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07/05/2026

Another week, another load of hard graft done 🔨💪

The roof is now fully on and sealed up 👌
Soffits and fascias are fitted and looking smart, and the boys got the downlights installed in the soffits which finish it off nicely.

The lad also had a go with the router and put a really nice edge on the shelf under the dart board — came out spot on 👌

We picture framed the dart board area using some leftover timber from the shuttering, and I ordered a new surround which goes perfectly with the light surround the lad 3D printed 🔥

We also glued on the wine corks we’ve collected over the years around the surround… although it turns out I clearly don’t drink enough wine because we’ve ran out and need more 🍷🤣

I bought a few whiteboards for the mancave as well… which the Mrs obviously absolutely loves 😅

The old fridge finally gave up grafting, so I replaced it with a new one:
£480 down to £280 including delivery 👀
Cheers Indesit 🙌

I’ve also built some timber doors to go over one of the windows, as there’ll eventually be a TV mounted there facing out towards the outdoor seating area.

Outside is coming together nicely now too:

- Reclaimed Yorkshire stone all laid and grouted
- The old rough wall has been covered with composite fencing
- Framework is up for the canopy
- Opal roofing has now been ordered

And the cinema chairs… 😃
The uncomfortable sofa bed has officially been launched out, and the cinema seats are now wrapped in a red leather and looking class.

And finally… after what felt like forever, I managed to get hold of the cladding company and they’re delivering the remaining bits on Saturday 🙌🙌🙌

Slowly but surely it’s turning into exactly what I had pictured in my head all those years ago 🍻

25/04/2026

Well… today’s the day. The lad turns 18 🎉

We’ve been pushing hard to get the mancave finished in time for a proper shindig—and we got there.

All electrics are in and I’m really happy with how it’s turned out.
Industrial-style light over the pool table on dimmers, 14 downlights (also on dimmers), and LED lighting on the bar and dartboard—sets the place off nicely 👌

Picked up some absolute bargains on FB Marketplace again… Beerwulf sub and PerfectDraft for £200 and I’ve got to say, I’m impressed—proper pints at home now 🍺
Bar’s stocked, shelves filled, and a big mirror in for the gym area.

The boy even sorted the dartboard setup with a custom surround—nice little touch 🎯

Pool table (another FBMP find) plays spot on, leather sofa bed in, and a solid oak table to finish the seating area.

Upgraded the tech as well—new TV, amp, and ceiling speakers… sounds quality.
Ran a CAT6 and added a router so WiFi is solid too.

Even got a couple of Melody’s guitars mounted up with an amp on the wall—she can just flick a switch and play 🎸

Overall, buzzing with how it’s turned out.
A lot of hard graft—but 100% worth it.

15/04/2026

Another few long days on this one… and me and the lad have been absolutely knocking it out the park 💪

I’ll admit — I’ve been that busy I keep forgetting to take photos of the progress .

Nothing much has moved on externally but everything inside has been falling into place.

I was back and forth on whether to go plasterboard finish inside or try something different…
Ended up finding a local mill doing panelling to order, so bit the bullet and went for a timber pine finish. Plan is to clear matt varnish it — should look class when it’s all done and I love the fresh wood smell.

Ceiling’s been drylined and I threw a coat of magnolia on as a base…
Liked it that much it ended up staying magnolia with a dew extra coats.

The Mrs chose the flooring which is now down and looking spot on. She got good taste.😃

And it’s a good job I live with Tyne and Wear’s second strongest woman 💪🤣

The running machine and weights are now all shifted from the office into the mancave — and it’s finally starting to look exactly how I’ve had it planned in my head for years.

Tomorrow though… tools down.
Off away for a well-earned weekend with the lads 🍻

Then it’s back to it next week for the final push…
All in time for the boy’s big 18th 🎉

11/04/2026

Another busy week and some serious progress made

We’ve now got the roof on but not quite watertight yet. Facias, soffit and drainpipe to do but progressing.
Went for a warm roof build-up:

22mm OSB

75mm PIR (Kingspan)

11mm OSB

Rubber roof finish

Inside is now fully insulated — 60mm PIR in the walls and floor, all sealed up tight.

The penine conservatory i bought years ago has been dusted off and the windows have been installed, cleaned, and looking spot on, although I’ve managed to misplace the blind clips 🙄
£25 for 10 replacements… painful 🤢

All first fix electrics are complete too — sockets everywhere (no extension leads in this place 😅).

One thing I’ll say… going full throttle on this when I saw material prices creeping up was the right call.

PIR boards already up around 15%

Cladding going up another 7% Monday

Glad I’ve got most of the big materials on site now (minus a few bits missing from delivery… standard!).

