BLOG 1💐🌸🏡 August 2015 🏠💐🌺

🏡 We found this lovely thatched cottage in Devon & decided to buy it !

 

The garage needs knocking down due to parking issues, that will clear the cottage side windows & let the sunshine in ! A gravel driveway is planned, it’s a tiny tiny garage, no proper parking in front to fit even my mini on it so has to go !

The garden is very overgrown ! A gardener is booked to clear it so will be much better !

Garden was cleared, looking much better !

Calling a thatcher (Phil) was next priorty, he called round & Andy went up the ladder too in the pouring rain ! I stood under the thatch & discovered that rain pours off everywhere, no need for drainpipes ! BUT the cottage does have drainpipes which are not connected at the top, why ? Maybe not originally a thatched roof ? Looking into that ! We do have to have some work done as thatch is thinning a bit around chimney & back of house so that will be sorted as soon as move in. Fun times coming ! 🏡🏠🏡 XX

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BLOG 2🏡September 2015🏠

🏡   INSIDE THE COTTAGE
Before moving in……

Hallway

Reception room 1

Kitchen

Kitchen

Bedroom

Bedroom

Bedroom

Bedroom

Each room has its’ own interesting features, but all the rooms have one thing in common, COBWEBS !! The house has been closed up for over a year so cannot blame the spiders !! XX

BLOG 3🏡November 2015🏠

🏡  Brilliant, completion happened today Thursday 12th Nov 2015 ! Moved some items in but need to spend time giving a good clean, its’ been empty for over a year !

Soon the builder is starting work on the garage & knocking it down & plumber installing a new boiler, heat at last ! Knocking the garage down will make all the difference to parking next to the cottage !

Now this is interesting, the cottage was originally named ‘The XVII Century Farmhouse’, this house sign was found tucked in the garage, where shall we put it ?

Found this paperwork of an auction back to 1981 about the cottage named as above, so interesting 🏡

Need to get the house clean & get down to that coast as soon as possible ! 🏄 Yes, made it Saturday morning, Lyme Regis so empty this time in the morning !

Favourite Book Shop in Lyme Regis High Street at night ! XX

BLOG 4 🏡December 2015🏠

🏡  Went to Cottage today to check on new heating system & garage is being knocked down !

Everything seemed good with the garage, lots of rubble & soil to get rid of !

Then walked into a heated house, felt good, BUT
the kitchen had a different story awaiting us !!  As the water system had been off for over a year & now our new boiler installed & water switched back on, the bath tap upstairs had a leak & has dripped down pipework & soaked part of the kitchen ceiling !! Of course we thought it was a problem made by boiler installation but discovered this leak under the bath so quick tightening up of tap & dripping stopped, luckily ! But part of ceiling fell down, so another job and hopefully be fine to fix !

All cleared up, no need for red bucket now !

Well that was a busy day, hopefully not too many more surprises but suppose that’s what it’s all about buying such an old cottage ! 🏡

BLOG 5🏡December 2015🏠

🏡  Spent 4 days at the cottage after Christmas which was great, relaxing time this visit with Katherine & Abbie, James & Sam came for an overnight & we spent the morning in Lyme Regis with breakfast at The Bell Cliff, love it when places accept the dogs too !👍

Amazing how calm the harbour was !

One thing we’ve realised here is that a lot of restaurants were closed for Katherine’s birthday ! Seemed to be an extra long holiday period ! Where were we going to eat ? Found one in Lyme Regis which was pleasant, but no other choices, nearly resorted to a takeaway !  Mum & Ted were visiting overnight so they joined us. The winds were amazing on the beach when we left the restaurant !

Visited Seaton Beach today, still wet & very windy weather but very mild for December !  ☔We got very wet !

So we needed a nice cozy pub & meal so travelled along the coast to Beer Village & relaxed in the local pub, the Anchor Hotel !  Again dogs welcome !

Well it’s time to go back tomorrow morning unfortunately to our rental, if we stayed one more day they are holding the tradition of dipping in the sea in fancy dress on New Year’s Day in Lyme Regis !  Now who fancies that !!! 🌊☔🏊🌊☔🏊🌊☔

BLOG 6🏡January 2016🏠

🏡  It’s January 2016 & no snow YET ! Glad though as it means the driveway has progressed and should be finished by this weekend so next photos it will be completed !  This is progress so far up to last weekend:

It was dog walking time so walked around the village, still quite wet & muddy, the views are amazing !

