The first room!

Here it is ... the first room! The living room has been extended, and it is the only new section that is being lined with boards in the same way the old part of the house is. You can see near the french doors that they reused some of the old boards (which I'm happy with ... I wanted to recycle as much as I could).

The floorboards have arrived ... not quite the recycled boards I wished I could have ... the builder wasn't really into that concept!! Let's hope they look OK in the end.
I have finally ordered my rangehood ... that really was an icky decision ... nothing really was right ... so I've gone for one that has the fan on the outside of the house, to hopefully make it quieter. There was another one I would have liked ... unfortunately it wasn't going to be available until December ... and that wasn't really going to work (I could just see me trying to get it installed the day before Christmas!). The one I've chosen isn't quite big enough (those were twice the price) but given I don't really cook that many things that need the exhaust, hopefully it will be fine.

I'm starting to realise I'd better get my orders in if I want things installed before Christmas ... but it is a bit hard since I don't have a sealed roof yet ... and I can't measure windows when they don't actually exist! Curtains I think are going to be really important ... summer is going to be nasty and I'll need the block outs in before Christmas.

I've got a list of must haves before Christmas:
- air con for the kitchen
- solar hot water system
- carpet in the dining room
- window seat cushions
- new TV

I'm sure I'm forgetting something important!

So many things today, which is the most exciting?

After being out all day today I came home to many exciting things. So many, each turn around the house revealed something new! I think .... I vote the photo below THE most exciting:
OK ... so they look like boring floorboards (with a doggie foot!) ... I know I've nearly gone completely mad this past week ... buuuutttt ... this is the living room floor that I want to be floorboards, I desperatly wanted the original floorboards (the builder kept talking about putting in new ones to match the other new ones) ... and I had no idea what state they would be in, but there was a high chance they would be like this previous photo - of the kitchen floorboards - completely useless and in need of total replacement.
Instead I have beautiful floorboards that look in wonderful condition!!! Yippeeee!!! You can see the darker side where Black Japan has been applied ... I'd like the darker colour eventually for the entire floor. Hopefully, that also means that the hallway will have the same pretty floorboards that are useable!!

They've also removed the temporary wall that was put in the living room, opening it up so I can see its actual size and the impact of the wonderful french doors. I love this room!

I was walking around the house thinking "I'd just love to live in this beautiful house" ... and not too long until I get to live in the rest of it!

I didn't even notice a HUGE addition until a bit later ... you can just see it peeking behind there ....

Yup ... my big tank went in today!!! It is sooo very nice (not that I can quite work out where the water goes in ... but I suppose that's the builder's problem!). Very pleased with the colour to match the house/garage ... now for some gutters on the house so it can actually fill with water. The other tank is already 3/4 full!

You can see why I was so excited tonight ... and beyond the little things, there are lots of smaller things going on - like the architraves on the windows, more painting and more!!

Oh I nearly forgot another big thing ... all my bathroom supplies arrived! Not that I can really tell what the bath looks like when it is upside down, or the shower in its boxes ... but they are here!!!!

Lots of changes

I was being slack and didn't take photos of the prep of the front of the house, so you've missed a stage ... they've started painting!!! The new green looks very pretty on the one veranda post they've done so far, I'm really pleased at how the rafters under the veranda have come up (considering I don't like them and wish they weren't there!).Looking at the corner of the house below ... on the left is the new paint, on the right is the old paint ... even in "real life" it is hard to pick the different colour (the new one is a shade or two lighter ... oh, and not covered in dust!).

They've got the french door frame in for the living room in ... which means I've lost another room!! But of course ... means the finish is a bit closer!

The bay window on the dining room is moving along ... the window frames are sitting in my garage, I can't wait to see them go in. I also noticed that the tin for the roof over bathroom arrived today (it isn't corrugated like the rest of the roof ... architects!!) ... the roofer was supposed to come today, but bad weather once again put him off. Hopefully nice weather tomorrow will mean they can get the capping on (I'm in a bit of denial about how much water must have got in over the last couple of days ... most of it has the old stuff temporarily attached, but there are gaps).

Frames nearly done

I haven't been updating much because although things are moving along, the photos I take don't really show the developments.

The wall frames are nearly complete ... no roof trusses yet though.

I can now walk through all the rooms in the house ... and get a feeling of the height of it all. The laundry seems small ... the kitchen is huugggeee!! Will be interesting to see how those sizes end up once the walls /windows / doors are really there.

Internal door way to living room

Kitchen looking to window seat

Kitchen looking to pantry

Hallway extension

The dogs view the whole thing as an exciting maze to play chasey through ... and the chickens have also inspected the works!

More frames up

The first internal doorway was up on Friday ... not sure why that seems significant, but it does! It is the doorway from the mudroom area to the kitchen.

The windowseat areas in the dining and living area look great ... can't wait to see them filled with cushions and sunshine. The perfect reading place!

The back of the house will soon have another tank put in.

Obviously we're going to go overtime ... which will be interesting to see how that is worked out. I'm not surprised or worried ... living here isn't too bad at the moment. The split system for the master bedroom went in on Friday, but isn't powered up yet ... I'll be very thrilled when I get proper heating!!

The biggest angst this week is the mistake the architect has made working out the roof line. I wish it was possible to go back and design that part again, but it looks like I'm just going to have a part of the house I really dislike.

The first "inside" photos

I had a thought as I was walking around after the builders left yesterday ... I can actually stand IN the extension and take photos of what it will be like - yes I know it probably isn't that amazing a thought to many, but it was the change from "I'm standing on a piece of dirt" to "I'm standing IN my house"!!!

So ... the first photos that will soon become reality!

The view from the back door:

The lounge area window seat (got to think of a new name for that area of the house, already have a living room so that doesn't fit!):

The kitchen bench to be:

The part of living room:

Still waiting on the ensuite - those drying times are just taking the time - grouting all done (thought I might have picked a colour that was too dark, but it seems to have dried much lighter and looks great), now have to wait until the seal is dry, then they can sand off the plasterwork, then painting, more drying time ... THEN they might be able to fit it out! So ... unlikely to be this weekend (sorry friends, I'll be visiting for more showers!).

Friday they hope to lay the slab - weather is looking ok ... just hoping not too much rain to ruin their preparations. Apparently the electrician is booked for next Thursday to start putting the wiring in - which means the frames will be up by then!

I'm still just amazed at the concept of IN the house!!!

Mud - glorious mud!

Once they get going, they certainly do some amazing changes in a short period of time. They have nearly finished excavating the main extension site ... cutting my phone line in the process (try calling the mobile instead!). Below is a photo showing where the rooms are going to go ... it is looking small at the moment ... I'm sure it will grow in perception once there are walls. (click on the picture to enlarge it to see the room labels)

The dining room ... with doggie in my windowseat / bay window!

The ensuite is slowly coming along - this week will be about waiting for drying times ... if all goes to plan: grouting today, sealing Tuesday, Wednesday painting, Thursday (maybe) fitting out with toilet etc ... so I may have a bathroom by the weekend. I'll be much much happier then (and all my friends can breathe a sigh of relief I wont be visiting borrowing a bathroom!!).

The dogs just LOVE the excavations - great tunnels for them to race around in and jump on each other ... of course they come back covered in mud!!!