Countdown to The Big Build

The Greaney Family is finally in Countdown Mode to evacuate our home - Bridleways - ready for the building to start, hopefully (after yet more delays) in a week.  The Plan is to turn our rundown 1950s bungalow (bought 14 months ago) into a spacious four-bedroomed house by taking off the roof, adding a second floor, and extending out the back.  Sounds simple when you say it like that!

This blog will be my diary of the experience, from the point of view of a stay-at-home mum (combined with being the village vicar's secretary - except our parish currently has no vicar - and general volunteering village busy body).  Hannah (age 12) and Emma (age 9) are bravely setting off on this adventure too.

Planning permission was granted seven months ago, since when Adrian has spent countless hours researching materials and suppliers, and perfecting the internal design.  After choosing our widely respected and experienced local builder we recently made the decision to hire someone else to do the initial groundwork, and a specialist SIPS panel company to construct the walls, before Alan takes over to take the project forward. 

The Grand Designs favourite caravan-at-the-bottom-of-the-garden is in now in place. (That was a manoeuvre and a half, through a very steep field of horses backing onto our garden, dismantling our ivy-riddled panel fence, temporarily switching off the horse owner's electric fence, winding back the field owner's barbed wire, squeezing between two carefully measured big trees, and positioning the van carefully level on prepared ground (covered in weed control matting).  Oh, and repositioning the trampoline. All with the help of kind (and curious!) friends.  After switching back on the electric fence, and repairing the barbed wire, Adrian has temporarily blocked the gap with pallets until we manage to install a post-and-rail fence, in keeping with many other village boundaries.  A mare and foal are due to be moved into the field this weekend which will make lovely neighbours!  It's really nice to have a view now from the house right through into the field - makes the garden seem even bigger.

 

Instead of blogging I should, right now, be continuing with packing ... the entire contents of the house need to go into storage before the end of August when the roof comes off!  The pressure is on, as I am taking the girls up to Glasgow next week for the Commonwealth Games (staying with cousin Margaret) and then two days later we all fly to America for 2 1/2 weeks staying with family in Maine and New Jersey.  The final move into the caravan takes place on our return (24 August).  The ground works start just before we go to the US - a bit scary knowing we won't be on hand to check each day, but hopefully the plans will be clear enough!  And we will ask for an emailed update from our builder every day.  (When we booked our holiday we thought the build would have started in April, and be well underway by now, but things have slipped a bit and we just have to go with the flow.)

 

So, in packing up the house (storing various items in either the caravan, the beautiful newly built Garden Room - which will be our daytime space - the rectory where I work, or a paid nearby storage facility) I also have to be mindful of keeping back everything we need for our holiday.  Note to self: don't pack the passports!

 

This blog has been a long one.  Future posts will be more concise!  I just want to keep a record of the experience for myself and share progress with family and friends.  Wish us luck!