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Progress...

The ceiling has been removed throughout the entire top floor of the house, leaving behind the usually hidden beams, wires and whirlybirds. And the arch has been demolished as well. Fare thee well arch!

Test patches of paint colours are dabbed here and there. Choosing paint colours is more difficult than I remember...

The bathroom has been gutted, in preparation for asbestos removal. It is likely that as well as the bathroom, the eaves, shed, laundry walls and hardiplank cladding on the outside of the upper level all contain asbestos, which will all be removed. It is legal in Australia to remove it yourself, but for safety reasons we will be hiring an A grade licensed asbestos demolition company. There is a really informative article on asbestos in Australia here. It is an added expense and a pain, but at the end of the day we want our house to be asbestos free.

And a note for anyone thinking of renovating or buying an older house, any house pre-1990 could contain asbestos. Any board or cladding could contain asbestos. Breathing in the tiny asbestos dust particles when drilling, sanding or removing the board could lead to long term health problems like lung cancer. Building inspections carried out during the purchasing process do not report on asbestos. Only a licenced asbestos demolition company will be able to identify asbestos and remove and dispose of it safely. 

I shall report back next Monday on the ongoing progress.