Well, I have decided to blog the whole lot getting, house building job right thru to the new courtyard gardens. Why you may ask??? Well for one because I can and two the main reason, this appears or the plan anyway is this is our last new house period. We will grow old or at least I will because you know Larry does not age. I want to enjoy all the aspects of this process.
Larry and I together can accomplish anything and when we are working and planning a house or a big project of any type it is very enjoyable (most of the time) for both of us. Hope you join us for this journey.
The story so far- I could not start till lot was a done deal- you will see why..
We have know for a while now that once something were to happen to Larry, I would have to move, I just don’t have the health to keep this sized home and yard up by myself. I had geared my mind for that and was ok, well we have had some friends loose husbands unexpectedly and it really made us think about things. I have been blessed to live in 3 Bannon built homes to date (1st husband and I had Larry as our builder for our custom back in 92) It would be very difficult for me to be satisfied in a cookie cutter house someone else built and would be extremely hard to move away from the floors Larry installed to the complete rooms he has built. Our home is a very personal one as is most couples.
We decided by first part of February that I would start keeping my ears open for a lot but not look real hard or anything- you know just see what was around. Well I May not have the “Faith” per say but I do believe strongly that things are meant to be- you do have to do your part however.
We decided one evening on this and the VERY next morning a Realtor friend of ours called and said I have a lot that Larry might want to build a spec house on. ( Thanks PM). Well he had no way of knowing that we might be looking at it for ourselves. It had some trees (all but one or two will have to be moved of course), specials were paid off, established quiet (we hope) neighborhood. Basically it fit his criteria- now for mine, I would like more garden area and we are going to lose an awesome view- and we have major privacy here. I will have to learn to adjust. We looked at other lots because even after we put a contract on this lot- it took months for the lender to say yes- not a lender for us but the Sellers Lender, they like most of us have a mortgage on their home and the lender had to agree to release this from that mortgage.
About 2 weeks ago we got the go ahead and closed on the lot last Friday. YAY
In the mean time we had looked at lots all over town to be sure this one was it, we (me) have searched books, online etc for houseplan ideas- which I ended up drawing. We have started searching for finishes in the house and talked ad infinitum about all aspects. I will be sharing most all of that here. If you have never built a home custom before this could be good info for you and if you have it may hold some new ideas for you as well. We go over EVERY detail and I do mean every.
So I hope you join us on the journey- ask questions make comments. Live Vicariously…..
Here are first pics- fencing, drainage issues, shed that Larry is cutting in half.
Shed before
Fence and trees
