WE ARE ON OUR WAY!!!
We met with our loan officer this morning...submitted our estimates, signed the loan origination paperwork...everything appears to be in order and to his satisfaction...so now it's just a matter of time! He forsees smooth sailing from this point...the appraisal will take the longest, but once that's completed...
LOOKS LIKE WE'LL BE BREAKING GROUND THIS MONTH!!!
Praise the Lord!
We are so thankful. Blog activity should be increasing substantially. As always...
Stay tuned!
Kris
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Progress Report #18
As you can see, we've updated our heading photo. We took this photo on Saturday, January 24, while we were meeting with our third excavator. Our first bid was higher than we were hoping, so we got a second bid. Unbelievably, the second estimate was almost TWICE the amount of the first. I know heavy equipment is expensive to transport and operate, but, really, $30,000 just for excavation? Thankfully, our friend, Joe, thought of a local man who had some equipment and who might be interested in doing the work for us. Hubby contacted him, and we met with him last Saturday. We were pleasantly surprised to find out that he is very interested in doing the work for us, and he promised to beat our previous estimates. He actually has a source of free shale that we'll use for the first layer of our driveway, and that fact alone should save us thousands of dollars. Quite a blessing...and yet another benefit of our patience in waiting these additional months. We are anxiously awaiting his bid.
Also, our builder's father passed away last week, so he has family matters to attend to. He is getting us new prices on building materials, since we cut the additional square footage we originally added to the plans. We hope to have his bid within another week.
Still looking at windows...again, there are so many choices...and the ones I would purchase "if $$$ were no object" just are not fitting into the budget. As long as the windows tilt-in to clean, I'll be happy. Otherwise, I don't know how I'd clean those windows on the third floor?
Our supplies for the radiant heating are also coming in high. (See a pattern here?) We will probably use our present estimate for the bank's purposes, but see if we can source the materials ourselves, probably on the internet.
So...just a few more numbers to confirm, then "Hi-ho, hi-ho, it's off to the bank we go!" Hoping interest rates stay low for a bit longer, we can qualify for a bit more $$ that way, and keep our payments within our target range.
Back to the new heading photo, you can see a lot of the wood that is down from the previous owner's timbering...we hope to clean up this lower part of the land as one of our first projects. I don't like the way it looks in the winter, and in the summer when everything is grown up, it's hard to walk through there because you can't see what you're walking on. I plan on keeping it as natural as possible, but clearing it out enough to walk through and enjoy. There is a wonderful area at the bottom of the land that is flat, with several small streams running through (the area where we put the culverts last fall). I want to clean it out (it's loaded with jewelweed in the summer), and possibly make a small pond for fish. That won't happen until 2010 at the earliest, I imagine. Oh, the possibilities!!! I'm giddy just thinking about it all!
The photo below is taken from our neighbors' property looking across to ours. We had to park at their home Saturday, because our driveway had not been plowed (because we don't live there, yet), and they were very gracious to allow us to park there. Luckily, they were also spreading ashes on Wills Hollow so their daughter could leave, or else we would've been stuck there until the spring thaw. There is a lot of ice there, several inches thick, probably, so that will be a consideration next winter. As long as we have material to spread on the road I think we'll be fine.
You can see a trailer in the right foreground. This trailer was the object of a lot of our activity and hard work from October to December. Yes, it is crooked. No, my husband has assured me, it will not fall over. I pray he's right.
On a personal note, hubby had his hernia repair on January 13th. He had a rough couple of days post-op, but went back to work this past Monday, and is getting around "almost" good as new. Our good friend, Bob, is giving him a ride to work, as he is not supposed to drive for 6 weeks! Thanks, Bob!
Stay tuned,
Kris
Also, our builder's father passed away last week, so he has family matters to attend to. He is getting us new prices on building materials, since we cut the additional square footage we originally added to the plans. We hope to have his bid within another week.
Still looking at windows...again, there are so many choices...and the ones I would purchase "if $$$ were no object" just are not fitting into the budget. As long as the windows tilt-in to clean, I'll be happy. Otherwise, I don't know how I'd clean those windows on the third floor?
