Renovation Diary: Chapter Seven

Planning permission, renovation Tetris, privacy, window coverings and other people’s schedules.

I’ve not done a diary entry for a few weeks, and while there has been progress, there’s just not a lot you can actually see yet.

Our planning went in to the council last week which means in around nine weeks time - mid August, we’ll know if we have the go ahead for everything we want to do. We should be fine, as we’re not doing anything contentious, and the pod room which I’d have thought would be the most contentious thing, actually comes under permitted development so that’s more of a box ticking exercise than anything else. Fingers crossed anyway. I’m going to share final plans with you very soon I promise!

We’ve also instructed a structural engineer for that side of things and we’re told that most of what we want to do is relatively straightforward from their first thoughts, so fingers firmly crossed on that one too. Our architect Sara has designed the ground floor changes around the existing structure to keep costs down, so it’s not too wild as far as steel requirements go.

The new windows, as well as the window and door for the garden room will be installed in two weeks and will be a huge game changer. Won’t you be happy when I stop talking about them and move on?!

I imagine the new windows in the actual house will mean I’m just going to be more impatient than I already am to get going on the main renovation. Ha! None of the house windows particularly excite me besides the big front kitchen window, which I am extremely excited about, and as I write this I’m looking at the existing window and view and thinking about window coverings and privacy. And I’m torn. Torn between privacy, prettiness and practicalities, and I need to have a good think about the options.