All Change is not Progress...

.......but much of it is, if we learn from our mistakes.

I've not blogged for a month. Life is not always exciting. My days have been filled with construction work. I finally finished my patio area and did something with the front garden. It doesn't look much, but a hedge will grow, and the border will mature. If I am to spend my summers in Sweden, at home I need my borders well defined for someone to maintain.

New windows and doors also. Modern UPVC french doors to open onto the raised paving area. I updated the look of the back of the property. Maybe not exciting, but very satisfying and needed.

Next was to give my sister Karen a hand. She has bought property to let and has a tight dead line to meet. The garden needed a total restructuring rather than a tidy up. We got stuck in.

We turned a 1.3M slope into three terraces and laid the patio shown above, mostly from reclaimed slabs. Back breaking work, for which Karen will trade me the five days. She gets to do a weeks decorating at my place when my modernisation project is further advanced. I still have a bathroom and new en suit to install, and three bedrooms to decorate.

With winter just around the corner I went straight on to building a shed in my back garden, which used reclaimed windows and doors. When it is finished I think it will be the only shed in the street with lead lighted windows and french doors.

I'd give myself 7 out of 10 for my woodwork. I think my old woodwork teacher My Hampson wight be more critical. This piece would be too big for him to throw in the scrap box though, where some of my early work went. Hanging 48mm thick hard wood french doors on the front was always going to be a challenge. I will soon see how much of an engineer I am. The pressure is on. Gales are on the way, and I leave for Sweden is a few days time. I have no choice but to crack on now.

House hunting in Sweden via Hemnet has been a challenge. I have to work in Swedish. The task is pushing my language skills along quickly. I have help in country without which I could not do this sensibly. Tack sa mycket Roland och Ernst. I have a house to view and made contact with the agent, again in Swedish. Success, I have the viewing. He is putting together a list of three in my target area. While I am over there I might as well make the most of the opportunity. I don't imagine I will find my house first attempt, but I will have broken my duck! My target for this trip is to make an active start in country, learn the market, learn the Swedish conveyancing process, identify road blocks, and make contacts. Buying a summer house in Sweden is progress for sure.

I may not always be happy, but the starter gun went off and I'm up and running. I learnt something else. A sprinter analyses his race after he has run it, not endlessly while hurtling down the straight! Life will change. Of that I have no doubt. If this works out I will have two homes. Two places where I am honestly comfortable and surrounded by friends.