Homeless

After a month of inactivity in the housing market - everyone waiting for the election, then waiting for the Dave & Nick love-in to finish, then waiting for the announcement on spending cuts, then ... we had a viewing at our house yesterday, and agreed a sale today!


So we're back looking at Rightmove, but to rent a house this time until our barn becomes habitable.

Not that things are charging along on that front.  We're doing our bits - cleared out 2 more trailer loads of rusty scrap metal last weekend, had a big bonfire to burn all our scrap wood, and mowed/strimmed our grass and the verge along the road.  It was really hot, too, so we had to retreat to the pub for cooling shandy.  Discovered my wife is becomong a bit of a photographer, too - have a look at this one ...

But the designers are frustrating us at the moment by taking so long to produce the Building Regs drawings.  They're into their 5th week now on something they told us would take a week or two, and some of the structural details they've come up with don't seem that buildable - and look expensive!  And the absence of those drawings is delaying everything at the moment, as we need those drawings for builders to give us quotes.


Still, we're getting on well with the neighbours now.  Even feeding their animals with our grass cuttings ...

Now that's a fence

Met our final builder today at the barn.  They seem a good company, too, so with the 2 or 3 others we have a decent group to invite tenders from.  Just need the Building Regs drawings from our architect now and we can send out tender packs.


Our cottage neighbours have put up a fence around their part of the paddock.  We were worried that it was going to be a close boarded fence that would have blocked our view down the valley, but fortunately it's a really neat 3 rail fence, with a short close boarded section between our two gates, which actually gives us more privacy whilst retaining the views.  What a relief.

Also started finding out how to obtain a new water supply.  As usual, we're close to the border of 3 authorities; our water supply comes from Anglian, our sewerage goes to Thames Water!  Ended up downloading 3 separate forms and 5 guidance documents - which indicate that Anglian could need up to 3 months notice if traffic lights are required.  Gonna send off that application tomorrow!

A Historic Day

So you think appointing our new Prime Minister was a momentous decision.  Huh, that's nuffink.  The biggest decision this week was made by our planning officer - to approve our application.  It was indicated on the planning website first thing this morning (about the same time as Dave stepped into No. 10) although we haven't had the decision notice yet, so still don't know what conditions they'll attach.  But at least we know for sure now that it's approved.

Met one of our prospective builders last night to 'interview' him for suitability and availability.  Had some useful discussions, so he's on the list.  Trying to find time to meet a few more whilst the Building Regs drawings are being finalised, so that we can then invite tenders as soon as they're ready.

Also noticed that our neighbour has started fencing the paddock in front of the barn with what looks like a stockproof fence.  We hope so, as that will retain the open aspect and mean we still have a view down the valley.

Work restarts

With planning almost secured, and the sun shining, we resumed operations at the barn today.  Had to give the grass a cut, Misan with the mower, me with the strimmer.  We kept encountering stones in the undergrowth, blocks of ironstone either off the barn walls or, more likely, from an old retaining wall across the plot that is now buried in vegetation.  So decided to collect them up, and gathered about ten barrow loads that we've saved, 'cos I'm sure we'll need every stone we can find when it comes to repairing and raising the barn walls.  Found some interesting creatures under one:


Then almost destroyed my chainsaw in taking down the remaining trunk of our big willow tree.  Took about an hour, and 3 tanks of petrol and chain saw oil, before it finally cut through.  Don't know what we're gonna do with the trunk now.  It's about 5' high, 3' diameter and impossible to lift, so we'll have to see if the digger can do something with it once the builder starts.


Took a couple of photos, inside and out, that we'll repeat as work progresses.  Here's the starting point:

Almost there ....

7.5 weeks into the 8 week planning period (week 26 since we bought it - that's 6 months), and we've had the nod from the planners that we should get approval before Weds next week to our application .  Phew!  When you're so much in the planners hands, and when they have so much power, it's nervewracking, no matter how much homework you've done (and we think we've done a lot).  Just have to see what conditions they attach now.


The blog may have been quiet over recent weeks, but it don't mean we ain't been busy - we've been doing loads.  Sorted out how we think we're going to do the heating/energy source, and met on site with our builder/developer friend to discuss further about how we might keep the walls in place whilst we do the conversion.  We've also got the architect and engineer going on the Building Regs drawings, and drawn up a shortlist of builders that we want to check for suitability and, more importantly, availability - before we start to talk prices!


So we're 3 months behind where we thought we'd be by this time, but (almost) ready for a flying start once the planning permission is granted next week - provided it comes, and we can meet their conditions quickly enough.


The fun's about to start.