So after some frank and open discussions with our neighbours we realised our original proposal to extend beyond the existing rear wall of the house was pretty unfair (and honestly quite ugly) from their perspectives. It would have cut out a lot of light to one of our neighbours’ patio and been unsightly for the other. So, we’ve decided not to extend beyond that current line - and will now just be putting a side-return into the “alley-way” with a sloping roof and squaring off the existing patio doors. We’d like for the new glass patio doors to run across the entire width of the back of the house - but we’ll see if budgets and practicality allows! The following drawings attempt to show what it would look like in the context of the neighbour’s houses (to the left and right):

And a higher-level view for clarity:

The builders, an increased team of 5, have been back on site this week and made a remarkable amount of progress. Two of the rooms upstairs are almost totally plastered and starting to look great. They aim to finish the whole 1st floor in the next three days. Of course, there’s still a lot of work to do - although the electrics are mostly in, the central heating and plumbing is still to be done. The utility room design is next as this will allow them to confirm the boiler placement, install it and then roll out the radiator installation. After that comes the window replacement and then the more major structural work downstairs. In the meantime the bathroom design needs to be nailed down and ordered. All good fun.

The bathroom design is getting closer.

Here’s a parts list for ordering this week:

• Steel bath, 1800 x 800mm, from Bathstore Saniform? £279

• Square sink and cabinet, dark oak (Oakland from Miller brochure) £900 589HPD-1/OW1

• Illuminated mirror, above sink, dark oak
  559-1 £250

• Storage unit, dark oak 597PD-1 £625

• Drencher showerhead

• Shower screen

• Shaver socket
• Towel rail
• Toilet
• Large mirror

Here’s a few photos, it’s been a slow week on the progress front. I’m assured the builders will be back on site this week. It definitely got worse before it stands any chance of getting better. Cabling and a new electrical fusebox: Readying the sockets. Looking better… the rear bedroom, closest to completion. Spot the evil mannequin:

Bathroom ceiling…

Work has ground to a halt this week as our builders have been dragged off on another job - for no longer than “a few days”. We believe this is par for the course and things were going so well. So the house is sitting empty and unloved, with a lot of exposed bricks, a few inserted wall sockets, a new switchboard and a half-boarded ceiling in the two bedrooms on the first floor. We’re being philosophical (for now) and have stalled on our payments to them too. Tit for tat, etc. In the meantime we’re getting down to the surprisingly difficult tasks of designing the kitchen and bathrooms. Getting there slowly, still a long way to go. Oh and working to get the neighbours to sign their party wall agreements without too much fuss. Kitchen draft:

Bathroom (ignore the design, look at the layout)

The story behind the really pretty scary ginger mannequin with the red-painted nipples and, frankly, a dodgy looking piece of carpet for a fanny is that the builders found this in our attic. This is pretty worrying. Especially since I told S early on we’d find a “body” in the house. Who the hell made this shocking, primitive “sex toy” I have no idea but I’ll be glad when it’s been removed. Was this made by the elderly gentleman who owned the property and lived, wifeless for the last few years of his life? Or was it hidden there by his teenage son, made in the 70s? What could possibly explain this surreal “apparition”? And what’s with the pyjamas she’s only barely wearing? What must the builders think?