Ornella, had to laugh out loud at both master O getting bored and you looking crosseyed with all the effort of planning and choosing! We are still doing this, after moving in, and I never want to do this again. You have my sympathies! And congratulations too because it is all starting to shape up at last, isn't it? I remember the nights we stayed up on moving in, just moving things around and second guessing ourselves as to whether we were right to arrange it so... And then happily deciding we WERE and going to bed exhausted at dawn or just giving up and putting on the kettle to boil for a cuppa to start the new day...

[Update: 27th May 2014] Exactly two years ago we have officially moved to Germany.

Week 11 [19th May - 25th May]

• the tiles are all in
• the flooring in the living room is in
• the garage back room has been finished
• started packing for the move
• showed the red robin to my son on the way to school and told him our street is named after the bird

The photos:

1. st Photo :: The kitchen as seen from the living room
2. nd Photo :: The flooring is being installed
3. rd Photo :: One workman's breakfast
4. th Photo :: Guest bedroom
5. th Photo :: DS testing the driveway
6. th Photo :: Let the packing begin

Next:

Week 10 [26th May - 01st June]

Week 9 [02nd June - 08th June]

...

Week 0 [27th July - 31st July]

Day 0 [31st July 2014]

So exciting! House DS and you all look grand!

How exciting that it's finally all coming together. Yah Ornella!

What a sleek and modern home Ornella (just like you). Happy packing. Enjoy this last bit as your beautifully chosen finished get installed. Like the accessories to an outfit!

[Update: 01st June 2014]

Week 10 [26th May - 01st June]

• the terrace had been finished
• further works on the garden
• learnt that hubby's kind and polite colleague is also one of the neighbours in the new neighbourhood.
• bathroom fixtures going in next week, apparently.
• ordered the wardrobes for the hallway and master bedroom, finally. That completes sorting out of the major furniture pieces. Still about zillion bits and bobs left to take care of.

The photos:

1. st Photo :: Future ground-floor terrace
2. nd Photo :: Final bits for finishing the flooring installation.
3. rd Photo :: Still ridiculously happy with the floor tiles. One is clean enough to see how it reflects light in the actual space.
4. th Photo :: On the upper terrace. Possible future WIW spot. Definite future reading spot.

Next:

Week 9 [02nd June - 08th June]

Week 8 [09th June - 15th June]

Week 0 [27th July - 31st July]

Day 0 [31st July 2014]

Things are coming together! Love your outfit!

Oh boy oh boy oh boy! It looks great, and you look amazing! You look so happy AND stylish!!

Whoot! It's coming together isn't it? How exciting. You look great too

Congrats!!!

[Update: 10th June 2014]

What a week it's been! We're down to single digits of the number of weeks left until the end of lease and our move, plus Google Maps finally 'recognises' our street by its name, it's not just no name building site.

With the first houses finished and handed over, one family has moved in. Seeing the decked terrace and big plant pots around the house makes it all so real.

Plus, I got the news that our kitchen may be installed a week earlier than planned, which I'll need to confirm soon.

Week 9 [02nd June - 08th June]

• Monday 02nd June - the big bathroom fixtures are all in;
• Tuesday 03rd June - my niece was born; we learn about the date of the initial house check, which preceded the keys handover by 2 weeks!
• Wednesday 04th June - appointments with the housekeeper of our current apartment, all checks went fine and we are looking at moving out of here with minimal tidying up and painting necessary;
• Thursday 05th June - meeting with out future next door neighbour to talk about plantain trees of our choice at the border between our gardens. We have met another neighbour too, who'll livd two doors away from us - what a great family!
• Friday 06th June - husband comes home saying that one work colleague who offered to help with our move spontaneously started talking to others from their team about helping us "because that's how it's done here". Humbling!
• Saturday 07th June - Bumped at our future neighbours on the site.
• Sunday 08th June - Decided which certified building inspector to hire to do the final house check with us.

The photos:

1. st Photo :: Guest bathroom closer to its final shape.
2. nd Photo :: Our next door neighbours check their house too.
3. rd Photo :: How our tiny but just big enough for the BBQs garden grow.
4. th Photo :: Afternoon sun at the back of the house.

Next:

Week 8 [09th June - 15th June]

Week 7 [16th June - 22th June]

Week 0 [27th July - 31st July]

Day 0 [31st July 2014]

Ooh, fabulous Ornella! You have chosen some nice fittings for your bathroom. And I see an upstairs balcony to sit on and catch the sun, how lovely.

It's so nice to have the offer of help from your husbands work colleagues. It sounds like you have some wonderful people around you.

I look forward to the next instalment with bated breath!

It's moving along nicely! Just several weeks left - how exciting!
When we were moving from the apartment into the house my then boss offered to use his horse trailer to move all our stuff so we did not have to hire a truck.
Love the red skirt - I see that red is quite the theme on the construction site...:-)

It looks like all is moving along well on the site. You must be excited to be this close to moving day! Congratulations on becoming an auntie!

[Update: 15th June 2014]

A bit of a foggy week as I had major tonsillitis and all my plans and good intentions were on hold until I got better. By Friday I could finally leave the house and we met with the building inspector who'll do the house check for us. Afterwards we briefly visited the site.

Week 8 [09th June - 15th June]

• got a confirmation that kitchen installation will begin a week earlier than the initial schedule - Yes!!;
• pre-handover house check-up confirmed for 17th June
• suggested date for keys handover: 2nd July!!!!

