To say that we have something of a sound clash on site in Swansea is putting it mildly – both sides are fortunately very tolerant of each other’s tastes. It does make for an amusing listen as you move from the upstairs (where I am painting), to the downstairs (where the team are plastering) though.


Progress is relatively good at the house though this project is not without it’s hold ups and frustrations. My builder is balancing two jobs at the moment and has been poorly which has led to the schedule slipping slightly. I also turned up yesterday to find that both sets of French doors open inwards? Generally though, work is moving along and I’ve been painting ceilings for a few days now. Hopefully by the next blog update I’ll have both bathrooms tiled and fitted and the kitchen going in.


One other thing that has caught me by surprise is how difficult developing with an environmental conscious is turning out to be. Whilst I only wanted to incorporate some key features and build my experience with ‘green’ products from there, even this is turning out to be tricky. I wanted to use environmentally friendly paints until I started researching prices. Even white emulsion works out at around £5 more per litre – that’s a huge difference when you consider the amounts needed to complete the whole house. Instead I’ve opted for loads of loft insulation and some reflective panels that fit behind the radiators and reflect heat back into the room. It goes without saying that I’m also incorporating double-glazing, cavity wall insulation and low-voltage lighting through out. If anyone had any ideas for other environmentally friendly additions that don’t break the bank please let me know.


The other big news from me is the addition of baby Millie to our family, we picked her up last week. She’s a 10-week-old English springer spaniel – I’ve attached a photo below. No nasty comments about my roots showing please! In another money saving bid Jamie is regularly cutting my hair for me, I just need to get him on a hair colouring course next


A big thanks to everyone for your positive feedback on the new-look website and it also seems that the prayers for good weather have helped no end so thanks to everyone who took part in that too. Perhaps we can all pray for an upturn in the property market this month?


If anyone needs me I’ll be at Plumb Centre…..

# posted by Gareth Jones @ 11:00