The Groundbreaking Decision

I had mentioned several weeks ago that we are in the process of making some life-changing decisions.  This was the Big One.  For several years Zip and I have debated adding on to our house so that Brad and Kami could move in with us.  Zip was ambivalent about the idea.  I though we really could use the help of two younger and stronger people.  We sure aren't getting any younger.

They have been coming every week and helping around the house and yard and it has been very nice for us older people not to do heavy lifting, raking, mowing, and carrying things up and down the stairs.  There are benefits of having the younger generation nearby.  Besides, I simply love their company.  And work around the house seems to go much more smoothly with someone to share the misery, especially for those of us who hate housework.

We spent several months choosing our contractor.  Then I drew up a plan.  We did the bank stuff.
Finally today we had groundbreaking.  This is what the back of the house looked like last year when the tree branch fell on the pantry.

The pantry, the little add-on with the red door, is being removed so the new addition can be attached to the house.  Note the concrete steps and the concrete foundation under the pantry.

The backhoe arrives.

 The area is being cleared.

 Then it's time to remove the pantry area.  The backhoe dug into it and gave a few mighty tugs and the whole end of the kitchen wall started to come loose.  Uh-oh!  Time for the reciprocating saw! 

 After some careful detaching, the wooden part of the pantry came off nicely. Then for the concrete foundation.  We assumed it was a hollow square of concrete blocks.  Not so.  It was a six foot solid cube of concrete.  Here comes the jack hammer!   Run for your lives, kitties!!!

 Talk about noise!

But after half an hour of breaking up concrete, the rest of the afternoon went very well.

The wooden forms for the footer are in place and crushed stone is spread.

 The cement truck pours the footer while our contractor levels the slurry.

 I really didn't expect so much to be accomplished in one day.
On Monday the blocks will be delivered for laying the foundation.

This is the plan.
Brad and Kami will have their private living area in the upstairs of the main house.  Our private living area will be in the new addition.  We will share the downstairs of the main house, the kitchen, the small sitting room with the woodstove and the large sewing and craft room.

The blueprint for the addition.
There will be a 10 by 10 foot mud room where we will have the washer and dryer plus storage cupboards.
Zip and I will each have a bedroom.  There will be a small living room with a woodstove and a bathroom and a front porch.

 There won't be any stairs for us to climb and will be easily wheelchair accessible if we get to the point that we need it.  Which I hope is no time soon!

I'll be updating as the work progresses.

Thanks for stopping by!