On the 21st of February last year, we signed on with a builder to do our extension. We agreed that rather than waiting for us to move out (in September) before getting started we would kick things off in May. In our builder's estimation this would mean that rather than us having to be out until March 2024 we'd be able to be back in the house by Christmas.
So they started knocking stuff down and digging out half of the back garden at the end of May, and it was disruptive, but also kinda cool.
And then we moved out in the middle of September, and they then chopped off the back of the house and attached the new bit, and that was very cool, even if the school commute changed from being 45 minutes to being over two hours. And the builder kept reassuring me that everything was on track to get us in by Christmas.
On the 8th of December we went over to see where we were and find out what we could do to make sure we got in by Christmas. And it was really clear that we weren't going to hit that date. If nothing else, we discovered that the front and back doors we had ordered had had issues - the panels they were made from had arrived damaged at the door company, and so we were going to have to wait for new panels to come in, which wasn't going to be by Christmas. So we gritted our teeth and held on - we were told that we'd definitely be back in by the first weekend of February (the 3rd).
And then, on the 27th of January, the builder told us that the door panels had now arrived, but the ironmongery (hinges, knocker, letterbox, etc) was on a boat that was delayed in transit (I'm not sure if it was delayed by rockets in the Red Sea or drought in Panama, it didn't seem very important to find out), but they'd promised our door would be arriving by the 9th, and we'd be in ASAP once that happened. Oh, and we ordered the last of the flooring (used for the bathroom and utility room). But it would all be ready for us to move in by the 13th of February.
And then today (the 8th of February) the builder told us that our ironmongery still hadn't arrived with the door manufacturers *and* when we'd ordered the flooring we'd gone for some stuff that was on special offer. Which had then entirely sold out. And so rather than it having arrived some time this week they'd just silently not updated us until some more came in. And it was now sitting on a pallet waiting for a delivery driver to pick it up and drive it to Scotland. At some point.
At which point I told the builder that we had three weeks until we were homeless, and we would *really* appreciate it if we could just get some different hinges, or a temporary door. And could they chase the flooring people to find out *exactly* when the flooring would be sorted.
Two hours later I got an update telling me that the flooring will arrive on the 13th (and it will then need to be laid, and then the toilets go in on top of it, and some sealing and tiling needs to be done around it all, but none of that should take long). And the door manufacturers are going to try and source some hinges and get back to us tomorrow with a date of delivery.
And so, with any luck, we will finally, finally, finally get to move back in to our home by the 20th of February.
Did I mention that I could do with a long lie down?
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