Saturday 11 July 2015

More Progress. !!!!

When we made the big move from the coast to the farm we decided to leave the bulk of our possessions  in boxes until most of the renovations were complete, the only problem being where to store all those boxes.
Firstly I used one of the  bedrooms as a "Box room"   until we needed to lay the vinyl floor coverings in the  three bedrooms, so we moved all the boxes to the shed and small back verandah.
we then decided to purchase a  garden shed to build , but other things just overtook us and the shed didn't get built.
Brian  started to  box up to lay a concrete slab but then had second thoughts and decided to fill the base with soil  instead of cement.
We  put some old  sheeting in the bottom as extra fill then covered it all with soil.
Next we  laid some used timber beams over the soil.

In reality this means that our shed floor will be floating, but the sheer weight of the  flooring, shed and contents will keep it all well grounded, and If ever we need to relocate it , we won't have to worry about the shed being on a concrete slab.
We then decided to invite some neighbors to come  over for a working bee  to get the shed up quick smart  before  we were to get some expected rain.
Another neighbor  also popped over  to chat , have a cuppa and supervise  as he  had an  injured  knee when a wether sheep knocked him flying and he wasn't able to help.The knee  is slowly recovering.
It was about at this time the wind started to pick up and I was required to come and help hold panels so that the boys could get the roof on and  the whole thing screwed down.
We got it to this point  late in the afternoon, with just the two front doors to go, which Brian   put on the next morning.
And I soon got to work carting boxes up there to store safely until we are ready to unpack them all one by one.
This pic was taken the first day, and now the shed is almost completely full.
The next thing on our agenda was to have all the living/dining/office floor  area tiled.
it all started with the tiler coming and leveling the floor in several areas with a concrete slurry which we were unable to walk on for 48 hours.
We had a hold up with our tile delivery  and then finally  they came but not to us, and we had to borrow  a truck  and go and pick them up in town at an icy 6.30 am.
We have them and the bags of sand/cement, glue,and grout stored all round the place.
The tiler, an older semi retired man then came back and did some prep work, spread the bondcrete all over and allowed that to dry for 24 hours.
And then the real work began, he started  laying our beautiful new tiles on the floor.
Our tiler is slow, but he is a perfectionist , we knew this before we hired him, but  everyone we spoke to said they were extremely happy with his work.
Each day we progress a little further.
We are starting to see how wonderful our new floor will be, and after the walls  are painted it will be beautiful (well I think so anyway ) :-)  :-)
Today we decided to move our  timber barbeque  setting(which has been sitting covered in stuff out under the carport, and  totally unusable)  round to the other side of the house  and put it on the back verandah where many of those boxes in the garden shed had previously been.
Eventually we will be building a big covered area out this side, but  just for now that mesh trellis  made everything a little squishy, so Brian  got to work removing it.

This created a more usable space for the BBQ setting.
We are establishing a new garden  else where and we will remove the plants in the small garden  to the right  and relocate  them to it.
This area will be a much need outdoor area on the western side of our house where we can relax and hopefully pick up some  winter afternoon sun, it still will be limited for actual cover and protection but that will come later when we  start the work on the kitchen, new back door and  covered entertaining area as time and money allow.
It  really feels like things are coming together, and now that all those boxes have been relocated  it feels like a huge weight has been lifted and I can relax a little more.
Take care until we meet again,
Take care.
Jane.

14 comments:

  1. I love seeing people working in their homes and it's great that your neighbours came over to help. That's the kind of community you want to live in. The tiles are looking good and that area will be beautiful when the painting is done and you have the furniture in. It's all hard work, Jane, but I'm sure you're both finding it satisfying to make your mark on the home and customise it to suit your own needs. BTW, the rosemary is flowering well. Stay warm. xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Rhonda,
      it has been a really busy 6 months, but a rewarding 6 months. It finally is really starting to come together now...Once this tiling is over, I will paint and then the worst will be over... We have replaced a whole kitchen before it was nothing compared to this lot.
      Our Rosemary has been outstanding, I have cut and dried several lots already and it's nearly time to do it again, and we use a lot of rosemary so very handy.
      Thanks for popping by, great to see you,
      Cheers
      Jane

      Delete
  2. Oooh that looks so exiting! I am a new follower so i am going back to read your adventures so far :) I can't wait to see everything :) <3

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Undomestic Diva,
      Thanks for calling in, we are a very ordinary retired pair just trying to do what we can to live the type of life we have always wanted....sometimes we get it right and sometimes not, but we have fun along the way, hope you pop back in now and again to catch up,
      Cheers,
      Jane.:-) :-)

      Delete
  3. I just found your blog. The shed looks great. Good luck with all your projects.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Joan,
      Thanks for that, we sometimes need all the luck we can get.
      We seem to have so many projects lined up, there is never enough days in the week to get them done.
      The journey has been wonderful so far, so I hope you keep in touch and follow our ups and downs.
      Cheers Jane :-) :-)

      Delete
  4. Hi Jane, it seems you have had some more visitors to your blog. I just noticed you mentioned on Rhonda's blog, so just popping in to see what you have been up to.

    Wow it is all looking great for you. You are starting to live the dream now. Well done!

    xTania

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Tania, Thanks for popping by, yes it was lovely of Rhonda to mention me, and a few new faces have called over to check out our story.
      We are finally starting to get sorted, I think it will be a journey of a lifetime,
      Cheers,
      Jane :-) :-)

      Delete
  5. Hi Jane, I've just spent a relaxing Saturday, freezing down here in Melbourne, and read all your posts from go to whoa. Love love love your journey and look forward to more adventures for both of you. I love your simple lifestyle and im in awe of your canning abilities. Very Inspiring. I think you will have some new followers joining this week. Count me in.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Lynda, Welcome. Thankyou for visiting and reading our story,
      We are really enjoying our journey , we have times when we are flat out and seem to go round in circles, and other times we relax and enjoy the laziness. We are really having a great life and so happy that others are interested too.
      Thanks again for popping in,
      Keep warm, chilly here too,
      Cheers,
      Jane :-) :-)

      Delete
  6. Hi, another one from Down To Earth. What exactly is the flooring in the shed please? And is the shed screwed down to it? Looking forward to reading more about your life.

    Barb.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Barb,
      The flooring we used in the shed was a type of compressed sheeting that we bought from Bunnings, it had a film on the top and bottom that makes it more water resistant, they told us that it is commonly used in horse floats, it was about 3/4 inch thickness.
      we did screw the shed to the boards all around and also sealed between shed and board with silicone sealer for extra water protection.
      Thanks for popping by to share a bit of our life,
      Take care,
      Cheers.
      Jane

      Delete
  7. I too came from Down to Earth, we'd love to live off the grid one day, I like how you did it in increments, learning as you go. Enjoyed reading through many of the older posts. Annet in Canada (but with Aussie hubby and headed back to QLD one day!).

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Annet,
      Welcome to our blog, thanks for visiting us.
      We really love the off grid lifestyle, not always cheaper, but was in our case as to connect to grid was more than double what we have spent, and we have no bills or blackouts (win Win situation)
      We are still learning everyday, not experts at anything but enjoying the learning process.
      You will enjoy living in QLD, will be a shock after Canada,
      Take care Annet,
      Cheers,
      Jane.

      Delete