Updates @ 29 Nov

Not much progress on the outside

Seems not much progress from outside today, but when I got in, they have already covered about 30% of the stairs steps with wood... in 2 days time, it should be 100%, InsyaAllah. 

They've also completed the 'skeleton' for our living room and dining room ceiling.... yet to decide whether it'll be covered in gypsum board or wood.... have to really think about the colour coordination. The thing is, we've already bought a beautiful chandelier for the dining room, and figured wooden ceiling would distract attention from the beauty of the chandelier - well i guess that's probably it then, gypsum board :-)

Anyway, I am already so iski (excited) about the windows - can't wait for the weekend... but I need to time myself well, this saturday I got to see my son Muhammad' s school principal, to get their signature to allow him to enter Ugama school, got to pay electric bills, phone, bmobile, astro, commitment to BSRC Photograph during the BSRC festival (Kanta, 1 hour can what? heheh) and probably bring my kids to OGDC for the thing at OGDC...... well, there goes another Saturday.

Well folks, enough of my ramblings and enjoy the photos...

Our patio and you can see the dining room inside

the 'skeleton' for our entrance ceiling

piping, drainage, cables to be hidden in the ceiling

You can see the bolts used to secure the timber to the concrete.

the timber steps after being covered with wood. 

It'll be finished and painted with varnish to protect the wood

another view of the stairs

Updates @ 27 Nov

Got a call from the contractor at noon to meet up at 5 today, to discuss changes to exterior colour... still the work demands held me back and I only reached there by 5.20. Luckily my wife and I drove separately today and she reached there exactly at 5 pm.

It is important to manage the relationship with your contractor, to ensure work are done smoothly, especially in our case following the delays in payment during milestone 1 & 2.

Anyway, updates?

• All other windows to be installed either on Friday or Saturday.
• The stairs have been installed, and will be covered with the wood flooring from Wednesday on (3 days work)
• Flooring for the top floor will start next week.
• Despite the progress, the contractor still maintained target completion date by March 2008. As we are not in a rush i.e. not staying in Shell housing, that was no problem. 

So, the pictures are here as promised. Enjoy.

One coat done. Second coat by February / March when we are ready to move in.

Big glass window of the Master Suite

Big glass window of our Family Lounge

View from the rear of the house

My wife said every time we drove past the house, my face glowed with pride. I was just so happy that the house already showed exactly how we expected it to look like, and personally, I am fond of the big glass windows. For those familiar with KB area, there is this 2 storey house surrounded with palm trees, facing the new KB courthouse - it has got this big glass window...

 and that is how my wife and I were inspired.

Yeaaayyyy... Windows! Walls Painted!

Sorry folks.... not been able to update for the past week regularly.... Haven't actually been able to visit the house in daylight for the past 5 days - yesterday was just borderline, reached the house during call for Maghrib prayers, just when daylight ends.

Anyway, spent the weekend in Bandar and stayed over at my sister in laws place. We've now confirmed the tiles (walls & floors) and T&B stuffs for the upper floor, and also found a new furniture shop called Oregano next to Autowerke in Gadong... Looks like I found the place to buy my patio furniture.

Updates?

When I got back from Bandar on Sunday, it was getting dark and we made it a routine to drive past the house EVERY TIME we go out. Anyway, when we drove past that night, my son shouted, WINDOWS... so i stopped by and they have actually installed the BIG GLASS WINDOWS wooohooooo, I ran up the house with my wife and we both stood silent for a while admiring the view through the glass windows. I feel like a little boy again, waiting for the time to actually live in this house.

On Monday, just at it was getting dark again, I went to the house and as I approached, I shouted in delight to see that it has been painted... cool, just like we imagined its gonna be. Its not yet finished though, the second coat will be painted as soon as we are ready to move in. Till the next update with proper photos, please enjoy these pics taken from my trusty old mobile phone.