My parents are here helping us out at the moment, so great progress is being made.

The garage door is now on, which is great as it means we can move some of the tools and wood from out of the bedrooms and also will stop the bloody cats using the garage as a toilet. It wont stop them from finding other parts of our garden to foul, but at least we'll be less likely to tread in it and will stop the garage from smelling so bad. So hurrah to that...

Started sanding down and painting the porch, parents have been priming the skirting boards ready for the carpenter, finishing the painting of walls and priming the new front door. M has been getting on with second fix electrics. Potatoes have been planted, there is a plan to take the rubish from our front garden to the tip. And we received our newly stripped doors back and these have all been rehung, which along with a general clean up of the floors and surfaces has certainly brightened the place up further. Plan is that we get as much done as possible before Monday, when the carpenter comes back to put in skirting boards, hang "new" doors (ie loo, utility, nursery and front door) and finish off the window boards. We can then get the radiators hung and the heating system going and then we can get carpet in upstairs!!!

Wow! It's finally gone!!!

the scaffolding has gone!!

Only 5 months late, but it looks like the builders may finally be finished and out of our lives - dont want to speak too soon. But they have been in to finish the jobs they should have done and got rid of the scaffolding. The architect comes next week to check it over and sign off the builder's work.

More painting this weekend...

it is really starting to look good.

Also, now the scaffolding is down at the back there is free acess to the garden from the back doors, (so did manage to keep up with a few necessary garden tasks)which is a real pleasure... not having to remember to take a key, go out the front, through the scaffolding, through the garage (avoiding the builers junk and the latest cat poo) and then ending up approximately where you started from.

Managed to get the first coat of paint on the nursery last night. There is a lot more to go though....

Bloody hell!!! We were hoping to see less scaffolding not more!!!

This was the scene that greated us on Friday morning. We had of course had a glimps of the hellish vision when we arrived home in the dark on Thursday but in the cold morning light, the sight of the cold metal structure, spreading across the whole of our house and impinging now on BOTH our neighbours did turn my stomach.

But I didn't have long to consider it before scaffolders turned up to add more (!) metal to their creation, swiftly followed by renderers crawling all over it and then the plasterers ready for their last day.

Well after a relaxing weekend away, we returned to find that indeed the plasterers have finished all their work, on time and to a fantastic standard. And that the renderers are indeed on track to be finished on Monday. And, that the scaffolding from the neighbours garage had finally been removed - woo-hooo!

This morning was interesting, we have long managed to be rather stoic about the lack of heating and hot water, by saying, but at least we have our nice electric shower. Last night we had left some electric heaters and the dehumidifier on - in order to help the plaster to dry - when Mr C started his shower, the house cried "enough!" and the main fuse blew. Not a case of flicking a switch back - but proper - in the darkness - have to call the electricity board! Mmm, no hot water and heating - I can manage - no electricity - I cannot. Hopefully it should be fixed this evening, but we went to buy some candles at lunch just to be on the safe side!