Our supplies for the radiant heating are also coming in high. (See a pattern here?) We will probably use our present estimate for the bank's purposes, but see if we can source the materials ourselves, probably on the internet.
So...just a few more numbers to confirm, then "Hi-ho, hi-ho, it's off to the bank we go!" Hoping interest rates stay low for a bit longer, we can qualify for a bit more $$ that way, and keep our payments within our target range.
Back to the new heading photo, you can see a lot of the wood that is down from the previous owner's timbering...we hope to clean up this lower part of the land as one of our first projects. I don't like the way it looks in the winter, and in the summer when everything is grown up, it's hard to walk through there because you can't see what you're walking on. I plan on keeping it as natural as possible, but clearing it out enough to walk through and enjoy. There is a wonderful area at the bottom of the land that is flat, with several small streams running through (the area where we put the culverts last fall). I want to clean it out (it's loaded with jewelweed in the summer), and possibly make a small pond for fish. That won't happen until 2010 at the earliest, I imagine. Oh, the possibilities!!! I'm giddy just thinking about it all!
The photo below is taken from our neighbors' property looking across to ours. We had to park at their home Saturday, because our driveway had not been plowed (because we don't live there, yet), and they were very gracious to allow us to park there. Luckily, they were also spreading ashes on Wills Hollow so their daughter could leave, or else we would've been stuck there until the spring thaw. There is a lot of ice there, several inches thick, probably, so that will be a consideration next winter. As long as we have material to spread on the road I think we'll be fine.
You can see a trailer in the right foreground. This trailer was the object of a lot of our activity and hard work from October to December. Yes, it is crooked. No, my husband has assured me, it will not fall over. I pray he's right.
On a personal note, hubby had his hernia repair on January 13th. He had a rough couple of days post-op, but went back to work this past Monday, and is getting around "almost" good as new. Our good friend, Bob, is giving him a ride to work, as he is not supposed to drive for 6 weeks! Thanks, Bob!Stay tuned,
Kris
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Monday, January 12, 2009
Progress Report #17
Thought it was time to pop in here and post an update. Although it seems like this project has come to a screeching halt, we have been hard at work "behind the scenes," as you could say. The project that took the bulk of our time since I last posted was the moving of a lot of our belongings into a less expensive storage facility. At least we THOUGHT it was going to be less expensive. The plan was to consolidate our three previously rented storage "rooms" (I never know what to call them?) into one larger facility, which would cut our rental fees in half. Because we decided to wait until spring to build, saving that much money looked appealing...appealing enough to actually move all our stuff - AGAIN!
Despite gut-wrenching dread, we began. Weekends were spent loading and unloading the truck...stacking boxes...restacking boxes that had fallen over...rearranging things to utilize every possible inch of storage...only to come to the realization that IT WOULD NOT ALL FIT!!! ACK!!!
It's times like these that in order to maintain sanity, one must just LAUGH. Because we were able to empty one of our original rental spaces, our monthly fees remain the same. But, we incurred fees to "initiate" the new storage (privacy prohibits me from explaining any better), and we did all that work for NOTHING!
It reminds me of a favorite quote:
"There is nothing that I may decently hope for that I cannot reach by patience as well as anxiety." -Wendell Berry
Perhaps, patience would've proven to truly be a virtue in this matter, instead of worrying and fretting about lost money. We have now lost both time AND money.
Because we spent time in the fall re-moving our belongings, we didn't spend the time we should've spent cutting the last of the trees that we need to before construction begins. That will be a job for early spring.
As we've had time to re-evaluate things, we've returned to our original plan of heating our home with primarily radiant floor hydronic heat, using an outdoor wood furnace, instead of solar. I recently heard that 1 acre of mature forest will produce 1 cord of firewood per year with no net loss of wood. With our 11 acres, and considering the wood that is already down from previous timberings, I don't think we'll ever run short. Solar is cost-prohibitive and not as reliable as wood.
