A man and his handiwork are never parted

Keith is one tired but happy chappy - his week in Woodbury building the garage/workshop has been enormously successful and the result is quite lovely. Helped by a couple of local builders, Keith has managed to get the big stuff done and can now complete the interiors in relative comfort. Apart from a couple of minor compliance things. the building inspector gave it a pre-wrap pass mark and so next step is to nail up the plywood cladding. This now means we can store stuff for the house under cover, and start moving the contents from his current workshop down in manageable stages. The building looks sweet (not a guy word, I admit) beside the big house, and in the big picture, you can see how they complement each other. He returned home early on Thursday evening, very tired but in excellent spirits - he couldn't lift his arms above his shoulders and still can't close his right hand properly (a couple of days of the hammer and staple gun) - and has also lost 5kg! He looks, however, in fine form and can't wait for the next visit. Neither can I.

A place for the cars, and a real blokes' shed

Today is the first of September, so it's officially spring, and there's plenty of action in Woodbury. We now have an established tree, a Himalayan chestnut, sitting happily in the nor/west corner of the section, thanks to Belinda, who decided we needed an established tree to give us shade and shelter in the summer months. Something to mow around, and a place to have lunch outdoors, were her words. We're very grateful and the tree looks as if it's always been there.

Also, Keith has made an excellent start on building the garage/workshop. With the help of a couple of local builder mates, he's well underway with the basic construction and has been much helped by the beautiful spring weather. Muddy gateway notwithstanding, the weather has been mild and kind and progress is excitingly fast. He wanted to get his hands dirty by doing something practical and grounding, and has managed this in spades by also leaving traces of blood on various bits of timber, shirt fronts, hats and passing dogs and children. So a success all round.

Upstairs, the rooms are painted (stunning, couldn't be happier) and doors throughout the house are also painted, a terrific shade best described as a muddy green - it's strong and very attractive. We also have a front door now, but no handle or key yet, so we're all still traipsing in through the back door.

This week should see the garage-workshop up if not quite running, and we're also expecting kitchen and bathroom joinery to start arriving for installation. Watch this space.

Stairway to heaven (but battens are a bother)

Sunday, 17 August and The Old Forgery is nearly there now. Inside we now have a staircase, which makes going to view the bedrooms and mid-house sunroom a whole lot easier, and what lovely wide stairs they are. As you get to the top, the snowy mountain view is perfectly framed in the mid-gable window to welcome you. The main bedroom has its wall of louvre-doored wardrobes, which looks fantastic (and is something I asked for a couple of years ago when this whole project started, so many thanks, Desmond, for remembering that) and now that the gib-stoppers and plasterers are in residence too, the whole upstairs is taking its final shape. The spare bedroom is a delight - sunny, welcoming, great views and like the main bedroom, seems to have a lot of character. Hard to explain, but all of you who will be coming to stay with us will no doubt see what I mean!

Downstairs, the study and living room are being finished, while the final adjustments to kitchen and laundry joinery have been made and installation work should start very soon now. We had another highly productive meeting with Desmond and made final decisions on colours and finishes in the kitchen, laundry and bathroom, and had a stab or two at the other rooms, but time yet for that. We also inspected and OK'd the bluestone from Timaru Bluestone Quarry people for front porch, hall entrance and hearth surround - the effect should be just right.

Outside, the house is looking as handsome as ever, and the hebel block has been finished and painted, so is now 'done'. And the board and batten, which helps give the house its character and suits the village location so well, is in the process of being protector oil and colour coated. Trouble is, different colours and batches were delivered to the painter, so we now have about three discernible different finishes on various parts of the house ... the more middling colour is the intended effect (the others are too light, or too dark - shades of Goldilocks) but we've decided that as long as it's all the same in the end - consistency please! - we don't much care if the final colour is a little darker than we envisaged.

Everyone is still reassuring us that the building part of the house will be completed by the end of September (or thereabout) so we're going along with that timeline and will start thinking about carpets and other flooring to be organised some time in October, before we can actually move in. Up here, at the Christchurch end of things, we're still waiting for our signed-up buyers to sell their townhouse before they can satisfy that final condition on our sale (still a bit of time, and spring is definitely in the air). But we're ready to get the movers in - another couple of months to go, fingers crossed. We're really excited now and have worked out where our furniture, pictures and books will go (and shuddered at how much stuff we really should chuck). Lots of lovely storage we may have, but it shouldn't be taken up with cartons of crap lugged from one hidey-hole to another ... surely? On that note, really will keep you posted.

