two seemed especially relaxed, especially considering what is hunting them.
The next view is the back of what is hunting them - a large buzzard. Interestingly we have never seen any foxes in the area.
Finally the night camera captured this chap. It gives an indication of how big their territory is when you consider the closest house is over 500 m away, which, if your legs are only 4 cm long is a pretty long way. Lola the fat cat is in for a bit of a surprise when we move in.
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The next view is the back of what is hunting them - a large buzzard. Interestingly we have never seen any foxes in the area.
Finally the night camera captured this chap. It gives an indication of how big their territory is when you consider the closest house is over 500 m away, which, if your legs are only 4 cm long is a pretty long way. Lola the fat cat is in for a bit of a surprise when we move in.
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