And we are finalizing our plans with the builder and getting fresh estimates for labor and supplies. We have also made another change...scaling down the house to the original blueprint size. Originally we had wanted to add 4 feet to each end of the north- and south-facing sides to increase the total square footage by about 400. Our excavating estimate came in a lot higher than we first thought, so we needed to cut somewhere. If we don't see a large decrease in cost from the first estimate with the extra 400 sq ft, perhaps we'll keep it. I hate to loose that much space...but, it's all about the money, folks!
It's funny how our perspective has changed throughout this whole process. We began with a list of things we really wanted. Then, prioritized those things. Cut some of them out completely. I still have my list of 3 non-negotiables: walk-in kitchen pantry; fireplace; wide windowsills. Hubby wants a jacuzzi tub. No granite countertops, no central air, no pot-filler over the stove. (For $900, I can carry water 6 feet in a pitcher, thank you!) And we DID splurge on the most awesome front door...saw it at Home Depot, then found it on Ebay for half the price. The kids thought it was cool, Hubby and I thought it was cool...I have never, ever been to a home that had a door like that. It is unconventional. I have seen similar ones in "The Princess Bride" or "Lord of the Rings" to give you a clue. You'll just have to see it for yourselves...someday.
Living without 90% of our belongings for almost 6 months, with probably 6 more months to go hasn't been as hard as I thought it would be. It is an odd feeling, having all our stuff in boxes... like a part of you is missing, in a way. I can imagine unpacking it all will seem a bit overwhelming. God has given us a peace about waiting and we know it is only for a season. But, we do long for a home of our own. The boys want to run around and explore. J-Bird and his best friend want to build a fort. I-Bird and T-Bird are fascinated by the creatures that live there. I can't wait to plant flowers. And start a garden. And have chickens. And enjoy the peace and quiet. And sit on the deck and watch sunsets. And go for walks. And build a firepit. And host cookouts. And grow old there with my man. So many dreams...
As a Christian, I should understand longing. Longing for Heaven, longing for completion, longing for a pure relationship with God that will not be marred by sin. I'm ashamed to admit that I've had a hard time grasping it. We long for so little in this country. We have a gross abundance of everything...longing for ANYthing is uncommon. Our present situation has helped me begin to understand what this longing should feel like. We are comfortable here, at my mom's house, my childhood home. Our needs, and most of our wants are amply supplied. But, it is not OUR home. Our stay here is a temporary one. One day we will move on...to a new life, a new future, a new home. I have vivid pictures in my mind of what that life will be like. I LONG for that life. As a Christian, this EARTH is not my home. My stay here is a temporary one. One day I will move on...to a new life, a new future, a new ETERNAL home. I have vivid pictures in my mind of what that life will be like...even so, it will be infinitely more. I LONG for THAT life. Do you?
Stay tuned,
Kris
Despite gut-wrenching dread, we began. Weekends were spent loading and unloading the truck...stacking boxes...restacking boxes that had fallen over...rearranging things to utilize every possible inch of storage...only to come to the realization that IT WOULD NOT ALL FIT!!! ACK!!!
It's times like these that in order to maintain sanity, one must just LAUGH. Because we were able to empty one of our original rental spaces, our monthly fees remain the same. But, we incurred fees to "initiate" the new storage (privacy prohibits me from explaining any better), and we did all that work for NOTHING!
It reminds me of a favorite quote:
"There is nothing that I may decently hope for that I cannot reach by patience as well as anxiety." -Wendell Berry
Perhaps, patience would've proven to truly be a virtue in this matter, instead of worrying and fretting about lost money. We have now lost both time AND money.
Because we spent time in the fall re-moving our belongings, we didn't spend the time we should've spent cutting the last of the trees that we need to before construction begins. That will be a job for early spring.
As we've had time to re-evaluate things, we've returned to our original plan of heating our home with primarily radiant floor hydronic heat, using an outdoor wood furnace, instead of solar. I recently heard that 1 acre of mature forest will produce 1 cord of firewood per year with no net loss of wood. With our 11 acres, and considering the wood that is already down from previous timberings, I don't think we'll ever run short. Solar is cost-prohibitive and not as reliable as wood.
