Project Shanvallybeg

We have been over to Ireland again to start work on the interior painting. I could only stay for about 5 days before having to head home for work so I have left hubby and Maisie dog over in Ireland. 

The new heating tank has arrived and is in situ, we have painted the room and have had flooring fitted. It does look like a rocket doesn't it!

We went to town and bought some paint. We are giving everywhere a coat of white paint and then have had the pleasure of choosing colours! 

Some new furniture arrived whilst we were there, we managed to put it into the middle of one of the rooms so we can still paint round it.

I managed to give our bedroom and ensuite a coat of white paint and since I've left hubby has managed to finish painting both of the large rooms upstairs. 

So over to hubby for a few words about Ireland..............

The Shanvallybeg Project

So Monday Sharla and I arrived here in Drummin.

Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday washing all the walls and painting.

Friday I kicked a bucket of paint over and later that day the handle on my bucket decided to part, depositing a solution of Borax and water all down the stairs!

Saturday I had to take my best friend and work partner to the airport in Knock, as Sharla was back to work on Sunday in Shrewsbury.

So far two rooms under coated, 20 litres of paint gone and 13 more rooms plus a massive hallway to undercoat before two top coats!

Neighbours invited me for a drink Saturday evening, Martin had got a bottle of Bushmills in and Mary Jo had prepared loads of food.

However this was not before I finished Saturday off. Sharla had returned to Shropshire and Maisie with her broken leg was left to comfort me. Let's check the garage I thought. The key was really difficult to get in the lock. After about 5 minutes of trying bingo, turned the key pushed up the roller door but forgot to take the key out. Snap the key was now in two pieces one of which was still inside the lock.

My brilliant neighbours have given me the key to a house down the lane to get a shower, the only thing I currently don't have, whilst camping out here. Ah cotton wool buds I saw on the side. Must get some dust out of my ears before the shower. Snap, WTF, the cotton wool bud had just snapped in two. Better remove the other half I though, snap, now 25% of the stick left in my ear. Shower and shave, down to see Mary Jo and her medical skills to remove the bud from my ear! The cotton wool buds apparently have been there many years so very brittle as I found out!

Sunday, breakfast, some washing on the line and now two weeks or more of painting, apart from finding somebody to sort the garage door out! Currently electrics in the house but no heating or water, the latter coming from a tap in the back garden from a well on the hillside.

So as you can read it seems hubby is having quite a time of it.

We have lights.......and they work!

We had another trip over to Ireland recently and were really pleased to see the progress made in the months since we were last over.

Firstly on approaching the house we could see Kevin our builder had been very busy with the digger driver not only installing our septic tank and percolation area but levelling out a lot of the ground around the house. The large grassy mound from the side of the house had disappeared and let us see what a huge job we have got in front of us with regards the garden!

Before

After a bit of landscaping

We also noted that several drainage trenches had been put in, a great relief given Ireland is such a wet country. 

Another brilliant surprise was seeing the stonework on the front of the property. Given the fact that we had chosen it by walking into a showroom and been confronted by a huge selection of stone. We had to think about what other colours were around so the dark blue/grey colours match in with the dark roof and the lighter brown colours blend in with the windows. We were really pleased with the finished result.

The view from the entrance of our driveway looking back down the lane

 Inside the house we were further excited to see our staircase now in situ. Ok so it isn't complete but it gives a lovely idea of what it will look like. Again very pleased to be able to walk upstairs on a proper staircase and not a rickety temporary ladder/staircase.

The biggest result was realising that we finally have electric power to the property! So we ended up going round each room and switching on each switch own turn and we oohed and aahed, a bit like when at a firework display. As we had only seen our light fittings in the boxes it was brilliant to see them all in their places and finally be assured that they were the correct purchase. Of course my wonderful designer  light switches and sockets looked brilliant. I am so pleased with the choice.




So whats next? Well the plumber is in now, fitting radiators and the heating system, then we can warm the place up and then start fitting the woodwork. We have chosen the doors and handles (who knew there was so much choice). Also hoping the kitchen will be fitted in May/June
We are visiting again in a couple of weeks to finalise our choices of tiles so the tiler can get on and start work in the bathrooms. 

A sneaky peak at one of our tile choices - purple has to be included somewhere !