Scaffolding down at last

The scaffolding has finally come down on the neigbours new house. There's been plenty of activity recently so it looks like the final push towards completion.

My heart goes out to Mike and Andrea whose budget ran dry so they are having to do the painting themselves. I've seen them most days this week and I think they are heartly sick of it already and they haven't even finished doing the priming coat. I think it's going to be a real marathon effort for them.

Although I've offerred them the use of our kettle and bathroom so they can avoid the builders portaloo I found myself drawing the line at actually offering to paint for them. The last time I wielded a paintbrush I ended up with RSI so I don't want to fall into that trap again. Mental note to use this excuse for not painting the fence or the chicken house too!

It's strange seeing lights on in the house. If I stretch my neck a lift myself out of my domestic executive HQ chair I can just about see them peaking over the hill. Nice to know that we'll have people close to hand.

As if talking the neighbours wasn't enough of a reminder of our own building experience I was contacted this week by our builders. Not chasing their final final payment (that's a whole different story) but asking me to do some work for them. Not building you'll be pleased to know but helping them get their marketing right. Apparently, I am perfect for their target market "a middle aged woman with money to spend".

Hmm, not sure about the middle aged or the money to spend but at least it might yield some regular work I can do from home. A domestic executive's preferred way of working!

Slow progress for Mike and Andrea

It's hard to see from the outside the progress inside on Mike and Andrea's place. There aren't many white vans visiting that often so you have to wonder how much progress is being made.

From the outside some stone cladding has gone on but the main render seems conspicuous by it's absence. Having spied through the windows it seems that first fix, insulation and gib boarding is in progress but it seems a long way from becoming a habitable dwelling.

They are due to get handover at the end of May so it will be interesting to see if the white vans start multiplying soon.

View from the Pylon Loop Track

Neighbourly views

At the bottom of the valley there is Tunnel Gully Recreational area. It's about an hours walk along the Rimutaka Trail to get there and a welcoming picnic area to rest before starting the hike back up the hill.

Bob and Sheila did this walk a week or so ago and took a picture that shows a completely new view - our house with Mike and Andrea's. Admittedly you need a good telephoto lense or bionic eyesight to see it but thought it was interested neighbourly views.

Can you see in Sheila?

A close up on our house with the new build behind on the hill.

Almost watertight at the neighbours

There's been plenty of progress on Mike and Andrea's house and it's almost watertight. Not too soon given the way the weather has been but it's good for them that things are moving along as well as they are.

There are the usual homeowners grumbles - they've put the wrong handles on the windows we understand - but they do at least have a roof and windows and their cedar garage and front doors (even if this pic shows them open!).

Love thy neighbours

I've never been hugely lucky with neighbours apart from a lovely older couple in Ouston, Chester-le-Street, who had the downstairs flat. Although they fought all the time and I could listen to what they watched on TV they were really friendly and always concerned for me. I like to think that I reciprocated this neighbourly friendship (well not the arguing and loud TV).

Here in New Zealand I think we may be luckier with our neighbours. Last night we held a neighbourly get together with 10 of the neighbours around for drinks and a nosey in the house.

Here's the roll call so you know for future:

• Jim and Kathleen - the people who sold us the land, a wonderful Irish couple . Jim is a self confessed nosey neighbour when it comes to house building and kept a close eye on development during the build. Kathleen is a very useful person to know, she works at the local council!
• Ross and Janet - the people who own the first section off the road, parents to our immediate neighbour Doug. They keep sheep that keep escaping and the beef cattle that lived in Doug's paddock for a while.
• Mike and Andrea - he's from Essex and Andrea's a kiwi. Their house build is underway on the middle section of the sub division.
• Doug and Shilo - Doug's a real country boy and spends hours hunting wild boar in the Rimutaka hillsides. He's currently living in a bach (looks more like a garden shed) until he starts building his house at the end of this year. Shilo is is long suffering girlfriend who puts up with his wild hunting ways.
• Lee and Keith - the neighbours whose trees set on fire a few weeks ago. Keith's parents are British, from Redcar and London.

Jim and Kathleen took some pictures of our house from their section and brought them with them to the neighbourly soiree. I thought this was a deeply thoughtful thing to do as it would be rare that we would otherwise be able to see this view.

I know I am biased but I do think the house looks really cool - nestled amongst the landscape in a sympathetic way. Good to know that they can't see into our bedroom windows!

Growing taller some days

Mike and Andrea's house is growing but I regret to say not every day. We had a spurt of framing and then nothing. Now the roof rafters have gone on but the builders seem to only work every alternate day.

The roofers were due on site last week and now they've had to go and do another job as it looks like the builders are going to take another week to get the final purlins in place.

Framing and roofing is a critical time in a build. You need to get the lid on top at the earliest opportunity. Whether it's rain or sun the effects can be equally devastating to timber that can swell, warp and generally misbehave in ways that home builders don't want to happen.

As I look out of the window of domestic executive HQ I can see the top of the roof and chimney which in some ways is a comforting sight and not too intrusive. Let's hope the builders get their fingers out otherwise the handover date in May will certainly be a challenge.

Nosey neighbours

I couldn't resist checking out what the views will be like from our neighbours house so went up to have a peak at the views. They have some awesome views of the valley and hills and a splendid view of a fantastic house built close by!

As part of the visit we decided to introduce Fortnum and Mason to the steers which are living in the paddock next door. After much fuss about what they were the bassets finally decided that it was safe to look, sniff and maybe make friends.

Dark over Mike's house

At last the neighbours have started the actual framing on their house. I know it's a huge relief to them after waiting since April for their build to begin.

Talking to them it seems that they have been having builder problems of a magnitude that I wouldn't like to think about. Their budget has blown, they've had to take out loads of stuff from their spec and ended up signing a contract where they will do the painting, tiling and rest of finishing themselves. Crikey, things must be bad.

Still, it's going to be a smashing house I am sure. 4 bedrooms and 245m sq. They get decent views through the gap between our house and the bush. They don't overlook us really which is good although I'm sure we'll need to test this before start going au natural in the garden.

It will be nice to have neighbours to bond with. Jim, our other neighbour who sold us the land is a lovely Irish guy who is a self confessed nosey parker when it comes to seeing what's been going on with the build. He came down this week and upset me no end as he seeded his new lawn at the same time as us and he is mowing his whilst I am still trying to coax mine to grow.

I'm slightly concerned about Mike and Andrea who are building though. I found them weeding the thistles from the edge of their land. This was after mowing their section. We are like the hill billies next door with a thriving thistle patch and grass that's up to your knees.

Whilst they may have a beautiful piece of land, we're at least in our beautiful house and dreaming of when the grass will grow!