Steel frame for the bifold doors in the games room. This will give us the view out the rear of the house towards the Brecon Beacons.
Mounting sections for the steel frames
Steel frame in the games room opening out onto the rear garden and (budget allowing) swimming pool/swim spa. May end up being an inflatable splash pool from Argos though!
Timber frame of the G/F lounge to the Master Suite, stick built on site in a matter of a few hours. Incredible to watch.
Timber frame of the G/F open plan kitchen being stick built. Bifold doors framing the view out to the Brecon Beacons and unbelievable sunsets that we get here.
Foundations dug out for the garage and main entrance to the house. These were left last to keep access open to the rear for all the machinery. The precision by Forest Foundations is insane.
Rhys Harris Carpentry working well into the night to get as much stick building done today as possible.
Nice view out the F/F window this afternoon to see the steel frames going up in the games room.
Our cat, Rainbow, inspecting the slab work on behalf of building control.
The slab has now gone in on the G/F open plan kitchen and dining room. This is going to be the heart of the house and the room I'm most excited about completing.
Slab work completed on the games room.
Steel mesh installed ready for the concrete slab. This will stop any cracks and strengthen the slab.
And there we have it...the full demolition of the annexe is complete. Completely unplanned and not budgeted for, but ultimately will make for a higher standard of build.
Blockwork (sorry, deadwork) all done and ready for the timber frame using 6 inch blocks.
Blockwork all complete around the base of the games room. This room should be massive but it feels much smaller at this stage. Starting to wonder if we should have gone bigger.
And so the annexe is down and the rubble cleared away. Not as painful as I thought but it helps when you've got great people on site to do the work.
We're still very much at the 'progress is backwards' phase, and the house is getting smaller by the day. That is until it gets enormous!
I'm really not going to miss the house looking like this!
Concrete pour in the foundations are done!
Foundations are dug up, inspected and ready for concrete. Weirdly for this time of year the weather has been amazing.
Although we didn't anticipate having to knock down this section I'm grateful for the opportunity to rebuild it a million times better. Forest Foundations have also been relentless in getting work done on site.
My little cold plunge refuge away from all the chaos. How long will it stay this clean for though?
The old footings have been dug out to make way for something much MUCH better.
Markings have been done for the foundations. It's actually starting to get very exciting now although the room sizes always look small at this stage.
The demolition of the annexe is almost complete. Boy did we not anticipate this happening, but hopefully it'll make the overall standard of the house a million times better.
One of many loads of rubble. This was, logistically, the worst and most anxious part of the development.
Existing foundations are good enough to meet modern day standards. So now the Structural Engineer is happy, we're happy too. Massive relief.
Foundations come out 150mm from the deadwork (new word I've learned) which is perfect. So we don't have to dig these out. Some positive news at last.
Had to remove the old oil tank so this temporary solution is an absolute life saver. Will Jenkins, our oil engineer, is an absolute genius.
Progress is backwards right now, even moreso because the state of this existing building is laid bare for us to see. And the news isn't good...it has to come down.
Ok, I'm starting to get nervous now! The chaos is well and truly under way. Rhys Harris Carpentry are working relentlessly hard though.
This was our annexe entrance, kitchen to the left and bathroom, office to the right. As the demolition progresses the building doesn't look great in parts.
Do these guys even take a break?!
Games room coming down and already a few concerning issues have been exposed both with the structure and foundations. I don't see how we keep it in all honesty.
Roof is coming off the annexe, which will eventually be a two storey flat roof building as opposed to a mono pitch single storey monstrosity. Those dark ominous clouds are making me very superstitious.
Working with my good friend and long term subcontractor Gareth Greening of Energy Renewable Solutions. The whole team has there has been incredible in helping to achieve the outcomes we want in terms of renewables.
Big hammer/big nail! The floor is much thicker, and way more solid than we imagined.
I'm thinking overkill but let's see! Forest Foundations aren't messing about.
The demolition of the annexe is well and truly underway. On a good note those mono pitch trusses are in great shape and the timber can be recycled in the build.
Games room demolition work is underway. Thankfully nothing scary hiding in the loft despite me thinking it was haunted.
And so it begins. After waiting for two years, thanks to the rise in interest rates and a collapse in the UK property market, Hellas's transformation into Beacon View House is finally underway. Scared is an understatement. Even though I've done this sort of thing more times than I can remember, everything is on the line here.
My last cold plunge before the chaos commences. I'll never get tired of this view but it's bittersweet knowing I won't be able to decompress like this for a while.
Master-Suite with the views. Can't wait to open those bifold doors on a summer morning or enjoying a glass of wine watching a sunset. The views are as impressive when there's a storm or fog too.
Getting the layout right has been painstaking. The two rooms that have the biggest role to play are afforded the best views. This is where we envisage spending most of our time, whilst creating some cozy spaces to migrate into when the mood takes us.
This is the elevation with all the views. Lots of big windows and bifold doors. We want the sunsets to bleed into the house at every opportunity we get.
Elevations of the front of what will now be called 'Beacon View House'. Trying to blend it seamlessly with the new contemporary houses on an adjacent site in the village of St. Nicholas.
I won't miss this house. It looks like an abandoned psychiatric hospital from a horror movie. It's cold, damp and truly miserable in parts but the potential is insane.
This really gives you a good idea of the size of the plot (circa 1 acre) and the incredible views out the rear. I'd argue one of the best views in South Wales, and feel very lucky about the opportunity we have to redevelop this site.
This is us toasting the future, and all the chaos that's going to bring as we redevelop the site.
It's not only the sunsets which look incredible from the house. Currently experiencing a scene from Narnia.
Night time view out the back of Hellas.
One of the many benefits of having a killer south-westerly view AND being a stone's throw away from M&S!
Another stunning sunset out the back of Hellas, as the sun dips behind the rolling hills of St. Nicholas.
Before: front elevation, which is actually the rear.
Before: view of the space around Hellas and the land we purchased next door.
Before: this is (currently) a badly converted garage.
Before: a lean-to from the utility room into the garage.
Before: the utility room.
Before: the dining room with views out onto the front garden and entrance into Hellas.
Before: the lounge with, quite possibly, the worst carpet in history.
Before: another pic of the dining room.
Before: the kitchen that doesn't have any kitchen units in it. Makes for an exciting time cooking meals before the redevelopment starts.
Before: stairs and wallpaper from my nightmares.