Ugly methinks or maybe baaaad, never good. Tis gone from around the fireplace. I'm loving it!
On the slightly less good news front - some tiles fell of the bathroom wall and knocked a radiator off the wall. Keith has drained the system to prevent a flood! Ooops!
The pine panel ceiling has now been removed from the downstairs bathroom and I could see today that there appears to be insulation in the sloping roof. Lots of draughts though as there are a lot of little gaps too!
Tuesday 27 October 2009
Monday 26 October 2009
A Modern Home
I'm into my IT - it's what I do for a living - so it makes sense that my new home will be equipped with the latest and greatest gadgets. I currently enjoy a 50mb cable line into my home which comes in very handy with the work that I do, for example.
When it comes to home networking, I like the idea of having CAT5e/CAT6a cable running into every room in the house (with the possible exception of the bathroom, of course). Do I need to do this though? Won't wireless "cut the mustard"?
As I see it, I would like to future proof the house as much as possible. If I want to stream HD video, CATxx cabling would be beneficial. If I want super-fast backup capability for each laptop, CATxx cabling would be beneficial. If I want to play about with home automation technologies, CATxx cabling would be beneficial.
And then there is the option of using the home's electrical wiring to carry data signals using those spectacularly good 200mbs bridge devices - I use one at present and it works a treat!
So the options are:
When it comes to home networking, I like the idea of having CAT5e/CAT6a cable running into every room in the house (with the possible exception of the bathroom, of course). Do I need to do this though? Won't wireless "cut the mustard"?
As I see it, I would like to future proof the house as much as possible. If I want to stream HD video, CATxx cabling would be beneficial. If I want super-fast backup capability for each laptop, CATxx cabling would be beneficial. If I want to play about with home automation technologies, CATxx cabling would be beneficial.
And then there is the option of using the home's electrical wiring to carry data signals using those spectacularly good 200mbs bridge devices - I use one at present and it works a treat!
So the options are:
- stick with wireless
- use the electrical system
- run dedicated CATxx cabling to each room
The Imagery Evolves
The artist in the family has been at it again. This time, it has been mocking up some more sketches of the front elevation and the upstairs floorplan.
We're basically settled on the idea that the dormers will be removed and replaced with Velux windows and that the study will have two long windows inserted instead of the small one that is in place just now. And, we are basically settled on the idea of a sloped front extension rather than a flat-roofed one (as long as the stairs can handle it internally).
The upstairs floorplan, however, has been revamped ever so slightly as there is now a room for a washing machine and tumble-drier. Not exactly a radical evolution but at least it matches the way that we actually live our lives. Why take clothes downstairs just to wash them and cart them back upstairs?
We're basically settled on the idea that the dormers will be removed and replaced with Velux windows and that the study will have two long windows inserted instead of the small one that is in place just now. And, we are basically settled on the idea of a sloped front extension rather than a flat-roofed one (as long as the stairs can handle it internally).
The upstairs floorplan, however, has been revamped ever so slightly as there is now a room for a washing machine and tumble-drier. Not exactly a radical evolution but at least it matches the way that we actually live our lives. Why take clothes downstairs just to wash them and cart them back upstairs?
Friday 23 October 2009
Where are we now
Haven't been able to get up to see where we are but I am reliably informed that the utility room at the back of the garage is empty, the tiles have been removed from the kitchen, attic emptied, ponds drained, garden waste gone, doors, frames and skirtings removed. Basically - anything removable has been! Will update after tomorrows visit.
Tuesday 20 October 2009
The Latest Floorplans
Until the architect gets us a decent set of plans, the best we can offer just now are sketches on graph paper. They are mighty good sketches, however...
The downstairs layout rarely changes with each iteration of the sketch. A large extension out the back of the house will be for the new sitting room and kitchen and the downstairs bathroom gets converted into a WC and an ensuite.
Upstairs, the plan seems to evolve somewhat more. The extension will provide a master bedroom with ensuite and the bathroom "grows" into the main supporting wall with the landing moving from one side of the wall to the other.
Of course, the architect could say that the plans are rubbish or impossible. But it is a start.
The downstairs layout rarely changes with each iteration of the sketch. A large extension out the back of the house will be for the new sitting room and kitchen and the downstairs bathroom gets converted into a WC and an ensuite.
Upstairs, the plan seems to evolve somewhat more. The extension will provide a master bedroom with ensuite and the bathroom "grows" into the main supporting wall with the landing moving from one side of the wall to the other.
Of course, the architect could say that the plans are rubbish or impossible. But it is a start.
