Lucy inspecting the pipes.

View from the kitchen window. We have asked for all the bamboo to be dug out so we have a view.

SNOW!

The view from the kitchen window. The masons have made us new window ledges and smoothed the edges of the windows in preparation for the wooden frames arriving

The colombage again. Didier has changed the plans on us, removing our wall between the salon and the dining room but we think this works...

Lucy in the barn. The builders have been filling the gaps between the beams and redoing the little bricks

Didier has met the window man and they have measured up correctly (as the doors and windows have changed a bit since they were quoted). Window man is now ordering the windows and doors at the correct size (definitive quote on its way). They'll be delivered in 3 weeks and will take a week to fit. We wont have to pay for them until March. In the meantime the water pipes will be completed and the under floor heating pipes laid. They are also knocking down the fireplace wall and replacing that, and also completing the columbage whilst the doors are on order.

Didier is sending me an updated electricity plan this week as he thinks he has some better ideas than the ones I sent him (he's probably right)

After the doors and windows are in (mid feb) they will start on the partition walls, then can do the tiling in march.

Once the tiles are down they can do the plastering and painting and fit the bathroom furniture etc. He reckons we are on for mid to end of May for all works.

We now have guttering along the kitchen walls roof. The water will go into a new tank that we are having buried in the garden for using to water plants etc.

New water pipes for the bathrooms off bedrooms 1 and 2

The newly created wall between the kitchen and the dining room will be filled with brick and plaster over the next few weeks.

The salon is still looking huge.

The door man came yesterday and measured up for the doors and windows (properly this time).

more water pipes laid.

They have laid the water pipes to where the sinks will be.

Well... It's the new year and not a lot has happend in the last 3 weeks.

The carpenters have created a wall and door into the attic above the master bedroom. There is now officially nowhere for the bats to sleep..

The garage (maybe a mezzanine appartment one day (if we can find even more money)) with the newly instated door through to where the pool will be (thanks to Didier)

Mr Roumagere (our lovely carpenter) doing unknown things to the roof in the garage.

More rendering of the front of the building

Another view of the new surround for bedroom 2

This used to be a door. We have turned it into a window as it was immediately to the right of where the fireplace will be. (when I say we, I of course mean someone else far more qualified for this sort of thing)

View towards the kitchen from the 3rd bedroom. The wonky wall is looking much straighter!

The new ceiling in the master bedroom.

The columbage has been renovated. This will be filled with bricks, covered by traditional mortar coloured the same as the outside of the building (eventually)

The ceilings in the bedrooms have been put in. This is bedroom 2, with the new wooden surround for the patio doors to be put in.

The large door into bedroom 2 has been framed in wood. Large doors will be fitted shortly.

The inside of the barn is starting to look solid like the outside. Partition walls should go up in Feb 07.

The window spaces have been prepared for the window frames and glass, which should hopefully turn up this week.

The pipes for the electrics have started to go in. These will be concreted into the floor.

The carpenters have filled the triangle where the attic will be. We are waiting on the architects design for the fireplace and chimney stack...

This is the new wall which will be filled with traditional plaster. They have re-used the beams from the original wall that was there.

This is the wall that was straightened up. looking good. They will fill the gaps with a mixture of the small french bricks, and traditional plaster

The outside rendering is complete. Doors and windows are turning up this week but may not be fitted until the first week of Jan

The 2nd bedroom has had the timber ceiling put in. This is the view from the salon, over the top of the wall that will have the fireplace on it. This wall needs to be knocked down and rebuilt...

When they were straightening the left hand wall, they decided to support the roof with a new upright beam

The wonky wall has been straightened up and tidied up. You can see where the bottom of the wall was, where the concrete has been filed in. Much straighter than before ;-)

They hve built a new wall out of the old timbers. This is between the kitchen and dining rooms.

Pipes for the showed and sink in the third bedroom had to be moved.

The new kitchen window has been made ready for the window frames.

The pipes have had to be moved as they were in the wrong place (as the windows were put in slightly off position)

The architect has sent us the plans for the electrics, based on some drawings I sent him. Almost correct, just a few changes needed. Once I agree these he'll get the quotes from the electrician.

The 3rd bedroom wall and the back of the garage has now been rendered.

The doorway to the third bedroom has now been raised.

The kitchen wall rendered. also the foundations for the patio are complete.

The 1st of December 2006. The outside re-rendering is almost complete.