There is certainly something magical about crisp, clean snow. Returning to the house this weekend we found a winter wonderland awaiting us, with sparkling ice crystals covering even the most mundane of objects, such as our suddenly very bling skip.

The magic had even infused the inside of the house, with friendly sprites having cracked on with insulating and boarding several rooms without us having to lift a finger. Bliss.

We were particularly relieved to observe the impressive curves the contractors have managed to leave in the walls, cutting the boards small to help contour the surfaces. Of course some places will be smoother than before but there’s still plenty of character remaining.

Amazingly, the contractors weren’t our only extra pairs of hands this weekend, with Chris’s friend Jay returning to lend a hand once more. Unfortunately for him he got paired with me, working out the giant jigsaw that was the ceiling, while Chris cracked on with the remaining electrics.

There was some reward for all this hard work, with there being no more perfect day for a lunch time dog walk.

Towards the end of the day the cavalry arrived, with my brother Luke and my sister Anna appearing to lend a hand. They got to work denailing the remaining woodpile, ready to be reused in and around the house. Though adding some work in the short -term, such thrifty recycling is saving us a small fortune in buying new wood.

On the Sunday, Luke and Anna were dragged back for more work, while Jay was let off for good behaviour. Having celebrated the dismantling of the scaffolding a few weeks before, Chris and Luke were forced to rebuild a tower in order to inspect the chimney. A slight damp wall below has made us aware that the lead around the chimney still has a slight leak.

Myself and Anna meanwhile cracked on with the ceiling. Somehow we came aground on several attempts, unable to find the rafters below with our screws. Nothing a bit of filler can’t fix though.

With the chimney inspected Luke and Chris went back to electrics, laying the complex lighting cables across the house.

Wanting a change of pace we then attempted to break up the concrete floor in the kitchen/diner. While we did make some progress with the pickaxe, Luke particularly having an impressive swing, it was decided a more heavy-duty machine might save some aching bones on another occasion.

Finally, myself and Anna began to put up the batons on the beams in the kitchen/diner, ready for the new ceiling to go in.

Phew – it’s amazing what a few volunteers and a couple of paid contractors can do to move a project along. With our next weekend assigned to sorting out our current house ready to go on the market, we should see even more magical transformations next time we return. It feels almost lazy. But I can live with that.