Oz to Aude Renovation - part 3

Australians Venture into Property in L'Aude - part 3 - the shower room
by Peter

Read part 1 and part 2

Hi Folks, Bonne année!   

Sorry about the time between stories, you wouldn't want to be 
waiting that long at the bar for a pression as you would think your 
throat was cut! but what with Christmas and other things time has gotten away from me.

Well here I am with all these "Boy's toys" I had better start a task on
the house in Grand Rue.

The property has 3 buildings, the house over two floors, a Stable with 
3 floors and a barn which has two floors but you could fit in 3.  So 
the first task was to ignore the stable and Barn and concentrate on 
making the house more habitable. (the stable and barn have been great 
for tossing in all the rubble and refuse from the house)

The house needs the bathroom and kitchen renovated, the tiled stairs 
repaired, lot's of hard plastering, the timber floor in one of the 
upstairs bedrooms renewed (worm attack), additional electrics & 
Plumbing, the terrace rearranged and paved, the roof requires some 
maintenance (we have this nifty fly bridge between the house and the 
1st floor of the stable need it needs a new roof).  Not much I suppose?

Fortunately for us some friends had assisted us before we arrived by 
stripping out all the wallpaper in the house so that was one less task 
for us.

On the subject of friends, we could not be happier with the friends 
that we have already made since moving into the village 10 months ago.

Aside from those we have meet through Sam our agent, I think she has 
adopted us, we have the good fortune of have great French neighbours in 
Jean Claude and Josette and her mother (they keep us in Muscat, what a 
wonderful wine) and then there is Stephane and Sandra and their cute 
little daughter "Miss Lou".  Stephane is in the process of building a 
Winery in the village and his vin rouge 2006 is fabulous.  Just before 
leaving last November he gave me a sample bottle straight from the 
barrel and it was heavenly.  Of course I have a standing order now for 
une douzaine de bouteilles pour ma cave. 

OK what has happened to the renovations? sidetracked by friends and 
wine, well I suppose it is France after all, what is it the French say 
"mais monsieur c'est la France"

Enough of the waffle back to the business of renovations.  The 
bathroom. This was an addition tacked onto the side of the sitting 
room back in the 60's I'd say.  Wedge shaped to fit the land and quite 
small, less than 4 square meters. It had a good terrazzo floor, a 
suicide bath and a toilet and hand basin. I did all the tiling as set up 
the shower but engaged a great plumber, Justin (he's legal) to connect 
it all up.  Whilst they say the bathroom is one of the most expensive 
rooms to renovate I think we did quite well with it costing only around 
1200 euro all up for materials and the plumber.  If you are a handyman 
you can save a mint.

(Ed note: and end up with a nice shower room.  Don't be distracted by Peter's talk of wine and socializing, he worked like a maniac)

          

Comments

[jim]

Well I must say that I have enjoyed reading this 3-parter immensely although it did tire me out somewhat. What a lot of work and patience it takes. Keep up the great work. (Sam's friends are wonderful aren't they)!

[Sam Mooney]

Peter has been amazing, accomplished so much in a very short time. And my friends are wonderful. I'm a lucky woman. Of course it would be better if they all lived here!!