Trev and Hil's New Build in Polemi

[trevnhil]

Hi all.
Well a number of you will know that we have had a plot of land in Polemi for quite a while now. We got the first planning permission last year after many problems. Only a couple of weeks ago we received the second permit to enable us to build our bungalow on our plot of land.

Since then we have signed a contract with a builder to build us an insulated Double skinned timber frame bungalow, And being quite the opposite of the time we have waited up to now (nearly 3 years), the build has quickly started.

However this does not mean that the building is part way up. These are early days yet.

The first step was to clear the land of all the vegetation. The second step was to construct a retaining wall to hold all the infilling to make the area for the bungalow a level plot.

The retaining wall is finished and the next step is to fill the inside of the walls to make a level area.

As you would expect from me, I have taken many pictures and some are here below.

The Best View from the plot .....



Overgrown Vegetation...



The vegetation cleared.



The shuttering started.



The retaining wall finished.




There of course many more pictures than these. The best way for me to make them available is to put on a live link to my Picasa Album, and here it is...

http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/trevnhil/ ... directlink

I will try to make sure that it is always live, and when I (frequently) add more pictures I will post on this thread and renew the link on my updated post.

Regards. Busy Trev, n Hil... with a new 'Hobby'

[Jennywren]

Superb view Trev, hope all goes well. They build a lot of timber framed bungalows & houses in Scotland & I know of a builder who moved out here to do the same. If he happens to be your builder he had a very good reputation for top quality builds.

[Road Warrior]

Looks lovely Trev, wish you both health to enjoy it.

[trevnhil]

Hi Jenny. I do know British builders here who build Timber frame dwellings. One has been built in the village where we live at the moment, and a jolly good job they have made of it.

Our builder has done many many timber builds but is a Cypriot from the Limassol district.

Trev..

[Molly]

Bravo Trev - very exciting times ahead for the both of you....Best of luck xx

[pip]

What a lovely site and fabulous photos, i will watch this thread with great interest. Best wishes for your build, exciting indeed!

[geoffm]

Great stuff Mate, at long last it's coming together, you should get a medal for endurance...
Geoff.

[Macattack]

What an exciting time for you both.

I can't wait for the next episode.

[Sinbad]

Thanks for sharing , must be fun in the heat this time of year .

In your album the two cats look like two we used to have , fond memories.

I look forward to the future months.

[jeancraft]

Nice one Trev and Hil - things moving on apace, you will be in in no time at all. Good to see you last week

[Steve - SJD]

Lovely view Trev!

Best of luck with it and will watch the thread as it develops.

Cheers

Steve

[funsun]

Good luck to you both.

[Jim]

You know how I feel about this Trev, and please keep the photo update, great stuff and good times ahead for you both!! and Dad of course.

[Durian Muncher]

Trev - I see you've still got an interested audience in Morecambe.
I like the photograph of the black piece of cable

[nosher]

Well done Trev,

Lovely spot with great views. Makes me wish I'd done the same rather than go through a developer.

In my humble opinion, you can't go wrong with a well insulated timber framed house. And going on mine, I don't think you can tell the difference by looks alone.

[trevnhil]

Good morning all.
Thank you all for your kind comments, and D M the 'cable' has gone now.

I will be updating the pictures on my Picasa album very regularly. But I will post on here when i do that and put the live link in my post.

Cheers. Trev..

[dafula]

Looking forward to watching this progress, I really enjoy reading new build postings.

If you like this sort of thing, one of the best I read was by a guy called Alan (AlBriscoe) on the AVForums. He meticulously blogged himself building a house with a cinema in the basement. The photos (scroll down the postings) are well worth looking through to watch the monster house go up.

http://www.avforums.com/forums/home-cin ... -room.html

Good luck with your project Trev, I hope it all goes well!

[TC]

Now that really is one heck of a retirement 'Hobby' Trev

I will be watching the progress with much interest and thankyou for sharing with us.

Teresa

[Kia Picanto]

What a spectacular view you will have. It looks idyllic. Good luck to you both - I look forward to seeing your updates.

[Charnwood Blue]

Good luck with the project.

Will keep a look out for more of your photograghs

[Radio]

Great view, Trev. Best of luck & keep an eye on the extras. I allowed 15% and it wasn't enough !.

[monkey nutter]

Wow!! What fabulous views!

Looking forward to photos showing progression. Good luck!

[trevnhil]

Thanks again for the added comments.

