This month has seen baby steps forward on completing my build.  The weather has improved, in that there is less rain, but the cold temperatures have continued.  This has meant that many jobs have been delayed, and hence the sense of small steps being made.  The superstructure is still not quite complete, as my canopy overhangs prove more complicated than anyone could have predicted.  I do feel we are close though, and soon the main element of the build will be done. 

It's baby steps… but we’re getting there!

 

And then we move into fit out mode, both internally and externally.  To be fair, this has started on the inside, with the electrics first fix completed on the first floor, and the plumbing first fix nearly there too.  With this activity, the number of decisions that have to be made are really ramping up: light positions, taps, wall lights, feature lights …. The number of questions asked is endless.  However, this also brings a sense of excitement, as you start to get a sense of the house you will create and enjoy. 

Let there be light!

 

I am hoping that the next month will be an exciting one: my windows should be going in, along with the roof lights, which will suddenly flood my dark and rather depressing building with light.   Plasterboard will start to go up, bringing the rooms to life.  And the outside of the building will be clad in my much longed for bricks, which this week arrived all the way from Holland, via Sheffield where they were cut into slips, ready to be tiled onto my giant lego box of a house. 

 

The race is on!

Managing the money is also a challenge.  The bills come thick and fast and for giant amounts – you almost lose sense of the value of money!  The build loan is expensive, so the race is on to have a functioning home and be able to draw down a traditional mortgage, hopefully before rates rise much more! 

So, my tips for this month: 

  • You might think you do not need to decide on taps and light fittings until you are at second fix but get this sorted early.  In a new build, the trades really need to know at first fix!
  • Keep a handle on your budget and cash flow management.  If you can access cheap credit, do so!  It will not be there for long and you can eventually pay off with a mortgage.
  • Keep focused and do not lose heart.  Project fatigue is real but keep remembering how far you have come.