It’s July. The sun has finally found its way to
Northern Europe and all Belgian
workmen have downed tools and headed for the beach. I don’t know if it happens anywhere else, but
over here the whole month of July has been decreed the “congé du batiment”,
when building sites across the land shut down while the workforce take a
well-earned rest.
As a result, July becomes a sort of natural
deadline. The date by which projects are finished, making room for a list of
new ones to be started ‘apres les congés’.
Our hopes of being able to move in by the congés 2012 have gone the same
way as our hopes of spending Christmas 2011 in our own home. However, as recently as April this year, there
was talk of the main part of the works (structural stuff, internal walls,
insulation, electrics, heating, water pipes, roof, plastering and windows)
being done by then, ready for the finishing off to start in August (sanding
floors, a lick of paint and fitting the kitchen/bathroom).
A fair bit has been done - an update on that will follow soon - but a fair bit
remains. The main problem now is that some of the outstanding plumbing and heating jobs
are beginning to hold up the rest of the work.
Firm words have been had with the plumber. He has been given this week to finish laying
the pipes and filling in the holes in the walls, so that the other contractors
can come back next Monday to pick up the baton.
If they don't deliver this week, then there is a real risk of slippage...
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