I’ve been promising these for a while, but eventually I’ve got there.

I’d added a whole new set of photographs of the barn to the site that I’ll use as my before photo’s. Hopefully, I can use these to demonstrate progress as the conversion goes on. Some of them are similar to other pictures I’ve taken in the past, but all these are new, taken at the end of October 2007 just before work began. That clear blue sky is typical of the weather we get in West Wales at that time of year (well at least sometimes) …

Here’s to progress…

So, as we have started work, we need to think about all those details that I’ve put to one side until we had a builder.

Not liking getting too formal about such things, it seems like a good idea to make a list so:

Last update [4th November 2007]

• Ground or Air Source Heat Pump that is the question.
• Heating. Go with under-floor heating on the ground floor with radiators on first floor ~ drawbacks, problems, source of hot water for radiators (potentially from back-boiler on multi-fuel room heater)?
• Internal doors (find some that we like).
• Openings through internal walls. Have we allowed for one to few? – yes but we will replan the bathroom / bedroom entrances
• Paint. Compare eco alternatives to branded products.
• Rain-water harvesting. Readdress the quote I’ve already had and evaluate cost and fit to the current plan.
• Flooring and tiling ~ select!
• Guttering and down-pipes excluded from bill of quantities, estimate and add them back in.
• En-suite bathroom~ what shall we do with the 1 metre dressing area.
• Bathroom suites and Kitchen…
• Storage~ allow for narrow cupboards built into internal partition walls on the first floor.
• etc.

If anyone has any opinions or advice in relation to any of these items then please feel free to comment.

All advice is appreciated….