And we are finalizing our plans with the builder and getting fresh estimates for labor and supplies. We have also made another change...scaling down the house to the original blueprint size. Originally we had wanted to add 4 feet to each end of the north- and south-facing sides to increase the total square footage by about 400. Our excavating estimate came in a lot higher than we first thought, so we needed to cut somewhere. If we don't see a large decrease in cost from the first estimate with the extra 400 sq ft, perhaps we'll keep it. I hate to loose that much space...but, it's all about the money, folks!
It's funny how our perspective has changed throughout this whole process. We began with a list of things we really wanted. Then, prioritized those things. Cut some of them out completely. I still have my list of 3 non-negotiables: walk-in kitchen pantry; fireplace; wide windowsills. Hubby wants a jacuzzi tub. No granite countertops, no central air, no pot-filler over the stove. (For $900, I can carry water 6 feet in a pitcher, thank you!) And we DID splurge on the most awesome front door...saw it at Home Depot, then found it on Ebay for half the price. The kids thought it was cool, Hubby and I thought it was cool...I have never, ever been to a home that had a door like that. It is unconventional. I have seen similar ones in "The Princess Bride" or "Lord of the Rings" to give you a clue. You'll just have to see it for yourselves...someday.
Living without 90% of our belongings for almost 6 months, with probably 6 more months to go hasn't been as hard as I thought it would be. It is an odd feeling, having all our stuff in boxes... like a part of you is missing, in a way. I can imagine unpacking it all will seem a bit overwhelming. God has given us a peace about waiting and we know it is only for a season. But, we do long for a home of our own. The boys want to run around and explore. J-Bird and his best friend want to build a fort. I-Bird and T-Bird are fascinated by the creatures that live there. I can't wait to plant flowers. And start a garden. And have chickens. And enjoy the peace and quiet. And sit on the deck and watch sunsets. And go for walks. And build a firepit. And host cookouts. And grow old there with my man. So many dreams...
As a Christian, I should understand longing. Longing for Heaven, longing for completion, longing for a pure relationship with God that will not be marred by sin. I'm ashamed to admit that I've had a hard time grasping it. We long for so little in this country. We have a gross abundance of everything...longing for ANYthing is uncommon. Our present situation has helped me begin to understand what this longing should feel like. We are comfortable here, at my mom's house, my childhood home. Our needs, and most of our wants are amply supplied. But, it is not OUR home. Our stay here is a temporary one. One day we will move on...to a new life, a new future, a new home. I have vivid pictures in my mind of what that life will be like. I LONG for that life. As a Christian, this EARTH is not my home. My stay here is a temporary one. One day I will move on...to a new life, a new future, a new ETERNAL home. I have vivid pictures in my mind of what that life will be like...even so, it will be infinitely more. I LONG for THAT life. Do you?
Stay tuned,
Kris
Friday, October 17, 2008
Our new blog...
OK, this blogging thing is addicting, I suppose. I've started a new blog over here to document 100 species of plant and 100 species of animals that we find living on our 11 acres. We've been photographing lots of critters as we've been working on the land, and the boys are having such a great time learning about them that I thought we could make a "project" out of it, and share it with our droves...er, um, dozens, OK, OK...handful of readers. Stop on over and learn along with us!
Whose Woods These Are...and What Lives There
Stay tuned,
Kris
Whose Woods These Are...and What Lives There
Stay tuned,
Kris
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Progress Report #16
Change of Plans...So, here we are facing the middle of October. We aren't really where we had hoped to be by now, although I don't know how we would've gotten any farther. We have worked VERY HARD during the past 10 weeks, and as I think back and revisit my earlier blog entries, I am truly pleased with our progress. However, we have become concerned that with colder weather coming soon, starting the building process right now might put us in a bad situation later if we are unable to get the heating systems in place. We really do not have "extra" money in the budget to pay others to do the work if we run short on time, so we have decided to delay construction until early spring. In addition to our concerns about cold weather, Hubby needs to have some minor surgery, which he can have done this winter, and be completely healed when we begin building.
