This post is really for my own benefit as much as a blog update because lately I have been wondering just what we’ve spent the last 3 months since we bought Waterloo Farm doing! Some days it feels like we’ve achieved very little because the actual building work still hasn’t started, so I thought that writing it down might help me realise just how much we have achieved in a relatively short space of time (considering we don’t actually live there yet!). So, here’s a list of the things I can remember – no doubt Nigel will remember some more so we’ll add to the list (thanks to everyone who has helped us get this lot done 
)!
In no particular order:
- stripped wallpaper (and some plaster!) in the entrance hall, study, back bedroom and built-in wardrobes and stairwell
- taken up all the pamment tiles in the entrance hall
- cleaned all the kitchen cupboards to remove 8 years of grime and grease … eeww …
- removed the shelves in the larder and understairs cupboard
- removed the built-in bookcases in the study
- taken up the pamment hearth tiles in the study and family room
- had the chimneys swept
- cleared out the stable both sides (big job!)
- ‘repaired’ the roof of the stable
- removed the climbing plant from the front of the stable
- removed the weeping silver birch and cut up all the branches for kindling/firewood
- replaced a downpipe and drain at the front of the house
- replaced the drains from 2 downpipes at the back of the house and run new drainpipe into the drain/ditch
- made a land drain across entire width of garden (50m)
- removed loads of bindweed, nettles and ground elder from the triangular flower bed
- planted about 100 daffodil bulbs back in the triangular bed
- taken up all the carpets/underlay downstairs
- started removing the skirting board downstairs
- taken down all the curtains/blinds
- cut the grass a couple of times (this took ages with our little mower!!)
- had measured plans of the house and all the land drawn up
- had the house ‘re-modelled’ by an architect ready for submission to building regs
- drawn up an electrical schedule as part of the works
- met about a million (OK, slight exaggeration, but it feels like it somedays!) tradesmen to discuss plumbing, electrics, underfloor heating, ground source heat pumps, roofs, chimneys, drains, grass, mowers, plastering, damp proofing, clay lump, etc …
I think I’ve exhausted my list for the time being, so actually we have done a lot when you consider this has mostly been achieved on weekends! The scary thing is there is still absolutely LOADS to do Our friends summed it up recently when they came and looked round. Afterwards they said “sorry if we seemed rather quiet when we visited your house – we hadn’t realised just how much work there is to do” … says it all really!!
Tags: Farmhouse Renovation, Home Improvements
Categories: Garden Improvements, Home Improvements, Living the Country Life