23rd Dec 2010 - Snag, snag, snaggity snag

Well we're in. We've been living here 5 days so far, and life is good.

Snagging continues:
- paint needs touching up and finishing off in practically all the rooms

- some light bulbs not working

- TV now works in 7 out of 11 sockets

- the electric gates now fully work

- no thresholds yet on the tiled floors

- 1 floor tile still cracked

- no mirror in downstairs WC

- no curtains up yet

- 1 pane of glass broken

- 1 pane of glass is opaque and needs to be transparent

- no intumescent strip around the lobby doors

- back panel on walk-in wardrobes needs replacing

- some scratches on fitted kitchen, and 1 drawer not working

- ASHP needs upgrading

- plus a couple of outdoor bits that can't be done yet due to snow (rubbish & tools in drive, few bits of driveway not laid yet where cabels run, etc.)

etc. etc.

Nothing major - but just the normal bits 'n' pieces that need to be fixed and finished. Need to make sure that the builders (who we are actually very happy with) don't take their foot off the gas.

Christmas in 2 days!

18th December 2010 - We live in Fairways!

We moved in during Thursday 16th & Friday 17th December, and spent our first night in the house last night (Friday)! I was still driving the van at 10pm on the Friday night to get in just ahead of the blizzard.

We culminated a "self-build" with a "self-move". Well it saved £3000 and Ken & I almost passed out with exhaustion!

Will update the blog soon...

9th Dec 2010 - Carpets finished, Internet on

The excellent carpet guys finished late last night - it is really beginning to look like a home now.

The internet is now on in the house - BT finally delivered the hub, and it is up and running.

A new, larger pump for the UFH circuit has been installed today. Early indications are that it does seem to have the required oomph to run the UFH in the nether regions of the house, and not just the parts closest to the pump. We'll hopefully know in the morning

7th Dec 2010 - The neighbour's lawn

Oops. The delivery truck from the carpet manufacturer (not the fitters - they were great) made a mess of the neighbour's lawn (not immediate neighbour but 3 houses along). Not good. I am told they had to get a massive tow-truck with snow-chains up to pull him out. Apparently the driver put his insurance details through their letterbox - they don't seem to be in today, so I can't 100% check.

But at least the carpet was delivered ;-)

7th Dec 2010 - Underlay

The painters were in all day Saturday & Sunday (about 4 or 5 guys).

The underlay for the carpet has been delivered:

... and the chippies have finished re-hanging most of the doors and rebating the double doors.

Meanwhile, the UFH guys are still fiddling around trying to get the UFH fully working throughout the downstairs.

3rd December 2010 - Men at work

Well, we lost 2 days with zero work because of the snow, but today we have 6 on site doing the necessary.

- 1st pass clean of the 1st floor
- final skirtings
- letter box
- wet room mirror
- window board in sun room
- this and that

1st Dec - looks pretty, but no work is happening today

Snow. It looks very pretty. But note in the photos that no vans are parked outside - meaning that no work is happening today at all. Yikes. I am told that trades will all be back on site tomorrow. Fingers crossed.