Just a shell

I know it’s early days, but at this point, I love our builder! His enthusiasm for our project is almost as big as mine (and you can guess how bouncy that is!), and determination to get it finished as quickly as possible is incredibly reassuring, given we’re now on the countdown to Christmas.

We gave him the keys on Saturday 5th September —he was like a boy in a toy shop, beaming ready to get started! Though it’s been a year since we first started talking about this with him, so maybe he’s just relieved we finally handed them over. On the Monday we met him and his foreman at the house, for a quick meet & greet, and drove past an hour later to find them still sitting out the front plotting and planning (excitement levels just ratcheted up a little higher!). Tuesday and Wednesday a few people come and go, but nothing really happens, bit deflating — I want to see sledgehammers and people knocking walls down!

So with slight disappointment, we head off for a long weekend (anniversary celebration — 12 years!), to spend a weekend dreaming of how it might turn out, and worrying about whether it will ever actually happen! Heading home on Sunday, we decide to swing past the rental and pick up the trailer, for one last load!

As we pull up outside the house — I see it first. A great big pile of rubbish in the old carport!

I can’t get out of the car and in to the house fast enough — we walk in and at first it looks normal, then we turn down the hallway and half the walls and ceilings are gone! I’m jumping around with excitement, and sheer terror — what have we done?!

Next day, the girls were desperate to have a look after school…..

We’re a few weeks down the line now, and there are no more internal walls. The only thing left inside is the toilet — now wrapped in polyethene wall for labourer discretion! There is no laundry, no carport, bits of house off all over the place! Looks like the roof might be coming off next week……