Getting Started...

We're about a month away from the start of our renovations, but it's been an interesting few months just getting to this point.

The hardest part was deciding what exactly we wanted to do. We knew when we bought the house last November that the foundation would be our first priority. Our house was built in the late 19th century, and we think it's still resting on the original sills and piles of rocks that the Railway Brakeman himself slept on!

So our first decision was whether to dig a crawlspace, partial basement, or full basement. In reviewing the survey on file, it was clear that our house was sitting over our property line. We talked to a number of knowledgeable folks in construction and determined that moving the house to a new location on our lot would give us a great yard, and maximum privacy from the busy walking trail that runs the length of our lot and driveway.

We had our plan: remove the porch (rotting and unsound) to facilitate the jacking up of the house. Turn the house 90 degrees. Dig an 8-foot basement in the South corner of the lot. Bring the house over to the new foundation, lower and voila!

On the recommendation of Jon's good buddy Adrian Pembridge, we contacted Tim Larlee to help with the foundation, and Brent McLaughlin to handle the complicated jacking, turning and moving manoever. We also engaged Mike O'Regan to excavate the two trees that needed to go, to replace any floor joists that need replacing, to handle the siding removal and replacement, to provide the crushed rock and to serve as General Contractor with the other parties, using his expertise to secure our building permit and keep this project to our timelines.

We've estimated that this project will take roughly two months, starting as soon as possible in May, and with any luck, ending by mid-July. Stay tuned as we take pictures and memorialize every step of this ambitious project!