End of the weekend, time to face a new week

The end of the weekend at the end of week 20. Today was nice sunny day, and we took a table and chair outside on the alfresco area to enjoy the balmy weather. Very pleasant and just a glimpse as to how it is going to be once it is all completed.

The tilers came back early Saturday morning. Around lunchtime they had finished and the bathroom, toilet and vanity area had all been tiled, ready for grouting. This is going to take place sometime this week when they return to tile outside, once the water proofing has been completed.

Not the best photos, not an easy spot to get into to record via a photo.

The downpipes were installed as Chief outlined in her post. Photos reveal the results.

Sam was here as also outlined by Chief installing lights and powerpoints all over the place, including the external lights out the front and down the side. Hidden by the scaffolding still though you can get a feel for them.

It is becoming a juggling effort now with the various tradesman to get things completed so the next trade can come in. Not sure who is going to be opening the gate in the morning to kick off week 21. Stay tuned.

Two posts in one day!

Well after a long absence from posting I have done 2 posts in one day.

It has been really exciting here today. So glad I didn't get called into work, mind you I bet the tradies wish I hadn't been here.

Sammy the brilliant electrician ended up installing my oven for me....yay. Now I just have to work out how to use it.

Sammy also installed our feature lights above the stairs. He asked me if I wanted them in any particular order. I told him that I would leave it up to him. Oops big mistake, he made the cables too long and I very kindly asked him to shorten them somewhat. Thankfully he did, but as a result of the lights and my oven he didn't leave here until 5pm tonight. Did I already say how brilliant he was???

The tilers were busy up in the bathroom all day and have prepared the floor to finish off tomorrow. I was also informed that they were coming back next week to tile outside as well.

Finally poor Peter who got here late also worked back until 5pm. I am not really sure what he did today. I think that he installed the runner at the bottom of the kitchen window. I also think he put a new window in the side of the garage.He was very quiet all day though and I think he skipped lunch too. Probably ate it waiting for the mechanic!

Wayne was also here until 5pm painting waterproofing around the cement slab and doing what Wayne does best....organising everyone.

The down-pipe man left before 5 as did the tilers.

The end of an exciting week. According to the kitchen man my bench-tops should be installed next Wednesday. Can't wait.

I feel like I am on the set for the movie 'The Money Pit'!!

Remember that movie 'The Money Pit' starring Tom Hanks and Shelley Long?

Well for the last 20 weeks this place has felt a bit like that (not the looks). Today, however I am feeling it more so.....I am also getting a little bit excited as I am beginning to see the end of that enormous dark tunnel.

Today our house is a hive of activity. It also feels like a mini United Nations with at least 4 different nationalities represented. 

Poor Peter was late because his car broke down on his way to work. The upside was that it was near a car repair place. The downside was that it didn't open until 8am. After waiting until it opened because he really didn't have any other options they fixed it at great cost to Pete.

We also have the fabulous ever smiling tilers back again tiling the upstairs bathroom.

The absolutely brilliant electricians are also here. I am being especially nice to them because my brand new oven was delivered minutes ago and now I am trying to get Sammy to install it for me before he goes home today....hm we'll see he muttered as he high tailed it out of here! He assures me that he will be back...He just didn't say when.

The man doing the down pipes is here and even though the cloud cover looks threatening we are hoping that it doesn't rain today.

I have also been for a trip to the lighting shop this morning to get more lights as it appears we were a few short.

I am now about to start packing stuff into my new pantry because I am sick of having everything lying around outside on the floor.

And the winning tribe is ....

SIMON! Yes, the kitchen puzzle was completed today, with Simon leaving at 7.45pm tonight, after installation our kitchen. It is minus bench-tops, a couple of cupboard doors and it needs to be finished off around it however, what a cracker!

At least it is more organized now than the mess of stuff last night. The photos don't really do it justice, it looks fantastic. At least for Chief and Deputy, it looks fantastic, too good for us really. We are sort of desperate for the bench-top now and then we can decide the splash-backs and have it finished off, we want to use it!!

Sam was back today putting the lights into the bedrooms upstairs. Not sure who is likely to be back tomorrow, thinking it may be Sam as there is still some electrical work to be completed around the place.

It is coming together folks. Did you notice in the above photo we have one of those roller door things to hide your appliances behind, how cool is that! Chief is very happy with the new kitchen!

P.S. from Chief Blogger. All of those episodes I watched of Master Chef and Junior Master Chef may now come in useful as I learn to cook in my new kitchen.