Monday 19 October 2009
Well - It's The Time Of Year For Bonfires
Today was another hard day's labouring. The bulker skip that was filled over the weekend was removed from the site and replaced with an empty skip. The second shed came down after much huffing and puffing and the two sheds combined managed to fill the second skip (with the help of some internal doors, carpets and other bits and bobs.
With the spiralling cost of skips starting to make our original budgets looking quite pathetic, it was time for some DRASTIC action. The trees and branches that had been taken down to provide access to the site were piled up in the back garden and a match set to them.
The result? A fantastic bonfire that burned for seven hours!
Without my brother, I wouldn't be anywhere close to having a cleared site but as it stands, the house is almost empty, the ponds have been drained, the sheds removed and most of the "overgrowth" dealt with.
With the spiralling cost of skips starting to make our original budgets looking quite pathetic, it was time for some DRASTIC action. The trees and branches that had been taken down to provide access to the site were piled up in the back garden and a match set to them.
The result? A fantastic bonfire that burned for seven hours!
Without my brother, I wouldn't be anywhere close to having a cleared site but as it stands, the house is almost empty, the ponds have been drained, the sheds removed and most of the "overgrowth" dealt with.
Team Falling Into Place
Friday was a busy day:
The Skip
The skip was filled within an hour meaning that the quantity of stuff that needs to be removed may make it an economic challenge to continue to use skips. The flip side, of course, is that it is an economic challenge to remove the stuff using trailers as the cost of petrol/diesel is so high these days. The clearance will be more expensive than original estimated.
In a way, this is a good thing. It's best to see how costs can escalate so easily at this stage of the project!
The Solicitor
The solicitor was great - what a gentleman. My one hour chat covering conveyancing, second mortgages, stamp duty and wills was relatively painless compared to my expectations!
The Architect
Having informed discussions with professionals is always a bit of an eye-opener I reckon. For example, I have in my mind and budget of 'X' and the architect reckons 'X + X/2' is more realistic. I have in my mind a moving in date of June 2010 and the architect reckons September 2010.
I'm in no position to say that he is wrong or even to believe that I can prove him wrong. After all, he is the professional who does this kind of thing day-in/day-out and, as with the cost of skip hire, it is better to have an understanding of these issues now rather than be surprised further down the line.
However, the budget I have in mind was based on a couple of factors:
My thinking went along these lines:
£45K - Extension work (basic build)
£15K - New Kitchen
£10K - Roof works
£10K - Sliding doors in extension
£10K - Flooring
£10K - Driveway
£10K - Bathrooms (x3)
£10K - Windows
£7.5K - Re-wiring
£6K - Minor Works (blocking up walls, lengthening windows, CAT6 cabling, etc)
£5K - Underfloor heating
£5K - High Pressure Water System
£5K - Replumb
£5K - Solar Panels
£4K - Stairs
£3K - Doors (Internal & Skirting)
£1.5K - Doors (External)
That all comes in at about £160K! I'm sure there are savings that can be made in there but I'm also sure that I've probably under-budgeted in some places. I'm not a quantity-surveyor after all and some of the above can be classified as "nice-to-have" rather than absolute necessities.
The long and short of it is that, in a very short space of time, I should have a realistic idea of how much all of this is going to cost. It would seem that I won't be in any position to retire in the foreseeable future!
- Skip turned up (provided by Ace Bates Skip Hire)
- Met with my new solicitor - Joseph Greyston of McCann & Greyston
- Architect turned up - Alan Bennett
The Skip
The skip was filled within an hour meaning that the quantity of stuff that needs to be removed may make it an economic challenge to continue to use skips. The flip side, of course, is that it is an economic challenge to remove the stuff using trailers as the cost of petrol/diesel is so high these days. The clearance will be more expensive than original estimated.
In a way, this is a good thing. It's best to see how costs can escalate so easily at this stage of the project!
The Solicitor
The solicitor was great - what a gentleman. My one hour chat covering conveyancing, second mortgages, stamp duty and wills was relatively painless compared to my expectations!
The Architect
Having informed discussions with professionals is always a bit of an eye-opener I reckon. For example, I have in my mind and budget of 'X' and the architect reckons 'X + X/2' is more realistic. I have in my mind a moving in date of June 2010 and the architect reckons September 2010.
I'm in no position to say that he is wrong or even to believe that I can prove him wrong. After all, he is the professional who does this kind of thing day-in/day-out and, as with the cost of skip hire, it is better to have an understanding of these issues now rather than be surprised further down the line.
