Before and after pics, house and garden 1

The good thing about starting a blog years after you've moved to a new home is that your readers don't have to wait to see your after photos! I have thousands of photos dating back to when we came to view this property in July 2004, so I'm going to share a few of the most obvious changes made since then. Don't expect anything much from the interior - we didn't do the renovations ourselves so have only done minor things inside.

Firstly, kerb appeal - we loved the house inside and out straight away not to mention the garden and lake (hence us buying it!) but I think it looks a lot better now from the road as can be seen from the following two photos:

It was a gloomy day hence dark photo

Taken last spring from our orchard across the lane

Now our neighbours keep remarking how lovely it is to be able to see into the front garden through the replacement gates; the conifer tree is gone as it was planted right next to the septic tank and was progressively leaning more and more every time it was windy - cheaper to get rid of what was a pretty tatty tree than have to replace the septic tank should it have fallen over! Also the previous owners 'Private Property, Keep Out' sign has thankfully been lost in the Leylandii hedge (which incidentally was about 20 foot high and had barely ever been trimmed and never had the tops cut off), so we have managed to turn that into a normal hedge.

At the front of the house was an overgrown 'flower bed' with some tatty spindly roses, no edging and grass growing through it. We couldn't even get to the front door without having to cross grass as the path had long since disappeared.

My OH making a start

 
Next photo is after we had edged the new herb and flower bed with some lovely oak beams we'd found lying around here and I used the many granite rocks we are continually digging out from our gritty, stony, rocky soil to edge around the bank bed.
 

Getting there with removing the turf to make
a parking space and access to the front door

Gravel all down and looking neater

We then had the front and back of the house repointed. We'd already had the same company in to do the very inaccessible gable ends which had required scaffolding put up on the roofs - not something we could ever have done ourselves. So as this company was quick, efficient and did a really great job we got them in to do the rest of the house. Needless to say it did cost a fortune but I think it was money well spent as my house looks fab now.

It did look funny for a few days sporting its new dayglo orange look!

Finally the after of the house - couldn't believe how much lighter the house looked!

To be continued......