A few big milestones this week. First, the scaffolding has gone. So we can finally get an uninterrupted view of how the final building will look.

And even more exciting, the roof lantern is in place. Still surrounded by building material – but the first bit of glass has been fitted.

And the first fixes have started, we’ve had visits from both the electrician and the plumber.

So heating is disconnected and we are relying on open fires, electric heaters and big duvets. The major push is on the master bedroom at the back. So the floor has gone in, which has enabled the kitchen ceiling to wave bye bye and move on to pastures new.

And we’ve had our first go at landscaping the back garden (more boys toys required)

No??? Probably not looking its best at the moment – but ready for a deck to be installed in the New Year.

So things starting to move quickly now – just hope that the guys can seal up the bathroom in the next week. Showering and bathing is a little chilly at the moment…

So I have been away for a week looking after Isabelle. She is doing well and may be able to go back to school, for half a day at a time at least, in a week or so. She is very much the Isabelle I remember and is dealing with her recovery incredibly well. I’ll write some more about Izzy and her family in the coming days.

But I have spent a week away from the build and what a week it has been. Essentially the extension and the original house have been formally introduced as the wall between the two halves of the master bedroom has been taken down and we can see how big our fantastic room is going to look. The windows aren’t quite done yet, the small existing window on the left will be blocked up , and once the chimney is taken down, a larger window will be cut through mirroring the window in the extension side.

I’ve been trying to  upload videos for a while and think I may have a solution. If it works, I’ll be adding more such links as the inside takes shape.

The guys have also almost finished the roof – all the tiles are on, except for a few on the old roof, the ridge tiles are done and the two Velux windows which will go in the two bathrooms are in place. We’re ordering the windows tomorrow – the last step before we get to be wind and waterproof

Do you remember that beam? The stupidly large and heavy one? ~ 8 metres long and ~ 4.5 tonnes? This one:

8 metres and 4.5 tonnes…

Well it’s in place – a fair amount of cursing and fun and games involved, but its up holding the second gable and the vaulted ceiling in the master bedroom up…

Of course – the roof wasn’t the only thing to suffer due to the holes cut into it to make way for that beam. The back bedroom has ceased to be a useful room so that the other end can be supported.

And we had a cheeky unwrap of the roof lantern – that is on the flat roof to keep it out of the way, just not installed in its final place yet.

And finally – the front gable is tiled and the front elevation of the house is taking shape – it is starting to look like a house – just doors and windows to add…

The front is taking shape

So we had a look round the new rooms on the first floor today and a close-up look at the first gable. That is all bricked now just waiting for the tiles to start going on on Monday. And held up by some beefy steels and bolts, although nothing to what is going up next…

Inside, we can start to see the shape of the rooms  – the family bathroom and the second half of the master bedroom. But its the dual aspect third bedroom that is easiest to visualise, including the partial brick wall, that we think we are going to keep exposed as the finish on that wall.

But you can also start to see the size of the family bathroom and the view out of one of the master bedroom windows to the front. Also a very confused Bailey watching us from an existing first floor window and not quite understanding how we were outside the window…