Welcome to our blog.

This blog will follow the ultimate in home improvement: demolish and rebuild!

This is our starting point: a 1930s bungalow. While not a bad house; it is too small for us with three teenage children so what should we do? A full storey extension versus complete rebuild - ultimately the stronger eco-credentials and more certain finances of a new-build helped to guide our choice.

For a number of years we've been trying to find the right route for us to build an eco-friendly, low energy home. We tried various architects and building companies and have eventually settled with a German prefabricated build. The new house will be nearly to passivhaus standards (but not quite due to budget constraints). In any case, the house will be heavily insulated and airtight.

As a family, we have not built a house before so everything is new and exciting but the risk of making a mess of things is quite high!

This blog aims to outline the day to day steps involved in our build.

Thursday 8 July 2010

A house emerges from the building rubble

Another day with deliveries. The tiles arrived very early in the morning, they looked as good as in the shop.
I was also delighted when our kitchen units were delivered. They are made to measure from Canadian pine by a small family run business. I am still going to get them painted. Here Ebi is helping to bring them into the study for safe-keeping out of the action while the plasterwork is done.

Here is the cutlery drawer waiting to be used. The kitchen looks good; it is very tactile and smooth.
Paul was around on site today, working on the rainwater harvesting tank. Paul also put in the hot and cold feed for the bath.
Josh and Matt are examining the electrics of the air source heat pump, they look a bit confused but with Neil's help they connect the cables to the outdoor unit.
Meanwhile the spotlights are put in place by Josh, but they still have plastic covers on them, just in case.
Meanwhile, back upstairs Ebi and Charlie hung up their sanding tools for while so they could plasterboard the garage ceilings.
It's starting to look really great. Everyone is working well together and every day we are edging closer to the finish line.

No comments:

Post a Comment