And look at our house on the hill, taken from the Village Hall.

We’ve ordered new front door, keeping the black front door but new interior door & back door.  Back door needs attention as it leaks & letting in the cold weather as not sealed properly, so quite cold in the kitchen !

We’ve started looking at decorating so started on smallest cupboard, the larder ! Needed the old shelves removing & holes in walls filled.  Looking at paint charts for next stage, thinking maybe a cream colour to brighten everywhere, colour is yellow in the kitchen at the moment, which is nice but needs a new fresh colour.

So looking forward to seeing the driveway so here’s to the next blog….xx

BLOG 7🏡January 2016🏠

🏡  Driveway all done, so much better.

So good to be able to park off road ! Remember how this looked a while ago, what an improvement ! ⏬

Worked on tidying up the front flower beds today, so big bushes gone from in front of window, much better ( shame  forgot to move bin in photo!) ⏬

Remember the front too ?!  ⏬

Much better all cleared, waiting on better weather to clear the back garden next, will the good weather ever come !
Until next blog……enjoy x

BLOG 8🏡February 2016🏠

🏡   Half term spent at cottage, nice change not having to rush back !

Few jobs sorted:-  Chimney Sweep in to check the wood burner & camera up flue to check in one piece, everything good so it was lit to warm the house !

Aga was looked at & good news, just needs a good service & clean & should look like new afterwards !

Thatcher was in to check the back thatch & quote, also the ridge will be sorted on front thatch & all the moss will be brushed off, should look much better.

So this weekend new front & back door to be fitted, that will be a great improvement for keeping in the heat !  The back door has been letting in the wet & cold, believe it is an internal door, hopeless !

Spent our days going to the coast, Sidmouth, Charmouth, Lyme Regis, West Bay, all lovely places, the dogs enjoyed it too !

Now who recognises this house ? Hint: David Tennant !

So until next time, thank you for reading this update !

BLOG 9🏡 April 2016🏠

🏡 Easter holidays are here so Devon here we come !
A busy time:-  look at our new doors fitted last month, front & back, love them ! Make all the difference to heat & light, especially the back door.

Another difference to heat the house is the Aga !  It’s been serviced & cleaned thoroughly & now producing lovely heat after being switched on this week, especially in the kitchen, hopefully heating through the house eventually. Enjoying learning how to cook again ! Instant heat all the time, so cups of tea always ready ! Have put away the plug-in kettle, toaster & microwave not been used all weekend !  Used a toaster gadget on Aga this morning & cooked lovely toast, next step is to bake some bread to make toast !  It will go with the fresh eggs from a neighbour’s hens this morning ! We have the wood burner on tonight & not too bad with boiler turned right down, so ok as it was a cloudy, wet day too !

We have a great table/pool table which has been used alot !  We visited a Furniture Recycling shop locally & found some nice chairs for the table.

Another shop selling antiques & bric-a-brac had a kitchen table, the right size, but a dark colour so it will be a project later to strip the wood & stain it.

Another addition is a washing machine, only you ladies will understand how important that is !  Have been here for the week so glad it’s sorted !

So until the next Blog…….thank you for reading x

BLOG 10 🏡April 2016🏠

🏡  Decided to change the two rooms downstairs around, using the log burner when you’re not sitting in the room seemed daft so moved settees into that room, they are slightly big but fine for now….

Back out to garden as weather so good at the moment, thought next job would be to pull apart the chicken house as we are clearing that side of the garden……

BUT look what the chicken house was resting on ! Wheels …! Maybe you could move it around ?

Another shed to knock down was next to the original outside toilet ! (Will not be using that !) From this….

To this……… (that’s the toilet house !)

Problem is we’ve got to get rid of three huge piles of brambles, trees & wood now !! Now it’s lucky across the road lives a neighbour who has a tree cutting/garden clearance & shredder company so when we ready it can go ! Oh and that’s where we get our fresh eggs too ! Handy eh !

Garden looking much clearer on this side now, gained metres due to those nasty brambles, you can see in photo how much gained & where the original chicken house stood.

Well that’s April photos sorted & blogged, it’s May on Sunday so here’s to next blog……thank you for reading xx