The Build: week 8

We had our very own Black Wednesday last week. There was a thunderstorm and the rain came in. Someone flushed the loo when the soil pipe wasn't there! We said goodbye to the shower when the temperature was in the mid 20s. And then the blackest moment of all the washing machine was moved 2m to its right and gave up the ghost half way through a cycle. It was the proverbial final straw - I cried and ranted and swore and hit things. My children scattered, my husband tried to say the right things but I had to have my diva moment......or was it half an hour...or did it turn into 60 minutes.

Anyway let's just say it was good to clear the air and get perspective. It's an extension which we have chosen to undertake and to live in and through so really in the big scheme of things it's life.

My friend and mum-in-law did the pile of washing I had to clear - thank you so much. All the builders were great and realised it was the darkest hour and rallied round. I guess they get used to that initial high from clients when they are excited that work has started to be followed by downheartedness about 7 weeks later when the bathroom goes and the family is in limbo.

There is progress every day. Windows have gone in, the roof is finished, the underpinning completed, the bathroom is nearly ready for its transformation. And oh by the way the washing machine is working again. Apparently someone forgot to open a valve or something! How sweet the hum of a washing machine filling up, swishing, rinsing, spinning and draining is.

The Build: Week 6

We are still here in the middle of our building site. Lots and lots of activity helped along by the glorious weather. We can see now what the outside will look like and the house does look a lot friendlier for it. Two velux windows went in today in the kitchen - very exciting.

We have been a little preoccupied with our Juliette balcony. If you remember back to my post in March I mentioned how in an ideal world I would have a tower as part of this extension. Second best would have been a full blown balcony which again wasn't possible so we have settled for third best: a Juliette balcony. Actually it's more like a 'Julie' balcony. Due to the pitch of the roof under the balcony we can't quite have full length windows. We have had to settle for three-quarter windows but we are thankful for anything we can get.

David and I have made a full blown, forensic study of Juliette balconies as we have walked around the area. Surprisingly there are quite a lot of them and each and every one has a handle on the outside of the window. Now if you have a proper balcony upon which your butler serves you your morning paper, strong coffee and croissant every summer morning then you may indeed have need for a handle on the door exterior. The butler may gently close the balcony window as he retreats to his duties. Then once you have breakfasted you may have need of said handle on the outside of the door to get back in. But a Juliette door is a door to nowhere. It's a door to ventilation. It's a door with aspirations to being a balcony. A door with a view. You aren't going to cling to the balcony balustrade, close the door and then want to get back in. We are not a superhero Spiderfamily. Why would you need a handle on the outside? It just looks daft and clumsy.

Thus we have set the builder and window maker the task of ensuring there isn't a bloody big handle on the outside of our 'Julie' window which will annoy us to death from the garden. I thought Juliette balcony makers would have this little detail in hand but no. They manufacture these windows with proper handles. No doubt indeed because they are just patio windows but placed one storey or more up. Will keep you posted on the handle controversy.

The Build: Week 3

This week has mainly involved building brick walls....not much to say about that really other than they grow.

Much more exciting is our new table.We still have an oven - no hob mind-  but it does mean we are able to cook our evening meals. The problem comes when we need to actually eat said meal. We have no table. We are fine if the sun shines as we have a table in the garden but if it's cool or raining that is not an option. My husband cooked last Saturday and I was led into the children's bedroom to find an ironing board set for four between the children's beds. Two sat on one bed on one side and two on the bed on the other. It's perfect. I knew there was a reason we never tried for three children!  You can adjust it to the height you need and it is a perfect shape to fit between two beds. Next time I think we will splash out and bedeck it with a table cloth (if we can find one).

It's the most use the board has had in ages. I'm not one for pressing clothes. Long live the humble ironing board.

The Build: Week 2

The layers of dust are building up nicely.....let's hope they aren't accumulating in our lungs at the same time. A camping lifestyle has been fully embraced - not much access to the kitchen now due to the steel work going in. Relatives and friends are being just grand. And by the way putting steel work in looks damned hard work and full of potential frustrations to get it just right. A good job to throw lots of choice swear words at.

My husband has proved how good he is at squeezing the most clobber, stuff, rubbish, necessary belongings into the tightest of spaces. I have friends scouring the local area for cardboard boxes in which I can pile more necessary belongings. It's not all bad a friend asked for a cake tin the other day and miracles of miracles I was able to delve into a box and retrieve it with no trouble. Having said that coloured pencils and felt tips seem to have disappeared into the great wilderness of unnecessary things that is the front room.

The best bit though of this last week? A brick match man came to visit to advise the builder on yes you've guessed it the best match of bricks to our existing building. I am quite tickled brick pink that there is such a man whose sole job is to match you to your brick.  He knows texture, colour, size, history, where to get them, everything. Apparently our perfect brick is the Radcliff Smooth Red and lots have been arriving, providing breakfast entertainment for the children. I feel I may have lost my way in life - I could have been a brick match lady.

The Build: Week 1

The extension at 88 has started. Dust, dust, dust every where which as I rarely do any housework isn't much different to the norm and everything is so topsy turvy anyway there is no room to push a vac or any flat surface to swivel a duster upon.

The builder assures me that the first week is always difficult as they discover the good bits and the bad bits. The good bit: err...mmm...ahh....well.....yep...sharp in take of breath...what are the good bits? Ahh yes after 18 months in the planning the build has started and we will end up with a lovely home. Bad bit: very poor foundations to the existing single storey extension have been uncovered; a cracked drainage pipe (badly patched up by previous builder/plumber) and we are living kind of camping style before I realised we would be. I have an image of the original extension builder riding up in a Stetson having just galloped in from the American plains, playing poker in the one-horse town's saloon with our foundations as collateral. Alas he clearly lost the foundations in the card game and managed get out a town before any showdown with any local building inspector sheriffs who might query the loss of said foundations. But I had mentally prepared myself for a whole lot of palaver so am surprisingly emboldened. We are philosophical. David says 'It is as it is'.

It was my son's birthday the other day and he had to open his presents in an empty dining room and put all his cards up in his bedroom but he doesn't seem to care as there are lots of holes to peer down and he and his sister just don't know what they will find has happened in their home between the hours of 9am and 3.15pm. They will be annoyed as a big lorry carrying concrete has just parked up and they are at school. They'd think it all awesome. Oh we lead such exciting lives. Ah...must dash there is a knock on the door....need to move the car I think.