The Wendy House: an (unfinished) melodrama in umpteen acts

I know the Sagrada and the Stephansdom have taken years to arise from earth to sky ...

But we only wanted a little sleepout cum garage. A Wendy House. For the cars, the cats and the occasional visitors.

We signed the papers and paid a lot of money in February 2023. Hopefully the thing would be ready by the time Easter's guests arrived...  Well, Easter is now approaching ... but it's Easter 2024. There have been lots more bits of money demanded, huge frustrations, a good bit of incompetency and unjustified greed from the authorities, but once the team of workers hired by Versatile finally got into action things moved ...

Today Jesse is digging the trench for the sewerage and stormwater

And Bill, the champion painter is finishing the sleepout indoor decoration. We 'found' Bill at New World Supermarket when he parked alongside us ... best thing a supermarket ever did for us!

Then it's the shower, the tiles, the lavatory and hot water tank ...  oh no, we're not quite there yet! This year's Easter visitor will have to sleep on the couch in my dressing room. Which won't please Tibby ...

Well, here is the history of a build.

Begun 11 December, thanks to huge delays caused by Waimak Council pussyfooting round their self-invented 'rules' for weeks and months on end, and then Rain. And more rain. And the months dwindled on ... until finally

And then, of course, it was Christmas. You know, that theoretically religious festival where no one works. Oh, and it rained again.

Next stage: January. The Council decrees that we need to have an extra-large concrete slab. I'm sure the cats and the cars will appreciate it .. but why? What Bulgarian decreed that?

Concrete.

Smooth concrete

Hang on, that slab is sticking up way above ground level. It appears that the Demon Council says it has to. Bah! Why? None of the other buildings on the property stands on a man-made slab like that. Oh well, I sha'n't be able to drive or even step up to that level. Extra expense for stairs, handrails ... no, not for the cats, for me. My car will have to go back into the old, condemned garage. And another 5-figure bill hits me in the jaw .. and 1 February, all I've got to show, so far, is this for my six figure sum ..

And a week later .. here comes the building. Posted in a little package from Auckland. 

And then came Brendan, and thing really started to move ...

So, on the first anniverary of our signature, we had a very neat looking building. Or, should I say, shell...

With a sweet view ...

And now we start the next stage. Bathroom fittings, electricity, water, sewerage ...

But before Bill leaves us, we have got him to put up the sign ...

Who's coming tomorrow? A shower? OK ... but we hav'n't water yet. Or do we?

Hours later. I've just been hit with another bill from the council for  'services'. $5k.  

My next will have a carefully documented break-down of what this sleepout cum garage has cost us. I suspect ten of thousands over the original quote ... which I was told, at the time, would not be exceeded ..

Addendum: Good Friday: We have a hot water cylinder ...

We have a shower ...

And I spy the kittens preparing to move in already!