Finding Enough

June started in very positive fashion, with the stonemason we had been waiting on for months finally being available to repair the cracked linted in the newly revealed large fireplace. We finally got the in line extractor installed in the ceiling above the shower room and changed the aged halogen lights for LED spots and there were wildflowers popping up everywhere. Just as we were patting ourselves on the back and working out which order to do all the jobs required to put the ‘rubble’ room back together, the hot water cylinder sprung a leak 🙈

We had not yet worked out the plumbing system in our house, and while it was working, we left it alone. We did get very warm water out of the the cold kitchen tap occasionally, but put this down to the hot and cold pipes being uninsulated and running right next to each other in the narrow trunking between the airing cupboard and kitchen. It took us a very long time to get our heads around the system now we needed to – mainly because it took time to accept that someone had plumbed the main feed from the well into the hot water side of the system. They had. In fact, when the cold water header tank in the loft called for water, it was only able to get into the tank via a shower valve downstairs and back flushing the UV treatment and sediment filter! We also discovered that the main bathroom downstairs (currently stripped out) was connected directly to the feed from the well before the water filtration and UV treatment, which is not ideal.

Mr Wombat did did some research into replacement tanks and discovered that the fact we have soft water, which is slightly acidic, likely contributed to the failure of the copper tank. He also discovered (not surprisingly) that insulation standards on hot water cylinders have increased dramatically since the current tank was produced, so we will have to have a considerably smaller cylinder for it to fit in the same space in the eaves upstairs. I see a new electric shower in our future…….

By the time we had worked all this out, the 5-7 day lead time on a new stainless tank meant that it would arrive just after we left for a repeat house sit / holiday. Fortunately, we have a shepherd’s hut at the end of the garden which previous owners let out as Airbnb type accommodation. We are using is as guest accommodation while the house is a work in progress. Happily, it has an electric shower. It means a walk down the garden in your dressing gown, but it is better than boiling a kettle and getting a flannel out.

As we couldn’t order the new cylinder yet, we focussed on correcting the cold water feed, so that the pipe that comes into the house from the well goes directly up to fill the cold water header tank in the loft. As you can probably imagine, it was much easier to type that than it was to achieve it, but achieve it we did. Just as we were starting to think things were moving in the right direction again, the pump that supplies water to the shepherd’s hut, failed the day before we were due to leave 🤬. We were definitely ready for a break by the time we set off. We truly appreciated the abundance of hot water on demand, several showers and baths to choose from, and the homeowners once again gave us use of their hot tub in the garden.

We had decided not to take any house sits this summer, to make progress on the house project. So when we were asked in October if we would return to the Isle of Man to look after Stanlee and Gracie the miniature Schnauzers, we were conflicted. In the end, we decided that we like the dogs and the owners, and there was still much of the island to explore. It was only a week and we knew we’d enjoy it. If we had known we’d end up being away from home for much of April, with my in-laws and illness taking up most of May, we may have made a different decision. As it was, the ferry was booked and the commitment made. A week away from the frustration of plumbing (Mr Wombat’s least favourite job, as he keeps reminding me), and some distance and perspective were no bad thing, and the weather was beautiful. We spent a sunny afternoon in the garden specifying and ordering a replacement hot water cylinder and water pump to be delivered just after we got home.

The highlight of June had to be not only regular pine marten sightings in the long, light evenings, but one night, 2 kits appeared from the bushes. A week or so later there were suddenly 3! They seem very tolerant of being watched out of the window, just so long as we keep the peanuts coming. We has heard a strange grunty growling coming from under a pile of logs in the woodshed, now the mystery was solved. They must have a den in there.

We added a couple of rungs to the side of the telegraph pole to help the kits reach the feeder after this video was taken. We also leave some peanuts on the log on the ground that they can easily reach as well. We have left apple and a bit of ham out too, but peanuts are definitely the favourite. We recorded the sighting online, and have made contact with the local pine marten group, who are interested in installing a den box in the woodland. We were planning to build one anyway, so that would save us a job. We will need to regain access to the woodshed in the autumn.

