Epiblogue 1 of 2 – Is There Life after Conversion?

We managed to move in earlier in the year before everything was fully complete, and before the budget ran out ... just. Contractually, we still had to build a couple of garden walls. Also needed a driveway – we didn’t want to be wading through mud for the rest of our days. And we couldn’t leave the garage with just blockwork walls - it needed cladding with weatherboarding to match the house. Access to the house, steps up to the doorways, had to be sorted out before Building Control would sign us off. Less essential, but nonetheless to be done, were the patio and pathway at the back and north end. Last, but not least, there was the small matter of post and rail fencing round the back garden and at the front.

 So, getting on with the garden walls.

At the front - footings

 

Going up

 

Front wall done.

 

and round the back - first you need a few bricks. (Remember all that concrete under there? Serious retaining wall. Bit over the top as a foundation for the wall, but it will do.

Up we go

 

Back finished. The passage round there is wider than we'd imagined it. 

 

Next came the drive

In the UK the standard sub base is MOT1. Ministry of Transport type 1 - graded inert material of a defined size and strength. With successive Government re-organisations we no longer have a Ministry of Transport but MOT1 lives on. We ended up buying over 60 tons of the stuff.

 

Bit like making a Christmas cake - a layer of marzipan overlaid with the icing. You smooth out and whack the MOT1 and apply a couple of layers of shingle.

 

So that's the drive done. Tick that off the list.
 

 

Patios and steps

Front steps before -

 

And the final product.

 

The path round the back. I hesitate to use the term back passage for fear of creating a stink.

 

Preparing the patio by the cart doors on the west side.

 

Laying slabs

Patio done

 

That's the major construction projects finished. Still have the fences, landscaping, decoration .....