This blog is a record for me of our efforts in renovating a derelict property. I always intended to take photos of our previous efforts but always forgot .I never get to do the clever stuff - just fetch and carry, just a gofer nearly at her three score years and ten.

When we decided to downsize and put our house on the market, as we were both getting on in years, we hadn't forseen the problem of my craft stuff, including 4 sewing machines. It has increased over the years and added to that my small online craft supplies shop it was soon obvious that something drastic had to be done.

So friends looked around for a suitable storage unit where we could hold our monthly craft meetings and Anita came up with a lovely little bungalow surrounded by woods. It had been empty for over 8 years and was in a terrible state. My husband, Richard, could always build me a craft room, he had done it before, hadn't he.

So off we went to the auction and bought the bungalow.

And on Friday 26 August we became the new owners of a bungalow that we renamed ''Roughwood', the name of Richards childhood home.

Then our problems began.

Firstly we discovered that sewer from the nursery next door ran across our ground and had become blocked by the material that they were flushing down the loo. Richard tried to rod it but no joy as we had discovered that we had no water. Southern water came and jetted the pipe. 3 times in a week. They also replaced a damaged drain cover. Excellent service and they were always on site within an hour and the staff were polite and helpful.

Then  we dicovered that the water had been cut off and after much arguing and being dismissed by South East Water I managed to contact someone who came and inspected the problem and next day we had a letter to say that it would cost £2500 to put a new water connection to the property boundary. A pity that they weren't as helpful as Southern Water, and their motto is 'Investors in people' What a joke.

Next to tackle the Electriciy. It only took and hour and a half on the phone to get the electricity connected.

Then we attended a planning surgery as we wanted to extend at the back and wanted to be sure that Wealden Council would accept the idea in principle. The first thing the Planning Officer said was that the property had been used as NHS offices and therefore we had to apply to have the use changed to residential. So we filled in the forms and sent off our £85.00

Day One

Richard dug the trench and laid the new water pipe ready for South East water to come and inspect it, before they would even contemplate putting water onto the boundary of the property. A neighbour came and introduced himself and his wife. He was on the Parish Council, Planning dept, and he was adamant that the property had already been changed to residential. So on Tuesday morning I have to try and sort this out.

Day 2 - August Bank Holiday Sunday

This was spent taking the window boarding off and replacing the sash windows where the glass had been smashed. We also replaced the security light by the door. Mistake. We had got a PIR one so it wasn't dawn to dusk as we had been led to believe. Still it was on the wall and there it was staying.