Moving fast!

It's all go at the house and looks like we are on schedule to move in around 19th June - I cannot believe that we are nearly there. It's been a bit of a journey from sale agreed November 2013, keys April 2014, planning permission September 2014 and work commencing October 2014.

As with any building project there are ups and downs, but we had an extra 'hurdle' as the house is a protected structure so we needed to work with the conservation department. It has been challenging but with a bit of flexibility (from our side) we are happy with the results so far and excited to be living in this beautiful house.

A big help has been our builders - Howard Building Contractors, they have been brilliant and always on hand to give good solid advise when another issue appeared.

Our house has been repainted pink as following advise from the Conservation department, we had to submit another Section 5 application if we wanted to change the colour. We submitted this but as this would take another 4 weeks, scaffolding was up and we needed to keep moving - pink it was to be, so now all cleaned up in beautiful Peony Prize it remains the Pink House (much to the boys dismay but they will get over it).

Here's a few pictures of progress to date.

Pretty in Pink - just the door to be done.

Basement - Nordic Elements' new Studio

Newly restored windows and walls in Drawing Room (oldest part of the house)

Hall ceiling being fixed and painted - not for fainthearted!

Kitchen made and installed by Wabi-Sabi & designed by Morwenna Gerrard - soooo excited.

New coving and ceiling rose as there was none in this beautiful room.

En-Suite in master bedroom- glass screens by Wabi-Sabi based on my own design.  

Basement stairs back again after a full reconfiguration of the basement which had previously been converted into a 2 bedroom apartment. 

Guest Loo - getting there.

First fire in the new stove, marble surround all restored and beautiful - all done by Buckley's Fireplaces.

Boys room - total transformation.

Paving nearly complete - house lovely pink again.

Wall planters ready for some plants.

7 weeks to go....

Will we be able to move in on the estimated date of completion?? who knows, but so far so good although a few challenges along the way.

The windows have returned after being restored by Callaghan's - great job, they have been restoring the frames and re-fitting the windows during the last 3 weeks and finally we can begin to see the house taking shape.

So much happening on-site, the whole house has now been re-plumbed and central heating installed as there was any, each room in the house was previously heated by a variation of stoves.

We are fitting two solid fuel stoves in the two reception rooms and the original marble surrounds are being restored in the process all done by Buckley's.

The garage shed is finished and ready for cladding with larch. This will be a very simple contemporary and modern finish with an 'invisible' door.

As for the external painting, we have decided to keep the house pink for a number of reasons, one being to change the colour we would have to apply for planning which will add more time and we need to get the scaffolding removed. Secondly, I quite like the idea of keeping the pink although I am not a 'pink' girl, but kinda funny with my 2 boys and husband although my eldest thinks it's embarrassing :-)

We are all so excited about nearly being there and ready to move into our house. We left London nearly 2 years ago and have been waiting for this since end of November 2013 when we went sale agreed on the house, but it will all be worth it as we will have a very special home for our little family.

Here's a few pics from the last few weeks of progress

The view up the street from the scaffolding.

Restored windows going back in, frames being fixed painted etc - nearly as new!

My studio taking shape, concrete floor ready for polishing.

What shade of white to choose......

Garage Shed ready for Larch cladding.

Inspecting the roof structure - one of our main challenges......

David would love to add a balcony on top of the house but might have an issue with the conservation department......
 - nice view though on a sunny day!

The ' Challenge' old roof structure cut down and new fitted onto the old one about 10-15 years ago, but now adding uneven pressure on latch and plaster ceiling in boys room causing cracks.... 

A few wires.... from one socket in each room to well many more!. 

En-suite pod in the master bedroom ready for tiling and glazing to go in.

Windows, plumbing and wiring - all happening in the boys room.

Drawing room nearing finish.

Windows, chimney re-pointing, painting, roof inspections all happening on the scaffolding.

Restored window going back in - proper daylight again. 

My 50 shades of grey..... but which one??

Progress - slowly

It's been a while, but things are beginning to take shape. As expected it was never going to be an easy journey with such an old property, but so far we have not found any hidden treasures (sadly) or old bones (thankfully) only added costs..... also expected.

Below are a few images of the current state of affairs - still a way to go but can't wait to live there later this Summer, feel so blessed and lucky.

The diggers have gone.

Some re-wiring through 5ft stone walls.

Kitchen nearly ready for fitting - part of chimney gone.

Back walls nearing completion, drains re-routed and all sorts of re-inforcement.

Posh shed foundations in progress.

Basement being tanked, damp proofed you name it - it's being done....

Basement laundry room to be and waiting for new stairs to be re-instated.

Drawing room at it's worst, this is the oldest part of the house - previously a tower within Booterstown Castle. Walls being fixed, new floors to go in and most importantly central heating.

Sample of re-claimed oak floor for the drawing room - minus the mahogany strips though - less is more!

Stud work  for the en-suite taking shape in the Master bedroom - finished off with glass panels up to the ceiling.
 

Master En-suite stud work  from another angle.

Windows & more digging....

Well it's well and truly a building site, lots happening and Barry & his team are working away with lots of machinery on site - much to the boys excitement.

All sash windows have been removed and taken away to be restored, the frames will be restored on site.

The basement is moving ahead slowly but a few issues have cropped up that had to be dealt with and it is now being lined with a special membrane as part of the damp-proofing.

The terracing at the front and back of house is beginning to take shape and soon the mounds of soil and rubble will be levelled out again and we may see a bit of our garden again.

Windows removed for restauration 

Marcus: Mummy can we have a swimming pool?

A bit of Spring amongst the mud & madness of a building site

Front terracing taking shape

Back terracing taking shape as well!

Slow but steady progress.

Basement being damp proofed

dig dig digging.......

OMG - where has my garden gone??

Lots of digging going on this week in order to move drains, gain ceiling height, tanking etc. a few pictures below from site visit today. 

It's al go now so I will be back with regular updates from now on - fingers crossed!!!