We've got some new ideas

We got to thinking about the detail of the rooms. Then we got to thinking that the utility room needs to double as a work shop in case we don't get permission to build a garage outside (rather than the inside ones that are so popular with people that don't know what they're talking about).
Anyway, we also thought that the kids bedrooms should be larger and the guest bedroom smaller. The reasoning is that as the kids get bigger they'll need more private space. Hey, the visitors can always camp out (no, really, we'll get a really nice tent - no, I said a really nice one, none of your Argos rubbish, mind).

That lawn will take some mowing!

LARGE lawn at Saint's View
Originally uploaded by Lenny & Meriel.

We got a taste of summer today - so I couldn't resist doing a bit of gardening. I thought I'd mow the lawn then see what else needed attention. Hmmm - that lawn is MUCH bigger than I thought. I managed about a 5th of it I reckon.
Our little lawn mower might need to be upgraded!
Otherwise it was a joy to be there. Jonah had to be dragged away saying "I want to stay here forever and ever and ever" - so that's nice!

Completion

DSC_8204
Originally uploaded by Lenny & Meriel.

We went to court this morning (which Meriel commented felt more like a cocktail party - but without the cocktails) and now the house is ours.
We had to go to get the keys off Matt, our surveyour and we're off to see it this afternoon.
Hooorah!

Can't stay away

We could't resist going for a walk around the property today. Sun was shining and the walks around the place are excellent - Views of Herm, Sark, Alderny, Jersey & France, all very clear. We looked at the proposed area of the downstairs living space and decided that it would be very large indeed thank you very much.

It's all over

CRW_4126
Originally uploaded by theslinky.

Well, it's pretty much all over. As at 17:00 today our Conditions of Sale became operative (apparently). This means that we've pretty much got the house in the bag as long as we stump up the remaining gzillion pounds on 17th March, alternatively we could consider losing our (not insubstantial) deposit. On the upside, the vendor can't pull out without us receiving twice our deposit in return. So it's all about the money now ...

Last chance

We met up with our Advocate (that's solicitor in England speak), Mark Torode. He told us all about what was legally ours, including the hedge which stands in the way of the view (I don't think that'll last long).
At the end of the meeting we all agreed that we'd go ahead and that we'd meet at his office before going to court, which is where the house will finally become ours.
It's kind of a bummer that we're meeting at his place, as I really wanted the opportunity to say "See you in court". Maybe some other day.
Oh, and we agreed to change the name to "Saint's View". Respec!

No problem - all go...

The surveyor couldn't find any problem. It doesn't mean there isn't one but we'll discover when we do the building work if there is. Then we'll have to absorb the costs.
So it's all systems go.

Delayed a week

Today we'll get the results from our specialist survey. That simply doesn't leave enough time to complete on thursday... We may need to negotiate with the vendors in Australia and we certainly need to get the funds from our account and the mortgage people. Neither is possible with only 1 day notice and we'd risk losing our deposit if we missed the date.
So we've stalled (now we want to exchange on friday and complete on the 17th) and are awaiting the vendors reaction. If I were them (and I was a few months ago), I'd be pretty annoyed and suspicious. There's not much we can do about that though.
We're both ready to move onto the next installment of uncertainty - this one is boring now. I certainly expect the next year during planning and building works to contain many of them!

Buffer Zones

It's all about a balance between aesthetics, comfort and efficiency.

Aesthetics:
You want to be as close to the view as possible so that inside and outside feel connected. The glazed gable is a wonderful solution becuase it faces the best view (Saint's Bay), connects with the garden, and points SW giving good afternoon / evening light and sunsets.
Comfort:
The glazed gable faces the prevailing winds and is in an exposed position. In winter there is a danger that cold air slides down the inside of the large glazed area and across the floor. We'll all have cold toes. In summer there could be too much 'solar gain' which would heat up the room inside making it uncomfortably hot.
Efficiency:
The house and the heating system need to work together - they are effectively one system. It's just foolish to put in a good boiler and central heating system and then leak all the heat out of the house. It's damaging for the environment and our bank balance.

SO...
We want to have a glazed gable which is designed to maximise comfort and efficiency.
Consultation with Alan (thanks Alan) leads us to considering a buffer zone:
"A buffer is there to provide a tempered airspace and so minimise heat loss, prevent cold down-draughts, act as a protection against air penetration through the glazing system and to trap solar gains through the glass both for recirculation into the living space in winter and to exhaust externally in summer."
A buffer zone is a space between 2 glazing sheets. They are commonly a single glazed outer layer, a gap, then a double glazed inner layer. The gap needs to be at least 500mm wide and cover the whole glazed area. You need to be able to get access for cleaning. The downsides are that they take up space and, we suspect, may 'distance' you from the view.

This will be a challenge for our architects.

Last minute survey worries

We may have to get an additional specialist survey to examine the braces which hold the cavity wall together. Apparently cavity wall houses of this age were often braced with a metal which corrodes (Duh!). The danger is that in time the outer wall falls away from the internal one. If they are indeed not adequate the situation can be fixed but may have implications for the price of the house - and consequently may delay the operative date set for tomorrow.
Watch this space.