So far

Unwanted costs: 45euros broken camera battery
Welcome profit: 65euros scrap metal left in house cha-ching!


Koen borrowed some chimney brushes from a friend (thanks Kris!) because how hard can it be to sweep a chimney right? Well I guess it's not but this chimney had not been swept since 1958! So yours truly got to put her skinny arms to use and had the job of scooping the soot into the bucket, 15 buckets, one house brick and one dead bird. We still couldn't get the brushes to the very top so had to call in the pro's. Their brushes had a spring on the top for going around the top of the chimney where it leans slightly. Cost: 56euros including insurance certificate. Cost of being toasty warm: priceless! The original stove from this chimney went off with the scrap metal. This is the wood/coal stove left in the utility building. This is exactly the stove that we went to buy, saving 1500euros!! The waterboard has also been to install a new meter and connect the supply: 45euros so stove+water=coffee!!!






Where the stove began...





We demolished the kitchen, cupboards went to recycling centre, cooker and extractor fan went with the scrap metal. Smelly drain scale, probably a 8.5 yeuch.









The remaining bathroom elements in the utility room have also been removed.







I have spent 3 afternoons this week removing the 'deli' tiles in the dining room and demolishing the chunky built out section of the fireplace, my poor bleeding knuckles! Saturdays job will be tracing and removing un-necessary plumbing in the utility room. The eletric company FINALLY rang to make the appointment for the meter to be re-opened. So from 3 January we can put on the lights, use power tools and work late!!

Also spent 1 1/2 hours today filling in paperwork and drawing plans just for the planning permission to make one window smaller! Anybody else probably wouldn't bother but when your only neighbour sits on the council board, maybe it's better safe than sorry.

One thing I forgot to mention was the free cat that came with the house. I leave him/her dry and wet food every day but does he/she dain to show up, nope. I guess he prefers to eat and run, that or i'm probably feeding about 3 families of mice :)