What a week!

Ok - this is I hope the last time I write about money.  

At the start of the build I had a contingency which is now well and truly gone. After that I thought if we didn't buy outrageously expensive items, unlike the numerous couples of popular TV series trying to justify why they really did need to spend £20,000 more on a kitchen than they had planned for, I thought we would be in the clear.  The difficult part is how do you explain going over budget?  In short a combination of us changing our minds eg the wood shed roof material from a agricultural roofing material to slate (but then the whole design had to change which was considerably more expensive and only communicated by how much after it had been done).  The other factor was underestimation by the QS certainly in the amount of exterior oak cladding but possibly other areas.  Without someone taking hours to work this out we'll never know and frankly I'm not going start spending more money working it all out!  We've got a very good understanding of how much and Andrew will be letting us know of the financial progress in our weekly Friday meetings.

So apart from the money side of life (the house will in some optimistic way be completed) - it's been a week of decisions.  My head hurts just thinking about all the stuff that I'll probably forget about next week.  Trying to remember what Andrew or Garry said and then conveying it back to Flora can be really hard work!

Top points of the Pops this week: -

Our notes to Piers the plumber confirming the position of the loo in our ensuite bathroom.

• Bathroom / plumbing and all things watery - we've changed / finalised the layout of all two bathrooms and the downstairs loo.  Trying to future proof the plumbing we've also asked for a hot and cold feed to be factored in to run into the downstairs loo just in case we wanted in the future to instal a shower.

• The huge 500 litre thermal store (water tank) arrived on Friday.  Thank God for the very strong Lithuanian window fitted who kindly helped man handle the 400 kg tank into the house - equally thank God for the patio slide doors as the tank didn't actually fit through anything else.

The rather large thermal store supplied by Dunster Boilers - currently positioned in the dining room with Tilly looking in disgust.



• How do we get rid of excess heat from the solar panels / back boiler?  We're going to have one or two dump radiators in the hall and utility room if this is the case in colder periods of the year.  But then what happens if the amazingly efficient solar panels produce too much hot water in the summer?  Piers the Plumber suggested something he's installed recently into another house.  A hot water pipe running out of the house into potentially a green house providing so much warmth that the owner is now able to grow bananas! 

Utility room - outside door - notice the wet floor due to the leak in the roof!



• Who's doing what?  In an ideal world we wanted one plumbing company to do everything.  Well this was possible but it was going cost a considerably more so we now need to make sure that all three parties involved in the plumbing know exactly what they're required to do.
• Not a lot of slating has happened due to the snow but it's only going to be raining this coming week!
• Leak in the utility roof but apparently not everything has been finished / sealed.
• Delay Tom Maccurach completing the pergola until we know we'll be able to pay him.
• Confirm a rough time line with Andrew and finish date for GW Builders (Garry, Dave, Gareth and James) 1st March.
• Confirm light fittings and watch the first fix take place.

On the study wall we've decided on the light fittings (yellow marks)

• Talk about screed which then greatly affects how and when the stone flooring can be laid.

Our sitting room / snug toy free zone.

Access to the first floor - not quite the final hallway look at the moment.

Garden door and playroom window - see the black damp course membrane will be under the final floor level.

• Watch as the 1st floor internal walls become more solid with plaster board, floors chip boarded and outside walls insulated plaster boarding (yes that's right even more insulation).

Another spare room overlooking the garden - the chimney is behind the block work.

Girls bedroom - ok it doesn't show very much but the window to the right gets a great view to the school gates.

The spare room with stud work showing the built in wardrobe with it's back opening into the study, inspired by The Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe .

Attic - but it has to have the ducting for the Mechanical Heat Recovery + rain water header tank (s) installed soon.

Leading across the hallway to the family bathroom and girls bedroom.

The round window and ideal position for a loo with a view.

The dining room doors below under the undercroft and study window all fitted.