Our home build journey - taking the good with the bad ♡
I’m going to start with the good stuff first...
It’s been an absolutely crazy last couple of weeks (hence my lack of presence here there and everywhere 😅).
After a busy week of prep, Beau and I left all four of our babies for the first time ever, and headed down to Auckland to tackle the NZ Home & Garden show with The Home Planner Co.
Although it definitely wasn’t the R & R type of get away, it was great to spend some time together as a couple, just us, doing something neither of us have ever done before! There was a lot of people watching, learning, laughs and talking that went on. We covered costs, met some good leads for the future, and the highlight of the weekend was having Wolf from The Block come around and check out our product. Watch this space... 👀
In the last couple of weeks lots has gone down on the house. We’ve had the roof go on, the joinery installed (everything except the big windows and architectural slider which are going in tomorrow), we’ve had fascia and soffits go on and today, the beginnings of some cladding. Our electrician has been in for prewire and our plumber is coming in tomorrow also. Once we’re clad we will be able to get our gib fixers in, and begin the interiors of the home.
On the down side, we’ve also had.... 19 sheets of axon board not turn up due to low stock (if you’re in NZ and about to build seriously think about your type of cladding and the availability 😅). We’ve also had the wrong type of axon board delivered for the most part, which I’ve decided to overlook because 1. I actually really like the one that has been accidentally delivered and think it will look just as good as my original choice and 2. I really just cant be bothered with the drama of product exchanges and delays at the moment. It is what it is, accepted and moved on 😅
We’ve also had a fireplace dilemma... the box designed by the architect for the outdoor fireplace... doesn’t fit the fireplace (with allowance for fireproof product). So we’ve been back to the drawing board with this and luckily a solution has been found that will work to fix this problem. Crisis averted.
We’ve also had a hot minute there where we thought we wouldn’t be able to get decking timber (again due to over demand / low stock all over NZ), but thankfully we’ve had a family member manage to pull some strings and we have our decking timber locked in and ordered!
We also ended up with an extra large bedroom window which accidentally happened due to a measurement hiccup... our bedroom window now starts at floor level... and I’m not sad about it 😝
It’s been full on, but that’s us in a nutshell at the minute. We’re still very much in the thick of it all, some days feeling the wrath of a self-managed build, but for the most part loving every minute, learning so much, and grateful for the guys at Bay Homes for their guidance along the way.
The days are getting shorter, bedtime is getting easier, and I guess that means winter is looming. One more winter in our tiny home... only one more wet & rainy July school holidays to fill living in the smallest of spaces.
Chat soon,
Lauren x