WHAT’S NEW?

Our big excitement took place yesterday. We had our township person come and measure where the four corners of the house are in relation to the lot plan itself. Actually, they are just four sticks in the ground, but they show where the house will be located. She gave her approval, so we can officially start digging the footers. These are all little baby steps, but they seem really big as we go along.

The other thing that was really exciting was, PPL (Pennsylvania Power and Light) also came out, so we have that in the works as well. So, those are our two big exciting things for the week.

HOW SOON WILL YOU START TO DIG THE FOOTERS?

Well, we’re hoping to start the footers this weekend. Once we have that, they can begin laying the block, and then pouring the basement floor. Right now, it’s kind of hard to visualize it. I’m just kind of sitting there going, “Now, where exactly is the kitchen and where is the front door?” I think once the basement is in, it will start to hit home that it’s really happening now.

WILL THE BASEMENT BE 8-FEET HIGH, OR 9-FEET HIGH?

We’re actually making it 9-feet high. John wanted an extra foot, so he’ll be able to walk around comfortably down there. So, we’re putting in extra block for that.

WILL YOU HAVE WINDOWS IN THE BASEMENT’S LIVING AREA?

We’re debating that, but haven’t yet decided. I was thinking that it would be nice to have a sliding glass door, but John said that for security reasons, we might want to put in just a regular window and a door. I have to make that decision this weekend, before they start laying the block. It’s not like Legos. You can’t take it out, once you put it in.

WILL YOU HAVE TO PUT IN SUMP PUMPS?

We won’t have any sump pumps, but because we’re so far out into the country, we’re going to have to have a septic system and we also have to drill a well. The septic system has been approved. We’re just waiting for the digging for that to start. The water well has not been dug yet, but we know there is water on the property, because there’s another building on the property that has a well.

HOW SOON WILL YOU HAVE ELECTRICITY ON THE SITE?

We are hoping to have electricity within the next two weeks. PPL is responsible for the first 500 feet and I think we’re responsible for about 30 feet. We’re actually laying it underground, right at our property line, so we won’t have wires near the trees. We’re going to bring in the cable service at the same time. John has to dig the trench for that, and PPL has to put in another power pole.

WHAT ABOUT GAS?

We are going to use propane as our main source of heat, and as a back-up we are going to have either a coal or wood stove — it depends on which day of the week you ask John. I’m opting for the wood stove, because we have so much of it on the property. But John says coal is cleaner and more efficient, and it burns evenly. So we’re going to tie the downstairs stove into the chimney of the main-floor fireplace. We don’t want to have to put in a second chimney.

HOW ARE ALL OF THE QUOTES COMING ALONG?

I think we’ve received one quote for the block (for the basement) and I think we’re waiting for a second one. And I have my first two quotes in from kitchen cabinet manufacturers. Plus, there are a total of three bathrooms - the half bath downstairs, our master bath, and then there’s the Jack & Jill bathroom upstairs. All of these will come along with the kitchen cabinet quotes as well. So, those are in the works.

I’m still putting together the paperwork for the drywall. There are two companies I would like to receive quotes from for that. The A-Frame part of the house goes up pretty high. John doesn’t want to go up, and I don’t really want him up there on scaffolding either. I’d like to get quotes on that. Those are the next quotes I’d like to get taken care of, just so we’ll have an idea of what we’re looking at for cost.

We also have quotes out on all of the windows. We’re still at the quote stage for those and they’re a little ways off. What I’d like to do, would be to get deposits on everything ahead of time, so that as everything increases in price, I’ll already have my price locked in. At least, I’m trying to do that.

ANY OTHER NEWS?

That’s about it at the moment — except that Andrew has poison ivy all over his legs from being out there, trying to move logs.