The delay is actually giving us a chance to re-think a few things. Our original plan was to heat our home with a radiant-floor hydronic system, relying on an outdoor wood furnace for the heat source. We chose this system because we have a lifetime of free wood on our property, and it seemed silly not to utilize it. One of the drawbacks of this furnace, however, is that it has to be fed daily, so traveling for any length of time during the colder months presents a problem. This system also requires a heat-exchanger, where the water from the furnace transfers its heat to the water that circulates throughout the house. Not a huge drawback, but it adds an extra expense and there is a slight loss in efficiency.
Months ago I came across plans for a similar hydronic system using solar panels mounted to a garden shed to heat the water. We weren't thinking solar at the time, so I didn't pursue this option. However, I was recently researching another heating idea and came upon these plans again, and this time, it "clicked." It is a much simpler, do-it-yourself system, and although the cost to build probably won't be much less than the outdoor wood furnace, we would gain the freedom from having to load the furnace daily, and get a garden shed, too. (Something we were planning to build eventually.) Before we decide, we have some on-site evaluation to do, that will, Lord willing, prove this system a viable option.
The other aspect we are reconsidering is the placement of the fireplace. But, first, a bit of background information. When we first began thinking about building a new home, I started researching "alternative" building options. One process that really fascinates me is "slip-form" construction. It is possible, with this process, minimal skill and LOTS of time, to build gorgeous stone homes that are very energy-efficient and inexpensive. If we were 10-15 years younger, I think we might have considered it.
One of the resources I purchased in the beginning of my research phase to learn more about slipform construction was a book called "Living Homes," by Thomas J. Elpel. You can see it here: www.hopspress.com. The book is a fantastic resource for home-building in general, but its real value is the comprehensive knowledge the author possesses, and shares with his readers. This is where I first learned of a masonry stove, or Russian fireplace as they are also called.
Masonry stoves are designed with a lot of mass to absorb the heat from the fire. Then, instead of a straight flue, the exhaust flows through a snake-like flue that extracts more heat as the exhaust is vented to the outside. The masonry warms up slowly, then radiates the heat outwards for hours or days afterwards. Masonry stoves burn much hotter, resulting in very little creosote buildup, and less smoke, and these stoves can approach 90% efficiency.
Our house plans included a gas fireplace on the external great room wall, so we just decided to build the masonry stove there. But, it seems that moving the stove to a central location will maximize the radiant benefits, so we are looking at that possibility. I really don't think this is a do-it-yourself project, so our Amish builder has agreed to build it for us, but I think I'll try to find a local stone mason for an additional bid or two. Here is a beautiful example of a masonry stove.
So, our heating plan will consist of a masonry stove/Russian fireplace centrally located in the great room, with solar-heated hydronic radiant-floor throughout the house for the colder, "outer" areas of the house, with an option for electric back-up during cloudy periods when needed.
Even though we've postponed construction, I will continue to post updates, hopefully with pictures! I know...I know...you're missin' the wood photos, aren't you?
Stay tuned,
Kris
The delay is actually giving us a chance to re-think a few things. Our original plan was to heat our home with a radiant-floor hydronic system, relying on an outdoor wood furnace for the heat source. We chose this system because we have a lifetime of free wood on our property, and it seemed silly not to utilize it. One of the drawbacks of this furnace, however, is that it has to be fed daily, so traveling for any length of time during the colder months presents a problem. This system also requires a heat-exchanger, where the water from the furnace transfers its heat to the water that circulates throughout the house. Not a huge drawback, but it adds an extra expense and there is a slight loss in efficiency.
Months ago I came across plans for a similar hydronic system using solar panels mounted to a garden shed to heat the water. We weren't thinking solar at the time, so I didn't pursue this option. However, I was recently researching another heating idea and came upon these plans again, and this time, it "clicked." It is a much simpler, do-it-yourself system, and although the cost to build probably won't be much less than the outdoor wood furnace, we would gain the freedom from having to load the furnace daily, and get a garden shed, too. (Something we were planning to build eventually.) Before we decide, we have some on-site evaluation to do, that will, Lord willing, prove this system a viable option.
