The White's House: August 2015

My lovely kiddies modelling some fine stud work! X

Another three weeks has flown by and the build is still on schedule (amazingly!) I'm truly impressed with the builders and how they've kept on going and kept up the pace.

We're now moving on to the slower and more detail-oriented part of the build as the external structure is almost complete and the focus shifts inside.

First fix electrics is almost done but the only evidence of tremendous amounts of hard graft threading wire everywhere is the little cables sticking out all over the place where the plug sockets and media points will be. I have to confess at still being totally baffled by CAT6 wiring (suitable for handling computer networks) and the differences to CAT5 or 4?

It's also become ridiculously hard to know whether we have chosen the right points for socket positions and lighting. I've found myself staring at the plans and drawings unable to be convinced we've chosen correctly whilst also thinking how hard can this be really?? One other interesting electrical dilemma is the overhead lights in the big open plan living/kitchen/diner. Our initial idea was three zones (one for each area) which would have 9 lights in each zone. However, due to the positioning of the ceiling joist which runs centrally throughout the length of the room the lights have to sit off-centre which makes a pattern of 9 impossible, therefore I've switched to a slightly more ornate pattern of blocks of 8 with four in an inner square and 4 in an outer square, thereby avoiding the central joist. Seriously I'm lying awake at night wondering whether this is a genius solution or a ridiculous mistake! I guess we'll find out when the lights are in and we're going cross-eyed or not!

Excitingly, the upstairs extension is now being plasterboarded and the rooms are really taking shape which is wonderful as now we can truly imagine what they'll look like. The internal dividing walls have been put up and therefore we can see the exact size of the en suites. The builder has pushed us for answers about what we are installing in the bathrooms. Consequently we've spent a challenging two hours this weekend, with the 3 kiddies again, in Burge and Gunson (Colliers Wood, London) with a salesman who didn't really understand that we wanted to achieve the best quality for the lowest price possible (seriously, we began to wonder if he actually wanted to sell us his products at all.) We had a crazyily idealistic budget of £4,000 for 2 bathrooms which had to include tiling and all the accessories - we've singularly failed to keep to this due to the old 'you gets what you pays for' motto and we didn't really want to go for ultra low-quality as we'd like things to last at least 5 years!! So in the end we have everything except the mirrors/cabinets and we spent another £2,000 or so on top. In the scheme of things it's not a big number but when every £ counts, that amount can help with fitting out a pantry or building understairs cupboards! Hey ho! At least we'll enjoy a slightly more luxurious soak?!

Here are the all important pictures!

Underfloor heating in and the screed down already (these photos will be very helpful later if we need to know where pipes are located).