This journey started without even knowing it was about to. What started out as an innocent meeting turned into a fact finding mission and a simple text to my hubby that read “I think I just bought a lot”. I knew it was a go when his response was “I’ll put up the For Sale sign”.
Seems simple right? Found a lot so let’s build a house. Not. So. Fast. That was over 19 months ago and we have only been actually "building" for a month.
So what takes so long? Well, it’s sort of like getting married. You decide you like the look of it so you figure “let’s start dating and get me a husband”. Not so much… You have to find the right one. It’s the same when you are building a house, you have to find a builder that is the right fit for you and what you want. That last part is the most important. Before you start you have to know what matters most to you and what your priorities are. If religion was a huge priority to you when it came to finding a partner you likely wouldn’t start by looking at someone who has a completely different religion from you, so why would you look at a builder who does entry level homes if you wants glitz and gold toilets? It’s not to say people/builders don’t change or have different abilities but why not start with someone who does what you want. We spoke with several builders and learned what their strengths were and in some cases, we were shown their weaknesses.
Once we “dated” a bit we were ready to make a commitment so we got engaged and started planning ... the build. If was drawings and sketches back and forth, moving walls or re-thinking spaces until we eventually settled on just the right plan. It was sort of like saying yes to the dress... Once we had the plan it was on to other details like the exterior finishing meeting the architectual controls of the area. After a thumbs up from everyone we could start applying for permits (get a marriage licence) and dig a hole.
This process takes time, I found myself wishing things would move ahead more times than I can count, I was frustrated and annoyed but the bottom line was, it wasn’t time. Have you have ever had a serendipitous moment where everything finally came together and each piece fit together perfectly? It’s as if all those frustrating moments finally made sense, there was a reason and it was this culminating moment of perfection. You must put trust in something greater than yourself, call is God, fate, the universe or anything else you want but at the end of the day I know that when it’s meant to be it will be.
Here some of photos from the first few weeks of the build...
The first week, excavation has begun.
The footing form are ready to go by week 3. 
The basement walls have been poured and the forms are off at the beginning of week 5.
