An Adventure of Another Kind

It has been awhile since my last post… of course a lot has occurred in our world over the past year as we have all experienced the COVID-19 Pandemic, each personally and collectively with our own unique stories. But, this post is not about that. Rather, it is about another adventure we are beginning to embark upon…. an adventure that many of you may have already experienced, and undoubtedly an adventure in which we will encounter many “ups” and “downs.”

So, what am I talking about?… The experience of building a house! Now, to be clear, this is not about me actually doing the construction; but rather the journey that begins with an idea and eventually culminates in a new place to call “home.”

Like many journeys, this one began with a random thought, that resulted in a discussion, and ultimately coalesced into a plan. Over the years we have had a lot of conversations about where we wanted to retire and build a house. Of course this resulted in ideas ranging from the fantastical and unrealistic, to intriguing but ultimately untenable, and finally to something that was both exciting and attainable. This ultimate plan is one where we will eventually build on a 3 acre site that is less than one mile from our previous home, but has many of the things we have been looking for all along… a place of our own design in a community we enjoy, that still allows us to launch into the world for more adventures in the years ahead.

It all started in June 2019 when we approached our good friends with an idea to partition off a parcel of their farm that we could eventually develop into a homesite. We, of course, had no expectations that this was even a reasonable request or something they would want to consider, but we forged ahead anyway and threw the idea out there for them to consider. Of course there was one very important caveat had to be met: in no way did we want this “business deal” to affect our deep and valued friendship. After thoughtful consideration, they agreed to sub-divide a 3 acre parcel and sell it to us… and there begins the real adventure!

Now, 20 months after that first conversation, we are on the cusp of beginning construction. Of course, a lot has already occurred to get where we are today, including:

• Multiple site surveys to define the property boundaries, location of the homesite, and development of a site plan
• Submission and approval of a Minor Subdivision application by county officials
• House design and selection of a contractor to build house
• Application and approval for a construction loan
• Attainment of a building permit (as of this post… pending, but imminent… we hope!)

Some of this has been easy, but due to unanticipated challenges related to nearby wetlands, watershed protection considerations, and conversion of agricultural property to residential zoning, we have encountered our share of frustrations along the way. I won’t bore you with that story, but look forward to sharing the progress going forward. Now it is time to let the ground dry out after a wet winter so that we can finally begin construction. More to follow in the months ahead!…