August 2015 – Page 2

It’s All Ours

Whooohooo !!! As of today we now own our home. What I mean by that is we have paid the final installments of our mortgage. This is just about a year ahead of the target date and all made possible by retiring and grabbing my pension pot.

Of course, that’s not the whole story, as we are having the conservatory rebuilt and there are staged payments to be made on that. So I suppose we only really own the original bricks and mortar, as built by Barratts.

Earlier today I spoke to the bank to confirm the last payments had been received and was informed that we would get a letter of confirmation sometime next week. The disappointing news is that we will not be receiving the deeds to our house. Modern times and everything is handled electronically. The bank just informs the Land Registry that our mortgage has been paid and the title is formally transferred into our names. Still, I suppose that means I don’t have to find a safe place for such a valuable document, or have to pay for its safe keeping by the bank.

My wife got very excited knowing that the mortgage has gone but for me there is just an immense satisfaction and a sense of relief knowing that I haven’t got to make that huge monthly payment any more. Knowing, also, that the only regular call on my monthly pension is going to be the utilities, council tax and normal living expenses. All other expenditure will be entirely voluntary.

I think we might crack open a bottle of something cold and sparkling to celebrate. Let the party begin.

Conservatory Re-Build – Day 12

Yesterday, rain stopped play before the guys could make much headway. Today started with much optimism but this turned out to be somewhat misplaced as although the day started dryish it soon became too wet to work. By 11:00 the guys had knocked it on the head.

Luckily the rain held back long enough for the concrete to be laid inside the conservatory walls. This will provide a flat surface for the sleeper wall and eventually the suspended wooden floor. In the following photo you can just see where they have infilled at the base of the walls.

Conservatory - North end window frames are in. Platform is present to aid with the roof installation. — Conservatory – North end window frames are in. Platform is present to aid with the roof installation.

After mixing and laying the concrete the guys started preparations to reinstate my next door neighbours fencing. Rain stopped this work from completing.

The three window frames have been installed in the north end wall and the wall capping has been laid down but the rain turned up the intensity before the guys could start on the roof proper.

Conservatory – North end window frames are in. External view.

Conservatory - Single change to the Bi-Fold aperture — Conservatory – Single change to the Bi-Fold aperture i.e. the capping strip is bridging the gap.

With the frames in you can begin to get a feel for the final look of the north end.

My wife and I now have our fingers crossed that the weather is going to be kind and the guys can crack on when they return on Monday.

Conservatory Re-Build – Day 11

Here we are, Thursday and Day 11 of the re-build. The guys turned up and unloaded their van.

The first of the new frames were installed ….

Conservatory - Utility Room door and window frames are in — Conservatory – Utility Room door and window frames are in

Conservatory - windoww sills in place awaiting the windo frames — Conservatory – window sills in place awaiting the window frames

Unfortunately, the weather was against us and rain stopped play, or rather, build.

So the guys finished unloading their van and departed for a job where they could work under cover. They’ll be back tomorrow to try to turn this pile of miscellaneous metal plastic parts into a conservatory…….

Conservatory - The kit (puzzle) lays ready for assembly — Conservatory – The kit (puzzle) lays ready for assembly

Conservatory Re-Build – Day 10

As usual the guys were here good and early to finish off the last few runs of brickwork. And after such a beautiful weekend the weather decided to welcome them back to work with good old British drizzle.

Conservatory - Most of the materials have now gone from the drive — Conservatory – Most of the materials have now gone from the drive

Conservatory - South wall is now up to full height — Conservatory – South wall is now up to full height

Conservatory - Utility room door and window support walls are now up to full height — Conservatory – Utility room door and window support walls are now up to full height

Apparently we won’t be seeing any workers for the next day, or two, to allow the mortar to go off.

Then on Thursday they will be back to fit frames and roof ….. Whoohoo !!!

Conservatory Re-Build – Day 9

5J7A0480_1 — Conservatory – South wall blockwork completed and connected to the garage.

5J7A0481_1 — Conservatory – Although the blockwork is to full height theouter brickwork is yet to reach the same height.

5J7A0482_1 — Conservatory – North end window pillars are complete, both blockwork and brickwork.

5J7A0484_1 — Conservatory – Facia board has been cut into in preparation for connection to the new build.

5J7A0485_1 — Conservatory – Close up of intersection between south wall blockwork and the garage wall.

Conservatory Re-Build – Day 8

5J7A0474_1 — Conservatory – Wall Starter Ties, being used where the new conservatory wall butts up to the house wall.

5J7A0475_1 — Conservatory – Showing the progress of the end wall pillars, including the internal blockwork and insulation.

5J7A0476_1 — Conservatory – Wot No Window. Good job the floor level is going to be raised too.

5J7A0477_1 — Conservatory – Looking through the bi-fold aperture towards the end wall pillars.

5J7A0478_1 — Conservatory – Looking through the bi-fold aperture towards the end wall showing the newly laid blockwork.

Orange II

Orange

Drismal

Here we are and it’s Day 8 of our conservatory re-build and we have been really lucky with the weather since the works started. The only rain, so far, has had the decency to hold off until the end of the working day. Sprinkling while the guys have been packing up. Seems our luck has run out and this morning is starting out dull, with a light drizzle, a condition I like to describe as drismal. So it’s on with the jackets for Bob and Simon, the brickies, suitably fortified with a hot cup of tea.

So I have been pondering the economics of home construction work and have come to realise that an essential item has been missed from our costing.

Tea !!!

Or rather I should say Tea, Milk and Sugar. It seems the great british workman is fuelled by sweet tea.

During a normal week we consume perhaps 30 – 40 tea bags, 1 – 1.5 pints of milk and no sugar assuming no sweet toothed visitors.

However, consumption has ramped up significantly and seems to be running at around 64 tea bags, 3 pints of milk and around 500 grams of sugar. This is just a rough guesstimate as the number of bods on site fluctuates. There is just the two of us but the workers vary from two to four and all but one drink their tea in the “white with two sugars” mix hence the sugar explosion.

And so I issue a word or two of advice to those considering a significant construction project on their own back door…..

If you want to keep them sweet, don’t forget to factor in the costs of providing regular teas to your workers.