Two tonne wardrobes

December 12, 2014 / 0 comments

Two tonne wardrobes

After the frenzy of activity on move-in day, it was time for… more frenzied activity to get the house habitable. Cue a week of emptying boxes and building flat-packed wardrobes. Lots of them. Two tonnes* of the stuff arrived bright and early on Monday morning: It took until Friday evening to get them finished. And a hole was drilled through the wall somewhere along the way (probably pushing it a bit to get this one included on the snagging list!)…

* actually it was about 900Kg, but it felt like two tonnes by the time we’d lugged them round the house.

First impressions are that it’s going to be a great house to live in. There’s lots of well-arranged space and moving around the house is easy. While there’s so much disorder the house isn’t looking it’s best, so we’ll keep most of the photos for another post. But here’s a handful to keep your interest piqued…

Despite all the activity, there was time for some fun along the way, with a message for the next renovators hidden somewhere in the house…

Amidst the chaos, the kids were able to amuse themselves and are really appreciating having their own rooms, and so many rooms to play (and hide) in. There was also the novelty factor of spotting trains on the London to Brighton line (even if it was beginning to wear-off after the first week).

(N.B. Katherine Clare Interiors: the bed, bedheads, valances, bolsters and sofas all look great and are very comfy – proper photos to follow in due course!)

A cheeky beer on the builder’s balcony before the scaffolding came down

Why’s the scaffolding still up? Because of the issue with the render: Despite the team’s best efforts, the British winter conspired against the mix setting properly after it was reapplied on move-in day. Overnight rain led to the render on the north wall slumping:

Frustrating, but not the end of the world – especially as it’s on a section of wall that can only be seen from the utility room (inside) and the back garden (outside), neither of which are the most popular viewpoints.

So, the windows were unwrapped and cleaned before the scaffolding came down at the end of the week, allowing us to see the outside of the house properly for the first time. Subzero temperatures showed the roof insulation is doing its job:

There’s still some work to soften the appearance of the extension which should be completed in time for Christmas. We’re really pleased with how the CDMS design has been built by Brickhurst, and feedback from neighbours has been very positive (always a bonus!).

The scaffolding coming down means the sundeck can now be built off the lounge. The glass balustrade can only be ordered once all the steel is in-place, so Christmas Day champagne might have to wait till next year, but who knows…

Walking the plank over the cement for the entrance tiles:

An early-morning visit marked the departure of the oil-tank that caused some challenges in the summer:

And there’s been lots of progress with the joinery; the boot room is now finished and painted…

…And the oak slats arrived so the undercroft store can start taking shape:

And finally, just before I boarded the flight to come back to the sandpit for the last couple of weeks, success at hooking-up the first of the amps to the ceiling speakers. I can’t tell you what a relief it was to hear some Coldplay gently filling the dining room and kitchen; it was the first time the cabling and speakers have been tested since they were installed and hidden away behind neatly-painted plasterboard. Fingers crossed the others all work too!