Let the Renovations Begin!

Yes, folks, you read that right. We're one day short of being exactly half way thru February and we *finally* got the go-ahead to start the renovations.

On Monday we were hoping to get an addendum signed by the owner giving us the go-ahead to start before the Rates Clearance Certificate came back ... but no one could get hold of the owner, he was out of the country and not answering his phone (well, he answered the first time, the signal was so bad, they got disconnected and they never got hold of him again). Neither was his wife who they started trying to contact on Tuesday.

Every day this week The Trucker or I (or both) of us has spoken to someone on the legal team, to follow up on either the Rates Certificate or the Addendum (or both). Whichever comes first, we didn't care. We just needed to get moving.

It was a stressful week, I won't lie. Yesterday I had a little break-down because I no longer had any faith we'd even be able to start this week. I was mentally crossing things off the list, you know "well, we don't have to do the guest loo immediately" and "maybe the spare room and study can wait till afterwards".

But we got the email late yesterday afternoon (I was home from work, so it was probably after 4pm) along with a phone call from the lawyers. We got hold of the estate agent immediately.

Although we don't have the "proper" keys (since the owner is out of the country still), we have the go ahead to start renovating and we have keys to one of the doors and this morning The Trucker will be taking some guys there and starting to rip everything out!

First the kitchen and bedroom cupboards, then all the tiles and wooden flooring (in the main bedroom) and then knocking out some little bits of wall ... I can't wait to pop past on my way home. Seriously, it is like a massive weight has been lifted. Although my sleeping hasn't gone back to normal (haven't had a solid night yet this week).

This weekend we'll buy the paint. The new cupboards are ready to be collected. Now, this is really real. We have 17 sleeps till we've gotta be out of the rental. Hopefully we'll be home before then :)

Other than that, the rest of the week has been quiet. I went to SCM on Tuesday. I am really enjoying it again, which comes as a really pleasant surprise :) I feel like I'm rediscovering old friends, even tho I didn't have a very long break, I did skip quite regularly in the last few months.

Half of The Trucker's birthday present has arrived and is hidden in my drawer at work. Gotta find the other half still ... it is currently out of stock. Boo. And I booked our anniversary weekend away in May.

Yes, I am feeling freaking awesome this morning!