Progress...FINALLY!

I haven’t been ignoring this blog for a month because there has just been SO much going on with the house that I didn’t have time. Quite the contrary. The house was demo’ed, and then it sat empty with no progress at all, for a full month. Mike and I went away to Italy thinking that the framing for the walls on the first and second floor would be done…and we came home to the house looking EXACTLY THE SAME. Needless to say, we were very upset. Apparently something happened with the permits or something – who knows. Between this and the neighbor…there were times that Mike and were talking about just throwing in the towel.

But in the last week, things finally started happening! And today, for the first time since we found out our neighbor wasn’t signing the papers to dig out the basement, we have felt excited and optimistic.

First of all, there is progress! 

The formstone (and apparently stucco, aluminum, and about 3 other layers) are off the bay window. 

There is a giant gaping hole on the second floor of the house where the addition is going to go. 

And the interior side walls have been framed.

Exciting!! We had a 2.5 hour meeting this morning with Joe, Josh, Jon and Jimmy (the 4 J’s!) at the house and laid out all the details of the second floor. We still can’t figure out a way to get a double vanity in the master bedroom, but we did squeeze in a second walk-in closet for the guest room…so you win some, you lose some. Overall, Mike and I are pretty happy with how everything is coming together on the second floor!

Laying everything out so we can get a feel for the size and layouts of the master room, bathroom + closet, the regular and rooftop deck stairs, and the guest room bathroom + closet.

We are meeting with the crew on Thursday to finalize the first floor (which isn’t much to figure out – it’s pretty set)…and…the basement.

The basement has been a HUGE source of worry and stress for us, since the neighbor still hasn't signed the papers. It’s pretty much the reason that we have gotten disenchanted with this process. We don’t have any definite news, but we have made some steps in the right direction: 1) confirmation that the law will most likely change, hopefully in mid-to-late December; and 2) our carpenter Jimmy, who could make conversation with a fly, has been in contact with the neighbor and seems to making headway. We may also write a letter to our council representative who fully supports the law change, and see if he has any advice or power to get this DONE so we can finally move on! However it happens, Joe has assured us that it will happen. So we are definitely getting excited and optimistic again! Finally!