5 Meadow Villas ;-)

A lot has happened with the house since my last post in October. I know the plan was to wait until March for the work to start as that is when I can move out into the the caravan in Teignmouth, but, always a but, the opportunity arose for me to stay on site whilst the work was going on. This meant that the builders could start earlier and then the house would be ready for the summer. A no brainer….

I had the pleasure of having people to stay, both Rajiv and Ajay came to visit on their own and different times so that I had them to myself – such a treat! Some of the Taunton girls came for a weekend which was great fun, as always!

The builders I chose were https://legacyrestorations.co.uk/, and I am really pleased with them. The owner, Darren, came over to talk through the plans and came up with some really good ideas as we walked around. One suggestion was to make a room that included the patio area and the outbuildings, this would be a bedroom, bathroom and small area that could be a kitchenette. As it would be separate from the house, it could be built first and then I could move into it whilst the main house is done. GENIUS!! I did not have to wait for the caravan.. I am really impatient, as you know !

As there would be vans and trucks delivering materials for 5 months, the first thing was to make the parking area at the front a bit more useful. OMG, I had no idea what this would take! The work started towards the end of November, tonnes of stone, and I mean many tonnes, were delivered after the front was dug up. We are in week 8 and it is mainly done, everyone who walks by/through is very supportive and complimentary – well mostly. We have a neighbour who has made it his prime aim to upset the balance in the community, but not going to let that get in the way!

Some pictures and videos below of what has happened…

The team are great, they are lovely and polite. I do keep an eye out and am constantly out there asking silly questions and changing my mind, and they do not complain at all. I do make lots of tea and coffee, and chicken curry at times, but they just get on with it, work hard and put up with my interference.

We all had a break over the holiday season, I left 21st December (Mum & Dad’s 61st Wedding Anniversary) to go to out to Aaruni’s in Vigo for a few days and then met the rest of the family in Casicais, Portugal. What fun we had – including an amazing town which was something out of a medieval fairy story, shopping at an amazing supermarket, eating and drinking lots, crying lots and getting lost on a golf course and having to climb over a wall to get out – honestly! It was the first full gathering of the family since the funerals, so was bound to be emotional.

So, now the back annexe bit has started and I am over excited! The foundation bits are in place, the drainage and walls are starting to take shape. I never knew so much had to be considered, there is a stream that flows from the back of the out house, through the granite wall and then out into the drain in the courtyard. Draining channels have had to be cut into the floor and all kinds of stuff!

I am hoping that I can move out of the house and into the annexe around the end of February, the team will tell me if I am wrong!! I am hoping that it will be ready for a housewarming early June – watch this space – and thank you for reading x