We have no bathroom!

You could say we were asking for it when we asked the builders to start work on re configuring the bathroom upstairs whilst we went away for a 10 day break. We came home to this...

The bath, sink and loo from the main bathroom have gone. The walls have been knocked out and put back together and windows have been bricked up and one has been expanded. We now have the basic plan for what will eventually be the back bedroom and guest bathroom - and it's looking good despite this picture.

RSJ is moved into place

They use a winch to lift half ton of steel into position.

The walls have come down

After a day of banging and drilling the side walls of the kitchen are finally down.


The house is now held up by four wobbly metal poles - eek!

The ingenious drainage construction that serves the bathroom sink and shower.

We are now waiting for the steel beam to be put in its placed....

The kitchen is now a building site.

The washing machine and sink have been moved into the dining room and the cooker is in the skip. It's beginning to take shape and we can see how it's eventually going to look once it's all over. This picture doesn't show it but trust me, I can see it.

In the next few days they will be putting the roof on and already they have erected the wooden joists for the side pitched roof.
The sliding doors and kitchen units have now been ordered, it's just tiles I have to decide on. It's coming together faster than I expected although the neighbours might not agree with me here. I think we might have to make up to them after it's all over.

Men at Work

Today two 20 feet long steel beams weighing over half a ton each came through our front door!

We also had 7 men to help with the tricky task of moving these two heavy weights into the kitchen.

These will eventually support the house when we take the two existing sides of the kitchen down.


Vlad, the main man on site had bad news for us today - the timber joists running along the bathroom roof needs replacing as they were looking pretty rotten. Oh dear - that's the contingency budget depleting.

The kitchen is dismantled!

I didn't think I would ever feel sorry about this old kitchen coming down and I'm right. I am glad it's finally had it's day.


The boys have taken a sledge hammer to it today and it's coming down, or part of it at least. They are putting in a steel beam across the back to support the floor upstairs and by next week, you will not be able to recognise the place.

The walls are going up

Finally, we are building!

The old bathroom has come down and the new Celcon Solar block walls are going up. We've had issues with drains like most of our neighbours but that seems to be the norm around here. Hopefully, Kevin will sort things out and divert them away from the house. The last thing I want is a man hole in a new kitchen extension and any problems that could arise from that.