Moving Mountains

I must admit I have never built a house before. Along time ago, the ex and I approached a project home builder and considered a design in an outer lying northern suburb. The bank wouldn't lend us the money. End of that.

Michael has built a house before, in the Perth Hills. The site was tricky, the house perched in the trees. He cheerfully admits he made some absolutely whopping mistakes but for a long time, he was faintly sad with the short stay in that home in Darlington. Now, thirty years later, with a different wife, he is building another house. With me.

This time, we have a design template, an approachable and friendly building team and some definite ideas. Large bedrooms. Open plan living. No wasted space. Storage. A private outside terrace facing north. Minimal garden. Ceiling fans and one reverse cycle air conditioner for the living room. Two later in our bedroom and the guest bedroom. Ceiling fans. Carports eventually.

I did not have the faintest idea about the building process. I have been left open-mouthed by the sheer volume of work required before we started digging a hole. Sometimes I feel the build itself will be somewhat easier than the preliminary piles of paperwork that we have ploughed through with the help of John, Jacqueline and Lindsey.

The excitement of actually working on the site has begun. Dan the man, with his legion of big boys' toys came in to excavate the block. There was the odd treasure - like an early intact bottle - but most of the waste soil was mixed with old plumbing, old bricks, bits of wood and other rubbish. Four truckloads of dirt went to the tip. Dan's truck is not small.

By yesterday afternoon we had a cleared and completely level site. The sand is due this coming week and the slab will go down as soon as the initial plumbing is all in place. I am really looking forward to seeing the slab being poured. This will indicate real progress and will reduce the amount of dirt, or when it rains, mud coming into our unit on our feet or the dogs' paws.

This afternoon is passing lazily. We are about to start a Sundowner in the Gallery. A bit of a change from the more recent activity outside. The Beagle has absconded yet again when our backs were turned. She'll be back for dinner.

Stay tuned.