After a day of noise aplenty, this evening is extremely quiet. Even the pigeons have packed up and left
Downstairs is now a full-on building site, and barely feels like our house at all
That’s OK. I know there has to be a time like this, when there is less house than there was – literally, as we are three walls down from my last visit. Numerous pickups loaded with rubble from the false walls and the huge stash of charbonne have been a sobering reminder that there are some things best entrusted to the ‘better equipped’ than we are. We could not have done this part of the work
Newspapers show that the last time anyone lit a fire here was January 1973. Makes sense
The house is temporarily without radiators, and the hallways are suddenly broad and impressive. Every single pipe of any sort in the house has been cut with an angle grinder. Plus, the sink, the bidet and the disgusting laughing toilet are all gone

** That’s the last of the toilet humour, I promise
The defunct monster boiler and fuel tank have been removed, as well as three monolithic cookers of various weights and ages, two of which were up on the second floor and required huge effort to move. There is a double bed wedged into the top staircase at the moment, yet somehow that doesn’t seem important. The air is thick with dust and I have retreated to let it settle overnight
But I feel that it has been well worth coming down for this. There is now a definite commitment on both sides and stuff is happening
There will be a bathroom of sorts this summer. And a (relatively) clean area to make toast and coffee until we get a kitchen built
Feels good. Feels really good
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Best of luck with it! We did something similar ten years ago. It is really exciting to be at a point when things are cleared out. Look forward to seeing how it all comes together
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Oh my, I remember when we were at this stage. It gives me palpitations to even think about. You are undoubtedly committed now: Good luck!!
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Most of our house projects began with some wall – or part of some wall coming down. I remember the incredible amount of rubble that had to be toted away and the way the dust kept settling for weeks on end afterwards. But it was all worth it. The house -and its inhabitants – were opened up and freed.
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Big progress and all good I’m sure. You look forward, as do B and C no doubt, to hot water and facilities
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Bravo! What a fantastic achievement and I am thrilled to hear that the house is so clearly willing to be led into the fitting room to be kitted out in the elegant style which you are so clearly going to give her!
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Good luck. The fine weather helps. And once the rubbish is all out, things get better fast.
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Progressive can be painful. But heartening to see it move despite the disruption. Courage, you’ll get there!
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Ooh, perhaps I’ll become sane as well. That would be a bonus!!
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I’ve only ever encountered one room being gutted and taken back to basics which was frightening enough so a whole house would be very scary. You must feel as if you’ve taken on such a lot but I have two friends who have both lived in what could only have been described as building sites and they both came out the other end (relatively) sane.
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