Building A House Part 1

Building our house has been a long process already and we barely have started! Nolan started drawing our house plans when we were first married and it has been something he has been doing as a hobby ever since. He finally drew the perfect plan for us and we decided it was time to get some bids. Last February we contacted about 5 builders and the all took 3 months or longer getting back to us with an official bid. It was so much longer than I expected and then so discouraging when all of the bids came back almost $80,000 over what we were expecting without a landscaped yard and finished basement! Luckily we heard of one last builder that was out of Rigby Idaho whose work we had seen and we heard he was much better priced because he did his own cement work which was the biggest cost in our plans. He got back with us in 2 weeks with a real bid and it was right on what we wanted to spend, including a finished basement. So we struck a deal and in June, plans were drawn up...

I got to work getting permit after permit. Oh man, what a hassle. We needed one for a driveway off of the road, for our septic, well, our building one, getting a parcel number assigned to our land, and a few others I know I am forgetting. It was not a fun task especially when we lived 30 minutes from the city office buildings and I would have to go back and forth over and over to get all the paperwork signed and needed for each permit!
     Nolan got to work right away digging the hole for the basement. It has proved to be much more work than he initially thought, so much measuring, and adjusting! I know he enjoys being such a big part in our house. I'm so impressed with his knowledge in each area of building. I do have to say Thomas and Grace just love going to "our house." They are just as excited as we are. The will play around on the huge mounds of dirt for hours while Nolan is digging. They also spend time with us picking paint colors and decorating their rooms. I hope they can remember this process and really appreciate our home!

This is Thomas in his future bedroom.

At the end of June the hole was read and the foundation was poured. Our house has a lot of different angles, and it took the cement contractors a whole day of laying out the forms, realizing they were off, and having to redo it. They came back the next day and go it started. The kids and I went out and watched them pour for a good hour. I am sure the workers were wondering what they heck we were doing, but it is so exciting!

A week later they came back and did the walls! Thomas is again standing in his future room.

The plumber came a few weeks later and did the rough plumbing and then Nolan went to work back filling the whole property for the floors to be poured. That was another huge task! Once that is done Nolan is staying out of it for a while. They will come frame, and I am most excited for that stage! Until next month :-)