Kaitoke Grand Design: Week 30: at last the end looks like a possibility

For all the frustrations of building a house, I think ours are small fry compared to some of the horror stories I've been hearing lately. House framing blown away in the wind, builder gone into receivership and build ground to a halt, windows too small and leaking...... the list could go on.

At week 30 it finally looks like the end is in sight. The drive has been cleaned up and our roundabout install in readiness for it's municipal planting. The painters have motored on - thanks Denver and his team, and the tiler has been hard at work.

With handover day planned for 1 November - the MB team are on the final push to completion. There's still loads to do but it looks and feels achievable now in a way that it might not previously have been.

Big week next week - electricians and plumbers back to start the final install. Also, hopefully the barn build will start too. I'm afraid the kitchen is delayed a bit but Paul is doing all he can to magic it to site as soon as he can. One of the risks of importing is that it can get snarled up in transit and as luck would not have it, we've been tangled up in strikes at Auckland port.

People ask if we're excited about the move. Not yet, but we will be when the removal van pulls in. Fingers crossed the drive doesn't get washed away in the rain which seems to be relentless in the at the moment.