50shadesofbrave

Back in September 2017 I blogged about Being brave and (literally) moving on. The pictures that accompanied part 2 of that blog probably gave you the idea that the house we were moving into needed some work doing to it (possibly quite a large understatement right there!!!). I’m amazed that just over two weeks ago, my Facebook memories told me we had been in the ‘new’ house for a full year… It has at times been tough, but when I look at the house now compared with 12 months ago, I’m also amazed at how much has been done.

I remember moving day very well… The get-out ended badly, and the get-in started in a bit of a rush! We spent an afternoon cleaning the kitchen so that we could at least unpack some stuff there, with the rest being stockpiled in one room downstairs and one room upstairs. I remember the realisation that the broadband router was in a box at the back of one of the stockpiled rooms, and the subsequent mountaineering expedition to retrieve it… oh, and a similar expedition to close windows in the front bedroom. And I remember laying three single mattresses side by side in the one reasonably habitable bedroom, which is where my two kids and I slept for the first week!!

Three weeks in and my Dad, his partner Linda and I had painted two bedrooms, one of which had also been newly carpeted. We set about moving the kids furniture into their rooms in order to liberate enough space in my room for me to sleep in there. My room was still pretty full of junk, plus some hideous old-fashioned fitted wardrobes and bare floorboards. I had sold my bed, so was sleeping on a single ‘trundle’ bed. Which is how it stayed for 9 months… 😮 Meanwhile, me and the team (Dad and Linda) laid in to the downstairs, doing as much as we could before tradespeople were needed.

The list of jobs so far achieved has gone something like this:

• wood and wallpaper off the walls ready to be re-plastered… thanks to my friend Cath for the long-term loan of a wallpaper steamer, and to my friend Bex for stripping with me!!!
• floors to be strengthened ready to be sanded
• windows replaced at the front of the house (something I hadn’t planned on doing, but am mighty glad I did)
• front stonework cleaned up
• chimney opened up ready for installation of wood burner
• electrics sorted so every room had more than one power socket (!)
• hallway stripped ready for redecoration
• bedroom ceiling replaced before it fell on my head
• three rooms re-plastered and repainted, two rooms re-carpeted, two rooms floorboards sanded, hall repapered, banisters stripped and varnished, new curtains / blinds / furniture…

My to-do list before Christmas includes:

• renovation of original tiled floor in hallway
• carpet stairs and landing
• repaint kitchen
• get a loft ladder installed and some boarding in the loft for storage
• new doors on original living room cupboard
• blinds on the downstairs windows

And then, my friends, I plan to take stock and relax for a while before we start on phase 2 (new bathroom and possible kitchen remodel).

It has been bloody hard work, and there have been times when I have wondered whether I have bitten off more than I can chew. But every time something else is accomplished, I love the house just a little bit more. This house felt like home for me from the moment we moved in… no haunting memories, no bad vibes… just the promise of a new future in a great area and a house done exactly how I want it.

We’re getting there! And the kids and I are looking forward to being able to put up a Christmas tree this year… right in the bay window. Home sweet home.