Dead tired.
Received blueprints today.
Spent HOURS pouring over every detail.
Pulled out the ruler and colored pencils and post-it tabs.
Moved walls.
Moved stairs.
Re-did bathrooms.
Changed roof lines.
Added windows.
Removed windows.
Added cabinets.
Enlarged doors.
Exhausted.
Ahhhhh.... Success.
Modifications
Clearing the Woods
The bulldozer came on Friday, and knocked down a path for a driveway. The days following have been filled with cutting trees and burning brush. Between Jim and Tim, all the trees for the driveway are cut and hauled out. (Captions are on top of each pic)
The orange paint indicates the southern boundary of the driveway.
Tim on the tractor with the bush hog getting rid of the smaller growth.
This is a 'before' picture of the area where the garage and driveway circle will be located.
The bulldozer!
The start of a driveway! Yay!
Lots of trees to push over and/or cut down!
A nice, long, windy driveway through the woods- perfect!
We have LOTS of vines to get rid of. Not good. Some of the trees have really been strangled. We have a whole project in and of itself just de-vining and cleaning up the land to get the trees healthy.
The bulldozer just knocked down some trees and left them in the path for us to haul out.
One of the half-way 'after' pictures of where the driveway will come up and meet with the garage.
And just because every good job site needs a super in a chair...
Burning the brush with the Elmo potty in the background. Don't leave home without the potty.
Gigi loves playing in any dirt she can find. We chopped, cut, and burned, and she dug holes.
Two hard workers taking a break!
And clearly having too much fun!
All the cutting that took place over the past couple days. The stumps are left so the bulldozer and come and push them out. We'll haul them away afterwards.
The 'Dozer Guy
The 'dozer guy (the guy with the Bulldozer and other heavy equipment) came today for the first time, and the guys scoped out the driveway. We went and painted orange stripes on trees that will be removed for the driveway. Tim took the bush hog up and started clearing out areas at the top of the driveway where it's mostly scrub. It actually looks good- the makings of a real clearing.
Tomorrow (and quite a few 'tomorrows' after that) Jim and Tim will be spending the day cutting down trees and hauling them out. Exciting stuff.
Snakes
We went over to the Ridge on Sunday, and what did we find? Not one, but TWO snakes living on OUR property! I kindly (while swallowing screams) gave them their eviction notice. If they are not gone in 7 days time (it's not as if they have much to pack up and move so I figured 7 days was fairly generous), we will have to resort to more drastic measures.
Floor Plan Off to the Architect
We signed a contract today and sent the floor plan off to the architect! Oh yeah, and cut our first big check. Can't forget about that part!
Tentative timeline from here:
- 4 weeks to get construction plans finalized (end of May)
- 2 weeks to pull permits
- Push the GO button and start the site work (middle of June)
- 4 month building process
- Move in! (middle of October)
Now that this part is mostly over, I can honestly say I had no idea it would take this long. Our first thought was to take a stock plan and modify it to make it "custom." We started the search in mid-January thinking we had plenty of time to be ready by April. After viewing thousands of plans, we just didn't find anything we really and truly liked that fit our needs, goals, and family living styles. After that we started designing our own. Back and forth, forth and back. We had to keep downsizing, and keep modifying. I lost track of how many times we went back and forth with Melody- who has the patience of a saint!
I look back over the last several posts, and just have to laugh. The plan that we liked initially several posts ago is so long gone, I barely remember it! Basically it was just too big. I know some day this whole phase will be just a fuzzy memory. However, note to self: Jen, if you ever need to build a house again, plan at least 6 months for the planning and architecture phase!
Hallelujah!
We may have a floor plan! We've been working with our fabulous designer Melody since February, and have yet to come up with a plan all four of us (her husband Mike is the builder/GC) are comfortable with. It's not about what they can do, it's about what we can afford! We want a castle on a carpenter's budget. Alas, since our beautiful black locust trees only grow thorns and not money, we have bit by bit been giving up the dream of the castle. We finally forewent the moat and drawbridge this weekend, and Melody's response was this:
"I really like it! After Mike looks it and we get his comments we should get it ready to send off to the architect. I think the size is close enough now to start pricing."
Woo hoo! Happy dances all around. We might just be getting there! Whoever thought that designing a castle would take so long?
We're Land Owners!
We officially own property once again! It's a very nice feeling. The three of us hopped on the 4-wheeler to celebrate as a family- our first time being on OUR land.
Spring is starting to... well... spring, and I thought it only fair to document that the first plant to start budding, is one of the very plants for which our place is named. The wild rose.
I love the looks of the apple trees on the property too. I can't wait to start pulling the vines from them- but not until after Apple Blossom time!
We've been going back and forth with Melody on the design. I imagine we will continue to go back and forth for awhile. It seems to be a never ending cycle of making concession after concession to get us down to what we are choosing to afford. And while the real estate market is down, home building prices are not. We'll get there.
