March Updates

Frenzy is the only way to describe the work at Yonderways at present. Last week we received news from the mortgage underwriters that both homes must be “habitable” and that a “certificate of occupancy” must be issued on the main cottage before monies would be released. This information puts us in a terrible bind with our present mortgage holders (the sellers) and puts extra pressure on us and the tradesmen to finish as quickly as possible.

Keith is keeping an extensive excel file on the running renovation costs, which have gone from doable to daunting. We will be more forthcoming about our budget towards the end. Know this – our budget has doubled!! A large, unanticipated hit was foundation issues. This set us back thousands and due to inclement weather, almost 8 weeks. Then last week we discovered hail damage to the roofs of both cottages…we’ve come too far not to replace the roofs…but there goes another $8k. Now that the roofs will be replaced, that means every single item has been replaced in the homes for the exception of the fireplaces and some original outside framing. The main cottage is/will be sporting a new foundation, interior framing, windows, doors, plumbing, wiring, heating/cooling, on demand water heater, gas piping, gas logs, fireplace liners, insulation, subfloors, siding, soffits, roofing, sheetrock walls, shiplap ceilings, refinished oak floors, and all new appliances and custom cabinets. Oh – there’s also the new well pump, water lines, septic and sewer fields, the removal of 60+ trees, landscaping and grading and new gravel for drive. Almost every tradesman has uttered it would have been cheaper to tear down the existing home and build new, but the cottages, in all their disrepair, were endearing to us. We felt the love and pride of the land of the former owners from the moment we stepped on the property. And we knew this was our opportunity to honor the former owners’ legacy while building ours.

We have conquered mold and endured cramped living while replacing rotted and deteriorated _________ (fill in the blank), almost everything except the core framing and flooring has been replaced. If you’ve been keeping up with the details, you know we’ve suffered some rather large personal setbacks and triumphs along the way as well. The project could have been our undoing, and the next 3 weeks will be the most stressful yet. But we’re determined to see this through quickly to a “certificate of occupancy” so that we can begin to enjoy all that Yonderways has to offer.

Photo update – March 22