Saturday 9 January 2010

We're getting closer.....

So the good news is that we have a builder, and a quote, and minimal stuff we have to put in for planning permission, and are still on good relations with our architect (this always seems to go wrong on Grand Designs - but we've even had dinner at ours!).

The bad news is that the quote is more than we really wanted to spend - but I think we have come to the conclusion that we should go for it (I have the job of talking to the mortgage company next week). We are still deciding about the downstairs flooring - should we go for a recycled glass in resin poured floor, or should we have unfinished concrete for a few years and a slightly smaller bill? I suspect we will go for the whole hog, as it seems daft to completely gut the place, and not actually finish all the structural stuff, but this will mean plaster walls, minimal storage, and racks for clothes for a while.

We are meeting the builder and architect again in 2 weeks - and if we have decided, and the final, final quote hasn't got even higher we will probably say yes, and then the building should get underway beginning of February, dependant on lead time for windows etc. Currently the thought is it will take 5 months - so we might be in for the summer.

Any volunteers to come and help us strip the inside over the next month ready for the builders???

Coachhouse in the snow

I was sent to take pics of the house in the snow after dropping C at the station for a course - nearly froze my fingers off taking them, so blame that for the quality!

coachhouse in snow - front c
The house you can see in the upper right corner is the 'Big House' for which this was the coachhouse and next door was the gatehouse. It's a beautiful, elaborate lateish 19th century house bult by an architect called Sully, very well known in Nottingham at the time. We'll put up a pic sometime.
coachhouse in snow - garden
Looking up the garden in the snow. C's Dad calls that 'Shed 1' of our many sheds - he's calling us the seven shed sheilas. We don't really have quite that many! This one is going to go sometime, as it would be a good spot to sit (we think) and we'll replace it with a small storage shed in the dank dark corner of the garden, and some cold frames where you see that snowy wall right now.
coachhouse in snow - coutryard wall

Spot the missing coping stone! Doesn't this show the beautiful lines of this massive retaining wall rather well? Don't think the line would be thought of so naturally if a similar wall would be built these days, do you? (Let's face it, it'd be knocked up fast out of breeze blocks or something, or just poured concrete with a sloped top).

Anyway - progress is now being made... more in a mo from Clare!