It is accomplished! The move-in has taken place!
The original plan was to move in two days shortly before the turn of the year. Luckily, euphoric as we were, we had already started moving on the Friday before Christmas. We transported two to three loads with the van almost daily and finished the moves on 12/30/2019. So much accumulates. Some trips went directly to the recycling center. We also smiled at other things and didn’t even remember having them. That’s just how it is.
The first night was, at least for the ladies, too cold. We had 16 degrees room temperature. We all mentioned at some point that we should turn up the heating, also because of the parquet which was supposed to be glued over Christmas, but no one did it. Nobody minded during the gluing either. Because the temperature was comfortable for working. Well, the glue was a bit stubborn, but it worked.
Heating up, of course, went very slowly. On the one hand, the underfloor heating is a sluggish system, on the other hand, the building was cold. Interior walls made of aerated concrete and concrete ceilings store a lot of energy. In addition, there is residual moisture in the building and the associated evaporative cooling. Furthermore, there was no hydraulic balancing and no connected thermostats yet. As soon as the supply temperature was set to 45 degrees, the garden “froze.” The ground collector was busily drawing energy from the earth. It was astonishing that even at full load for almost 350 m² only about 40 kW of electricity per day were used, which is roughly a meager 8 EUR per day. Additionally, wallpapering and painting were still being done in the attic, and the windows were tilted open around the clock.
Ultimately, the low room temperature led to us celebrating New Year’s Eve separately. My wife moved out to her parents with our youngest (7 months) so that the baby would stay free from cold.
Living in the house has not quite sunk in for me yet. But that is probably also because no interior doors have been installed. That is scheduled for next week. We still haven’t found time to relax. Furniture had to be assembled, the boxes unpacked, and then the new kitchen had to be set up in the living area. The kitchen alone kept us busy for seven full working days. And we still aren’t completely finished. But at least the quality is right. The countertops were cut perfectly and everything fits perfectly. We also had a bit of luck. When we took the countertop outside to (re-)cut it, just at that moment the carpenter drove by who kindly offered us his circular saw including a guide rail.
Since 01/06/2020 the bathrooms have also been tiled. Cutting is still partly being done in the house. But even with doors hung, anyone who knows it is aware that dust spreads everywhere, even into the last crack.
Outstanding are therefore still the bathrooms, interior doors, stair covering, and balcony covering. Oh, and lamps. We don’t even want to think about the outdoor area yet.
And then finally some time again to play more extensively with the children. They have really “suffered” but handled it really well. They are also hugely delighted about their rooms and play hallway including garden. The sparkle in their eyes is what makes all the hard work worth it…
PS: Pictures will follow soon
