11 January 2008 and in time terms we are about halfway through the project.

The loft conversion is beginning to look finished, most of the wiring first fix is in and likewise the plumbing. Lots of insulation now in place in the walls, underneath the floors and in the ceilings. Even though much of the house is still open we can get a feel now of the effect all this insulation will have. It will be like living in a large down duvet.

All the sanitary ware is chosen and ordered; much of it has been delivered and much of it will be fixed next week.

The kitchen extension is beginning to take shape. The new boundary wall is in and all the steelwork. The roof joists are in position and we expect to see the floor in soon.

We’ve chosen the kitchen units and the design is complete – we just need to choose the worktops and we’re done. Welsh slate would be good. Or concrete. Should we use wood or one of the modern plastics. When did Formica die?

We’ve been to see the manufacturers of our aluminium window units and selected what we need.

Tiles are next. To be followed by the completion of the choice of light fittings. Then fitted furniture. Floor coverings. Cork for the kitchen. Some sanded floors with rugs. Stair carpets and carpets for the bedrooms. The list is endless.

Colours, colours, materials and more colours. . The list is endless. Oh come back Henry Ford “You can have it any color you like, as long as it’s black.” Now its “You can have it any colour you like, as long as you are prepared to wait and pay the surcharge.”   Or maybe its best to adopt the Little Britain selection method, “I’ll have that one.”

I just wonder which store has the highest rate of male suicides, Magnet, MFI IKEA, Moben or Harvey Nics?

This was intended to be a blog starting on 24 September to chronicle progress on our building project to completely renovate and extend a mid-Victorian terraced house.  We had lived in the house for nearly thirty years and it badly needed some building works to preserve the fabric.  The builders started on 24 September 2007 and we just haven’t had the time to write the blog to go with the regular pictures we have put up on our web site.

We were faced with three choices:

1.  Do some work to prevent further deterioration and stay in the house with builders working around us.

2. Move out temporarily and do the major scheme.

3. Sell and move.

After a number of years planning and agonising we decided to do the major scheme.  This involves demolishing a kitchen extension, extending the kitchen and bringing the garden into the kitchen by installing wide folding glass doors, slicing bits off two bedrooms to extend one bathroom and to make an existing toilet into a proper shower room, and converting the loft into a study/ensuite bedroom.  At the same time we are totally rewiring, reheating and replumbing. 

Throughout the design of this project we have had very much in the forefront of our minds a wish to do our bit to conserve energy and to prevent C02 emissions.  Our scheme therefore incorporates solar panels to supply part of our hot water needs, huge amounts of insulation to prevent heat loss, replacement of windows which are single glazed by double glazed, a sedum roof to slow rainwater run-off, a rainwater collection system for garden watering, and the most efficient gas boiler we could find.

Our builders started on 24 September 2007 and the works are planned to last until Easter 2008.

We are now half way through the building period.  The steelwork for the loft conversion is in place, and the basic structure of the new study bedroom is complete.  The chimneybreasts in our two small bedrooms have been removed and the basic structure of the new bathroom and shower rooms is in place.  Plaster has been hacked off most walls and the timber framing to carry the insulation is in place.  Plasterboard has been fixed to some new walls and some floors have been lifted to enable insulation to be installed below them.  The existing kitchen has been totally gutted and the side of the house propped whilst new steelwork to enable the kitchen to be extended was put in place.  The kitchen floor has been excavated to enable the new floor to be laid.  Part of the back garden has been excavated, creating a World War 1 landscape, so that new sewage pipes and an Inspection Chamber can be put in place. (Remember Peter Sellars singing “They’re removing grandpa’s grave ‘cus some society gink wants a manhole for her sink they won’t let poor old grandpa rest in peace.  Oh mate, don’t excavate, don’t desecrate poor grandpa’s dugout…” )

The plumbing first fix is nearly in.  Shiny new copper pipe work running in parallel straight lines under the floorboards, and as the pipe work turns changes direction, turning and still running parallel, like formation fliers,.

There have been no major disasters so far, a rear wall cracked and is being repaired, and a large section of plaster fell from the lounge ceiling.  Hopefully that can be repaired so we can retain the beautiful Victorian moulding.

Today, 21 December 2007, we have chosen and ordered the sanitary fittings.  We have nearly chosen the light fittings.  We are a bit stuck on the water softener (four manufacturers say theirs is the best since sliced bread – there is no Which report so do we just stick a pin? ).  We have quotes for the very necessary burglar alarm and we await quotes for the new windows we need (do we go for PVC, Aluminium or wood? ) 

We need to make a number of big decisions very quickly so as not to hold up the building team.

All this is taking place in a road which the Times Bricks and Mortar supplement recently described as one of the most sought after roads in our area.  It is also a road in which a number of houses have been renovated in the past two years.  Five have very recently been refurbished and another five have their fronts scaffolded and skips parked in front of them.  Should we rename the road ‘Skips R Us’?

These skips are some comfort to us.  We agonised over the cost of our building works.  Others obviously had the same thoughts but still went ahead.  “100 million Lemmings can’t be wrong.”  Or can they?

Thankfully there is only one Chelsea Tractor in the road and this is cancelled out by one Toyota Prius and five cycle sheds in front gardens.

The devastation is more than Martin had imagined!  But already lots of signs of building now that the building inspector from Hackney has approved the excavations/sewer pipe relocations.  Some steels and props temporarily in place to hold up the outside kitchen wall while they fill in all the foundation trenches with concrete – you can see the props in the kitchen in picture 1 with Ylli in the background. It’s where our kitchen table was – and where Aoife and I made fishcakes not so long ago! The landing ceiling is completely removed now so that you can stand on the top landing and look into the loft floor.  Strange to see bits of the house I’ve not seen before!  You can see the foremen Milo in picture 2 – he said they had to take out 17 skiploads when excavating! One of the steels is just behind Dad.  They got them through the house on rollers and then will be having winches to lift into place. 

I have been learning some Albanian to impress them, but forgot my script when we went over today, so all I could remember was  ‘Si jeni’ [see any] which means ‘how are you?’  One of our GPs is Albanian so he is teaching me!

I’m in London again – and the progress on the house has been amazing.

Here’s a panoramic shot of the kitchen; taken from the steps from the hall. You can see how all of the bay window has been removed; the house is supported on steel girders and props and the new foundations and footings.

Paul gave me a tour of the house; the pictures can’t do justice to the scale of the work being done.

Martin

Photos are here.