New house build - Luxembourg
Discussion
Thanks, Nick.
Yep, the cabling's a tad confusing. Fortunately the sparky labelled EVERYTHING - but he now needs to remove cement splatters from the cables to be able to read the labels!
Tiling the garage was an extra for us, but it helps to keep it so much cleaner, especially walking straight into the kitchen.
It's nice now though to visit the site and be able to see such progress over 1-2 days.
Yep, the cabling's a tad confusing. Fortunately the sparky labelled EVERYTHING - but he now needs to remove cement splatters from the cables to be able to read the labels!
Tiling the garage was an extra for us, but it helps to keep it so much cleaner, especially walking straight into the kitchen.
It's nice now though to visit the site and be able to see such progress over 1-2 days.
Muncher: I dunno. I'll have a look for you... I'm sure it'll look different if it's just been floated?
ETA: It must have just been floated by hand. The machine had a round base, so wouldn't reach into the corners. No biggie - t'is all being tiled anyway.
Wetwipe: Me too! We currently buy ~2,000 litres of oil p.a., and that price has only been increasing since we bought our prior place. The buildres reckon on €1-2 per m2 p.a. heating.... I'll bet it isn't, but it can't be more than the oil heating now.
RealSquirrels: Yes, I've been very surprised too. When I read the house specs I didn't really believe it, so to see all that foam stuck on the outside was a little odd. Our current place, only built in 2004, doesn't have that, the EPC rating there being "E"!
Where are you located, then? Do you work in Lux?
ETA: It must have just been floated by hand. The machine had a round base, so wouldn't reach into the corners. No biggie - t'is all being tiled anyway.
Wetwipe: Me too! We currently buy ~2,000 litres of oil p.a., and that price has only been increasing since we bought our prior place. The buildres reckon on €1-2 per m2 p.a. heating.... I'll bet it isn't, but it can't be more than the oil heating now.
RealSquirrels: Yes, I've been very surprised too. When I read the house specs I didn't really believe it, so to see all that foam stuck on the outside was a little odd. Our current place, only built in 2004, doesn't have that, the EPC rating there being "E"!
Where are you located, then? Do you work in Lux?
Edited by 5potTurbo on Thursday 16th May 13:03
Pop over for a beer, RealSquirrels!
Very pleased to be able to get into the house today, and even more pleased to see,
- exterior louvre blinds have been delivered,
- interior granite window sills have also been delivered,
- 2nd fix electrics are underway!
I did have a chuckle as the sparks have set up a small 2 ring stove and obviously cooked lunch today. None of these sarnies for these guys!
Very pleased to be able to get into the house today, and even more pleased to see,
- exterior louvre blinds have been delivered,
- interior granite window sills have also been delivered,
- 2nd fix electrics are underway!
I did have a chuckle as the sparks have set up a small 2 ring stove and obviously cooked lunch today. None of these sarnies for these guys!
I had a nose in one of the other houses today, and they've had their heating system installed. The air/heat exchanger from Weishaupt is bloody massive.... The unit's as tall as me at 5'10"!
It comes with some equally massive intake an exhaust ducting too. Think "industrial kitchen"!
Even the hot water storage, helped along by 2 solar panels, is some 400 liters or so
It comes with some equally massive intake an exhaust ducting too. Think "industrial kitchen"!
Even the hot water storage, helped along by 2 solar panels, is some 400 liters or so
Whilst I was being nosey, I had a sneaky peak at how the vents for the air/heat exchanger are built into the 600x400 wall section, that in our house is still to be constructed.
Here's a neighbour's 2nd floor shower room, for comparison, but then I realised I cut the photo short and the vent's higher up. Numpty!
THEIRS:
OURS:
Here's a neighbour's 2nd floor shower room, for comparison, but then I realised I cut the photo short and the vent's higher up. Numpty!
THEIRS:
OURS:
I dared to push the builders on a completion date yesterday. They won't commit sooner tan the contract - Jan 2014!
That's a bit s
t for us. We have to be out of our house before 15 August, and we must have our youngest enrolled in the local school for her last year of primary school for mid September term start. Hmmmmmm.....
It will work out, although I'm travelling for work some 35/50 business days from now. Arse.
That's a bit s
t for us. We have to be out of our house before 15 August, and we must have our youngest enrolled in the local school for her last year of primary school for mid September term start. Hmmmmmm.....It will work out, although I'm travelling for work some 35/50 business days from now. Arse.
Yes, 2014 was to factor in an awful winter (it wasn't too bad in the end) and in case the main contractor would go bust, giving the bank, who guaranteed the construction financing, time to find another builder to finish it off.
However, the tiling company called me today, I was in Copenhagen on business, and they're starting the tiling on Wednesday, and they want to meet me on site to make sure we're ok with all the plans before they start, and they can answer any questions I have - which makes a change.
Oh, and the outside's painted now.
However, the tiling company called me today, I was in Copenhagen on business, and they're starting the tiling on Wednesday, and they want to meet me on site to make sure we're ok with all the plans before they start, and they can answer any questions I have - which makes a change.
Oh, and the outside's painted now.
Wetwipe: You'd think so, wouldn't you, but I'm told the tiling will take at least 2 weeks; it's 3 floors, plus bathroom & 2 shower rooms (floor to ceiling), the office and laundry/heating room above the garage and the garage floor itself. I've suspended ceilings to be fitted in the kitchen, 1 bathroom and 1 shower room - but only when the ceilings are in can the kitchen fitters come in for the final measuring - and then they'll be able to fit the kitchen 2-3 weeks later.