The other aspect we are reconsidering is the placement of the fireplace. But, first, a bit of background information. When we first began thinking about building a new home, I started researching "alternative" building options. One process that really fascinates me is "slip-form" construction. It is possible, with this process, minimal skill and LOTS of time, to build gorgeous stone homes that are very energy-efficient and inexpensive. If we were 10-15 years younger, I think we might have considered it.
One of the resources I purchased in the beginning of my research phase to learn more about slipform construction was a book called "Living Homes," by Thomas J. Elpel. You can see it here: www.hopspress.com. The book is a fantastic resource for home-building in general, but its real value is the comprehensive knowledge the author possesses, and shares with his readers. This is where I first learned of a masonry stove, or Russian fireplace as they are also called.
Masonry stoves are designed with a lot of mass to absorb the heat from the fire. Then, instead of a straight flue, the exhaust flows through a snake-like flue that extracts more heat as the exhaust is vented to the outside. The masonry warms up slowly, then radiates the heat outwards for hours or days afterwards. Masonry stoves burn much hotter, resulting in very little creosote buildup, and less smoke, and these stoves can approach 90% efficiency.
Our house plans included a gas fireplace on the external great room wall, so we just decided to build the masonry stove there. But, it seems that moving the stove to a central location will maximize the radiant benefits, so we are looking at that possibility. I really don't think this is a do-it-yourself project, so our Amish builder has agreed to build it for us, but I think I'll try to find a local stone mason for an additional bid or two. Here is a beautiful example of a masonry stove.
So, our heating plan will consist of a masonry stove/Russian fireplace centrally located in the great room, with solar-heated hydronic radiant-floor throughout the house for the colder, "outer" areas of the house, with an option for electric back-up during cloudy periods when needed.
Even though we've postponed construction, I will continue to post updates, hopefully with pictures! I know...I know...you're missin' the wood photos, aren't you?
Stay tuned,
Kris
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Progress Report #15
September 27, 2008...Our good friend, Jeff, showed up bright and early for a long day of back-breaking labor. We worked from morning until suppertime, cutting, stacking and burning...God granted us another safe and beautiful workday, with only a few mishaps. One thing we've learned is that there is never a "sure thing" when felling trees. Especially when you're working on an incline. Considering we (and by "we" I mean my hubby, of course) have very little experience doing this type of thing, we're so thankful that God has protected us and blessed our efforts.
Back to mishaps. Once in awhile, a tree just doesn't do what you think (or hope) it will do. Sometimes you think for sure it will fall in a certain direction, then it twists, or hops, or is weighted in a way that is hidden to the naked eye (and then there is the incline...) and it ends up somewhere else. Sometimes, the "somewhere else" is caught in another tree. While this can be annoying, it is these moments that I find exciting...when one must STOP...and rely on one's WIT, not BRAUN, to find a solution. (Although braun is usually employed at some point of the process!)
Below, in photo essay, is a chain of events that took about 45 minutes to free one such tree.
(Remember you can click on any photo for a full-screen view.)
You can see, after all this, the tree is still hung-up. At this point, the men just started cutting sections off the tree, until they couldn't reach up any higher. Hubby then decided to cut down the tree in which the first tree was stuck, and the problem was solved.
Thankfully, the second tree fell as desired.
Stay tuned,
Kris
Back to mishaps. Once in awhile, a tree just doesn't do what you think (or hope) it will do. Sometimes you think for sure it will fall in a certain direction, then it twists, or hops, or is weighted in a way that is hidden to the naked eye (and then there is the incline...) and it ends up somewhere else. Sometimes, the "somewhere else" is caught in another tree. While this can be annoying, it is these moments that I find exciting...when one must STOP...and rely on one's WIT, not BRAUN, to find a solution. (Although braun is usually employed at some point of the process!)
Below, in photo essay, is a chain of events that took about 45 minutes to free one such tree.
(Remember you can click on any photo for a full-screen view.)
You can see, after all this, the tree is still hung-up. At this point, the men just started cutting sections off the tree, until they couldn't reach up any higher. Hubby then decided to cut down the tree in which the first tree was stuck, and the problem was solved.
Thankfully, the second tree fell as desired.
Stay tuned,
Kris
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