I've been feeling guilty that when so many of you asked about wanting to follow the progress of the renovations of our new home, I was very uncertain if this was what I wanted to do on my blog. Years ago you were let into all the nitty, gritty of our day to day lives, with maybe more access than I would dream of now.
But I have had a rethink, and maybe I mellowed slightly to the idea, after all it would also give me a record of things as they happen. Then last week Alan asked me to video the bungalow as it is now, and then at regular intervals as the work progresses so that we have a record.
So why not share it with you, although for obvious safety reasons on the internet I will not be sharing the front of our property at all.
I thought I should start by sharing some photos of the kitchen, as rather weirdly I forgot to turn right after I came in through the front door. We usually use the side door for access so coming through the front door for the first time I instinctively turned left and then didn't go back that way. The front door is in between the living room and the kitchen.
So these first three photos show the kitchen.
Already it has changed massively, and Alan has managed to get all the wall cabinets and the tiles off the walls this week. We are trying our best not to send too much of what we rip out to landfill, so wherever possible we are selling things really cheaply on Facebook Marketplace. For instance someone is coming to pick up the fully working, but really needing a clean electric cooker for £10 tomorrow.
The kitchen while looking very good both in person, and in photos is actually not worth us keeping. It has more years of life left in it, but not enough to see us out, and this bungalow is all about us future-proofing our lives. So once it has all been removed, I will be photographing it and offering it for sale as well.
Below is my video of the rest of the bungalow, I notice that some of you have already found it on YouTube and left comments, thank you for those. If you have any questions about anything you see please ask them on here, as I am terrible at responding on YouTube, I only use it as a tool to get films off my phone and don't even think to check back ... oops!! 😄
https://youtu.be/Ws9x9bvxh7Q?si=Aby89oJdQPfPbovU
Now I know that I am sharing any videos on here I will talk my way around next time, but this was just going to be for our use. I know how much you all love my dulcet tones with my Mancunian accent. 😆
Happy viewing.
Sue xx
Thank you for sharing the video of your new home, Sue. I look forward to seeing all the renovations you will be doing.
ReplyDeleteHopefully I will be able to share a 'halfway through' video and then the final results. :-)
DeleteThank you! I love seeing renovations in progress.
ReplyDeleteSo do I ... when it's other peoples. I hate doing this, I thought my renovation days were behind me!!
DeleteThank you! Can't wait to see what you do with it. Maeve xx
ReplyDeleteNeither can I. ;-)
DeleteIt’s obviously in the past been a much loved home Sue.Thanks for the tour and looking forward to see you and Alan making it yours. Wishing you peace, happiness and joy in you forever home. June xx
ReplyDeleteI think it was originally but it has been empty for a long time.
DeleteThank you. It's always interesting to watch a good before and after. Is this going to be a change in your living arrangements, going back to sharing the same kitchen etc?
ReplyDeleteBefore and afters are fascinating aren't they, it's like spot the difference. :-)
DeleteThanks for inviting us into your new home. I understand exactly what you mean about future proofing as we have spent quite a bit of time and savings doing that over the last year. Good luck as you go forwards. Catriona
ReplyDeleteIt just makes good sense at our age doesn't it.
DeleteThanks from me too for sharing the photos, Sue. The kitchen has great potential hasn't it. I know you will make it really lovely :) and I look forward to any updates !
ReplyDeleteAngie
I hope it does, I am just designing it at the moment. Alan will have the last of the old units out by the end of next week and we will be able to sell them on.
DeleteThank you for showing us. I love seeing before and after photos and looking forward to seeing what you do with it.
ReplyDeleteSo am I ... haha. :-)
DeleteReally enjoyed seeing all this Sue.
ReplyDeleteWendy (Wales)
I'm glad you enjoyed it. :-)
DeleteThis is exciting - I always enjoy a good renovation!
ReplyDeleteI do too, when it's someone else's. :-)
DeleteThanks for sharing!! It looks like a lovely piece of property, and that back yard looks great for a garden!!
