Building a house. It sounds daunting when it isn't something we ever planned to do, much less have to do at this point in our lives. But so far, this part of our recovery is going as well as we could hope.
We found a great builder who has expertise in working with insurance claims, and was also recommended by neighbors. We have two architects who contacted us through an Ole connection and share our interest in preserving the character of the neighborhood in our new home. Together, we are a team of five who now meet almost weekly, usually at our architects' office in International Market Square. We've given ourselves a challenging deadline: permit-ready plans by May 17, with a goal to start building in early June. If we can work effectively together, be efficient decision makers, and schedule work in a timely manner, and all of the planets are aligned, we might be able to move into our new home by Christmas. It is a stretch, but we might as well be optimistic.
Many people have asked me if the new house will look the same as our old house. This isn't likely, as city codes have changed. We also have an opportunity to correct a deficiency in our old house - our single car garage. The placement of a two car garage was the first big decision we made, along with whether to appeal to City Council for a curb cut on 50th. We've opted for a plan that won't require the variance and will be the best way to optimize our backyard, with the garage at the back of the lot and a long driveway to Arden Avenue. This appears to be the norm on lots of our size in the neighborhood.
We have many more decisions ahead, much to learn about the process, and hopefully some fun, too.
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