We have a new kitchen ......

sort of. The kitchen has arrived however as you can see, it is a very large Survivor puzzle waiting for the challenge to start. Immunity is back     up     for    grabs (said in your best Jeff voice). In today's challenge teams have a bunch of cabinets and cupboards arranged in random order. The team that gets it installed in the correct order first, wins immunity and is safe from tribal council tonight. The winning tribe also gets reward. Want to know what you are playing for? Eternal gratitude from Chief and Deputy Blogger. Can't pay the bills off it however gratitude is highly under rated in today's society. Tangent .... wonder if Wayne will take my eternal gratitude rather than cold hard cash next time a payment is due .....?

Anyway, the kitchen ...   

We had Peter and Phil finish off the flooring and Sammy the electrician was back on site, looking for the lights to install. Lights aren't here ........... long story, another time and place. 

One rogue light caused an hour of frustration as the whole house short circuited over and over, until they worked out the light was faulty. The family room has now been floored AND lighted (is that even a word?).

The power points upstairs in the bedrooms have been put in place while the wiring for the lights punched through the sheeting. One of the lights has been put in place in the alfresco area, the other light was the rogue one and the spot lights installed.

Look at that, you can see the backyard in the dark, have to be happy with that!

Tomorrow we expect the tribal kitchen challenge to take place, Sam to come back and goodness knows what else as we plow on towards completion.

Not quite, tomorrow

Well today was supposed to be the big day for the kitchen to arrive. Sadly, though, and it has sort of become a little running joke, on Monday we were advised, 'kitchen Wednesday'. So, tomorrow, the kitchen is to arrive.

The delay was to ensure that the flooring was completed. Peter and Phil on Monday laid the battens for the new floor in the family room and they completed it by the end of the day. The floor though hadn't been glued and nailed which was today's job, thus the push back of the kitchen. The floor looks good, flowing out of the kitchen into the new family room, it makes such a difference.

Today also marked the attendance of new tradesman. Wayne had brought in Bob the Carpenter to do the skirting and architraves upstairs as well as hang the doors. Now the upstairs has all the doors hung, skirting and architraves completed in all the bedrooms and the bathroom. Another little step in the right direction. Photos do not show it well but this is Joel's room with the door and trim completed.

The door to the toilet has been completed, phew, a little privacy ....

The door on the storage room at the top of the stairs has also been completed.

So tomorrow, the kitchen appliances have been ordered to venture forth from the warehouse so that they are here to be measured for the bench top. The kitchen should also arrive while Peter and Phil finish off the gluing and nailing of the floor. If the rain stays away, the scaffolding is also supposed to come down. The rain winning today's round. Should be another busy day, hopefully another day closer to being finished!

Do you like the colour??

At the end of the weekend at the end of week 19, we've been able to have an interesting conversation between Chief and Deputy. Do you like the colour chosen for the outside of the house??

Yes, after threatening to come for a couple of days, the painter arrived on Friday and started painting all the eaves. With a mate on the weekend, we now have all the eaves painted, all of the second floor (outside) painted and the whole front on the ground floor painted. It was an interesting conversation as it looked very white when first put on and Deputy wasn't happy, he wanted more colour in it to start with however Chief was happy (cause it was Chief's) colour. Give it time and with a second coat in the afternoon, it looks really good. Nothing too flamboyant however nice, though the painters didn't get the message about the bright blue for the gable. Looks like they will be coming back.

This is a (poor) shot of the eaves on Friday.

This is the same shot after the weekend and the walls have now been painted. The light doesn't give the best picture of the colour.

This is the look down the same side of the second floor, you can see the colour a little more in this photo. The best look is out the front where the very front meets the side wall which hasn't been painted, however no photos of that, you'll have to trust the correspondent.

The other fun and games was the kitchen floor. You may remember Wednesdays update where it was noted that Peter and Phil were off to Balmain, load of wood was to be delivered on Thursday so they could rip up the kitchen floor and relay on Friday. Well, no wood delivered on Thursday. MMmm.

Peter and Phil are ripping and tearing from 7.00 am in the morning. But there is no wood boys! It is coming, don't worry Deputy.

The dirty big hole in the floor, and no wood. Boys are wandering around looking for anything to do. Wayne, who was home really sick gets a call from the wood place 'can't find the address'. Wayne blows a gasket!! At 2.30, the truck turns up. Peter gives them an absolute gob full, I'm surprised the truck driver didn't have a piece of wood inserted as a souvenir of his time with Peter. It is all happening as they unload all this wood.

Meanwhile, Phil had gone home to get a board to cover up the big hole so it is not left open all weekend. He gets back as the wood is coming off. Wayne has also turned up, sick as a dog and says 'right, lets get this floor down'. While Peter and Phil start cutting and laying the floor, Wayne is carrying all the wood up under cover at the back of the house. They worked until it was done.

This is the finished floor, though it has to be taken up on Monday so it can be glued and nailed in properly however at least we have had a floor for the weekend. Just cannot fault Wayne and the boys. It wasn't their fault the truck driver was horribly late however they didn't want us to be uncomfortable over the weekend.