ReplyDeleteIt's got the outer walls of a good property for sure, and yes the garden could be good, but that won't begin until we have moved in and had a breather.
DeleteLovely to see the start of the renovations on your new home! Thank you so much for sharing. I enjoy your blog so much!
ReplyDeleteMarilyn
Thank you for that lovely comment. Hopefully I'll be sharing quite a bit over the next 12 months.
DeleteNice little bungalow. Thanks for the 'before' tour. I can see why it will make a nice little forever place.
ReplyDeleteIn many places in the US (like where I live) a one level home is very hard to find. They sell very quickly at premium prices as most of our housing inventory consists of large detached two, three and even four level homes with sizable yards. A few too many McMansions. An aging population (with decrepit knees) faces a difficult scenario with houses involving too many stairs. Your one level living happily eliminates the necessity of climbing stairs. Best of luck making the new place your own.
Bungalows have always been popular in the UK but they are seldom built these days as they take up so much ground space, so those that come onto the market do usually fetch premium prices. Of course I am already used to living on one level and really enjoy it, but Alan is looking forward to having no stairs at home. We will just have to keep our 'stair legs' by visiting Booths café regularly which is up a couple of flights of stairs. Oh the hardship!! :-)
DeleteI do admire you. My OH and I have been renovating houses for all our married life, nearly 40 years. The thought of taking on another one now fills me with dread. I don’t know where you get the energy!
ReplyDeleteAnna.
This one sort of fills me with dread, but this time Alan is here to supervise to day to day building work and do some of it too. Last time, in Wales he was away all week and I was left in charge of builders ... I hated it.
DeleteYou will make it lovely by the time you have finished, like all your previous places. A nice size garden too.
ReplyDeleteI do hope so, but we are at the very early stages, and it is hard to picture the final outcome for Alan and there are a few 'arguments' when we're not on the same wavelength. I'm in the middle of drawing on the plans to give him a visual at the moment.
DeleteIt really quite spacious and a good sized garden and ready for you to put your own stamp on it.
ReplyDeleteI think it will feel spacious, when we have knocked down all the unnecessary walls and just put in the couple that we need. At the moment it feels very bitty and with wasted space.
DeleteI'm very curious to see how much you change in the house.
ReplyDeleteIs it fairly close to where you are now?
My grandmother lived in Bolton-le-Sands, one sister in Lancaster and another in Hest Bank and for 18 months we lived in Forton so as a child and young adult I spent quite a bit of time in the general Lancaster area. Your blog makes reminds me of those days and a little homesick now that we live in the US.
I am really looking forward to seeing what you do, as I really enjoyed watching what you did where you live now.
Helen
Everything is to be changed, nothing will be in the same place and walls are coming down. It's just under a mile from where we are now, we looked at other areas but nothing compared to our new home town. We have everything we need here so we decided to stay put and wait for a suitable, affordable property to hit the market. Of the places you mention, we are closest to Forton.
DeleteI know you will put the perfect bungalow together as your forever home. Looking forward to seeing all the changes.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
I really hope that we do. :-)
DeletePlenty to keep you both busy there, getting it as you like it. The garden is a great blank canvas and I am sure you have plans for that already.
ReplyDeleteI have no plans for the garden at all, I did want some grass, but Alan says NO!! I think I will have to settle for peripheral raised beds, so I can have some shrubs etc and 'something' in the middle. I am no longer able to garden for any length of time so it has to be really low maintenance.
DeleteHow exciting. Plenty of scope for you to put your own stamp on things.
ReplyDeleteThat's the exciting thing isn't it, making it all ours. :-)
DeleteWell, there's a "job of work" ahead, but I can see that you're making great progress already. It will be lovely when it's done, and you'll be able to trust that it was all "dine right" and no disasters waiting to spring upon you. Happy Christmas to you both. And thank you for your blog, I do so enjoy it.
ReplyDeleteThere's a lot to do but Alan's already enjoying getting stuck in. Thank you for your kind words. Happy Christmas. 🎄
Delete