Next up:

Ceiling going in tomorrow

Then onto the Karndean flooring I picked up today

Plus a few Facebook Marketplace bargains I’ll show once they’re in 👀

The big question is…
Can I get this finished for the lad’s 18th in 2 weeks? 😬

Small issue… I’m away next weekend with the lads for a bit of chaos in 🇲🇩🍻

Let’s see what happens…

08/04/2026

Today I’ll mostly be baking in the sun ☀️ 🍅

Plan of attack is getting the roof insulation on before the weather inevitably turns again… because let’s be honest, it will 🌧️

It’s been full-on with this project lately — non-stop from morning till night — but we’re making serious progress now.

Once I get this roof watertight, I can finally take a step back and start tackling the ever-growing admin pile that’s been building up in the background 😬

For now though… it’s tools out, head down, and make the most of the dry weather while it lasts 💪

05/04/2026

Well… the great British weather has definitely had its say this week 🌧️💨

I could really do with a couple of dry days and no gale-force winds to get the roof sorted, but it’s been a constant battle with materials getting battered all over the garden.

I managed to get the rafters on, but had to put the roof on hold — so I cracked on with insulating the walls and running the electrics instead.

All was going well… until I realised the rafters weren’t fixed quite right 😬
So it was a case of stripping back the top insulation and calling in the SME… Big Andy 🙌

He got the rafters sorted properly and even popped the first few sheets of OSB on — and it’s already looking sharp 👌

Massive shoutout as well to friends and family who’ve jumped in to help:

Foaming insulation gaps

Running cables

Taping seams

Cleaning frames

Making brews😃

Makes a huge difference having good people around you 💪

I’ve been going flat out from dawn till dusk, and I won’t lie — it’s starting to take its toll…
Back’s sore, hamstrings are tight, hands are in bits… but it’ll all be worth it in the end.

Today though — tools down.
Time for a bit of rest, a few social drinks, and to recharge 🍻

Back on it soon.

28/03/2026

A solid week all round with a bit of everything going on…

Great news to start — we exchanged contracts on Friday for a property we fully renovated last year 👌 Always a good feeling seeing a project through from start to finish and getting it over the line.

That did mean a bit of a last-minute push getting everything emptied and ready for handover, but we got there 💪

On the tools, we’ve been busy with what’s pretty much been a full rewire this week — all gone smoothly and coming together nicely.

Behind the scenes, I’ve also been sourcing materials for the man cave build (a lot of Facebook Marketplace bargains and online deals being snapped up 👀).

And it definitely helps having great neighbours… especially when one of them is a master joiner! Between us we’ve:

Got the full frame up

Sheeted it in OSB

Installed the window frames

Now it’s all set and ready for the roof going on next.

Really happy with how this one is shaping up… and I’ll say it again — it’s massive 🤣

More updates to follow.

21/03/2026

I’ve been keeping myself busy lately whilst still pushing ahead with the man cave build 👊

This project has definitely been a challenge to say the least…

Access to the rear of the property is limited to Tuesdays and weekends due to it being part of a dental practice car park — and it’s tight for space as well. Just as things were moving, what looks like a collapsed drain in the back lane brought everything to a halt.

I had no choice but to look at getting concrete pumped in.

The first few companies were quoting around £1,000 just for the pump and another £500 for the concrete 😫
Luckily, one lad got back in touch and pointed me towards Ezimix Concrete, who had their own small pump setup — supplied and pumped for £1,000 all in 💪

🧱 Progress So Far

Most of the reclaimed Yorkshire stone slabs are now down
(not calibrated, all different sizes — so each one has been individually bedded on mortar)

Installed 3m posts ready for a snug/seating area down the side

The garden’s already being put to good use:

Basketball hoop up 🏀

Artificial grass down for a bit of golf ⛳

Pool table area taking shape 🎱

It’s safe to say… the garden is starting to look more like a leisure centre than a building site 😂

⚡ Other Jobs In Between

Been grafting on a few jobs alongside this:

Kitchen rewire

New consumer unit installation

Full bathroom install over in Catterick

Slowly but surely getting there 👌
As always — appreciate everyone following the journey!

03/03/2026

I couldn't have picked a nicer day to move 14ton of recycled brick 💪 🌞. Tomorrow I'll be setting the shuttering and levelling.

01/03/2026

Thats a happy new tenant got the keys to her new flat on friday. And the new front door is looking great. We had to pull the flags up and relay them as they had been based on a mix of mud and sand. They are now cemented in. Onto the next project 😁

Address

Manor Park
Washington
NE372BS

Website

http://exforcespropertyservices.co.uk/

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