Well, week 20 kicks off tomorrow. More flooring activity as the kitchen is scheduled for Tuesday and who knows what other tradesman will be in attendance. The build was to be a 20-25 week job which means we are now in the completion window. We can see the finish, there is just though still a lot to be done, all the finishing stuff to keep us well and truly grounded. We've lasted 19 weeks, we have to be good for the last stretch.

Bye bye cork floor!

After the excitement of losing the kitchen on the weekend, it was back to more mundane action the first 3 days of the week.

Peter built the frame under the stairs and started to sheet up the cupboard. It now has the frame completed ready for when the plasters come back.

The terrible cork floor was pulled up on Tuesday getting ready for the new kitchen. The good news was that floor boards were across the whole dining room and the kitchen area. The photo also shows our kitchen at present, nothing like a bit of camping at home!

This morning we had a discussion with Wayne as the floor in the kitchen is covered with a thick asphalt. Is not going to sand well, if at all. After discussing options, Chief Blogger made a very quick decision, rip it up and start again.

So now the new kitchen is back on hold until the floor is finished. The boys are off to Balmain tomorrow with the floor being ripped up and relaid on Friday. New kitchen now scheduled for Tuesday.

Peter and Phil have also been busy cleaning up the site and doing a number of small jobs around the place. In the above photos of the kitchen, you can see the new sheeting on the walls ready for the kitchen. Old skirting and architraves have been removed around the hallway and holes in the floor repaired ready for sanding.

I never did like the wood around the old entrance into the house, and now it is gone!

Step by step we are getting there. Kitchen and floors next week. Once the kitchen is in, plasters back to finish off around the place. Inspection of water proofing booked in so that tiling of the bathroom can start. Painter was supposed to be here today, weather must have been too perfect to start ....

Looks good, but a pain to work with ...

No, this is not a reference to Deputy Blogger by the Chief, but Peter and Phil's reaction to the cladding product that we have used for the house. At the end of week 18, the second floor is finally finished being cladded. It has been slow and tedious work as Peter and Phil work with the board having to cut it at angles and pieces. But, it does look good, we are really happy with how it looks, and that is without being painted.

There is a little it of tidy up work to finish, and then it can be handed over to the painters.

There was also great excitement by Peter in particular (and us) on Friday as the glazier turned up and put the glass into the back doors. Means Peter doesn't have to screw in and out each day the board covering it up.

The upstairs was not completely forgotten, water proofing commencing and the bath being put in place.

Now, our kitchen ....

One of the tidy photos of our kitchen used for the eBay listing. The kitchen sold this week for $760. Yep, go figure, for a 15 year old kitchen! The buyers turned up today and removed it. It has gone to a good home, a family with 5 kids at Campbelltown who needs a new kitchen.

Now we have an empty space ..

Which can now double as a really big dining room ..

Wayne asked us to have the kitchen removed this weekend if we could so I hope the new kitchen is not far away as clearly cooking etc is going to be a little more complicated with out a kitchen!!

So, at the end of week 18, we have the whole first and second floor cladded, roof on both floors, new staircase installed and the glass in our back doors. Rooms are sheeted and plastered. Whilst we are without a kitchen, we can starting to feel like we are coming towards the home stretch. Hang on folks, we can make it!!

A little bit more

After the excitement of yesterdays action, it was a little hard to see the progress today. Peter and Phil were back and it was back up on the roof doing the cladding. It is fiddly, difficult work and while there was good progress, it is also slow progress.

There was also a general clean up around the site getting rid of a lot of the rubbish lying around. Certainly looks tidier. Onto tomorrow!

Stairway to heaven!

Today, how glorious, the stair people turned up early, set up and started working. Tonight, the results ...

WE HAVE STAIRS!!!

How wonderful. Kids don't quite understand however, WE HAVE STAIRS!!!

After 17 long weeks, the upstairs is now connected to the downstairs. Not by climbing up a ladder, crawling over scaffolding and squeezing between the frame. Not by climbing a ladder, but BY STAIRS. The top is connected to the bottom, the bottom is connected to the top, by stairs, that we can walk on. I can take a chair up the stairs and sit in one of the new rooms, upstairs and read a book.

Peter and Phil were back today and the gable at the front is now finished. Looks great, our house now looks completely different from when we started this process.

The boys also started the cladding on the second floor now that the roof has been finished. Fiddly work, just a small portion completed.

The other big action today was the visit by the tree surgeons, who performed a wonderful amputation of the big tree at the back of the yard. Feels very open now and the big lemon gum also felt the surgeons knife with the dead branches given a trim.

Don't you love the old clothes line, MMmm, have to think about what to do about that. Not part of the contract!