So here's your starter for ten. Turn this
into this
No trouble...................................
This has been one of those 'it can't be Friday again' weeks. Where did the time go?
We now have a plumber/heating engineer, an electrician, a mason, a window man, the mason is going to check the roof and an architect.
We saw the architect yesterday. We are only using him to fight the planning battles for the external holes. We are very close to the ancient bits of town so there are severe planning constraints. The architect seems to think that as long as we put more expensive cast iron velux type windows in, we should be able to enlarge the two windows in the attic and the balcony window in the sitting room and why not add these dormer ones to the front. He had several more ideas for knocking holes in that we may do later but I think for now that will be quite enough. He is very keen that we should keep the plaster on the outside and in fact make the house look exactly like his picture but I thnk so much of it will just fall off when we hit it, that all the lovely golden stone underneath will just have to show.
He is telling the planners that we are buying what used to be a second home and that because we are going to live in it permanently we need more light in the attic. This will mean that the tax people will not be told of the increased floor space and we will not have to pay more tax - I like people that come up with plans like that.
The electrician also vetoed our plans to move the electricity meter from rather a prominent place in the kitchen. Apparently if the electricity board have to move the counter then they will think that the house is a new build and it will come under all their regulations (and costs). If we leave the counter where it is but put all the rest in the cellar as planned, the electricity board will think that the electricity is fine and just reconnect it - even though it is so bad there is a smell of burning??
Him Outdoors is having a bit of a panic about some of the jobs that he is unfamiliar with and that people have different opinions about but 'one step at a time' will probably see us through.
And it's really exciting!
Sorry did not read before hitting publish!!
ReplyDeleteSounds like you have quite a lot to do, French regulations are not always easy to get past! Our house was plastered and plastered well. After checking with a small part to find out if there was stone underneath we discovered there was. Zap all the plaster came off and the house looks soooooo much better. Keep up the good work. Diane
The architect seems to think that the stones are not worth uncovering if they are tiny. We think we know better so just smile sweetly :-)
ReplyDeleteIt's going to look great, Rosie, especially if there's lots of lovely stone under then plaster. Good luck with trying to keep the declared floor space as low as possible. They'll catch up with it in the end, but probably not until you come to sell. :-)
ReplyDeleteIn our last house we made the mistake of telling the planners what was in our house before we started as well as what we planned to do. They still thought it was in its original farmhouse state with one room and a lightbulb! So at least three owners that had done some improvement had been keeping quiet, only us Brits who didn't know the system got caught! C'est normale apparently (fingers crossed).
DeleteIt's all going well Rosie. Let's hope it continues without too many problems.
ReplyDeleteThank you Ayak
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