We're In!

OK so we actually moved in just before Christmas and it's taken this long for it to sink in. All finished except for some details on the outside, so now it's on to Stage Two. ( I did mention stage two, didn't I? )

 

 

Almost there, I think.

So a funny thing happened shortly after we finished lining the ceiling. I can remember fitting those large sheets of plasterboard, covering up the batts and the wiring, thinking to myself, "well I hope I never need to access those again", and a few weeks later I found out that the cable is defective and is being recalled. Which means it needs to be replaced. OK so the timing wasn't great but it could've been worse, as in we could have moved in already and now we're looking at cutting holes in the ceiling or even pulling it all down and starting again. After some phone calls and a couple of weeks waiting for the outcome, it turns out the batch of cable I bought is actually OK!
So, back to the kitchen!

Once again the dining area was turned into a workshop and so began drawer making 101.

and finally, and I mean weeks later, it was done. It will all be painted dark grey, and the splashback is under discussion.

Gaffer tape handles are not under discussion.
 The right hand side of the cabinet to the left of the woodstove will contain an electric oven, for those summer months.

A major push

During February and March we took a break and spent some time in Europe, but on our return we only had a few weeks to get the place ready for it's final inspection, before the building permit ran out. After a string of late nights I figured I'd done and enough and luckily the building inspector thought so too. So we now have an official house that we can legally live in. Hoorah!




A view I've used several times but it's changed yet again with a ceiling. Now that was a hard job getting that up there; a job I'd hoped to avoid by being on the other side of the planet, but no, it was waiting for me when I got home.

The kitchen taking shape. The wood stove is all plumbed in and will heat the house, and the water, and cook our food.

Here's a close up of the bench made from granite pavers.



And the bathroom floor finally finished.

Ah Summer!

On your knees boy. A floor. Very sensible.




No flat-pack kitchen cabinets here. Should have the drawers made by 2016.

Meanwhile, down the other end of the hall...

No caption needed.

Moving on, now its nice and hot I thought I'd get up and dusty.

Luke, I am.......

This totally changes the feel and sound of the place. Can't wait for the ceiling to be lined.

In hot water ( well almost )

September saw the wood stove finally come out of storage and make the journey up to the house. This thing is seriously heavy, and it took four burly blokes to get it into position.

Right there.

And yes the floor is finished at last! A mammoth job. All the reds and browns will be much stronger once it's sealed.

Looking in the other direction......

Next job was to add a steel beam to take the weight of the solar water heater. Yes I should have put that in before I put the roof on but where's the fun in that?

Oh and then came the front doors. Probably won't stay white.

Solar hot water frame. In the lounge. Just like Meccano and soon to be pulled apart and re-assembled on the roof.

and just for a change, some steps to replace the slippery slope we've been putting up with for years. Ah the progress.

And comes the time when a plumber needs to come and to the clever stuff.

there are a few teething problems but we're almost there.

Here's another view of the steps and of the beginning of the rabbit proof fence. This will eventually go around all the garden areas; it's the only way we're going to get anything established. So far, it works.

And finally a sneak preview of the nearly completed bathroom. Sink by me, tiles by Michelle, soap by Murray and Tarn.

It's all about the bricks

Right, where were we? Winter was approaching, things got cold and damp, the days grew short and building slowed down a bit. But now we're off again, running.

Here's a re-cap on what went on in the dark months.

How to build a floor. Step one, empty the house.

Then bring in the gravel. Lots of gravel.

No doorframes or heads were harmed in this process.

Level the gravel. then level it again.

Then work through the night compacting it.

Lay down plastic, then add sand. More sand than you think, or more than I thought anyway.

so for a while there we had a beach inside! Just coz.

See!

Right! Time for those bricks. 2000 second hand reds arrived as ordered.

sorted and cleaned

and on to the fun part.

and on, and on. This is still happening, to be completed soon, but meanwhile, outside, just for something different...

I built a wall. Nice to stack bricks up for a change, rather than lay them down.