Tax time

Being a registered business here in Portugal every year I have to submit my accounts just as businesses do all over the world. Unlike the rest of the world when I went to the local tax office there computers where broke or as they say they where down. I went back the next day and again the computers where still down.

This second nd time when the computers where down was the last day to submit my accounts. However the office manager was happy to submit my accounts when the system was up and running. Today I had occasion to go to the tax office and one of the staff called me over to check my name as they had a letter for me. The letter was my submitted accounts completed and the total I was to pay was 67.44€ that's more than double what I paid last year. Last year I paid 31€ much better than the many thousands of pounds I paid each year in the UK.

Started on the TV unit

The new extended part of my lounge will become where i sit and relax of an evening and watch TV. I had planned to extend my existing unit and Chicco made the base out of Pine not Chestnut. When he corrected it he gave me the Pine unit as it was of no use to him the shape it was. I have used it as a template for my new unit and i was able also to use it to mark out it's position.

The picture you see is with the Pine unit that i used, i will pass this now to a new joiner i have found who will make me three shelf units. Once done i will then start to make the sides to take the doors for the front

I have to put the base in before i can complete the last of the skirting. Behind are 8 sockets to power everything.

It's coming together at last

Over the last couple of months i have been making my lounge bigger by opening the second spare bedroom. I took out a wall and door and frame to open the lounge and bedroom into one.The walls and ceiling have been replaced by putting battens on the wall and using insulated plaster board. The ceiling was also done by dropping it by about 120mm and with the addition of a ceiling fan and 4 LED lights.

The only outstanding  job is trimming around the windows and i now have found where i can get Chestnut to match everything i have done. I also have to move my TV unit as this is going to be the part i will use most as it feels so comfortable.

I had wanted one wall a different colour and i used grey but it didn't look right. I tried first with a white strip but again it's didn't look right. I looked at a site that did house renovating and saw a wall with a strip so that's how i got my strip on the wall. It was only after i did the black strip that it all came together.

Using LED lights if i have them all on at once i am using only 23w to light the room. That works out at 44hrs of light for only one unit of electricity or about 18 cents.

This is an area i am most proud of but for so long it was hidden by my dinning room table now it looks so good.
I have a tiler who is coming to tile the outside wall after the wall first is insulated.

Didn't sell my wardrobe

I had advertised the wardrobe out of the bedroom that is becoming part of my lounge. The wardrobe was a bug ugly thing and i offered a fair price only to be insulted by the offer i was given. So i cut the wardrobe up because i could make something better from it.

What an ugly piece of junk and i was glad to get rid. But below is a picture of what it may turn out to look like.

I intend to close up the draw so it can't open and have the top so it will open upwards. The base i am sure i can make it look like Chestnut and the table top will be made from Chestnut. I put this in my lounge to give me an idea of what it will look like finished.

Sockets and lights done

The white strip you can see is going to have a grey and a red strip when i finish  the painting. I have varnished the skirting boards ready for when i am happy there is no more painting to do.  Then the next major job is to sand the floor again and varnish it. I will have when i finish 20 sockets in a room the size you can see.

This is the only light on at the moment as i am waiting for the main LED lights to arrive.

I managed to get one length of coving up today before i was called out but you can see how it looks.

Here is where the new TV unit will go and 8 sockets for power. To include land line phone, phone chargers, modem the TV and computer  and lastly there are 2 sockets for the mini LED lights.

I do like the look of these lights

Today i finished the walls and ceiling in the extension to my lounge. The walls now have all the joints filled and skimmed as does the ceiling. All the wiring has been done and tested as the picture shows the mini Led lights to go around the ceiling are on for the picture. In front of the mini led lights will be coving to cover and make good the top of the walls.

In the room will be 20 sockets OK maybe a bit overboard but better to have to many than not enough. Eight sockets are for phone chargers, computer modem, landline supply etc. Before i fit the surround to the windows i am replacing the windows first.

Around the opening i will face everything of with Chestnut now i have found a new supplier.

After the Fire

Today i went to visit a friend in Colmeal on the edge of the recent fires. Thankfully he was away in the UK so he was safe away from it all. I saw a hillside as i drove to his house and i had to stop and take a picture.

The firefighters are truly amazing just look at the picture.

Finally started

Last week i got most of the floor sanded and after waiting i decided to make a start by starting on the outside wall. These outside walls will have insulated plaster board to help keep the house warm in winter.

Most of the floor sanded ready for me to start on the walls.

I am to impatient to wait for my friend Robin to come and help so i started to put the Battens up myself. Plaster board next.