So near, yet so far

When we started the kitchen extension at the end of March, we knew it was going to be a lengthy process. The main reason being that John was building and fitting the cabinets himself, and he only had weekends to do it.

The first thing that had to be done was to change around the window and the door, as the extension was previously the spare bedroom, but now we needed access from the extended kitchen to the rear patio.

The next thing was to knock down the dividing wall. First, we had to get a Permiso de Obras, a permit to do the work, which included permission to have a skip for the rubbish. However, a €100 retainer was kept by the ayuntamiento (the town hall), which would be returned once the skip company stamped the appropriate form to say we had disposed of our rubble correctly.

Then we went to the Tile Graveyard, oh okay, that's not its real name, but it is what all the expats call it. It is a place with piles and piles of out-of-stock tiles where, if you are lucky, you will find a match to your own tiles. The directions to it are so funny too …

‘Turn right at suicide corner, and its just past the English shop, where the owner doesn't speak English.’

We were lucky, we needed to put some tiles down where the wall was removed, and though they needed a bit of trimming, the match was all but perfect.

Then it was time to order the kitchen, which we did from a company called Leroy Merlin. They sell all sorts of domestic appliances and are a general hardware and DIY shop.

So, the day came when the kitchen arrived, on three pallets, lots and lots of boxes. Our first thing was to sort, base cabinets, top cabinets, doors and panels so we could check if anything were missing. Miraculously, nothing was.

Now came the exciting bit, Join Part A to Part B using screws C. Well, you get the idea!

It would all have been a quite simple process, if our walls were straight, which none were. The walls were old and there was not a 90-degree corner, nor was there a perpendicular straight wall either.

So, John had great fun fitting all the units together and then trying to secure them to the wall. Eventually though, he achieved it, and the kitchen was in. The temporary kitchen, which had in fact been the dining table with the air fryer, the bread maker, the microwave and the slow cooker all set up in a row, was disbanded.

Using spare panels and shelves, John made temporary worktops, while we are waiting for the worktop to be made, and for them to come and fit it. Then it will be time to fit the sink and locate the hob, and then, finally …drum roll please… the kitchen will be finished!

So now you see, while I sit here and wait for a fitting date for the worktops, we are so near, yet so far away from the complete kitchen.

Do you have any stories of DIY jobs you have done, if so, please share.