May 2026

3. May

“Everything is new in May,” as the old saying goes. In short, the electrician managed to install the new ceiling spotlights in the bathroom and get the fan up and running. Once again, there were surprises (why break with tradition?)—there were four light switches next to the door, all wired only with black cables (no blue, brown, or green), but the outlets and ceiling outlets had different colors. The fan wasn’t connected to anything. A junction box? Nope. "Somewhere" it’s hidden behind a wall, covered in plaster. Drilling through and searching turned up nothing. No chance of figuring it out, so another mystery. New cables, and now there’s a double switch for the light and the fan. Perfect.

I started installing the kitchen in the apartment on Sunday the 2nd, and it’s really starting to take shape. It’s not quite finished yet, since the plumbing company is having trouble getting the water and drain connections into the drywall. But as soon as that’s done, the kitchen will be ready to use. The refrigerator is next to the sink, and on the left side, you can set up a double stove top if needed—it’s stored in the cabinet.

And here's the first look at the new kitchen, seen from the window side:

6. May

Today I finally did what I’d been planning to do for a long time: tear down that pointless fence that was blocking the path from the apartment to the garden. The wooden posts were rotten anyway—but—they were set in conical concrete bases about 70 cm deep (the groundwater starts at 30 cm) or in self-build bases. That was a real challenge because the soil didn’t want to give way (it resisted with loud sucking noises). But in the end, it worked out.

The new trim pieces on the stairs are still missing, but it already looks much more open:

7. and 8. May

Work continues in the bathroom—the walls are being plastered, and the shower enclosure is being installed. It looks like we might actually finish before the end of the century.

At the same time, my sister and I attached the replacement posts to the railing and gave them a coat of primer:

9. May

And while we're at it, we're also replacing the dangerous apartment terrace. But first, we need to remove the old flooring:

10. May

Today was all about sawing: I cut the old fence, the posts, and the deck boards into manageable pieces. Now I’m faced with the small challenge of figuring out how to get it all to the dump.

I stopped by Farsø briefly and bought some black paint. Now the railing looks uniform again:

But to me, that’s just a temporary solution. First, I don’t like the railing; second, it’s not very well constructed; and third, it’s not safe for children. I’m going to get quotes for a metal railing.

11. May

plan plan plan..

12. May

The first step toward restoring the gravel area has been taken—I dug up the metal frames. I gave them to Brian, who, in return, hauled away the scrap wood from the deck. Now it looks like we have our own graves on the property.

13. May

Today it was time to work on the witch's kitchen. My sister Iris helped me cut the board (it had fallen on me from the truck yesterday—ouch). And: done.

14. May

Kitchen base cabinets painted in a uniform color

15. May

It’s really surprising how much dust and fly eggs can accumulate on a stone wall. Since this is going to be our bedroom, Lilo and I decided to just tear down the wall.

It's out there now—ready to be picked up (there it was again, my problem)

Just a quick note: Good tools are half the battle—the cordless hammer drill is simply fantastic.

16. May

The day was all about plastering. First applying the plaster, then finishing it off. But the wall turned out pretty well (not 100% perfect)—it’s my first wall in almost 45 years. I had a great teacher, though—thanks, Willi:

17. May

I'm not doing anything today—except taking it easy on my aching back. It's not 25 anymore, even if my mind refuses to admit it.

18. May

The bathroom has been primed—and—the water filter is hooked up! Finally, softer water and no more limescale on the faucets.

19. May

The wood for the apartment terrace arrived a day earlier than planned—it smells so good in the garage. I’ll be building it with Iris next week. I’ll be helping her with her terrace.

And—I've started painting the wall. First, the recesses where the roller can't reach...

20. May

So, the wall is all painted, I've put up a new baseboard and painted it. Now I'm just watching it dry!

21. May

I sanded and oiled the last two floors. Finally done...

And... The bathroom has been painted. The flooring isn't tile, but microcement. The rest will be painted white. It's much easier to clean because it's a smooth, uniform surface. Now all that's left is for the painter, the plumber, and the electrician to finish up.

22. May

Once again, I realized that good tools... are something I don't have. The grass has grown 23 cm in two weeks, and there's an explosion of plants everywhere. Help! I need a tractor.

I started clearing the paths with a trowel.

23. - 29. May

It was a busy week at work. A thousand things, big and small, and decisions to make. We’re making progress!

First of all, the forecourt isn’t a hole anymore, and we even got a cover for the water from the Ranum municipality. It looks good:

I've started remodeling the walk-in closet—I had to remove the sliding door, which allowed me to push the cabinets almost 17 cm closer to the wall—so now there's room for even more cabinets.

Then there was the really big decision—should we remove the flooring in the dining and living areas or not? It’s better to do so, since we’ll save money with a heat pump and underfloor heating. The floor had already sunk a bit in some places anyway. The shock came when we opened it all up—what we had under our feet would certainly have collapsed within the next 1–2 years. The entire subfloor was rotten—including the insulation. I just pictured Lilo and me sitting in front of the warm stove and then falling 45 cm into the hole. Best decision—it just costs a lot again.

Here’s a glimpse without further comment:

A find:

Preparations for the reconstruction have already begun:

The material for the new insulation has been delivered and is scattered all over the yard:

And the bathroom has been completely whitewashed—all that's left is the plumbing:

At the same time, I started rebuilding the apartment's terrace piece by piece. First, the substructure

Iris and I sealed the boards for the base with epoxy resin—that way, they're better protected against moisture. That was your idea—great.

And last but not least, tighten the screws, level the unit, and paint the shadow gap black:

30. May

Today, Iris and I installed the deck. We started at 11:00 a.m. and finished at 7:47 p.m. Thousands of drill holes and screws later.

31. May

Just need to weatherproof the deck with primer and oil. Done by May—deck finished.