Gilfoot Images
When we bought our current flat in Newmilns, we knew there was a lot of work we needed to do to get it right for us. Naomi fantasized that we could get a team of friends around and blitz it in a couple of weeks, but we hit quite a few unanticipated problems and it was always going to take several months. We tried to do as much as possible ourselves (prepping, woodwork, reflooring, painting etc), but had to get professionals in for plastering, electrics, heating and plumbing. 6 months down the line we're still at it. Select which area of the flat you want to look at from the drop-down list below and then click on the thumbnails at the bottom to see each image.
The Front Garden
The Building Site
When we arrived, the estate was in the middle of being re-rendered. This had been negotiated and paid for by the previous owner, but on our arrival, there was scaffolding up all round the flat and blue plastic protecting all of the doors and windows. It was to be a couple of months before all the scaffolding was removed and our drive was occupied for a while by all the equipment the [Polish] team were using to sort out our block.
Front Garden Before
When we arrived, the front garden had a big birch tree in the middle of it. The bed on the house side was occupied by a completely dead hedge of some description and it had obviously been a couple of decades since the flowerbeds had received any TLC. Apart from lopping down the buirch tree, the front garden had to wait for the Spring.
The Front Garden today (1)
The front garden is still a work in progress. We've dug over all the flowerbeds and tried to improve the heavy clay soil with some sand, manure and enriched compost. The dead hedge has gone and the birch tree has been replaced with a rockery and our beloved Acer which has been with us since Bury in the mid 1990's.
The Front Garden today (2)
We've planted some new hedge plants and bulbs around the flowerbeds, and spent a fair amount of time and effort in aerating, feeding and re-seeding the lawn, which was very dead and mossy. We've still to see the benefit of that, though, and might end up having to re-turf it completely.
Birds feeding in the front garden
You have to look carefully, but Naomi's bird-feeder in the front garden is a great hit. Our record is about 12 Jackdaws all at once!
Approaching our flat from the A71
Coming up from the A71, we're at the top of the T-Junction, opposite the post-box.
