This is the current design…at least for the outside.  Still need to decide on bathroom and kitchen layout.

Lots have happened this week.  As you can see, the basement was framed and they started framing the 1st floor.  We added a couple of new windows to the design early in the week, one in the front next to the door and the other in the back in the kitchen area.  We are definitely going to need shades or blinds with all this light.

We also had a couple of trees taken down on the left side of the house.

 

They paved the parking area to make it easier to keep clear in the winter.  They also started the framing.  Yeah!

The old building is completely gone, no walls, no foundation left.  The only thing left is that big ‘ole boulder.  Any ideas of what to do with it?  Paint something on it?

The old cottage has finally been torn down.  We applied for the demo permit sometime in June.  Then there was some discussion of saving the foundation for use as a roof garden but in the end, we decided to tear it down.  Say bye bye.

Due to the amount of rock in Gloucester, a normal sewer system couldn’t be installed.  Instead, they opted for something called a STEP system which is a pressurized sewer line and results in a much smaller sewer line that has to be run.  Our house has a 1500 gallon STEP system installed in front of the house.  I was worried about them running into ledge when they attempted to dig down (as was the builder).  It went in without a hitch and is now hooked up as is the incoming water line.  We visited the site yesterday (in the pouring rain) to meet with the builder to discuss the grading that’s been done and how big a parking area we wanted.  Hillside Ct is only 8′ wide so there’s no on street parking.  We chose to have something like a 20’x35′ parking pad in front of the house.  This is where the new front entrance will be so that’ll be easy access from the car to the house.  The roof slopes to the left and right so we won’t have snow dumped on the driveway and it will make plowing much easier.  A binder coat is supposed to be put down this week and will then be finished at the end of the project.

Here are pics of the new sewer.  So exciting.  Can’t wait to see the bill.

 

We had asked the builder to give us a better design for the basement and we wanted to make sure there would be enough light should we decide at some point to put in another bedroom or rec room.  So, he did that.

I’ve been told that the new sewer has been installed.  Gloucester requires a STEP system that churns up the waste and pumps it into the sewer pipe in the street.  This unit is under the driveway in front of the house.  The only way you’ll notice it will be the 2 manholes.  I”m glad that’s done.  I was hoping they weren’t going to run into any more ledge and make that difficult.  They are supposed to finish grading and start framing next week!  Still no word from National Grid.

Because of a large amount of ledge, the builder had to modify the design.  The front door used to be on the long side, it’s now on the short side.  You’ll now enter from the driveway into what looks like a split.  A couple of stairs up to the main level, a couple of stairs to the basement.  Still better than the number of stairs when the door was on the other side (at least for me).  Now the bathroom should be bigger and we can have full size washer and dryer and not worry about the basement.

Still waiting to get the old building torn down.  Due to the problems with natural gas lines, Gloucester requires document to say there’s no natural gas hooked up.  Problem with National Grid, is that they are under DPU orders not to do an non-emergency work.  Well, getting someone to come out is considered non-emergency.  Don’t know why they can’t just look at a map and not find any natural gas line going to Hillside Ct.  Frustrating!

After all these weeks, the foundation has been poured and the forms removed.  We now have a foundation to build on.  It looks small but I’m not used to looking at recently poured foundations.

The design has changed, somewhat, due to the amount of ledge that was found.  As you look from the street, there will be parking in the front and the front door will be there.  The previous front door on the left side is gone.  There is also an unexpected driveway on the right side leading to the door to the basement (and some future stairs to the deck).

Anyone who knows me, knows I like red.  So, it’s fitting that the temporary toilet is RED!  Also, the old building should be taken down sometime this week so that the lot can be graded

The weather in Gloucester this weekend was perfect.  There was a nice breeze coming off the ocean.  Too bad there wasn’t a deck to enjoy it.  This was also my first excursion out after knee surgery.  I was on crutches for most of the time but it was nice to get out of the house.

They started to fill in the foundation.  I can’t tell from this picture how much of the foundation has been poured.  This can’t be 32′ x 28′.