future simple passive: landscape

Showing posts with label landscape. Show all posts

8 Dec 2013

Week 3 - Soakaway, hub & more rocks

What a week. Well, we are really getting into the swing of this housebuilding thing and the honeymoon period is well and truly over! Why, oh why, does the most unpredictable and therefore most costly and stressful part come first?!?

But let's start at the beginning of the week which on-site was going really well. The soakaway was completed - a large deep hole filled with crates and stone which allows rainwater to soak back into the ground instead of running off.

The soakaway.

Look concrete - something is being built!

Get Set...

photos courtesy of A. Cutting

17 Oct 2013

Wait...wait...and wait some more.

Life has been a rollercoaster for the past few weeks, and guess what - we have still not started on site!

The groundworks package was prepared and given to the three contractors I had previously got details of. One immediately got discounted as he was too busy. The other two have been considering the package over the past couple of weeks. One walked away today as he has contradictory ideas to the work which is being proposed. So we are left with only one quote! Hardly ideal, doesn't everyone say you need at least 3 different prices? But do we keep going when it's going to be at least another fortnight before anyone can give us another price?

This bank needs to be cut back, it's about 3m high.

It's really tricky to know what's what when different people are telling you different things. When everyone explains they sound equally reasonable. But in the end I have to trust my architectural designers and structural engineer and believe that they know best for my situation.

We have to dig a trench down the hill, beside the hedge,
for the main drain and electricity connection.

Another pressure is that our builder was asked to be ready to start on site towards the end of Sept. We are now nearly a month on and he is waiting to start work as soon as he can. There are reasons for the delays; we had to go back to Planning for an amendment (five weeks) and a personal matter delayed the preparation of the groundworks package. But regardless, we all want to get on with it.

Some good news is that hopefully we have resolved a stress-inducing matter relating to one of our boundaries. As the Land Registry map differed to the fencing on site our neighbour was questioning whether they were entitled to some of our land. It has taken me two months of research to establish that the boundaries should remain in their current location. Two months of low level, bubbling stress and effort to essentially maintain status quo. But I'm delighted that it seems to be finished with amicably.

These past few weeks have taught me that I need to become much more laid back if i'm going to survive this build emotionally intact. I've been a little manic, truth be told. Anyone got any meditation or calming techniques they can share? Might have to hit Thermae Bath Spa!

28 Sept 2013

Our first visit to the Reclamation Yard

Today we spent a happy hour or so pottering about at a local reclamation yard. We were there to collect a sample of reclaimed slate tiles. The upper level of our house is to be clad in vertically hung reclaimed slate. Really interesting to see all the crates with different size slates and the different colours of the slate. We definitely preferred the blue-grey to the purple colour of slate (beginner blogger error - i failed to take photos of these to share with you).

There were lots of other interesting things to look at though!

After a huge and cathartic purge of stuff last week (8 bin bags of clothing, baby/children/pregnancy related) and my visit to the charity shop/tip/recycling centre it felt really good to be looking at how to reuse items. The recycling centre makes you reflect on the consumerist culture in which we live.

Not sure what this item is, but it's bulk and solidity was alarmingly magnetic.  My godmother has been winding me up by talking about fountains in the front driveway but you know what, i could seriously dig this baby as a gentle and still water feature...the huge stone thing behind the blue flamingoes obviously!

(First post with photos - look at me!)

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