WEEK 21 -Things are moving forward at last

Reading the last blog I realize how things have moved on in the last two weeks. Murdo the brick layer has been in and put the brick work for the garage up and is due back on Monday, after a week working elsewhere, to finish the main block work on the house. Dave and Vic have put the roof on the porch and garage and are due back in this weekend to finish. It is looking very good and the porch and garage really finish the house.

We have had very mixed weather over the last two weeks with days of brilliant sunshine and then times when the rain just pours out the sky, but overall we have had reasonable weather, it has not been cold and work has been able to progress.

Phil and Jeremy have been making great progress. Phil has put in as much of the guttering as he can get to from the scaffold and Jeremy has been busy painting the eves a classic 'Skye' blue
The kitchen arrived last Friday and most of it seems to be there which is amazing. Phil has got a lot of it in place and it looks good.
Jeremy has been very busy sanding, undercoating and finishing off in the house ready for decorating.

Today Phil put the banisters up on the gallery - it looks very effective. They will be painted white eventually so will not look so 'in your face' but I think they make a differnce. Next job is the stair banisters.
He has also laid the cloakroom tiles. hung all the doors, fixed the skirtings and various other finishing touches.
As soon as the porch is water tight he can finish the under floor heating in there and get the floor down. That area will then need plaster boarding and fining off.

As for me I have been very busy ordering, chasing and checking materials in. Have chosen and then got Phil to agree with various finishings including lights, tiles and paint colours. Sometimes I feel it is a full time job just taking on this role.

WEEK 19 -

We are still no further with the block work and are trying to not get too down about it. Roy never turned up! We have now found a team of bricklayers from Dorres (near Inverness) recommended by the AGA surveyour, we have agreed a price and they are supposed to be starting tomorrow. The price agreed is twice the original one but as we are desperate needs must. The weather has been terrible the last few days but has brightened up today so hopefully they will be here tomorrow.

On the brighter side. Wednesday was spent in Inverness. We had to pick up the slate slab for the hearth and the
Travertine for the porch so hired a van - talk about uncomfotable journey, I either felt I was being flung out the door or sitting in the middle was astride a bump in the seat. Sore!!!! - Any way I survived and we had a successful day spending money on tiles, bedroom furniture and flooring for the kitchen. We have also got a better idea of carpet colours.

Phil and Jeremy have been really busy and now all the plaster boarding is done. The ceiling is painted in the garden room and the big window is painted so Phil has been able to get the tower down. It really is looking good.

It was very exciting to see the AGA being installed on Thursday - just can't wait to try it.

The next stage is to get the supplies in and drainage installed. I am assured this is not a big job but we do need some better weatherasit is alloutside work. I can't wait to be able to do more to help other than keep them supplied with food, cups of tea and encouragement.