Re. the view. Just like a lot of people here on Cyprus the view is not as good as it was.

Fortunately nothing has (or could be) been built in front of our view.

BUT. In Polemi just like other in villages the fields of nice looking rows of vines have been cleared, and in many cases left to go to weeds.

The reason I believe is because the farmers have been offered a government subsidy to clear the field of grapes. And of course many have taken this money. Unfortunately a lot of the fields have just been left with no cultivation.

It is this that has made the view a little less fabulous than it once was.

Not to worry, we will be very glad to be in there some time next year.

Trev..

[discopants]

Just like to say Good Luck Trev, to you and the family.
Hope it all goes smoothly,
Gary

[trevnhil]

Great view, Trev. Best of luck & keep an eye on the extras. I allowed 15% and it wasn't enough !.

Extras, what extras!!!

We hope that we have covered everything (wrong I know) and have no spare money available.

Isn't beans on toast nice.

[kathandjeff]

Good job Trev. We are thinking of doing the same sometime in the future so will watch for your updates with great interest. Wishing you all the best.

Jeff and Kath.

[Radio]

Treve, you'll be amazed what your builder will come up with; a little bit here, a little bit there,it all adds up. Plus, there's every chance as the build progresses you will want seemingly minor changes made; they all cost !.

[happyal]

Fantastic Trev, what marvelous views. I wish you many happy years there. By the way, did you consider a steel framed house, I really liked the idea behind them.

Tony

[trevnhil]

Hi Radio. I will never say never, obviously, but we have researched this builder quite well. I fact in the last 3 year we have yet to find a dissatisfied customer.


Tony... Yes we did think of a steel frame one just over 3 years ago. We were customers (holding deposit paid) of Signature Lux Homes. Possibly fortunately, we fell out with them. Although if we had continued with them ours would have been finished before they went bankrupt. The plot we were having in Polemi has an incomplete building on it now. I hate to think how much the people will have lost.

That was when we decided to buy some land. And what a lot of problems we encountered with that. But with a lot of help from people and perseverance, hopefully we are on a pretty straight road now.

Cheers. Trev..

[bertieprospect]

really pleased things have turned up trumps for you Trev. it looks lovely, only thing missing is that Morecambe sea view!!!!lol!!! Best wishes. pauline

[wanderer]

Good luck Trev it looks a stunning plot with wonderful views, if the finished article is anything like Noshers you will have a fantastic home.

Regards David

[trevnhil]

Not seen Noshers David, but it will be our 'Home' and insulated, some of which is from the UK via M&S shipping.

Pauline... I can always hang a pic like this on the wall.



Or maybe some from here.. http://postcards.delcampe.net/list.php? ... TldCountry

Cheers. Trev..

[June]

Oh! My favourite hotel of all time.....before it went down hill.

Seems to be a bit of a phoenix now tho.

[trevnhil]

Sorry nearly missed you Gary... Maybe it will run as long as the other one. Never forget, you started it.

Cheers. Trev..

[Adrian & Charlie]

Congratulations, as you know Polemi is a lovely location, we purchased there in 2004. I will watch your updates with interest, we have a plot in Letymbou which we will develop & are seriously considering a wood build.

Fortunately, our lawyer is switched on & advised that we were unable to build on the plot due to the access road being less than the designated width ?3.65m? this meant that we were able to get the local vendor to purchase the very small strip as part of the transaction. I could only imagine the fun & games if that had slipped through.

Keep the pictures coming.

Very best of luck

Adrian

[trevnhil]

We had many problems with obtaining planning permission after we bought the land. I would not be sure that our access road is 3.65mts everywhere.

There were also 3 portions of the access road that were not a public road.

However we are over those hurdles and are looking to get over other ones

Trev..

[nosher]

One thing's for certain Trev, you will have fun and a photographic record of the build to keep forever.

What sort of windows and heating are you having?

It'll be interesting seeing how things go.

Loads of luck to you; I'm quite jealous of your views.

[trevnhil]

Hi nosher. Well as you can imagine the picture showing the view was one of quite a few that I have taken. That one was the very best that I have of the view from our plot.

We will be having DG. UPVC windows. Some people prefer aluminium I know, and they have probably improved from the ones that we have in our (Good) rental. But in the depths of winter I dislike having to wipe the condensation off some of them.

