During our second year in our house it felt like we didn’t make much progress, but looking back I’m surprised and pleased at how many things we’ve achieved.
Done
![New bedroom windows](https://darktea.co.uk/darktea/blog/wp-content/uploads//20150609-New-windows.png)
The biggest thing we’ve done is to change all the windows and doors which required several changes to the house:
- window in the lift control room was unbricked so the room can be converted into a downstairs WC
- bricked up the door in the current downstairs WC that will be converted in to a laundry room
- removed and bricked up the fire exit; interestingly, the fire door was screwed shut from the outside!
- replace a window with a pair of French doors
![Unbricking the lift room window to convert it into WC](https://darktea.co.uk/darktea/blog/wp-content/uploads//20150609-Unbrick-window.png)
![Bricking up external doors](https://darktea.co.uk/darktea/blog/wp-content/uploads//20150609-brick-up-doors.png)
We’ve also done a few other things:
- discovered part of the house smelt mouldy because tap had leaked for years inside the washstand
- hung the ladders on the garage wall
- got rid of the safe left on the drive by the previous owners
- filled in two dips in the garden (no idea what they were)
- got a second wood store
- removed the sink in the children’s bedroom so M could move out of his cot into a proper bed
Not dones
However, there are still many things we haven’t done; and if you look back on my 1st anniversary post you’ll recognise several of them. We haven’t:
- sorted the mess of electrics in the dining room which was previously a sensory rooms and has switches for bubble tubes and mirror balls but very few plug sockets
- fixed the hole above the ensuite door
- removed the automatic door closures from the walls
- removed the door that opens with a push button
- fitted a proper laundry door
- got hot (or even warm) water in the downstairs WC
- reduced the deadleg in the ensuite and kitchen so we get hot water without running taps for five minutes
- removed the thermastatic mixing valve in the bathroom so there is more than a dribble from the shower
- sorted the plumbing between the two sinks in the kitchen so we can run the taps at the same time
- removed the sinks in the other bedroom
- sorted the gradient of the ensuite floor so the water drains properly
- fixed the leak from the shower into the lounge
- removed the fire safety sighs
- removed the fire alarm break glass points
- removed the emergency lights (although we are thinking of looking for some nicer looker ones to install as they have proved very useful during power cuts)
- removed the lift (this will be a major structural change as some of the roof joists were cut to install it, so when it comes out we need to support the roof with several steel bars)
![Doors to be improved](https://darktea.co.uk/darktea/blog/wp-content/uploads//20150609-doors-to-be-done.png)
![1st anniversary Plumbing to do](https://darktea.co.uk/darktea/blog/wp-content/uploads//20140218-house-1st-anniversary-plumbing-to-do.png)
![1st anniversary fire features](https://darktea.co.uk/darktea/blog/wp-content/uploads//20140218-house-1st-anniversary-fire-to-do.png)
![The lift](https://darktea.co.uk/darktea/blog/wp-content/uploads//20140218-house-1st-anniversary-lift-to-do.png)
Plans for year 3
We don’t have any big plans for the house over the next year, but will continue to make small steps forward. The main plans involve improving the garden boundary by planting a hedge and chopping down some trees. We are also thinking of knocking down some walls to combine rooms; the wall with the children’s mural to start creating the space for our study, and the utility and kitchen to start creating our new L-shaped kitchen.
Do you have plans for your house this year? Do you have recommendations for what we should include in our renovation?