Today marks 1 month since we first broke ground on our new house, the very next business day after receiving building permits! How’s that for efficiency?!
We are truly blown away by all that has been accomplished in such a short amount of time. In addition to blessing us with unseasonably warm and dry weather, God has mercifully allowed the construction of residential builds to continue in our province, despite the shut down of most other construction projects. Also, the interest rate dropped to the lowest it has ever been, just days before we signed our construction loan. We are so thankful.
We could not be happier with our builder either. They have been so organized and efficient, are easy to get a hold of, prompt to respond, conscious of little details, on budget (so far!), and make great suggestions.
(If you know us personally and live local to us, we’d recommend them in a heartbeat!)
I’ve been photo journaling the process, because we only plan to do this once!
Here’s what has taken place in 1 month of construction:
Day 1, March 9
A beautiful day to break ground! I may have gotten a bit teary-eyed. I am so thankful for answered prayers in everything coming together for this day of new beginnings.
Day 3, March 11
That hole is big enough to fit over 3 houses the same size as our rental! The rental is 758 square feet; our new house will be 2020 square feet on the main floor, with a 674 sq ft garage attached. The kids are begging to us to keep the mountains of dirt to play on.
Originally, we were going to decommission the well on the property because this area has a lot of sulfur, but we decided to move the location of the house over a bit and keep the well for outdoor use (gardens, animals, etc.), and collect rain water from the roof into a cistern for indoor water usage.
Day 4, March 12
We’ve been spoiled with 4 beautiful, dry days in a row! This is rare for the beginning of March, so we are counting our blessings!
Today, the footings were poured. Rose* and I got to the lot shortly after lunch with freshly baked cookies for the concrete guys, who were waiting on the pumper truck to arrive. We left to do groceries (all 3 stores we went to were put of toilet paper and hand sanitizer! Finally found some TP at Shoppers: 12 rolls for $14.49!!). On our way back, we got to see the pumper truck in action.
The rectangular section in the front will be our cistern/front porch.
Day 6, March 14
Yesterday, the weeping tile was laid and gravel filled the footings.
I had taken our 5 year-old with me on a little date. On the way, we were listening to the news. She was quiet for a while and then let out a sigh. “All they ever talk about is Coronavirus.” I turned off the radio and asked if she wanted to sing instead. So, we sang every song we could think of the rest of the way there and the whole way back, including This Is My Father’s World. Let us never forget.
This is my Father’s world:
O let me ne’er forget
That though the wrong seems oft so strong,
God is the Ruler yet.
This is my Father’s world:
Why should my heart be sad?
The Lord is King: let the heavens ring!
God reigns; let earth be glad!
Day 8, March 16
One week into construction and the forms for the foundation are in place!
It’s such a blessing to be able to drive to the lot, see progress, and enjoy some fresh air in the country while still practicing “social-distancing.” This past week (months, for many) has given the whole world pause for reflection, and perhaps a new perspective and increased gratitude for the enjoyment of little things we so often take for granted.
Day 11, March 19
The foundation is finished! I took the oldest 4 kids with me to see what the concrete looks like with the forms off. They wanted a picture in front of the boys’ new room. We opted for a 9′ basement to allow for bigger windows, and a less downstairs-y feel.
Plus, it makes for a better game of ping-pong, according to Daddy.
Day 16, March 24
The premier of our province announced yesterday that all non-essential services would be shut down at midnight tonight to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. We were very thankful to hear that this does not include the building sector and work can continue on our house.
Our lot is the only place we visit these days. It’s nice to escape town for a breath of fresh air in the country!
This afternoon, I took yesterday’s birthday boy with me to check on the progress. The foundation has been wrapped and is being back filled as we speak, hydro is hooked up, and the garage floor is being compacted.
Day 18, March 26
I took one of the Middles with me (gas is so cheap, and escaping to the lot is our only outing these days, so we’re making the most of it!), and I could not believe how much progress has been made in 2 days! The floor joists have been delivered, foundation has been back filled, hydro is hooked up, septic is being dug, and…
The driveway we prayed months for?
It’s there.
I’d be lying to say I wasn’t overwhelmed with gratitude when I saw it. Denial of the driveway permit held up the building project for months, and yet everything has worked out all in God’s good timing. Because of the wait, construction of our new home started the same time as the Coronavirus pandemic, and if ever there was a time to get a construction loan or mortgage, this is it. His ways are higher than our ways, and this driveway will be a constant reminder of that.
(You can read the whole Building Permit Saga, here.)
Day 24, April 1
It’s a beautiful week to start framing!
We went to the lot with the whole family this afternoon and got there just in time to see some of the kids’ bedroom walls go up! Equally interesting was the dump truck delivering sand to the septic bed. 😀
The forecast predicts several warm, sunny, dry days in a row, and we are grateful!
Day 26, April 3
Today, our province shut down all industrial, commercial, and institutional construction, as well as any new residential building projects for the foreseeable future.
In God’s mercy, all residential homes that have already been started are allowed to continue.
This picture of our basement, with the ray of sunshine pouring in from a corner, kind of sums up how I feel.
Thank you, Lord! We did nothing to deserve this grace.
Front of house
Back of House
Day 31, April 8
Both the exterior and interior walls were completed today! It’s so much easier to visualize things now. The kids have gone from, “It looks so tiny!” (even though it’s over 3x the size of our rental!), to “Oh, Wow! It’s HUGE!”
The largest window in the back is in the Great Room on the main floor. The ceiling will be vaulted in this area and open up to the kitchen, dining room, and foyer. I love the inviting feel of an Open Concept house, and cannot wait to overlook the beautiful forest through these windows!
That’s a wrap for Month 1!
Next, they plan to brace the house for trusses, which have already been delivered and are ready to go!
I love all the pictures, your journaling, and the glimpses of God’s faithfulness that you are seeing in the craziness. What an awesome home that will be a testimony to His work! Can’t wait to see the rest!
We finishing our home too. Its funny how when God says “its time” how things just come together!! A blessing for sure. Always exciting to see progress, no matter how big or small. I made a huge fuss about some new lighting in the house. 🙂 God bless your precious family.
God has it already done! He has it! Just leave it in His hands always and do not stress on things that you can not control, sister!
God bless you and thank you for posting your journey. I love all of your blog posts. I will be doing much of this again, many of these things are from my youth, but returning to it again at 55. It is quite comforting. Goodness is found with the Lord.