One step back

So to make the house bigger, first we need to make it smaller.

Here's how we did it.

We need to build a new floor frame in the old living room at the back which will join onto the new stepped up floor in the new living area. Because of this step up, we wouldn't have been able to swing open the backdoor, so we had to move the whole doors closer to the kitchen.

So Dave build a new wall to sit the doors.


Then we removed the doors, (proved tricky because we couldn't find the secret screws hidden under the door runner strip of plastic) and moved them into the new wall.

Little miss Heidi thought it was great so ran to get the steps and started swinging.

So now it looks like this from the back.

We planned to get lots more done but Christmas plans got in the way. I think Hubby wants to dig the last hole tonight and put up some acrow props to support the walls.

Later folks,

All full up

I don't think we could fit anymore in if we tried.
I spent 3.5 hours yesterday and about 2 hour today along with Hubby who did about 3.5 hours yesterday. Thank God that it is all gone. Fingers crossed that will be the last of the mud, although we do still have one big hole to dig but will probably reuse that soil to top up the stump holes after we half fill them with concrete.

 

Much cleaner. Now we just need the bloody rain to stop.

 

So sick of dirt.

 

Til next time,



Ideas to hide the post

Whilst we have been digging holes for the supporting posts for the upper floor it dawned on us that we don't really want ugly metal posts in the back. We will need to cover them or hide them.

I remember one of my favourite bloggers, Young House Love, hid their columns by boxing them out. So we will probably do something similar. I got some great ideas off Houzz.com.

These are my favourites.

Problem is I like them all.

Might have to let Hubby decide which is easiest and cheapest.

Later,



Oh holey night

Holes, holes, holes. Will they ever end?

On Saturday we had another concrete truck deliver 3.5m of concrete. With the help of a friend we filled the remaining large stump holes for the steel beams and some of the stump holes under the existing house. It was a warm day and luckily little miss 1 was having her sleep so I could help spreading the concrete.

Now we have started digging the rest of the stump holes in the backyard. We have 11 to do and are trying to do 2 each night after the kids are in bed or after work. Last night we did 2 and finished after 9pm.

Also on Sunday we hung all our Christmas lights and put up the tree. The house looks so festive now and the kids just love it!



I wonder what the house will look like this time next year? Hmmm... hopefully a lot better.

Seasons Greetings,



A touch of Christmas

Sorry for the lack of updates lately. The family has been sick and I have been trying to catch up on the housework.

I went to Aldi on Sunday to do my normal grocery shop and spied some outdoor cushions. I had my eyes on some at Ikea but they weren't in stock in Melbourne so I was just using some old indoor cushions that also came from Aldi with a quilt cover set.

They didn't go with anything so were only ever a fill in until something better came along.

These new ones were only $13.99 each and are proper outdoor cushions. Yay!
Plus they are red so go well with Christmas soon approaching.

I also ventured into Kmart to look at Christmas lights and instead came out with these doormats. I am using the old ones at the tradesman's entrance at the back for all the muddy boots.

The kids love them and that is the main thing :)

Next project is the lights and tree next weekend.

Cheers,





Pulling down the pergola

Todays job is to pull down the pergola.

We are going to recycle the timber to use for framing to save some money. Also, I have listed the old laserlite on the local buy, swap and sell to hopefully get some money too.

What a shock we got this morning to see the deep holes near the fence filled with water. We think it has been seeping out from under nextdoors slab. Dave is going to ask a workmate for his pump to get rid of it.

So, yesterday the digger ran out of time and space in the skip, so he will come back next Saturday and we will get another, bigger, skip to do the rest of the holes. Unfortunately that will push us back another week with the framing but we really want the base down correctly to save problems later on with movement.

Off to pull out weeds now.



Some digger action

With rain forecast and looming clouds, we were uncertain if the digger would be able to come today. Thankfully with some luck and a few prayers, the rain wasn't too heavy and we were all go for digging. Dave politely warned the neighbours that they may be awaken by some excavating but they weren't too fussed.

Dave got up early and removed some panels from the fence where to new brick wall will go. It will be on the fence line.

The digger removed some old stumps from the back end of the house which took him about 3 minutes opposed to 3 days by hand. Then dug a massive trench where the brick wall on the boundary is going to be. He actually wet down a lot deeper that in this picture below.

He used this cool tool to dig the new stump holes saving us soooo much time and back breaking labour.

We hired a skip for $350 where he dumped all the extra dirt.

Sammy is just loving all the action and has been outside watching pretty much the whole time.

A few more pics.







I'll be back with progress pictures after it is all done for the day. Sounds like he will have to come back another day to finish because the skip is almost full.

Cheers,

5 more sleeps

I feel like a little kid counting down until Christmas.

 

Only 5 more sleeps until the digger comes. He will excavate the backyard and dig the new stump holes. It is such a mess out there right now and it is also dangerous for the kids.

 

Before then, we have to tidy up the area and mark out where the stump holes will be. Also have to rip out some concrete from down the side where we need hole for the ensuite.

 

Dave has been digging some more holes under the back room.

 

 

Even splashed mud on the ceiling and walls with this effort.

 

Off to bed soon to knock another sleep off the list.

Nigh, nigh.

 







 



It's raining outside, so let's rip out the laundry floor

Today's job was to rip up the laundry floor. It is tiled at the moment but it will be moved to make way for the staircase. We have to rip up the floor to dig a new stump hole underneath, so bye bye laundry floor.

 

Again we have a fabulous little helper. What would we do without him?

 

Till next time!

 

The job no one wants to do

One of the first things that we need to do I to replace some old stumps and dig lots of stump holes that are 1m deep. We have had 2 people come to look at the job because Dave would rather pay someone to do it than break hi back digging endless holes.

The first guy quoted $3800. He obviously charged this amount o we wouldn't give him the job. The second guy seemed more keen but is now not answering his phone and even if he wanted to do it, probably couldn't start for a few week.

So Dave has decided to just try doing it himself. I think he ha to dig 12, that's right 12 x 1m deep holes. So it will save is thousands of dollars but is it worth the effort?

This is the first hole (the easiest one location wise):

Today we had a friend come and help us replace an old bearer. Too fiddley for Hubby by himself. So he called in his expert carpenter friend Dean (Not pictured).

Sammy is always nearby to fetch a hammer or do some sweeping.

The other thing we did this week is to take down the laundry hanger which we made here

and rehung it in the old living area because the laundry wall will be coming down at some point.

So the week ahead Dave plans to dig one hole a night. No going to the gym this week as this will be his workout. The bar he uses to dig is 25kgs. Definitely don't need to go to the gym when lifting that thing. Each time he lifts it to dig he thinks "there is another dollar saved'.

Thanks for reading,