Grade II New Build With Basement

As everyone predicted, our builders are now running behind schedule.  They set the original time scale of 58 weeks, about the same as others who quoted, and we were assured at the time by our Architects that they had built in ample extra time to allow for unforeseen circumstances. However, almost inevitably, a request for an extra 42 working days (2 months) was submitted to our Architects blaming the snow (was it really that long and wasn’t it partly over the Xmas holidays?). Our builder actually told us that he submitted 42 days to get 30 days (!) which is in fact what the Architect has agreed to give, before time penalties apply. Whilst we are resigned to the longer time, and no one is surprised, it would be wrong to say we are not disappointed. There will be financial implications, as the delay impacts on when we can start gaining rental income from our existing house, and it would have been nice to have had some say in the decision. The joys of the construction industry !

On a more positive note, the Great Wall of Milton is going up between our existing property and the new one. Six feet high on one side and ten feet on the other, it does seem fairly imposing – but we do have amazing scope for climbing plants.  The wall is creating the space for a new patio garden outside the backdoor. Unfortunately, due to the differing levels between the two properties, the drains are not buried and traverse the patio garden taking up valuable soil space. I’m not sure what I’m going to manage to grow – perhaps a shrub but certainly not the pleached trees I had planned.

Some more good news in that the electrician, David Green, has completed the first fix. The plasterer is hot on his heels, much to his frustration – no chance of your checking your work, if the plasterer has covered it up! We find the amount of cabling we need quite unbelievable.

We have noticed that, as the build enters its later stages, the potential for niggles and unpleasant surprises grows. The latest is a demand by Thames water for £1400 to shut the lane (again) for one day to bring in a water supply.  One would have thought that all the services could be scheduled to come in at the same time – after all, the road was shut for three months or more during the main construction phase.  Our architect is doing his best to get the extra cost waived, given the fact there are rarely more than three cars a day which pass the house, and everyone in the village has access to their homes without having to pass us…time will tell if sense prevails.

Lighting is next on the list and having been around numerous electrical wholesalers, we were pretty despondent – the designs were amazingly awful! Anyhow, good old John Lewis seems to have solved many of our requirements, except for the major fitting, which needs to hang down the central void of the house.  Fortunately, one of the family, Edmund, is an interior architect, and has designed a light for us combining several fittings at different lengths from BTC Original – it’ll probably be the last item to be fitted.

Next on the list – hopefully, the windows! Still no signs of the sills…but the builders say they are “around”!