The first rain for a while hasn’t stopped the guys onsite and we can now see the whole footprint. Progress!

The foundation team kept working over the weekend but, with trips to see new-borns in Leeds and emergency visits to Donegal, won’t be back to a full complement of four until Tuesday. As the polystyrene insulation goes down, we can start to appreciate the layout and size of the rooms. It’s too late to change … More 17th October 2021

Answer to crossword clue: MOBILE HOME

Fergal and Jason are sub-contractors to our timber frame company, and have travelled all the way from Leeds to install our insulated slab over the next couple of weeks. It was a slow start on Monday morning as, having left Leeds at 3am to get here by 8, they then had to wait much of … More 12th October 2021

Tomorrow should see an important stride forward, with the start of work on the insulated foundation slab. For those who are interested (?!) this is how the slab is made up, showing the layers of expanded polystyrene (EPS) – yes, really, polystyrene! – that sits beneath, and insulates, the house.

This afternoon we watched housemartins congregating in readiness for their migration to warmer, southern climes – another reminder that summer’s over. Heavy rain has been noisily beating down on our tin can, day and night, and our time spent in the garden has been snatched during (surprisingly sunny) breaks in the weather. This makes us … More 4th October 2021

The new rotavator has been in action, preparing the ground in what will become ’the white garden’, sitting between the veg patch and the house. The machine has the potential to do some damage – especially in the wrong hands …. (Think bucking bronco, your first bike ride without stabilisers, and walking on the loose … More 28th September 2021

With surprisingly decent weather over the weekend, we managed a Cox family gathering with some camping, fire pit, and a barbecue. The next time we do this we might have a house!

It’s been a week of finalising details for the build, and in Chris’ case, recovering from a boozy long weekend with the Fat Blokes Walking gang. The timber frame and windows are heading for manufacture, we’ve signed up for a ground source heat pump, that will provide hot water and heating, and also a rainwater … More 24th September 2021