July 12 check-in (wish we could stay)

On the weekend of July 12, we spent hours and hours going through the house (proud key-holders now) with and without friends and relations. Beautiful mid-winter weather always helps, but as it takes shape, the house does look and feel absolutely fantastic. Latest is the solid amount of board and batten that's gone (and going) up on the exterior - lovely details, a nod to the Arts and Crafts movement, and as a friend said, makes the house look a bit like an Uber Cottage. So friendly and intimate while maintaining its solid, handsome overall appearance. The bits that aren't board and batten are hebel panelling, which will be finished with plaster in a kind of rough and ready way (nothing too spray-perfect-finish) and painted (Double Parchment).

Inside the house we discovered parts of stairways lying on their side ready to be installed, and lots of doors all waiting to be fitted. And outside, we spent a long time pacing around the section with our landscape concept plan - where hedges, shrubs, trees and so on might go when we can get to it (spring for the big, 'backbone' stuff). We're making general decisions about types of plants, but lots may change, and we're highly unlikely to have a lawn down before next autumn (so get used to the paddock).

So, another great visit and two very happy and excited people (us). Further promising news is that we've sold our Chch house (provisionally at this point) and the builders tell us that end of September is their likely finish date. If the planets are aligned, everything should come together at about the right time. As usual, fingers are crossed, but we've got a good feeling about it all.

Mid-winter solstice, and all is very well

On the shortest day of the year (June 21) we went to Woodbury and saw the house in all its glory. Masses has been achieved over the past couple of weeks - we even had to use a key to get inside. Although the front door isn't actually there yet (covered by a piece of plywood at the moment), the rest of the house has its extremely attractive doors and windows and we had to unlock to get in. Keith refused to carry me over the threshold, but there's time yet (front door, I think).

The sun penetration in mid-winter is ideal - all in the right places at the right times, and to my delight, at 4.30pm, just before the sun slid behind Four Peaks, the sun's rays shone through the double doors in the living room right into the fireplace, and if that's not perfection, as the fire is in the centre of the house, and given the time of year, I don't know what is. Very Stonehenge, I thought.

It's wonderful being able to see the assortment of pipes, vents, cables, wires and other bits that are currently in the wall and ceiling recesses pre-gibbing. It's also fantastic to be able to see the ceiling and wall insulation - just amazing - and the house, on a clear but cold day, was pretty warm and snug, considering it's still under construction.

We met Desmond and made decisions about wood finish, exterior colours, door handles, showers, and nearly decided on the ceiling colours, too, but that will come later. Also, very handily, we had just received an initial landscape design concept from Rob Watson, and so were able to pore over outside spaces and suggestions for planting. So, a very good visit.

Next time, updates on the building of the garage/workshop and pictures of the exterior, and, with luck, some inside work and prelim kitchen/bathroom/laundry joinery. Living in hope.

Mid-June progress report

It's Sunday June 15 ... nearly mid-winter and the house is basking in an unseasonal nor-westery glow as a freak patch of warm weather hits between two more usual very cold fronts. The windows are nearly all installed now, and the board bits for the board and batten elements are taking shape around the exterior. Next decisions involve strength and final tint of stain for board and batten - light enough to see some rough wood grain through yet sturdy enough to protect and enhance. The board and batten effect, a nod to the arts and crafts era, is to add design interest and detract from a possible monolithic effect in the finished product. All in all the house is looking very handsome, so when we next get down there (the coming weekend) we should see lots new and many things to comment on (not to mention decisions to make) so progress can continue apace.

The pictures tell the story

Wednesday late May ... I've lost track of the dates but can report lots of essential activity on the house. Fiona took the latest batch of pictures as we've been unable to get down to Woodbury over the past couple of weeks. The walls are being filled in, and apparently there's lots of activity inside as well. Detail, detail. It's Queen's Birthday holiday weekend coming up (June 4) but we're needed in Christchurch as the house here is still on the market and it's more important for us to be here than gadding about down there. Much as we'd like to. All reports tell us that things are going according to plan, so next visit, and updated pix, should be far more interesting than this one. Anyway, it's clear that pictures tell people far more than words, so feast your eyes on the latest and await a visual delight next time.

Thank you, Hoppings and Canadian rellies, for such lovely feedback. Miss you all.