Jon and Pat's Online Home Building Journal
The story of this project is still unfolding. Late in 2007 Jon decided that if we were ever going to build that dream-home we've talked about over the last 30 years then we'd better get our butts in gear.
To that end we bought some 3D-CAD software and spent two weeks coming up with scaled drawings of a home we thought we could afford, that embodied all the things we collectively thought were cool.
The journal entries that follow start where we started -- deciding what we wanted in a house and then drawing the structure (inside and out). We hope you enjoy reading about our adventure as much as we are enjoying it in real time .... Jon and Pat Wallace
We Lease an Apartment in Preparation for Demolition
May 8th, 2008 - The permit application packages were finally submitted to the village of Glen Ellyn Wednesday April 30th. A village engineer toured our property May 5th and spoke with Pat - who explained we had lived here 31 years and were planning to live in the new home that is to be constructed over the demolished site.
Today we talked with our GC about what we need to be doing in preparation for demolition (the village will not issue a permit until these conditions are met.
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Still Waiting to Exhale (Delay in Permit Submissions)
April 16, 2008 - Well the 9th came and went and no permit packages (demo or construction) were submitted to the village!
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Boundary and Topological Survey Results
April 5th, 2008 - The civil engineer has completed the surveys and put together a plan for the demolition and new construction.
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Site Engineering / Surveying Begins
March 19, 2008 - Yesterday we authorized Civil Engineering Services (CES), Inc to begin surveying the existing property in preparation for demolition and subsequent construction. The surveyor arrived this morning bright and early and is still working the first Phase of the contract.
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Design Drawings are Complete
February 2008 - Vic, Pat, and myself meet with architect Tim Nelson to finalize on Design Drawings.
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We Review Design Drawings
January 25th 2008 - We drive to Geneva to view the first renderings of our design by architect Tim Nelson.
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Our First Contract - Architect Drawings
January 2008 - Tim Nelson offers to draft our home design in two stages. We sign a contract with Tim to create Design Drawiings to be followed by Construction Drawings after site engineering review.
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We Select an Architect
December 2007 - After talking with Vic Fiala who will be our McMasters general contractor for the project we decide that we will commission an architect to render our drawings to blueprint form to prepare for getting subcontractor bids and for applying for village permits in March.
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We Talk to Custom Home Builders
October 2007 - We put together a package of information along with images from our home design effort and distribute them to four local area custom home builders.
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What Does Our Dream Home Look Like?
September 2007 - Jon and I pour through over a 1000 online home plan renderings to get a feel for what we like and don't like
Here's a good starting point for anyone wanting to search designs which include floor plans.
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Thinking About Building A New Home
August 2007 - We decide that this is the year to begin thinking seriously about building the house we will live out our lives in.
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