BarnGirl's diary of a Barn Conversion - from cattle shed to house

 Let the madness begin.....

It's the 24th July 2013. Today's the day the tenders are due from the building contractors. It seems a reasonable day to officially start 'BarnGirl', my blog, following the conversion of a barn, from a dilapidated cattle shed with a tin roof, in to contemporary home.

I have never, EVER done anything like this before; the closest I've come to building, is erecting a trade show stand and painting the walls. Need I say more.  I'd love you to join me on my adventure, the highs and hopefully not too many lows, for the next 40 - 50 weeks.

I'll upload photographs and videos as the build progresses.  To whet your appetite, here are a few BEFORE pics of my home to be. 

 

When will I be able to move in? I don't know. Will I be able to afford it? I don't know. Will I manage to stay calm when things go pear shaped? (As SO many people say it can). I hope so.

BarnGirl (http://thebarngirl.blogspot.co.uk/) will be a running commentary from today, until I move in, and may be beyond, if you're still with me.  It's a diary for me, but also for you, - those of you contemplating building your own home or converting a barn into a residence, in the hope that it might help you with your project, by way of 'OMG, do NOT do this or that, it was a disaster' or 'Yep, I like the sound of that. Looks like a great choice'.

Please feel free to chip in and ask questions; I'll do my best to answer, as we go through this together. I'd love your feedback or ideas too. Drop me a line in the comment box at the end of my blog.

Where relevant, I will incorporate the back-story to the barn - the 2 years to secure planning permission, why the first application failed, the benefits of a good planner, choosing an architect, drafting the plans, etc.  I'll also include links to recommended suppliers and contractors.

If I go quiet for a few days, it's because nothing of particular interest has happened or I'm in a darkened room meditating my way out of a rapid change in blood pressure due to an unforeseen drama!

I'll sign off for today, as I wait, with anticipation, for the call from my architect regarding the tenders….Here come the terms!

Love

BarnGirl
xx