Under starter's orders

So what did happen last week? Well, not much, frankly. On Wednesday the project manager said he would be dropping in the commencement notice to the Council which would mean that work, theoretically, could begin on 13th February. Still no final plans or a contract, however. At the weekend, Dara went to see a man about doors.

Our previous investigations around the usual suppliers yielded no suitable internal doors. We want four panels, and the panels set flat into the door, shaker style, not raised. This has proven to be a big ask and nowhere in the country stocks such a thing. Eventually, Dara found a shop that is willing to customise one of their existing designs (pictured) to suit us. This door has four flat panels, but each one has a raised edge which we want ours not to have. Getting twelve custom-made internal doors, three of which will be glazed in the top two panels, is going to absorb all the savings we've made on the floors, tiles and sanitary ware. Swings and roundabouts, I suppose. We haven't bought or ordered the doors so there's still time to find a better and cheaper alternative.

This week we've been going back over the specification written by the architect to make the last-minute changes, corrections and updates. Still no construction drawings or contract, though.

And that was where things stood until this afternoon when the project manager rang to confirm that he had indeed submitted the commencement order, and that he had been talking to the builder, and that they had arranged to begin work, for real, on Monday 18th February. It's likely that they'll be out next week to begin setting things up.

Our paperwork isn't in order but I can already hear the wrecking ball. Such a beautiful sound.