Preparing to move

Hello folks! I know it has been a while since I updated the blog - all I can say is BUSY! While I was away in Cambodia for a few days the house was completed, inspected and locked. We get the keys tomorrow and the house officially becomes ours. We are moving this Friday, so, as you can imagine, our house now is in complete chaos! Although I started cleaning our cupboards, chucking stuff and packing a few weeks ago, the real work began over the last few days. Now I am dutifully procrastinating on finishing the task ahead of me today, which is to finish packing up my study. This photo might aptly describe why better than words ever could...

Boxed chaos. This is the room I have set myself the task of finishing today. I have only to pack what's inside the two cupboards. Easy peasy. er hem.

The dining/kitchen. No cooking happening in there this week!

They have started on the landscaping part of the house now (and when I say 'landscaping' I mean the driveway, front stairs, etc - there won't be much greenery involved - in fact, only 3 trees!).

Car port. This was part of the bargain my mother-in-law struck when we negotiated the house. I had a bigger deck up my sleeve, but actually, we do need this in Beppu. Cars end up quite manky without a cover because of the onsen steam. I plan on planting citrus trees along the left hand side. Food AND cover : )

Front steps, from the front.

Front steps, from the side.

I asked them to use the existing rocks, of which we have many, to make stairs going from the front sliding doors, down into the garden.

These will look cool with loads of fresh herbs growing all around them, I think!

Our friend the rock.

The back of the house gets its concrete. This will mean we don't have weed out the back as well as everywhere else, plus will help stop the dirt coming into the house. It also gives us a place to put the garbage bins at one end and the washing line at the other.

This side of the house (north side) will have the gravel you can see on the right, but needed extra concrete to join the wall, so the dirt doesn't come down in the rain from the wall.

The front of he house. This will eventually be a herb garden, but I think (!) will also have grass.

The deck.

There are stairs in the far corner that are being filled in, and the rock wall at the front is being extended to cover them.

The front door.

Outside light.

Containment!

These next pictures were taken up at the house yesterday while the open house was on. Quite a few people cam while we were there and asked us questions about the builder and the house. It was nice to see people coming in and enjoying the house!

Well, I guess that's all the procrastination I'm allowed this morning! Time to get packing.

The last few days...

It's amazing to think that in a few short days our house itself will be completed, with only landscaping to be done. Now that it's drawing near it seems like only yesterday that the land was first broken, but it still feels as if we have to wait an eternity to move in. It's all very abstract!

Today, the tatami matting went into the tatami room. It has such a distinctive smell when it's new and reminds me of when we first moved to Japan. It's green at first, but over time turns golden coloured.  Here are today's pictures - the tatami room is further below.

One of the cleaners, putting the sliding door back in. You can see through it now!

The kitchen loses its cover.

Kitchen and tatami room. You can just see the green of the new tatami.

The kitchen island.

The 3D sink, still in its protective wrapper.

The kitchen view.

It's nice to be able to see the floorboards!

The tiles...hmmm

The tatami, all new, green and smelly.

SINKS! TOILETS! (cleaners...shh! Don't frighten them away...)

Well, I've decided to take the good with the bad. I lament the front tiles, but plan on covering them up as much as possible with plants and more plants! But, the sinks went in today and they're beautiful! So, I'll take that!

The cleaners arrived today too, and the house is getting what will be its most thorough clean. I asked them to come back once a week, but I don't think they understood. Or perhaps they were pretending not to. Hmmm...

Sink, with tap (aka Bubble Boy).

Twins.

Sink, tiles, tap, wallpaper. A mad woman's vision comes together.

The toilets are in now too. What's that? Is that one of those Japanese toilets that warms the seat and washes your bottom with warm water? You bet you little bum it is! No more winter bum freeze for us!

My study, with shelves. Can't wait to put my beautiful books in there!

Boy and sink. The upstairs version.

This sink only cost  15,000 yen. I'll let you do the maths. I love Japanese pottery.

The floor boards, as clean as they're ever going to get!

Thank you, come again (please).

I didn't really mean to get a picture of this poor woman's bottom, I just really wanted to document the fact that at least once someone got down on their hands and knees and cleaned Ben's floor. I'm eternally grateful to her, but I'm not sure I'll be following her fine example. Steam mop anyone??