First Step

Not sure quite how to start this; I'm new to blogging and am only doing this to update all our interested family & friends on the progress of our restoration project in France...

For those of you who don't know the story (& assuming, if you're still reading this, that you want to know), we bought a beautiful old fermette in the south of the Champagne region in eastern France. It was love at first sight (or as I'm learning to say: "un coup de cœur"!) and we have not looked back. The house had been empty for nearly 20 years when we bought it, and was not habitable to our way of thinking... There was an earth closet in the garden (I know, very up-to-date and green - except that it was completely derelict), and no indoor plumbing (although we had the original sink in the entrance hall - it looks like a shelf for the builder's radio in the picture!), although water was connected to the house. We were lucky enough to have mains drainage to the edge of the road by the house (for anyone who owns, or dreams of owning, a house in France that will mean a lot to them!) and electricity as well.

It's starting to get boring now, so I'll get to the point:

Latest progress - we have started to create a garden, have partition walls in the old logstore (and concrete floors; better than the earth floor that was there) & beautiful new windows on the ground floor. We do have an indoor toilet now (have had it for nearly a year), but it is still a bit open plan... We are really looking forward to when the partition walls are finished and the loo can move to its permanent position - that should be done before we next visit, but we are running on French builder's time here, so who knows?

All the ceilings (in phase I) have plasterboard (and insulation) and several of the walls have been insulated too; it is noticeable how quickly the house heats up now. The focus on insulation and double glazing is owing to the Continental climate (we are far enough east in Europe to have Continental climate - hot summers; cold winters). I bought a minimum-maximum thermometer last year and left it at the house over the winter: the minimum temperature recorded was -8ºC (indoors!). I know those people who live in places like Northern Canada, Russia etc will think that's quite balmy, but for the nesh Southeners (yes, I have turned into one!) of England that is just too cold for happiness!

Having not known how to start, I don't don't know how to sign-off (I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I get better with practise!), so... 'Bye!