We've moved in!!!

It's been a very long time since the last post, but we have big news to report - we've finally moved in!!!

The house isn't 100% finished yet, but the builders have gone and we're doing all the finishing off jobs ourselves.  The big projects of the last few weeks have been the decking by the front door, fitting the kitchen appliances, laying the bamboo flooring (massive job), planting trees and spreading topsoil (made easier by the help of a group of friends).

It's so nice to be living here, surrounded by all the trees and we're loving the views and the natural light which was so lacking in our little Victorian terrace.  It still feels like we're on holiday or house-sitting for someone.

All we need is a few (hundred) plants

Decking

The final (and trickiest) bit of flooring to be laid was the naughty step!

Sophie seems to have settled in very well

Kitchen fully operational, including dishwasher :-)

More progress on site

Since the last post I've had another 2 weeks off work to spend time at the house.  The first week we were joined by Gill's Mum and Dad and made good progress with painting.  There's a lot to do with the whole house needing at least 3 coats on every wall and ceiling.

Synchronised painting

Bill starts the second coat of the biggest ceiling

 Meanwhile the builders make steady progress...

Gabions to create parking spaces at the bottom of the site

The glass balustrade is fitted to the balcony

Look no balustrade!

The second week off saw Dom's parents lending a hand with fitting the kitchen and laying flooring as well as a bit more painting.

Flooring nearly finished in the main living room / dining room / kitchen

Kitchen cabinets in place

Kitchen cabinets ready for the worktop

 We also met our new neighbours this week who will be moving in to the house next door very soon.  They seem very nice, and we're not just saying that because they read our blog!

Scaffold dropped

A week off work was just about enough to complete the four separate flights of the staircase.  We can now go between the different floors without using scaffolding and ladders, which is a novelty!

Completed stairs

Meanwhile, the builders are progressing well and the scaffolding has been removed, giving us the first proper view of the front of the house.  The shingles look great, especially with the sun shining on them, as in this photo.  We're also really pleased with the choice of window frame colour, which looks perfect alongside the bricks and shingles.

Scaffolding dropped

Work has also started on the gabion retaining wall at the bottom of the site which will create two off-road parking spaces.

Gabions started

Dom gets his hands dirty!

It's been a few weeks since the last post and things are moving along on site.  The shingles are nearly all fixed, the internal walls are all plastered and the second fix electrics have started.

It's time for Dom to take a week off work and build the stairs (as a cost saving exercise and a bit of fun!)  Dad has kindly moved to Sheffield for a week to lend a hand and work is progressing well, see pictures below.

Not long now until the scaffolding will come down.

The stairs are delivered, they just need a bit of work!

Putting Dad to work cutting the stringers

The first flight takes shape

Risers all fitted

And the treads go on to complete the flight

Christmas Greetings

Wishing all our readers a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
The builder's are currently taking a well earned 2 week break, but there are a few recent pictures we can share with you (but not necessarily in chronological order)...

That's quite a large window frame!

The underfloor heating on the top floor is laid below aluminium conductive plates, not in a concrete screed.

The indoor unit of the air-source heat pump.

Not the best weather to be digging up the road, but we now have electricity connected.

The first rooms are plastered.

The view from the road (the windows have grey frames not white, it's the protective film)

The timber shingles are going to look amazing :-)

The sliding folding doors are enormous!

The fully-glazed back door.

The self-levelling screed freshly laid.

Long Time No Post

It's been a while since our last post and a lot has been happening with the house.  There are now plenty of people on site each day including bricklayers, plumbers and electricians so things are happening very quickly.  The floor insulation and underfloor heating pipework has been installed and is ready to be screeded, the first of the windows have gone in, the masonry is complete and the roof membrane is on.

I've got some time off work this week to try and sort out various things for the house like the bathroom and kitchen details as well as catching up on paperwork.  Can't wait to be taking time off for something more exciting like painting or laying flooring!

Underfloor heating pipese laid on 150mm polystyrene

One of the first windows installed in the bedroom

Underfloor heating pipes ready for the screed in the main room

Fireplace and fluepipe

Dining Room window

The stairwell is looking very tall

The study and roof membrane are complete

A few recent photos

More battens added for the shingles

The first fix plumbing has begun

The study as seen from the roof terrace

The roof looks waterproof already

It's not always sunny in Sheffield