For the next couple of weeks, I suspect my blog is going to be a bit abbreviated as we have so much going on. The big news is that we now have a Certificate of Occupancy issued by the building inspector. So we are legally allowed to live in our house. Not that we would want to yet, there is still plenty to be done. But it does mean that we can firm up on our plans for moving in. The big dates will be
Wednesday September 10th – we will have all the still-wrapped furniture and rugs, packing boxes and other “not been used in the rental house” items moved to the new home. There are two large “unfinished” rooms in the lower floor, which will do very nicely for storage until we can arrange to sort them out and move to final destination.
We then have a week during which we can both sort out some of the moved items, pack up the rental house (and I expect we will move some of the fragile/perishable/cherished stuff ourselves) and take delivery of some critical items like appliances and a new bed, until on
Wednesday September 17th – is moving day for humans and all the remaining stuff in the rental house. So that evening will see our first night in our new home. Albeit without a few modern conveniences like proper broadband and TV – they are scheduled to be wired up the next day – but I am sure that they will be something we can survive without as we will probably be totally wiped out after a day’s hard moving.
On the health front, Lisa has been reassured that her ankle is not broken or the tendons ruptured, but healing will be a slow process. She is going to be fitted for an Arizona Brace to keep her ankle rigid, but she should be in the walking wounded category.
We have had a couple of social evenings with friends, but the bulk of our time has been spent on the building site chasing progress and fighting last minute fires.
On the Build Site
The pressure is to complete the build is mounting as the end comes into sight (we think). As above, our primary concern was to obtain the Certificate of Occupancy. We were not too worried, as the building inspector for Lumpkin County is a long-standing contact of Bill the Builder, and in the heart of the country things are fairly laid back. The inspector even came out a fortnight previously to provide guidance on what needed to be done to ensure success. Bill has been having a less happy time with the other house where he is near to completion. The work there commenced a month before we started to break ground, and our build has slowly overhauled that one. Bill has tried to obtain the Certificate of Occupancy twice, only to be turned down by the building inspector in the neighbouring county. So we did reach the finish post first!
So, what has actually been achieved this week?
- The sit-in Jacuzzi-style tub was installed and minor repairs completed on site by the manufacturer.
- Plumbing by Brock of sinks, basins, taps, showers and toilets is so very nearly complete. There are a few little things to be done – they were held up by a few missing parts.
- Trimming the house and working through the snagging list of outstanding items is being whittled down. Again, a few missing bits and pieces are delaying full completion. Additionally, Bill is working on two other houses and a couple of other smaller jobs, so the fix-it crew are often called away.
- Electrical installation is nearly finished, and Jonathan will be on site about the time of the move to finish any odd jobs.
- Fitted furniture cabinetry has been largely completed, including redoing the library to resolve the messes made first time around. There are still the units for our walk-in wardrobe, but they are expected next week.
- Air conditioning is working, but some final fitting is also delayed until the move has commenced.
- We are still waiting for the rain chains for the guttering to be fitted, and also for the weather vane to be erected.
- A Propane gas tank has been sunk into the ground and coupled up to the house to provide heat for the cook top and fireplaces. Internal gas connections are a job for Bob the aircon man, so I guess this will happen at the same time as the electronic thermostats are fitted.
- We met with a friend of Jonathan the electrician who specialises in Security and data wiring and now are awaiting his written proposal.
- And the inside has been smartened up with a major cleaning exercise, removing all sorts of building detritus.
- Outside , the slopes at the back are looking good with their covering of very coarse hemp netting pegged down and pinestraw spread over everything to prevent erosion – that was a requirement for the certificate of occupancy. Even the pathways have a covering of crush and run gravel.
Next week is the last full week before the first move, and there is still much to do. It is a short week too – Monday is a public holiday, Labor Day, when no work gets done. Chasing the deadline is the priority, and we are anticipating two major jobs – the second round of painting to fix nicks and errors from the first run, and sanding and finishing the wooden floors (which should be a great design statement about the house). Hopes are high, but expectations must remain realistic.