Blast from the past

We recently got a lovely letter from the lady we bought the shack from back in 2003.
She is so positive about our plans - as she has been since she accepted our bid for the place even though it wasn't the highest. It's such a contrast to local responses which have been overwhelmingly negative. One complaint at our planning appeal even cited the fact that we might dare to live in the house (as opposed to use it as a 2nd home like most neghbours)- as a reason to refuse planning!
Beverley (the vendor) also included in her letter a 'round robin' update she had circulated to the many friends who had enjoyed the shack in the 60's and 70's - telling them about our plans - "A bathroom suite - we'd have died for the opportunity!!"

Many mini piles

The foundations of our shack were a big problem in our first (unsuccessful) planning app to build here. The tree protection order slapped on the site immediately after we proposed a new house means that usual dug foundations won't do.
This is where Mini Piling comes in - a fantastic technique whereby slender metal rods with concrete are drilled into your ground (stopping when you get to that really chewy bit) in a matrix which can support your steel frame and house.

The very helpful Anvil made us the best offer for the work and completed our 13 piles this week, the first step in the build. Adam met them on site and reports that - as ever-their staff made a right fuss about climbing the site's slope with their kit (which - incredibly - was a handheld drill) despite them being several decades younger than him.

Before the build ends I'd really love it if one of our contractors came on site and instead said "Gosh what an attractive and challenging elevated site you have found here"....

Get the supplies in

Unlike every woman on Grand Designs I actually find all the catalogue browsing, mood-boarding and sample collecting for the house really tedious. So it's nice when a supplier is really helpful and friendly. So here are a few such suppliers:
Proctor, who we're speaking to about their Royale Cladding, a timber cladding thats treated on both sides in the factory, for better longevity.

North West Heating, the only heating specialist who could explain to me what's possible just with electricity, without being a patronising ba****d

Rutherford Real Wood, a small firm in the Borders supplying fantastic hardwood flooring

Rules & Regs

Certain areas of the build have had to be redesigned lately due to new building control regs on disability access, apparently. Especially the loo. It seems that regardless of the house not being accessible to wheelchair users, the bathroom has to accommodate a wheelchair user...
Am I missing something?

Still standing

After 2 days there's still quite a bit of shack left on site....Built before the invention of No Nails, the DIY builder who was first on site certainly didnt take any risks. We found the structure to be rather better made than we anticipated. Sledge hammers made little impact, a screw driver was needed to meticulously work on the thousands of joints, and I'm still not sure how to get the Ye Olde toilet out without a serious biohazard on the hillside.
Answers on a postcard please.

Trippy 3D visualisation

My favourite so far. Might landscape the garden like that after all.

What was there before?

The Flowers, a shopkeeping family from Blackpool, built a holiday home on the site in the mid-60's. It was from them we bought the property in 2003, and it was a time capsule of old magazines, whiskey and 70's duvet covers. Beverley Flowers even gave me the house's visitors book which is a sentimental read - all pub meals for £1 and birdspotting from the world before Carribbean holidays for all.
Over the years a few friends have stayed there, and in fact film-maker Steven Sheil made a short horror film there in 2006 - you can read his very entertaining blog on the experience here.

With just a tiny bit of sadness, the log cabin will be removed next week to make way for the new house.