We're alive!

Well hello!

We have Internet! Huzzah! I can now resume updating the blog you'll all be pleased to know :-)

Where to start....

We had our survey done and have a nice set of measurements that mean bugger all to me but are obviously very interesting to an architect and planning officer. 

Unfortunately, our architect has now gone on holiday for 3 weeks so the wait for drawings continues.

With the lovely weather we've been having, we haven't really been doing much on the inside.

I wish I could say we've made significant progress on the outside...but we haven't! A bit of weeding and levelling really....

The tractor is in for a service and its only since we haven't had it we've realised how useful it's been. Digging up stumps by hand is back breaking!

We has planned to crack on with the main part, pending planning and insulate, re-plaster and install our eBay kitchen and hot water system. But, the more we've talked, the more we've decided to hang fire on installing the kitchen and hot water system as we want to see the architects ideas. He may come up with some genius plans that would mean the kitchen is somewhere else entirely and we would have wasted time, money and energy if we went steaming ahead. 

We aren't in a rush.

Even if we had plans ready to submit to planning today, they would take 3 months to approve and then winter is pretty much here and we'd be mental to try and build then! 

Realistically, we'd be looking to start demolition in the winter and start building in the spring and then hopefully be done around this time next year.

We thought we wanted to make the extensions out of brick, but we keep thinking about other methods. We are very indecisive, but we can afford to be right up until planning submission.

Caravan living is still ok. I've cooked some pretty good meals! Even with the rubbish oven. We have a shower connected and a box connected that gives us instant hot showers and we have out sky dish connected and working!

The epic thunderstorm we had the other day was a bit disconcerting...and rain on a caravan roof = no sleep!

But basically, we're good as we are and comfy as we are....which as you can see is dangerous because we're not doing much work!

Finally, here is a picture of what the place looked like when we came to view it in November:

  and now:

It's pretty scary to think that the house we bought 3 months ago is probably worth significantly less today....!