While we have been busy with plumbing, holidays and pine martens, the value of the freedom fund has been creeping steadily upwards in June. We are almost back up to February’s record high levels. Just in case anyone is still paying attention after that pine marten video, here are this month’s numbers:

Freedom fund value – £1,345,170 (up 13k on last month)

Expenditure – £4,462.05 (or a 3.94% withdrawal rate) including renovation costs, or £3,245.89 (or a 2.87% withdrawal rate) without renovation costs

Earned income – £0

As anticipated, June was an expensive month. There was a lot of spending in the ‘maintenance’ category with a new hot water cylinder and immersion heater (£207) and a new water pump (£320) as well as A LOT of smaller trips to Screwfix for pipe and fittings, as we slowly simplified and replaced very old and complex pipework. We are still learning when it comes to plumbing, so weren’t that good at anticipating what we would need in advance. We finalised a trip with friends that had originally been planned for May 2020 and spent £363 on flights for later in the year. This pushed up the travel category. The trip to the Isle of Man didn’t cost us much this month, as the ferry was paid for long ago and the accommodation and car charging while we were there were free. We re-taxed the van and had some work done on the brakes (£345 + £96). This last cost means we now have the van back on the road for inpromptu short breaks, but I suspect our time will be pretty full of DIY in the near future. That, and we try to avoid school holidays for trips if we can, and they have just broken up here in Scotland.

In the renovation bill for June, there was the bathroom extractor fan and ducting, a towel radiator and lighting. We also bought the materials to re-roof an outbuilding that has been leaking for some time. Of course that made it immediately rain, so it’s not actually on the roof yet, but it put a £720 dent in the renovation budget. Hopefully July will bring a few consecutive dry days, so we can strip the old roof and leave it to dry for a while, before adding the new.

Once again there was no earned income, but the invoice for the consultancy I did in April is now due, so I’ll need to chase that. I’m not surprised. They agreed to 45 days rather than their standard 90, so I expected it wouldn’t arrive on time without chasing.

We’re now half way through the year, and as usual I’m not quite sure where it’s gone. 2025 has certainly thrown in a few surprises. Its a good thing we’re not on any kind of deadline for getting the renovation work done. While June saw some progress, we are nowhere near where we wanted to be at this point in the year. I suppose on the positive side, we are better at plumbing than we were a month ago! We also have a much better handle on how the plumbing system works, which will help when it comes to fitting the new bathroom. Another thing we have never done before and will learn as we go. Thank goodness for Youtube.

What about my non-financial goals? Well, that’s another story of some progress, but not quite being where I wanted to be.

Reduce plastic waste by making one change every month – just a small win this month, as I took my Ecover washing liquid bottle to be refilled. The nearest refill supplier is 30mins away, but as I was heading there anyway (its also where our nearest Screwfix is), I made the effort to save a plastic bottle. I suppose if everyone did the same it would make a noticeable difference, so I’ll try to do my part again next time we run out.

Do something creative every month – This is where I have made the least progress. It is difficult to make the time for a hobby, when there is so much to do on the house. Especially when there is no hot water. I’m booked up for a slightly alternative creative day out in August, so that’s something to look forward to.

Record the birds and mammals spotted around the house each month – June saw the inauguration of a new hard back book to keep all our sightings in one place. It was a bumper month! As I write this at the beginning of July, we haven’t heard the cuckoo for 2 or 3 weeks, so we have definitely moved from spring to summer. There have been a large number of fledglings about, but we haven’t seen any baby wrens this year. This is a big difference from last year, when every dry stone wall seemed to be alive with them.

We saw our first adder of the year basking in the sunshine. It was a fairly small female (a bit red/browner than the paler male) and actually in the garden this time. We are having to make sure we look where we step at this time of year. That said, they are pretty easy to spot on the mown paths, and we try not to venture off those too much anyway, so as not to disturb the various other wildlife in the uncut areas. Our bees went for a bit of a holiday when the beekeeper receive a too-good-to-pass-up offer to locate some hives on several hectares of field beans. They will be back at some point, hopefully before the rosebay willowherb gets going. We have a lot of it and apparently it is one of the biggest nectar flows for honeybees in peak season.

Other June photos include a few from the Isle of Man and our canine companions for the week, a wild swimming adventure with a group of local ladies to the Isle of Cumbrae (and the Millport crocodile), and an apiary visit. As always there’s a bit of local wildlife and garden produce thrown in for good measure. Then there was the young nuthatch I pulled out of the gutter having heard a bang on the conservatory roof, followed by the sound of something slowly rolling down. I thought it was terminal until I reached in and felt tiny claws around my fingers. After a few stunned minutes on my hand I was able to persuade it onto a sheltered branch and it soon departed to fly another day……in case you’re wondering about the gloves – I was up a ladder painting the ceiling around the new extractor vent at the time.