However, the budget I have in mind was based on a couple of factors:
- Costings I had pulled together for each detailed alteration plus buffer
- A budget which would allow us to remain mortgage free after the sale of our current home
My thinking went along these lines:
£45K - Extension work (basic build)
£15K - New Kitchen
£10K - Roof works
£10K - Sliding doors in extension
£10K - Flooring
£10K - Driveway
£10K - Bathrooms (x3)
£10K - Windows
£7.5K - Re-wiring
£6K - Minor Works (blocking up walls, lengthening windows, CAT6 cabling, etc)
£5K - Underfloor heating
£5K - High Pressure Water System
£5K - Replumb
£5K - Solar Panels
£4K - Stairs
£3K - Doors (Internal & Skirting)
£1.5K - Doors (External)
That all comes in at about £160K! I'm sure there are savings that can be made in there but I'm also sure that I've probably under-budgeted in some places. I'm not a quantity-surveyor after all and some of the above can be classified as "nice-to-have" rather than absolute necessities.
The long and short of it is that, in a very short space of time, I should have a realistic idea of how much all of this is going to cost. It would seem that I won't be in any position to retire in the foreseeable future!
Wednesday 14 October 2009
When the extreme gardeners have gone
It's not easy to see but this is all the shrubbery which has been cut out ready for the biggest skip in the world which arrives on Friday
The Ex-kitchen...
The original kitchen colour can be seen on the remaining cupboard door. It was the height of fashion in its day.
Tuesday 13 October 2009
Amazing what can be done by one strong man!
I am exhausted and I only did 2 hours today (I have children to look after too!). The old dark brown kitchen is gone - apart from the sink in case we need a drink. Keith did all the hard work - sledgehammer job and everything taken to the dump. The wall tiles have been removed now too. Need to remember to take up the camera tomorrow.
The room is significantly lighter now - you can actually see the light hitting the wall rather than being absorbed.
Kitchen tiles to be taken up, doors, skirtings and carpets to be removed. Pond to be drained and still a lot of "stuff" still to be binned or packed.
The room is significantly lighter now - you can actually see the light hitting the wall rather than being absorbed.
Kitchen tiles to be taken up, doors, skirtings and carpets to be removed. Pond to be drained and still a lot of "stuff" still to be binned or packed.
I Only Turned My Back For A Moment
Well, I actually jumped into a plane and headed off to work rather than turning my back for a moment. Regardless, in my absence the old kitchen in Carnhill has been removed. I'm actually quite pleased that it has gone and a little disappointed I wasn't there to see it. Having said that, I'm now looking forward to getting home to see how big the kitchen looks without the units.
The images I've been sent via camera-phones are encouraging!
I'm intrigued to know how the above was achieved. Was it a considered approach to the removal of the units or was it the sledgehammer approach. And I'm busting to see what the other side of the kitchen looks like!
I'm led to believe that the large ponds in the back garden are being "drained" this afternoon. I wonder how many carp corpses will clog the pump?
The images I've been sent via camera-phones are encouraging!
I'm intrigued to know how the above was achieved. Was it a considered approach to the removal of the units or was it the sledgehammer approach. And I'm busting to see what the other side of the kitchen looks like!
I'm led to believe that the large ponds in the back garden are being "drained" this afternoon. I wonder how many carp corpses will clog the pump?
Monday 12 October 2009
White Goods Gone
My brother is too good sometimes. While I sit in front of a PC and do my day's work, he's ensuring that things are progressing at Carnhill by single-handedly taking the washing machines, dishwasher, fridge freezer and oven away to the recycling centre. The kitchen is almost empty - just the units to be relieved of their duties now.
It's amazing how much progress can be made in such a short period of time with the right people and the right equipment!
On Friday, a 'bulker' skip will arrive for the garden waste to be loaded into it. Apparently this bad boy is HUGE but I'm still concerned it won't be big enough to take everything that was felled yesterday.
Friday will also see me meet up with my new solicitor. The solicitor was given a glowing recommendation by a friend of mine - in fact, they were one of only two solicitors that anyone recommended!
It feels that things are starting to move after a period of stagnation. Now, all I need are plans and planning permission/building control approval!
It's amazing how much progress can be made in such a short period of time with the right people and the right equipment!
On Friday, a 'bulker' skip will arrive for the garden waste to be loaded into it. Apparently this bad boy is HUGE but I'm still concerned it won't be big enough to take everything that was felled yesterday.
Friday will also see me meet up with my new solicitor. The solicitor was given a glowing recommendation by a friend of mine - in fact, they were one of only two solicitors that anyone recommended!
It feels that things are starting to move after a period of stagnation. Now, all I need are plans and planning permission/building control approval!
Sunday 11 October 2009
Tree Felling
It's always disappointing to take trees down but sometimes it has got to be done. This weekend was a weekend of trying to get a grip on the over-growing back garden at Carnhill. The 40' tall Silver Birch was sited right at the corner of the new extension so it had to come down. About a third of the garden was hidden from view behind trees and shrubs which had to come down. And the hideous monstrosity that was the hydrangea was removed much to my delight - I hate those things!
