Meeting the Neighbours

It's still March 2014
and our first real visit to the property as owners.

The photos have been taken - see my last post The Before Photos.

Onto the more physical stuff and you have to start somewhere...we peer at the walls and don't touch them.  The spectre of asbestosis is not to be trifled with so, until the asbestos survey is done, it's strictly hands-off.  The whole house could be made of it for all we know.  The outer brick layer will be safe and the front and back extensions are probably OK but the rest is all a potential risk.

The hedge - before & gone

First things first, we chop back the front middle hedge to make access to the drive easier.
Although the address is on a well-used road, Sunny Acre is on the corner of a bridleway and that's where the drive is.  Backing onto the main road is asking for trouble so it's best to back onto the drive.  The hedges have got overgrown while it's been empty although not as bad as expected.  But still, the limits of my car reversing skills require a wider entrance.  Besides which, the central hedge is that horrible shrubby lonicera that always has loads of spiders so it has to go.





Of course working in the front garden has the extra benefit of meeting some of the neighbours, a very helpful thing to do, especially while Paul is with me as he's the extrovert in our marriage! They've been keeping the hedges under control.  It was in their own interest but it's an indication of how neighbourly people are around here:

• One gives us the contact details of a local plumber - we'll need one sooner than we're planning;
• One drops round a business card - he's a builder and his wife thinks we might need his services - I think she's right;
• Another neighbour is a gardener and designer - we'll need his help too but not for some time;
• Our immediate neighbour is the guy who built Sunny Acre!

Everyone knows about the asbestos...

So, a good start.  Lots to do but very much excited rather than daunted.  As we're getting ready to leave, we notice it's a bit wet by the boiler. Hmm! I'd better come back the next day to see what's going on...