House improvements 2013/14

So we moved to England. To a hovel of a tiny terrace house with an abandoned garden to match the house. It was bought unseen as we had to buy and hadn't sold our Shetland house in time for our move. A risky thing to do and we could see from the pictures that the place had damp problems.
In the buying process we found out that the boiler was non functional and the oven/hob was dangerous.
The boiler was fixed the week before we moved - thank goodness for the Internet that made that possible!
On moving in we:
Changed the pay card electric meter to a standard house hold one with bills.
Had the drains unclogged and surveyed.
Had the structure of the house looked at - its sound. We didn't do this before moving in to prevent delay in gaining a mortgage.
Put in a down pipe and soffits at the front of the house - solving the worst of the damp in those rooms.
Clad our bedroom - because of that damp.
Had the chimneys swept and fixed - the flue had not been lined and the chimney pots were wrong
Fixed main electric fire alarms & CO monitor in room with the boiler.

Then over the rest of the time we:
decorated the sitting room - previously the front facing wall was too wet to take paint
Replaced the kitchen and made it open plan with the dining area.
Replaced the kettle with a qooker. Epic piece of kit!
Decorated the dining area - painting the stair case and chimney breast - lighter and brighter for it
Replaced the doors and windows - massive difference to light, noise and security!
Fitted a toilet upstairs where a linen cupboard was - now we have 2 loos!
Replaced our damp 1980's filthy bathroom.
Created a desk area

Like anything you have to work hard at, we have come to like our house. Just like we like our garden. Its coming good. More is needed. We need an extension so the lads have more space. A small double room with 2 bunk beds is not great. We need to sort out the downstairs - removing the radiators and carpet for tiles and underfloor heating. We need to sort out the open fire for a stove. But now we want to do this for comfort not necessity.

2014 - Outings & holidays

A busy, busy year we went all out to integrate with the country and location we had moved to. But sought to reassure the kids that even though we'd moved to a very small horrible house there was/is fun to be had anyway!

 Deeping play park

 Bourne Wood

My birthday!! Only pic that would down load. At the White Horse pub

 Up to Hexham to be with my sisters

 Going to Buley Lodge Ladies night!!

 While Tim & Dad went skiing on a mens bonding week, we went to Dinosaur world!

Back to Hexham and Roman Corbridge

 Framlingham Castle! Really - they got John to dance all girly like!

Rainy beautiful Lincoln

 Culumber Park with the grandparents

At Ruths, Hexham again for me!

Bourne open air pool - marvelous!

Burghley House, icecreams after getting soaked!

Baston car show

 Bourne woods - scrumping!!

 Lincoln Chilli festival - a chilly afair!

 Hungary holiday at lake Balaton - lots and lots of langos

 Baston in the Blitz!!

 Matt and Dad having a bonding weekend in London in celebration of times tables learnt to 12x before turning 7

 Dinosaur world - so good we did it as a whole family

 Northumberland - Christmas with Ruth and wider family. This is Boxing day hike/route march, for our own good.

Me with Tim, on my 41st B'day

Garden - from wilderness to fun family space

The clearance has started. Nothing but an old slide & rubbish hidden in ivy, brambles and weeds.

Burning the brambles

 Burning, clearing, going to the tip. For weeks.

 Wall of brambles 12' tall

The shedhad arrived & been put up by John & Zach

 More burning

Shed painted. Boys variously helping/watching

The back wall is discovered! 

 See those bits sticking up - bramble stems to dig up!

 More tea breaks and more burning. Length of the garden becoming apparent.

 That is a dug bed, ready for the raspberries, currants, blue berries & strawberries to arrive. Chicken hut can just be seen at the back ground.

 Herb garden laid.

 More clearance - behind and around the shed space. Warm work for late Jan!

 Marking out where the yurt will be!

 Fruit bushes put in!

 Leylandii hedge cut back and burnt. The last burings.

 Tending to chickens, the thing on Johns head is the weather proofing for the food dispenser.

 Trampoline had to be bought & used! Now this garden lark is more fun for the kids.

 Using the chickens to clear the ground where the yurt is planned to go.

Flowers from Katy. feeling ever more garden like and less wilderness

 Ben showing how no amount of H&S will stop stupid

Laying the foundations for the yurt base

Ruth & Tom inspect progress so far. Dont think they were impressed.Look like brave smiles to me.

 Things growing!

 Yurt base being made!

 Zach enjoying the space

 Yurt being made, by Meadow Yurts - they came from Cornwall especially

The yurt is made!

 Moving chickens about

 Inside the yurt. A great extra room, and guest space.

 Have yurt, now to continue to evlove the space around it.

 Garden fun - water fight!!

 Home brewing got started again - always a sign a house (or hovel) is becoming a home. And that brewing needs somewhere to be.

Shed is at this point wired up to the mains with its own fuse box and everything.  So it has heat and light. A home office and a place for home brew!

 See desk to the right and refreshment to the left

 Just enjoying what we had created.