The next project...

Yesterday, after a lot of searching and negotiation, we finally managed to secure the plot of land for our next building project. This plot is also in Thip Thani, about 100m from our other building project.  However, this plot of land is slightly larger and bordered on two sides by the stream that flows around Thip Thani.

I now have to get to work designing a home to fit with this land, which I shall be starting shortly.  I intend to have the design completed by the end of April so that the footings can be dug ready for the workers to get straight to work once they have finished the current build in mid May.

Thip Thani - Plot 2

As you can see, the plot is a bit of a Jungle at the moment, but tomorrow the land will be cleared and levelled.  That should give a much better idea of what we have to work with and make it easier to visualise a property on the land.  As I mentioned, the land is bordered on two sides by a stream, however during the rainy season this can become more like a raging torrent!  In order to secure the land from erosion we will shore up the land over the next few days if it is required.  This is a job that certainly can not wait as the rainy season should be starting any day now - it will definitely be easier to shore up the land while the stream is just a trickle.

Roofing almost complete

After another couple of days of hard work, the initial roofing has been completed.  However, there is still some secondary roofing work to be carried out to form the "wing" that overhangs by 1m around the perimeter of the roof.  This wing is primarily an architectural feature for aesthetic appeal, but it will also provide some additional shade to the exterior walls and windows.  The 'wing' will be fitted after the walls have been rendered.

Initial roofing complete

Staircase complete, roof construction started

The concrete staircase was poured yesterday.... it is nice to finally have an easy route up to the second floor, rather than the ladder that we had relied on before! We also took delivery of the cement for the exterior rendering which will be applied over the next few days.

Completed Staircase

Today, work has begun on the roof. By the end of today, all of the steel framework should be complete and then tomorrow, the roofing material will be fitted. I think the workers will be relieved to finally have some shade to work under. The temperature over the past few days has been over 40 degrees.

A rather late progress update!!

I've just realised that it is a week since my last blog post. This is not because there has been no progress, rather that it has been such a busy week and I have not seemed to have time to upload videos and pictures and write a post.

So, what has been happening. We have spent a lot of time trying to secure land for our next project, which has not been an entirely straight forward process.... more on that project in due course.

Much of the brickwork for the ground floor has been completed, including the casting of concrete frame for the large doors that lead from the living room and from the dining room out into the garden. The beams and slab for the large porch area has been poured.

The first brick is laid

I have had a very specific idea of the look and finish that I want to achieve with this home. Sometimes it has been hard to source appropriate materials, fixtures and fittings. After spending quite some time trying to source internal doors that fit my requirements, I have decided to make them myself and have been making preparations with the construction of tooling jigs etc... Sometimes it is the small details that make all the difference to a home and I am happy to have finally found the right door handles for the property!

We are now a little closer to having a complete set of kitchen appliances, having ordered a large refrigerator, to add to the oven, hob and extractor that has already been delivered. I have also more or less decided upon fixtures and fittings for the bathrooms, though these have not been ordered yet.

At the moment, there are three main tasks underway. Onsite, brickwork for the second floor is progressing at a fast pace. Also, the shuttering is being prepared for the casting of the main staircase, which should be ready to be poured by tomorrow. Meanwhile, off site, the steel structure of the roof is being prepared and will be brought to site for assembly over the next week.