If the garden's not done, that won't stop us moving in.
It's a bummer, but we'll work something out, somehow. (I'm bricking it now, tbh!)
DrG: Thanks!
If the garden's not done, that won't stop us moving in.
It's a bummer, but we'll work something out, somehow. (I'm bricking it now, tbh!)
DrG: Thanks!
RealSquirrels said:
dxg said:
It does look good. I just wish UK house builders were willing to move away from the twee.
it's all down to those pwotection orders Very good! 
dxg: I know what you mean. A mate of mine is a land director for a large house builder. In the UK it's all down to costs, £x/m2. Some people will pay it, many won't.
Our build, whilst not large by any stretch, is ~€3,000/m2 - NOT including the cost of the land.
Edited by 5potTurbo on Monday 27th May 10:02
Odd things occurred on site yesterday.
The sparkies, for reasons unknown, have decided to chase out newly plastered walls!
I've a meeting with the main contractor again tomorrow as I sent them and the sparkies an email last night with photos attached essentially saying "WTF is going on? This is going backwards, not forwards!"
The sparkies, for reasons unknown, have decided to chase out newly plastered walls!
I've a meeting with the main contractor again tomorrow as I sent them and the sparkies an email last night with photos attached essentially saying "WTF is going on? This is going backwards, not forwards!"
Here's what miffed me yesterday....
...and today's kwloitee filling...
Arses will be kicked tomorrow.
Meanwhile, tiling's started!
Laundry room/office area
Bathroom tiles selection
Dark grey 45x45 for all the floors, white for 3/4 walls and lemon (more lime!) for 1 wall.
The exterior decorators missed a bit. Not sure HOW as they had to remove their masking!
Neighbour's patio's being laid. Slabs are suspended on what appear to be packs of cement. Current patio is on supporting plastic spacers.
ETA: Tiling will take ~4 weeks.
Notary appointment for 25 Jun to complete the sale of our current house, and we must be out by 15 Aug. Not sure where we're going to live yet.... we'll be in a holiday home for a while, I think.
...and today's kwloitee filling...
Arses will be kicked tomorrow.
Meanwhile, tiling's started!
Laundry room/office area
Bathroom tiles selection
Dark grey 45x45 for all the floors, white for 3/4 walls and lemon (more lime!) for 1 wall.
The exterior decorators missed a bit. Not sure HOW as they had to remove their masking!
Neighbour's patio's being laid. Slabs are suspended on what appear to be packs of cement. Current patio is on supporting plastic spacers.
ETA: Tiling will take ~4 weeks.
Notary appointment for 25 Jun to complete the sale of our current house, and we must be out by 15 Aug. Not sure where we're going to live yet.... we'll be in a holiday home for a while, I think.
Edited by 5potTurbo on Wednesday 29th May 09:58
Fingers crossed we may have found a (short term) rental house only 2 mins walk from our build, which would mean no issues with my daughters changing schools in September. A British family's currently renting is and they want to move out of but don't want to stay the required 3 month's notice period. We're happy to take it on for that period to cover us, and the landlord won't lose out. Win, win!
Apparently the place is huge, but very 70s inside.... but it'll only be temporary.
PLEASE, PLEASE all cross your fingers, and toes, for us too!
Apparently the place is huge, but very 70s inside.... but it'll only be temporary.
PLEASE, PLEASE all cross your fingers, and toes, for us too!
Nick Grant, careful - Luxembourg's an easy place to get used to. Before you know it, you've lived here 15 years....
t'other Nick, thanks!
We'll know later about the rental that overlooks the site. The painter was on site when I went to see the main contractors on Tue. He was tidying up when I arrived. He noticed the unpainted part and quickly got the paint out.
t'other Nick, thanks!
We'll know later about the rental that overlooks the site. The painter was on site when I went to see the main contractors on Tue. He was tidying up when I arrived. He noticed the unpainted part and quickly got the paint out.
Fingers being crossed seems to have helped!!
We have a verbal agreement for a short term let of an older but huuuuuge house a short distance away from our build. We can have it from the beginning of August, which works out very well for us indeed.
We won't need to it anything in storage as the 'basement' of the rental has a number of rooms where we can store everything ourselves.
We have a verbal agreement for a short term let of an older but huuuuuge house a short distance away from our build. We can have it from the beginning of August, which works out very well for us indeed.
We won't need to it anything in storage as the 'basement' of the rental has a number of rooms where we can store everything ourselves.
Wetwipe: Thanks! Yes, it is.
dxg: Yep, there are drainage channels to the outside of the path and the patio, and also 2 drains inserted into the cement slab on which the builders lay these slabs. We have a similar set-up where we live now, but the gaps between the slabs are 'great' for growing moss in winter and sprouting Sycamores in Spring! Hopefully not being deprived of natural light in the new area this won't be a problem.
dxg: Yep, there are drainage channels to the outside of the path and the patio, and also 2 drains inserted into the cement slab on which the builders lay these slabs. We have a similar set-up where we live now, but the gaps between the slabs are 'great' for growing moss in winter and sprouting Sycamores in Spring! Hopefully not being deprived of natural light in the new area this won't be a problem.
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