Friday 5th April
It seems we have been here for years, but it still is less than a year, as Easter was two weeks later last year, and we only viewed the house then. It took a few weeks to agree a price, then last Whitsun we agreed and signed the interim price for the house and paid our deposit. We actually completed about the 10th August, so despite about 6 visits it really hasn’t been that long. And there is always lots to do.
The garden room door was already warped, but the builder has made it worse. He had also over-tiled the floor making the sticky door even stickier, and it now opens only about a foot. We bought a plane and I managed to plane and sand enough off the bottom so that it opens properly now, but there is a huge gap at the bottom when the door is closed. I had to get a door jamb cut to size at Resaeu Pro, the local builders yard, and then glue and fill it in place, plus lots of chips and scratches around the door frame, so much sanding filling resanding and painting to make it look even half decent. I suspect that some time or other we will need a new door and frame completely, but for now it looks much better.
We are also laying paving slabs on the loose gravel in the courtyard, so that we can eat out in the summer. Fifty six heavy paving blocks into and out of the car, through the house and then each one has to be laid. We have broken the back of it, and maybe our own backs too in the doing of it, but a few hours tomorrow and it should be complete.
So, a day of quite a bit of work, but unlike the daily grind you really do not mind at all. Sore and aching fingers but gradually we are getting the place perfect.