The garden now seems really quite large now that there has been a bit of a clearance but it also highlighted that there is at least another week's work in the clearance process! Trees may have been felled, but they haven't been removed. I need a skip to arrive on Monday to help with that process.
Also, there are old wooden sheds that are falling to pieces which need demolished and taken away.
Thankfully, my brother has stepped into the breach to help with the clearance process. This will speed up progress dramatically.
This Week
This week will be a relatively busy week:
I'm away in Donegal next weekend - fishing! Bad timing I'm afraid as it seems there is still a lot to be done.
The garden now seems really quite large now that there has been a bit of a clearance but it also highlighted that there is at least another week's work in the clearance process! Trees may have been felled, but they haven't been removed. I need a skip to arrive on Monday to help with that process.
Also, there are old wooden sheds that are falling to pieces which need demolished and taken away.
Thankfully, my brother has stepped into the breach to help with the clearance process. This will speed up progress dramatically.
This Week
This week will be a relatively busy week:
- Garden clearance continues
- Garage contents to be sold
- Meetings with solicitor & architect (hopefully)
I'm away in Donegal next weekend - fishing! Bad timing I'm afraid as it seems there is still a lot to be done.
Friday 9 October 2009
The Imagery & Inspiration
Current House
So the house we will be renovating is almost 30 years old and a fairly standard house for the time. The original drawings have been found (albeit they are quite old and have faded) and show the house's front elevation looking like this:
In reality, it looked like this:
The Mockups
The idea, however, is to remodel the front of the house to accommodate stairs being moved internally. Also, the rather old-fashioned looking dormer windows would be replaced with velux-style windows and the roof tiles replaced with something a little less "red". Mock-up sketches have been drawn to help explain the plans to whatever architects we can find to do the work:
This should allow the stairs to swing from the rear of the house into something like this:
The next idea was to try to get a decent master bedroom with en-suite, swing the living space to the rear and have a full-height glass "wall" looking out into the garden, like so:
This would give us a downstairs floor plan which is much more usable than the current floor plan and a kitchen which is integrated with the living space.
The kitchen would be kitted out with no cupboards above the working space (as the kitchen should be large enough to accommodate all necessary storage requirements below the working space. We think it gives us a great space to entertain as well as relax while looking out on to what should be a great decking/patio area in front of a well-manicured lawn!
Is That Really Me
For a really scary sight though... check this image out. Can you tell which child is me?
Wednesday 7 October 2009
Exciting News
Great news today - the bank are willing to give us a 90% mortgage over 26 years! In this financial climate that is such good news and means that we are ready to rumble. Need a solicitor asap to get the ball rolling. Need to remember to get the place insured too...
Saturday 3 October 2009
Dirty Deeds
Today was a day for hacking down trees which were over-hanging the pond. The pond is a health hazard when there are children running about so removing the trees and cutting the grass so little people can actually see that the pond exists had to be a priority.
The tree removal also allowed the corner of the site to be seen (at last). Unfortunately, the tree remains are piled high in a heap in the garden and will need removed. My little 6x4 trailer will not be able to carry it in one load. It must be time for the skip.
The remains for last weekend's hacking in the front garden were taken away today. The front still looks messy, but a lot less messy than before.
The real excitement today, however, took place indoors. There is still plenty of "stuff" to sift through and it was while sifting through some old photographs that I came across two fantastic finds. The deeds! And the original house plans!
Oh joy - the architect (when I find one) will be most pleased to have the original plans. This, in effect, gives us the all clear to proceed as failure to find this documents was going to be mightily troublesome.
On the architect front (and builder and solicitor)... I sent an email to those people I have the utmost respect for and asked them for recommendations. I've only had one response so far and it is for the position of builder. I do hope I get recommendations for the other positions soon.
The tree removal also allowed the corner of the site to be seen (at last). Unfortunately, the tree remains are piled high in a heap in the garden and will need removed. My little 6x4 trailer will not be able to carry it in one load. It must be time for the skip.
The remains for last weekend's hacking in the front garden were taken away today. The front still looks messy, but a lot less messy than before.
The real excitement today, however, took place indoors. There is still plenty of "stuff" to sift through and it was while sifting through some old photographs that I came across two fantastic finds. The deeds! And the original house plans!
Oh joy - the architect (when I find one) will be most pleased to have the original plans. This, in effect, gives us the all clear to proceed as failure to find this documents was going to be mightily troublesome.
On the architect front (and builder and solicitor)... I sent an email to those people I have the utmost respect for and asked them for recommendations. I've only had one response so far and it is for the position of builder. I do hope I get recommendations for the other positions soon.
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