We are home.

But you probably already guessed that from my previous post.

Yes, we are finally in our partly completed abode. We are living in what would have been the original house when the villa was new. Apparently those little lean-to things (like our previous kitchen) were a later addition. On top of that you would have had to make your way out the back to some sort of long-drop toilet presumably. As for baths and showers, my guess is a giant metal tub in front of the fire was brought out once a month whether you wanted it or not.

We now have five rooms in various states of functionality.
Our bedroom, which has the bay windows, is now almost fully functional with just two cupboard doors yet to be installed.
The second bedroom is 100% functional.
The temporary living room is 100% functional. (It is now trying to convince us it should stay as a reserve lounge cum library once the real one is completed.)
The bathroom is 100% functional.
The temporary kitchen really is temporary and will be going once the new addition at the back is completed. At that point the builders will come in and remove plumbing and old kitchen benches, and restore it into the semblance of a single bedroom.

Now when I say 100% functional, what I really mean is, it can be used and is being used and I am not expecting to see a builder within it's bounds for any form of work until I need a new brain transplant. What it doesn't mean is curtained or decorated in any fashion.
That's not entirely accurate, our bedroom is curtained for privacy and the ability of Miss O to sleep during the day. The curtains are, however, tacked up black out curtains temporarily nicked from work's training room. Not quite the quintessential mode in decorating, dahlings, but apparently really nice curtains made for our windows out of nice fabric and done by a professional organisation can take anywhere up to 5 weeks. There is no way I will be parading around my bedroom for 5 weeks with every Thomas, Richard and Henry able to gawk in at me as though I were a goldfish on display. So nasty old black out curtains it is. Needs must.

Do I need to mention that the curtains that were here before we moved out were perfectly serviceable (not flash), but between then and now they appear to have disappeared? Builder told us while we were in Tauranga that he would try to "salvage" the remaining curtains. Now why would we believe him? I ask you! And why would we think that they would be careful around the curtains, as none of the windows were actually going to be involved in the renovation process?! Hmm. Naive, definitely naive. Another lesson learned - and passed on.

Okay, I have managed to locate our SanDisk and upload some old photos to the Flickr Album. I have chosen a selection to give you an idea of how it is coming along. I do really promise you that we don't normally live in quite such a mess (well, most of the time anyway ;) ).


The backyard after demolition.


The backyard in progress.


The front bedroom on the day we left. Now the temporary living room.



Then we have the rooms seen in my earlier entry.


Our Bedroom (front bedroom with bay window)


The hallway minus Benny but with added rubbish and things without a home to go to.


The old living room, now the new computer room / junk storage facility.

Are you getting the impression that we have crammed all of our belongings into a much smaller space than they originally took up? Yes? You think so?

Keep chanting... "Only two months to go...only two months to go..."

P.S. Builder now says that the roof of the new addition may be up by the end of the week. (Don't chuckle - you're starting to sound as cynical as I am.)