Just about a week before we actually moved into the Doctors Surgery (back on Halloween 2015), I took a walk around the outside of the building with pure excitement about the move.  The sale had taken 13 months to go through.  There was a problem on the title.  During the mandatory legal searches, a long skinny triangle-shaped area that ran from the top to the bottom on the section was found to reveal an area that was not owned by the title holders.  To cut a long story short this had to be sorted before the sale could proceed.  The triangular area was owned by a company that had ceased trading and was part of a large nearby Estate.  Frustrating this took more than a year to concluded after lawyers had done their part and documents had been signed.  So during this time the outdoor area to the street side of the property had grown out of control to head height proportions.

The building has been classed commercial and time was taken to change its use to residential.  So the first major aim when we took ownership was a focus on getting the basic domestic facilities in place.  A bathroom and kitchen.    There was a kitchen to the rear of the building that had been used by the Medical staff for teas and lunches however it had no oven nor appliances.  There were also two toilets but no shower nor bathroom.  Within 2 months we had these both put in place while we literally camped for 8 weeks around all the work going on.  Showering was a combination of visiting neighbours and using a very large tub with a rubber shower hose attachment to the back kitchen sink taps!  Cooking was in a mini oven and microwave.  It was rather trying in the middle of winter and wow did we enjoy our shower and kitchen when they went in!

It’s only been in the past 6 weeks that there has been a focus on the outdoor areas of the property.  What a difference a garden fence can make.  It has created privacy and cosiness and the sense of ownership it has brought us, has made such a difference.  Although the area is still gravel and not yet grass, my girls have been playing in our garden when they would have previously been playing on the nearby Green.

All credit where it’s due to a very handy Father-in-Law who knocked this fence up in a matter of days using wood from a local timber yard.

The fence was then stained with an Ebony coloured Dulux Protective Woodsheen Woodstain.  I wanted a stained look rather than a full painted look to show the grain of the wood and create a natural texture to the fence.  Ebony (black) was an obvious colour to use and continues the monochrome style I have started on the interior.  The Dulux Protective Woodsheen is a solvent based, medium build satin finish for wood and was diluted down with a mix of 2 to 1 white spirit and applied by brush.  I’m really happy with the results and I’m sure you’ll agree what a difference a garden fence makes!

 

Before

 

 

 

During

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After

Spot the new tree platform and climbing net.  With the weeds now dying the next few jobs out here will be vege boxes to the right of the path and removing all the red stones to make way for a new lawn on the left.  The list is endless..

 

(photography | Laura Thomas)

Next LTID Reno update coming soon: The new Outdoor Hot Shower.