The photos:

1. st Photo :: Sections of garage driveway have been dug up to improve the water drainage for (unlikely, but regulations dictate the standard) extreme weather conditions. Surprised to see this done so late in the game, but lucky as this requirement is a result of the handovers which happened with other homes and room for improvement was identified by the inspectors.
2. nd Photo :: Downstairs bathroom gets final coat of paint. It's amazing what painting the final tiny spot white did to the overall feel of the space.
3. rd Photo :: Guest bedroom - finishing touches.
4. th Photo :: The living room is once again a hub of the final activities.
5. th Photo :: Seeing the staircase for the first time without the protective covers!
6. th Photo :: Check those sneakers checking the inside from behind the locked door.
7. th Photo :: Check that spout growing out of my head.
8. th Photo :: A quiet moment watching the clouds from below.
9. th Photo :: Last crane standing...

Next:

Week 7 [16th June - 22th June]

Week 0 [27th July - 31st July]

Day 0 [31st July 2014]

[Update: 22nd June 2014]

This week of the major milestone - we had pre-handover official check of the house. Between our last visit to the site and this meeting, a lot of polishing has happened - the special lights we had ordered have been installed, so was the videophone, the flooring is completed, the bathrooms look better than we had imagined. The only new issues we have found are of cosmetic nature.Those will be sorted in the next two weeks, then the house will be ready for the handover.

At the end of the check-up an elderly lady walked by the house with her little grandson. We said our hellos, then she told me how every time her grandson comes to visit her from Berlin, they'd come to check the site. Therefore, he watched all the houses "grow" from the scratch and it was an experience for him. I invited them in so the boy could actually see the final stage of the whole process and I hope we'll see them again after we move in.

I’m using my limited German to find out what our responsibilities towards local authorities are after the move are, it still feels awkward to speak the language but even more to realise the other side understands me and I’m getting back the information I need

I've also been showing the rental apartment to the potential new tenants, that has been quite an experience and has put my language to the real test. We have no say in the decision process when there's a big interest, but secretly my husband's and mine favourite were a couple of PhD students of Computer Science and we were happy to hear they got the apartment.

Little time for much else, YLF included, but hopefully life will get back on track in a few weeks.

The photos:

1. st Photo :: Action shot 1: Mr. O, the building inspector and the building manager all checking the terrace
2. nd Photo :: Action shot 2: Getting off the roof
3. rd Photo :: There are many features I love about the house and this is one of them - solar panels for energy efficient home
4. th Photo :: WIW on the roof - unique opportunity
5. th Photo :: The entire neighbourhood as seen from the roof
6. th Photo :: Guest room. Following the progress of this room has been one of my favourite parts of the build. I hope at least one of YLFers will get a chance to stay over at Family O's B&B

Next:

Week 6 [23rd June - 29th June]

Week 0 [27th July - 31st July]

Day 0 [31st July 2014]

It is so much fun without the stress to see your house take shape. I would be very tempted to make a succulent garden on the roof of the garage. The metal roof edging is a great touch.

Actually Joy, that's what I plan to look into at some point

But first we need to move in and breathe, breathe, breathe...

Ooh, so exciting! It's really taking shape.

Actually Diane, it already took shape and it's all there It has been quite an experience to see it all completed, and the walls and all finishing touches actually standing there - no longer trying to imagine what it will look like, but seeing it IRL is just surreal.

[Update: 28th June 2014]

The last update before we get the keys!

All the other people from our block of 4 houses have or will move in this weekend. This means that every time when we come around to see our house, which happens least once every day after the school, there is someone saying Hello, someone to talk to, to offer us help with our move. I knew we'd have nice people living around us, but just how nice - I and no idea.

And seeing their stuff scattered around the houses, the children playing around, the cats exploring the new surroundings makes is all look so alive.

Our son already has new friends and talks about playing with them and having sleep-overs

We have a agreed with the friends who'll be helping us that we'll move the bulk of our things on 12th July, leaving us a lot of overlap time in the current apartment and the house until the end of the month to settle in and also to prepare the apartment for the handover. What makes things extra easy is that the students moving in the apartment after us want to buy a lot of the old furniture so they have something to get theme started (the apartment came unfurnished) - win-win for all.

The photos:

1. st Photo :: Garden border being made.
2. nd Photo :: DS: "Any place for the trampoline here?" Me: "No idea, but I know I'll spend a lot of time in this sun trap."
3. rd Photo :: The existing community in the area: the church at the back, playground at front - and large area in between where a group of locals were erecting a huge tent for the festivities this weekend. The community spirit at its best.
4. th Photo :: Testing the possible WIW spot?
5. th Photo :: Photo bomber
6. th Photo :: Just last week there was machinery here. Now, it's the plants, the bikes, the moving boxes in front of our neighbours' house.
7. the Photo :: The view from below.

Next:

Week 5 [30th June - 6th July]

Week 4 [7h July - 13th July]

Week 0 [27th July - 31st July]

Day 0 [31st July 2014]

So exciting! You must be anxious to get moved in.

This is so exciting! So glad it is all coming together.

How fantastic Ornella! You've made it through the long haul and are about to get your reward. The place looks terrific and it's wonderful how it already has a community feeling. Thank you for sharing this journey with us

WOW

AMAZING.

You must be beside yourself with excitement! Nothing but blue skies ahead...

Ooh, I'm getting excited with you! Looks fab.

I am so excited for you and wow, Ornella do you look gorgeous in that column of white in your new home!

[Update: 2nd July 2014]

Congratulations!!!