Starting to move in, sort of.

Our new neighbours must have wondered who was moving in next door when they saw an unusual mix of items being lugged in – air hockey table, lawn mower, boxes, chest of drawers, …

Taking ownership of the property provided the ideal opportunity to transfer some items from our overcrowded garage to the empty house.  After merrily offloading whatever didn’t have a chance of being moved out of our current house, we were still left with some bits and pieces that had to be hidden away from the prying eyes of potential buyers.  Stacking them in the garage just made that space look crowded.

Friends and family rallied around to give us a hand to move these boxes and items of furniture out of the way.  And so it was, many hands made light work.  A small convoy of vehicles filled to the brim made their way to the house and were quickly emptied.  The alcove next to the kitchen provided an ideal spot to store these items until we officially move in and decide where they should go.

 

 

We finished the afternoon by encouraging a sense of community during a tour of the back garden.  Quite a few grapefruit were removed from the tree and will, I’m sure, be put to good use.

 

Looking ahead

Each time we visit the house, we get a better idea of what modifications will be necessary for us to live there for the 12 to 18 months required before the first new home is finished.  We’re not going to do more than is necessary to make it reasonably comfortable over the short term.  Some rooms are quite likely to be simply storage areas and not touched.  Others, such as the kitchen and bathroom, will need more work.

Our visitors on this day were wondering what we were going to do about the bulge in the wall above the gas heater.  It appears the chimney is getting tired so the brickwork could be leaning inwards.  That’s one for David to inspect and give us an expert opinion.  I wonder if we could live with a flying buttress in the room?

• community