Progress at last

At last the weather has relented and allowed the builders to make some progress.  They've managed to complete the roof carpentry, including remodelling the existing trusses, and get some of the stone walls built up to eaves level in readiness for the roof slates to be laid next week.

We've also had a visit from the electricity contractors to install the supply from across the road.  They've got it in up to our boundary, and they just have to run the new cable through the duct round to the back of the lean-to now.

Our builder has sent through some photos of the recent works, and he's justifiably proud of the roof structure, as it required considerable adjustment to get it all level because the walls bow out and are not parallel.

We're now in the process of selecting finishes, electrical layouts, sanitary wares, etc remotely (i.e. from Hong Kong) and communicating our choices with our builder/project manager by email.  Fortunately it's possible to do all this from 5000 miles away these days.

We continue to be disappointed by kitchen companies.  It seems like once they've given you a design and a price they are reluctant to provide prices for alternatives even if that means you might go elsewhere.  I really can't believe the poor quality of service when they should be doing their utmost to get your business.

New Year, New Start

Not only have the building works been severly disrupted by the harsh winter, but the blogging has been affected too by my posting to Hong Kong and the difficulties in accessing the blog site.

Although I got back onto the internet within a week of moving into our apartment, each time I log on to the blog site I get the instructions in Chinese, and I've only just worked out how to access the edit mode.

So now some catching up.  The builders had to stop work in early December once the freezing temperatures arrived, and have only just restarted this week.  Almost a month lost.  But during that time Misan has been really busy identifying a very interesting independent kitchen company and a local wardrobe fitter, so we made sure during my Christmas trip to UK that we visited them to help finalise our decisions on some of the finishings.

We also made time to visit the barn - twice.  Once when it was still buried under 10cm of snow, then a week later with Michael after the thaw.  There is good progress, with the first floor structure installed and the walls being raised, and with the roof off it's possible to get some good views of the inside of the barn - and some of our son scrambling over the scaffolding!

We also managed to deliver two trailer loads of our pot plants and window boxes to the barn, and to park our trailer there in readiness for our move out of the rented house and onto our temporary relocation to Hong Kong.  It's amazing that, these days, you can still keep in close contact with all aspects of the project even from 5000 miles away in a different time zone - since I arrived back in HK on Monday I've sorted details with the wardrobe company, clarified quotations with the removals and storage company and had two discussions with the builder about construction details.

Merry Christmas

Just when progress starts to look promising, along comes an early winter and brings to a halt the site work.

It's interesting, 'cos so much good work has been done over the past few weeks with building work happening on a number of fronts.  Then it comes to the time to remove the existing roof, and they take down some of the existing walls in readiness to raise the new roof by half a metre, and suddenly it looks like we're taking the barn down again, not building it up!

I'm sure it will look miles better once the new roof goes back on, but our poor barn looks desperately bedraggled without even it's old tin roof.  I hope the freezing weather relents enough to get the roof back on before Christmas, although the outlook isn't too promising.

In the meantime, we've had more objections from the planners to our proposals for the garden steps and retaining wall; they want more expensive stone than the one that we've proposed.  I've asked our builder to try to convince them (justifiably) that what we've suggested is compatible with the barn and the area.

And I've just spoken to Central Networks about our electricity supply.  They've done a revised quote, down to about £5,500, but we haven't received it yet because I think they have our address wrong.  Then once we get it, accept, and pay in advance, it then takes them 6-8 weeks to arrange the connection.  We'll know for next time to apply from the outset.

Good progress

Misan visited the barn last weekend with our friend Meg and they were excited by what they saw, so Misan took loads of photos to send to me in Hong Kong.

Some of the oak posts and beams are in place, and the ground floor blockwork is almost complete so you can see the shape of the kitchen.  The oak gallery structure is also built and looks good.  The brick fireplace is starting to appear, and most of the first floor joists are installed.

She also checked the letterbox to see whether Central Networks have bothered to send their revised quotation yet - and of course they haven't.  Why do they need 6 weeks to prepare a quotation for 50m of cabling and a few joints, whenwe send them all the drawings and the only thing they do is look on Google Streetview to check out the locality.

Mind you, living in the barn is going to be quite different to the apartment we're planning to rent in HK from next month .... the one similarity being 'downsizing'; HK will certainly be good practice on how to live in a compact space!  Our's will be in this block, with about 700 square feet for a 2 bed place - that's half the floor area of the barn.  We won't have those curved glass windows (couldn't afford one of them) but should have reasonable views across the bay and a short walk to the bars, restaurants and ferry terminal for trips across to HK island.

Blog from Hong Kong

Just ending my first week in Hong Kong, starting to find my way around and getting used to how things work here.

Also keeping in touch with family back home and, of course, the builder to make sure work continues to progress smoothly on the conversion of the barn.  Misan is keeping a good eye on things and has emailed a few photos over.  She's also been in touch with the kitchen companies for quotes (amazing that we have to chase them!) and collecting our mail from the postbox at the barn.

And we got one annoying letter from the planners saying they wanted more drawings before they could validate our shed application, plus a 150 pound fee (can't find the pound sign on my HK keyboard).  I phoned them and followed up with an email attaching the drawing that had gone in with the on-line application but which they hadn't received for some reason, and explaining that they'd previously advised that there would be no fee.  Got a reply saying they'd considered it further and decided they need a full planning application and a 170 pound fee!  I despair.  Maybe we'll leave the shed idea until we've completed the barn works.

We wuz wrong

Maybe it was a quiet time on site earlier in the week, but a quick visit today on our way back from London shows they must have had a good second half, as the scaffolding has been completed all round the outside and some of the internal blockwork has been built.

There's also nine packs of bricks on the driveway and the lounge window is taking shape as they build new stonework to reduce the size.

And we had a session with Homebase this morning to get them to give us a quote for the kitchen.  Only got half way through before we had to leave to drive to London to see our good friend Harwinder who is on a flying visit from USA.  Of course she got the lowdown on the barn, which is not quite as big in floor area as their summer cabin in Wisconsin.  Ah well, we are downsizing after all.

So it's back to Homebase tomorrow, and we might even discuss wardrobes with them, too.

Up and Down

It's been a strange few weeks.

We haven't visited the barn for about 10 days, as we know not much has happened on site whilst the builders wait for the scaffold to be erected - and the scaffolder has had labour problems.

Our builder, Neil, met with the engineer yesterday to consider what to do about the bulging wall at the road end - and it looks like it needs some repairs!

Neil has ordered the oak posts and beams today.  He's also struck a good deal with the brick supplier, buying a job lot of 4500 hand-made bricks for less than £300/1000.

So whilst progress might have been a bit slack on site, things are happening - honest.  I've even had a further call from Central Networks, saying they're trying to find ways to reduce the quote for the electricity connection, but still finding all sorts of reasons why they can't do an overhead cable - mainly I suspect because it gives them maintenance problems in the future.

Meanwhile, I'm off to Hong Kong on Weds with work, so I'll be relying on the internet for news whilst Neil does the site project management and Misan takes on the role of clerk of works.  That'll keep everyone on their toes!

PS: Misan has objected - she thinks she's PM, not Neil.  The fireworks are about to go off!!

PPS: My sister Ann has just reminded me that I put in our latest planning application this week - for a garden shed!  Because the planners had inserted a condition in the last approval saying no building or structure could be erected within the curtilage without prior written approval from the loacl planning authority, we've had to send in drawings showing the plans and all four elevations of our proposed shed, together with a design and access statetment justifying our proposals.  I even included some photos to help.  They now have 8 weeks to consult the neighbours and publish their decision - which we hope will be a nice Christmas present.