The layout of the original house

Drawing of the original houseThis is where we started

Since Hubert bought the house, the plans and the design have changed quite a bit. It was clear that the original house had to undergo a major restoration work and that the layout did not fit the new requirements. The design process from the original layout to the final arrangement has been long (over a year purely designing) and it has required plenty of creativity. With this post we are beginning a series related to the design process in which we will walk through the biggest decisions that we have made and the reasons behind them.

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A house full of surprises

Like a box of chocolates!

In the summer of 2012 I entered the house for the first time as the official owner. Before purchasing it I had done an inspection of the structural integrity of the house, so I knew that there was some restoration work to be done. However, the work turned out to be a lot more than I had expected. Naively, at the moment of signing the contract it looked like a good deal to me, but later on I realized that I should have gotten a big discount instead.

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The right tools: a small overview

The toys of the big boys

When starting a project of this magnitude, investing in a selection of good quality tools is a must. In The Netherlands we have a saying which states that “having good tools is having the work half done”. We have put this saying into good use and purchased some very handy “toys” which were added to the collection! Continue reading

Excavation

Excavation in progressDeep in the mud!

In April 2014 we started working on the foundation of the extension of the house. The first thing we did was to demolish the two attachments that the original house had in the rear because they were not incorporated in the new plans. Next step was to make room for the foundation itself. In order words, digging into the mud. Luckily we had put together a great team to help us: my parents and Chris.

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Demolition

Initial stateBring it down!

In order to start with the foundation, first we had to make room for it! Indeed, the original house had two small attachments on the rear which were not part of the extension plan so we needed to get rid of them before we could begin with the foundation work.

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The reason we bought the house

Front view “How come you bought this wreck of a house?”

is a question which was asked to me more than once. And I must agree, I asked myself this question frequently, especially during the restoration works of the existing house. Continue reading