We are having Gas fired Central Heating with Ordinary radiators. As you can imagine we will be making very sure that there is adequate insulation. In Cyprus the 'Norm' for insulation seems to be 2". I have some 6" on its way from the UK.
Cheers. Trev..

[Jim]

I have set Trev up with his own section (index) he is in control of it as the ''Mod'' so please pop along for further updates on Trev and Hilary's new home, and Dad of course,

all the best Trev..

[bertieprospect]

LOL!!! oh trev, !!!Pauline

[trevnhil]

Cheers Pauline.


Here is a 'water feature' that was on the site when we bought it.



It consists of a plastic drum encased in concrete and to the left of that is a cast block with a channel in it, and it is covered by a tunnel shaped block.
The drum is full of water and is connected to the other pieces with a plastic pipe, In the tunnel shaped piece is a ball valve so that there is always water in the small trough.

I never knew what it was until yesterday. Three men came in a pick up and said they were countryside rangers, and because of our building on the site they moved it to someone else's field.









Mystery solved. Trev..

[ferret]

Hi Trev,

I see the years of red tape have moved in your favour and you are at the beginning of the end. I hope it matches your dreams. Good luck.

[geoffm]

And they say the Cypriots don't care about animals, so whats this for and who up keeps it.
Geoff.

[geoffm]

Trev.
You do realise that when this is finished you will have to have an OPEN DAY so we can all visit and see the completed project.
It could be like a Greek wedding, we all bring something to help you start your life in your new home......
Geoff.

[nosher]

Just a thought Trev, would you be better off with underfloor heating as opposed to rads? I think you'll be higher than us (we're at 1100 feet) but we only use our heating a few times through the winter and the cats are the first to realise it's on. We have UPVC tilt and turn windows and patio doors that have proved themselves to be of great benefit with absolutely no condensation. We also went for tinted glass that has helped cut down the glare a lot.

[KEITH]

Just found this thread and glad I did.

So green with envy Trev and glad it's all coming right for you both now.

KEITH

PS Nosher, Love your house.

[trevnhil]

Hi all. Thank you for your good wishes especially since I posted the 'Digger' picture. I have missed the replies being added maybe due to the CL probs.

The 'Water feature' was for small animals birds and insects to get water from. It has now been moved to a new location.

The CH radiators are just a decision that we have come to, and we know that some prefer underfloor heating. Hopefully the 150 mm insulation in the loft (due soon) will cut down the need for heating. Although we are higher than you nosher at 1,580 ft ASL.

There are no new pics as yet because things are at a stalemate, and we are awaiting a decision about the supply of water.

More news when we get it.

Trev..

[trevnhil]

Hi all.

Well I finished my last post with "More news when I get it". News is sparse on the ground at the moment. There is a question about the filling inside the wall and the layering / rolling of it. We are still awaiting news about this from the builder or the Architect.

Meanwhile it seems that there is a problem over the water supply to the site. I saw the Mukhtar today and this is what he told me (yet to be confirmed)
There is a large water pipe at the main road about 500 mts away. The pipe past our plot is only 35mm. BUT... somewhere between the two is a pipe of only 25mm diameter. The municipality are saying that this needs changing to a 50mm pipe. So, we have to meet with the water engineer in the (hopefully) near future. I believe that they are looking for us to pay for this..... We will see.

On the positive side.... The track to our plot has had some more reinforced concrete laid down and we are now left with a stretch of less than 200 mts that is unpaved.

Again.... More news when I have any!!

Trev..

[trevnhil]

Hi again to you all. Well it seems the the train is back on track again, so to speak.

The query on the filling has been resolved. Some of the higher parts of the bungalow area have been excavated so that there is enough depth to get some hardcore filling in. The areas which will have the deepest filling have also been partially filled and now we are awaiting the vibrating roller to arrive tomorrow (Monday). The filling will be compacted.... filled again and rolled until the whole area is level with the top of the retaining wall.

Then Possibly on Tuesday the builder and I will set out exactly where the bungalow is going, and the shuttering and the steel work will be done.

The next job after this is the inspection of everything by the architect, this may be Wednesday but has yet to be confirmed.

If all is well then the concrete base may well be finished this week.

Keep your fingers crossed for us...

Trev..

Click my signature link for a few new pictures.

[trevnhil]

Well the raised platform for the bungalow is complete. Tomorrow we set out where the bungalow will be and the shuttering and steelwork will be started. There are a number of new photos today.

Click the signature link to view them.

Trev..