It all starts with the foundation. 

​This is true for anything we create.  A stable and solid foundation allows fantastic things to grow and flourish.  And that's exactly where this projects gets underway - laying a foundation:  footings, stem walls, and slab.

But to be honest, it sure feels like this is a surprisingly large footing for such a small addition.  It's a massive amount of effort, concrete and investment for only about 152 square feet (the kitchen addition). 

We're hoping this is so well built that it'll last another 100 years easy.

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The beginning of every castle is the foundation upon which it is built.  And, in fact, castles used to be build essentially by hand, so this story fits right in (even though our abode is a tiny cottage).

The first few weeks have been focused on digging, moving earth, and discovering.
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BARELY enough space between the current house exterior and the 7 foot setback to the property line on the north.

​And on the east side of that is a large deck, that we built when we first bought the cottage, and it's going to stay.  The deck goes right up to the setback line.

On the west side of the addition is a gorgeous fence and trellis that we built many years ago, and it's now covered with mature Halls Honeysuckle.  The scent of those blossoms will be wafting into our new kitchen soon(ish)!

​So, there you have it.  There is no choice but to hand dig the foundation (and also for the Whiskey Porch extension going up out front - more on that in a separate post).  

And here's the story of how a 2-day excavation became a four week slog...

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As exciting as it is to focus on the end goal, we wanted to take a minute to share and appreciate where we are starting from on this huge renovation project.

The contractor is ready to roll, and so are we.  We've removed all the small trees that lived along the north side of the property where the tiny addition is going for the new kitchen, and even moved two huge raised planters from the space to another part of the garden - to get out of the way.

Here's a short video to give you a feel for what we are starting with and an idea of where we are going.  

And, if you missed it you might want to catch our Intro Video here.

Finding a Contractor in the Wild West.  Who would have guessed that this is almost as a big a project as the actual construction?  

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And if you are dreaming about a downsize to a smaller home or renovating your current home or garden, we are here to provide the support you need to make it happen.  Learn more about our resources and services, and feel free to get in touch with me just to chat about your ideas.

Thanks for stopping by!  Contentment and possiblity,
~Miriam
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