It has been seven years since we have set the 3 season house into a year round home.
There have a been a few alterations along the way.

The well.  The well pump had to be replaced.  Here is where it gets interesting.

If you have a house that as a well or are having a well drilled make sure the cap has the depth and the flow rate stamped on the cover.  This will help determine the size of the pump and the depth.  When the pipe is retrieved from the well it has to go somewhere until you get the pump out.
My well was over 500' deep.  Luckily I had a large open area to lay the pipe on the ground.  The pipe was looped over itself 5 times.   I was quickly able to get the same pump for the well locally

The process took about 6 hrs.  The pump snagged several times as we pulled it from the well.  It snagged twice when we put the new pump into the hole.   After we got past the second snag about 150' down pump and pipe started to free fall because of the weight. It took two of us and all our strength to slow it down. 

Landscaping  We never finished the original landscaping.

We had issues we out landscaper.  The plants chosen for the area were not thought out.  Some of the plants needed lots of moisture and shaded sun to survive.  Yet they were plated in full sun. Lots of them died.   Some plants need room to grow, especially near the walks.  They constantly need to be pruned to stay manageable.   The design was developed for the near term not long term.
Hardscape was never finished.  The garden timber "wall" holding back the "beach" was caving into the lake.   Eventually it would erode into the lake, a bad thing. Another issue was neighborhood cats were using the area as a cat box.  When it rain all the little treats , etc would was into the lake.  So with the help of my nephew Bill we finished the hardscape.  It was very difficult and tiring.

The step weighed over 500 lbs.  It was tough to move.   This was supposed to have been part of the original plan.
We had to go to Goshen quarry to get the stone to match the existing wall.  We made 7 trips to hand pick a step and 6 tons of stone.

Outside is done

It has been an incredible journey. That last few months things have been rapidly changing....on the outside anyway.

The shell










Jan 21st
Notice the shell is done. New windows in the bedrooms. A closet that goes over the stairwell between the bathroom and the small bedroom. Checkout the view of the lake in the winter. Witing for siding and electrical service to be moved.

Many changes to the project over the last couple of months. The on coming cold weather has the different contractors rushing to finish other commitments. So timing and scheduling is always an issue.

The following pictures show the foundation being installed and the house being loaded.


Notice the beams and the channels left in the foundation to remove the beams.

Okay. It has been over a year since we started. The project has blossomed. The saying " It will be wonderful when it is finished " rings in my head everyday.

Today the foundation forms are finished. Tomorrow the cement will be pumped into the forms. The forms stay up for 2 days. Friday the forms will be removed. Next Monday the landscapers will be able to drive through the house to finish the walls and patio. The house will come down sometime within 2 weeks. Things are getting crazy. Lots of simultaneous work comes into play in the next 3 weeks. Oh yes materials start to arrive next week also.

More stones has arrived for the walls and courtyard.
Hope to have the addition and house ready by Jan.