On account of having to travel to the US for a week, The
building project is in the more-than capable hands of an increasingly
stressed-out S.  What I really
miss is being able to keep in touch with progress and watch every stage
of the process with fascination. The project is going extremely well
(as far as is possible to ascertain from the physical product and with
an untrained eye) but it’s pushing both of us to the edge in terms of
the toll it takes on our spare time and the stressing over the details,
decisions and orders which have to be made in almost constant sequence.
The other thing is that although the builders are generally willing to
do as we ask, they’re forgetful and they don’t take notes. Time and
again we emphasise something – this door needs to open like this,
please install the spotlights we’ve purchased, please use this type of
door handle – only to find that a few days later the opposite (or
worse) is being implemented and S (who is normally the one on site
during the working day) has to correct the decision.

Progress has still been great.

Work began on the rear kitchen extension. There is still quite a lot of “completion detail” (snags) to be finished in the house which we have to get on to quickly. But nevertheless, we continue to get closer to a move in date.

The back of the house came off:

And the toilet-outhouse came down too:

Agro props:

All the foundation dirt had to be taken out by hand through the house:

Side-return ready for a new boundary wall:

The back of the house, with new “matching” loft conversion:

Building a wall:

Breeze blocks go up:

They had to move a sewer out of the way:

Damp proof course:

Rear yard not looking so tidy:

Hole in the wall?

Big hole in the wall:

Very neat “Flemish” brickwork – the new rear wall:

Pad-stones ready to receive the steel beams:

Into next-door’s garden:

Garden:

Big pile of bricks (fortunately they get to use lots of the old ones):

New sewer hole:

Insulation keeping the wall warm:

Juliette balcony still to go in – matching the neighbours. Although we noticed out glass doors were not so good:

Detail on the Juliette:

Kitchen door way:

And from above: