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.

Tuesday 3 August 2010

Staircase unveiling

This was a day of progress. The second fix for the alarm system was carried out by Mark, it is great to feel a sense of completion beginning.
The ensuite bathroom now has a basin and an almost complete vanity unit.
The family bathroom has its double sink unit now too, thanks to Paul and Joss.
Ebi has been continuing the malervlies in the downstairs bathroom, the two front rooms and the hall.  It's now all ready for painting.
Brian was thankfully on site again so he could decorate for us. He started doing the bathrooms upstairs but had enough time to make a start on the downstairs bathroom
In order to prepare for the bamboo flooring to be laid downstairs, I painted the screed with a kind of glue that binds the little concrete crumbs on the surface. When it was dry the kitchen moved again, with a lot of help!

The highlight of the day was definitely the unveiling of the staircase. I have been longing to see it without the cardboard protection.  It was gorgeous, a little dusty but just as stunning as I'd hoped.
We all lent a hand today and feel that we're making progress. I hope that it will all be ready for when we move in later this month!

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