Shaky start to building kitchen

Thursday 8^th March

Another cool , bright and very windy day. Again, winds forecast to get to 100 km per hour in Andalucia. After breakfast, I went to phone the Solicitor again, as she had failed to exchange contracts yesterday as planned. As we thought, they hang on to the interest when there is a delay in completion, which is now planned for Monday 12^th.

After I returned, I started to update the blog which is about 10 days behind….I even had a comment from T asking where the blog was. We had agreed we would go to Fuengirola later in the afternoon to post the first instalment.

After J had done her gardening, there was little she could do, so she started making the kitchen, starting with the partially made drawer unit. I joined her, and together we started to put on the drawers and doors.

We ran out of screws quite early and went to several cheap shops and a ferreteria, but without success, and would have to go back to Beltran to get proper kitchen screws, but it was approaching 2 pm, so we had lunch. Later, I caught up with first week of blog and pics ready to post, but it was well past 4 pm, so we decided to postpone and concentrate on kitchen.

Drove over to Beltran with a bag full of bits to query which bits went where, get more screws, and to change the handles, and query how to fix some long screws, as no tool had been provided. The chap was very helpful as usual, and changed the handles and sold us a special attachment for the drill to fix long screws, more screws, how to affix legs and how to hang the wall cupboard.

We then went to the ferreteria to take back the Chinese lantern…..the boy laughed as we entered, probably knowing that we would bring it back at sometime. They were happy to refund, but we bought goods to the equivalent price of 21 euro inc and expensive hammer J did not approve of…..essential for kitchen builders !!

Back home with our new knowledge and toys, and started putting the handles on drawers and doors. J devised a novel way of fixing the handles in the exact place by “painting” cleaning fluid on the handle screw holes and then placing the handle on the front of the drawer or door, “imprinting” the exact position of where the holes needed to be drilled. The first drawer was perfect, but the second was more difficult, and the drill broke, with hole slightly out of position. Managed to drill holes bigger in end to make fit ! The drill bit was excellent, although a bit fierce, as only fast speed on drill. We finished about 6.30 having finished the drawer unit and partially finished the wall unit, leaving 2 more tomorrow.

We had a glass of wine on the porch before going out to check e mails and eat. I had an E mail from Solicitor confirming exchange of contracts on the house, so it was now legally binding, and end of uncertainty.