We been in our new house over 12 months now, and it really feels like home.
It took us a while to get used to the heating and ventilation controls, but now it’s nice and cosy
and so much quieter than our old house. Rather than dreading gas and electricity bills, we look
forward to receiving cheques in the post from the power company for the electricity our PV panels
are producing.
The builder has been back to “make good defects” as per the contract, so minor shrinkage
cracks, sticking doors and a few plumbing gremlins have all been sorted out so we have released
the outstanding retention money.
With the place to ourselves, we can concentrate on enjoying the space and finish unpacking boxes.
We threw a belated house warming party to say thanks for all the friends
who helped us move in, and the long suffering neighbours who put up
with all the noise and mess for so long. Many people who have followed
the build wanted “tours”, so we’ve lost count of the number of visitors we
have shown around.
The young son of a neighbour who had apparently been impressed with all the diggers, cranes and
delivery lorries, presented us with a professionally mounted photo album which was a lovely gift.
There is still a bit of work to do in the garden so no danger of us getting
bored just yet, but it’s nice to just do the odd job when we feel like it for a
change. Shelves are going up as we empty the last few boxes, and built in
wardrobes are helping to tidy up the bedrooms.
The most common comment we get from visitors, is how light and bright
the house is. Lots of natural daylight was a key design element for us and
we spend a lot of time in the rear of the house looking out at the garden.
The open plan kitchen, dining and garden room works really well for
entertaining friends and family, so we are always looking forward to
the next excuse for a house full.
We’ve estimated that already the house has saved us £3000 in bills,
and we certainley don’t miss the constant maintenance the old house needed.
Only problem is that the house is so well insulated we have only lit the stove a couple of times,
so at this rate our log supply will last us about 150 years !