So, hell ya! We finally got our house signed-off. The council managed to stick us with another bill on top of it but whatever, it’s done and we don’t have to deal with them anymore. Now we can rip out the balustrades, pull out the insulation, and throw out the fire alarm!

Just kidding Mr Councilman. :)

No sense of humor those guys.

We didn’t actually celebrate much beyond a couple of “WOO HOOs” cause I think we’re kinda tired but yes we’re very, very happy too. There’s still work to do on the house but it’s the little things like painting the window frames for the fifteenth time and all the little woody bits that go around the floor and ceiling but mostly there. At least now we can actually relax a bit more when we’re there. Yippee!

So I think it’s fair to say we are pathetic at blogging but I guess when you’re working on two houses you kinda find it hard to sit down and write about it. Excuses aside, we’re happy to say we’re nearly ready for the sign-off from the council. We have one minor thing to finish which is just finishing up the underfloor insulation and then we’re done.

Done, of course, has nothing to do with all the bits and pieces we still need to get to…like the skirtings and the wood that goes around the windows and doors (Seb knows what it’s called but he’s in the middle of sanding the floor in our Auckland house so I can’t ask him). What else needs to be done? Oh yes, the little baguette that goes where the ceiling and wall meet. We also need to put a treatment on the floor. I need to fix the paint on the outside of the house around the doors and windows because it’s a hideous shade of green. A green which I might add looked beautiful inside the house. But looks like radioactive vomit on the outside. Nice, no? Ah yes, and then there’s the garden.

I’m thankful for the times our friends come up to Mahakirau with us because it means we’ll actually get to relax…so here’s an open invitation to our friends!

Happy new year!!!

Despite the incredible lack of posting on the site we have been doing loads of work. Also because we’re completely insane and obviously don’t have enough to do in Mahakirau we bought a house in the city that needs renovating so we’ve been successfully keeping ourselves out of trouble. For the most part.

Since my last post in August (how embarrassing) we have completed all of the major work. The water is running and I can confirm that the bathtub fits two people comfortably. :-) We have electricity now although I keep forgetting this and keep working until it’s dark before I remember that I can turn the lights on. Old habits die hard. The kitchen sink, bench-top and cabinets are finished. The bedrooms are pretty much done and Seb even attempted to grow grass.We’ve had a short list of friends who have visited now and we already have a short list of friends who are visiting us next year.

So what’s left? Well there is still painting to do on the windows outside. The floor needs to be sealed although we’re debating leaving it as is because we like the look. We need to plant some things and insulate under the house. After that (I’m sure I’m missing something on that list as it looks way too short) we’ll start doing tracks in the bush so that we can easily get down to the creek.

We’ll be in Mahakirau to start off the new year (and to celebrate our anniversary) and we’re looking forward to entertaining more friends and family there this year!

Happy New Year from Seb and Karen!!!