Saturday, January 28, 2017

House Plans and Progress


We've had an exciting week... construction started on our new house!  It really just looks like a lot of dirt moved at this point, but nevertheless, so exciting and it's starting to feel very real!  I thought it'd be a good chance for me to share our house plans and to post some of our progress photos.  

Some of you asked where we are living in the meantime.  My husband's parents graciously let us move into their basement and even cleared out a huge section of their basement storage to store all of our belongings.  It's very cozy and spacious down there and we really appreciate our temporary home.  Justus is about five miles from work right now, but now we're also about 30 miles from our "home".  So every Friday we head to my parents house, where we spend the entire weekend.  This way both set of parents get a break from us.  ;-)  Ha!  

The photo above is the house plan we chose!  I always thought given the opportunity to build a new house, I would want to choose a farmhouse plan.  But after spending hours and days looking at house plans, we never could find a farmhouse plan with the floor plan we were looking for.  Justus actually found this bungalow craftsman house plan, and we both knew this was it.  We love the open floor plan, the use of square footage, and it just felt like "us".  

The exterior will look a bit different than the picture above in the use of materials.  The sides of the house and the back will be brick, and the front of the house (porch) and dormers will be 4" hardi lap siding (painted a creamy white, of course!).  We have a few other minor changes we are making... but hopefully the end result will be as charming as this rendition!  :-)  All the decisions make me nervous!


 One of my favorite side elevations is this side, with its chimney, side porch and dormer.  This side will face the pasture and we will enjoy its view from the kitchen, dining and living room.


 The first floor plan above... we have made some minor changes (like extending the great room wall out), but for the most part it will look as pictured. 

 

 And the second floor plan.  The rec room will be framed, but we will finish the rest ourselves.  Again, just a few minor changes (such as a tub/shower combo in the bathroom).   


 Friday the footers were dug!  So exciting for all four of us to see the first bit of progress.  Although our temporary living situation has been going well, we all miss having a home of our own.  The transition has been a little hard for our girls, so I was particularly anxious for them to see where their new home would be.  :-)  As you can see in the photo above, the main reason we moved was so that we could have all this space for our family!  We are so looking forward to having a spacious yard and being a good distance from the road.


The concrete for the footers will be poured this next week.  


The girls had a blast playing in all the holes.  :-)


This week we also got power to our lot!  The temporary pole is in, and eventually will be underground to the house.


Although we hired a general contractor, one of the jobs we (or my dad and Justus) did ourselves is bringing water to the lot.  As you can see, this was a huge undertaking and was made all the more difficult by all the rock they encountered.  But today water is officially to the lot!  


 And "all" (haha) that's left is back filling the trench.  Just a little rock!  ;-)



Huck also misses his home, but he's adapted so well and enjoys seeing his friend Belle on the weekends at the farm.  :-)  

Hope you are having a great weekend!


30 comments:

  1. So exciting!! Can't wait to see all your great ideas! Plan looks perfect!
    Patty

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  2. this is so exciting ! can't wait to follow your house building journey. are you far from where you use to live?

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    1. Thank you, sweet friend! No, not far at all... only about two miles. ;-)

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  3. Thanks for giving us a glimpse of your progress and I am excited to follow you in this exciting journey! We've never built our own, only done lots of renovations. I always think starting from nothing would make me nervous too :) But I love your house and floor plan.

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    1. Thank you so much! I always thought all the decisions would be so easy to make, but so far, I haven't made it very far! ;-D

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  4. It's obvious that they don't call this state Rocky Top for nothing! ;)
    I admire your bravery, we have plans for what was is our dream farmhouse that we had an architect draw up back in 2005 and even thought maybe we would build it last year since homes in our target area were so challenging to find. But the thought of running water, electricity, finding a lot with the land perked for the size house etc etc was too daunting for us. Luckily we found our current home but are hanging onto that box of plans because you never know! :)

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    1. So true - you just never know what the future holds! :-) Sounds like some beautiful plans. Yes, it has definitely been quite the process... getting to the building point has involved so many steps I never would have thought of!

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  5. Love your new house plan! It's an adorable house with a great layout. Congratulations!

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    1. Thank you so much, Jennifer! So nice to hear from you! :-)

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  6. I love William Poole designs! A great NC architect. We have been pouring over house plans too, seeking the perfect plan for our downsized home. Love your plan. Looking forward to the progress.

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    1. Thank you, Shirley! They do have such beautiful designs. I am sure you will find the perfect plan. :-)

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  7. How exciting! I am so happy for you and that is a really great plan! I know it will be perfect for you and your family. Can't wait to watch the progress. xo Diana

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  8. I'm so excited for you. What an exciting adventure for your family. I know your new home will be beautiful. I can't wait to follow along on your blog. ~Hillary

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  9. I've grown to love Craftman bungalows. It's nice to have the guys work on the utilities too. Love the pictures of the girls and dogs:). I'm sure the parents are more than happy to help anyway they can for your family to have a beautiful home. Like everyone else, I'm so happy for you all!
    Kathleen in Az

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    1. Thank you, Kathleen! We are so excited and thankful too. :-) I know what you mean about Craftsman bungalows... they have really grown on me too! There is a neighborhood here that has so many new craftsman bungalows built and they are just so charming.

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    2. I drive through the neighborhood all the time for inspiration. ;-)

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  10. How exciting! And what a wonderful thing to be living so close to parents/grandparents.

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    1. Thanks, Melissa... yes, we are so thankful to be near both sets of parents! :-)

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  11. We are also in the process of building a new house (on 11 acres--yay!). It's exciting but so overwhelming at the same time! We are also doing a farmhouse style plan :)

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    1. I love reading about your house plans, Megan! So excited for you! (I understand what you mean about overwhelming, too. ;-)

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  12. Congrats on your home...Exciting time for you all.

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  13. I'm so excited to follow your new build, especially the kitchen. You chose a beautiful plan! We just purchased a few acres and plan to build our one-story craftsman home next year. I need suggestions from your readers...My dishwasher quit working, so I've been hand washing dishes for a couple of months. I'm actually enjoying this new chore. It gives me the opportunity to complete a simple task, reflect on my day, and see/touch a cleaner dish. Less EM radiation, lowers the electric bill, and no toxic chemicals. I work full-time and have a family of 4 still living in the home. I'm considering NOT installing a dishwasher in our new home!?!? I don't care about resale because this will be our home through retirement. (I'm in my late 40's now.) Any feedback would be appreciated.

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  14. I'm so excited for you Andrea. The plans look lovely. So glad your blogging about the progress. How fun. Wishing you all the best and sending prayers your way.
    xoxo
    Lisa
    leeshideaway.blogspot.com

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  15. Breaking ground is such a great feeling! Love the exterior plans!

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  16. So happy to read your journey! I hope you keep posting your progress. Love the interior designs and floor plans. It seems so wonderful to be near both sets of grandparents and for them to share in your plans. It is understanding that the transition is a bit difficult for your sweet girls - including them in the process will make it easier and fun! Can't wait to see how you decorate your cozy new home!!!!

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  17. So happy and excited for you Andrea! A new house always brings new hopes, vitality to everydayness and many opportunities for creativity. Good luck!

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