There are a lot of firsts when it comes to this part of your project. The first dig, the first lumber delivery, the first pour, the first wall…

And each one of them is exciting and terrifying at the same time.

Because we have 3 buildings to build, we began with 1 house and the barn. 

Quick note: while we call it a barn, it’s not a barn in the traditional sense. We designed it to look like one, but it’s actually a workshop with a rec. room above. Check out the plans here.

Our focus with the barn is to be able to have a dry and heated space where we can build frame specific items like stair nosings, cabinetry, doors, etc. 

The Clearing

Clearing the land was the first big task, and luckily, we had some extra time while waiting for our variance to be approved. The city gave us the green light to clear and excavate the site before the permits were officially granted.

Between juggling client work and traveling back and forth from the mainland to Vancouver Island on weekends, progress felt slow but steady. My parents had a small motorhome that gave us a kitchen and bathroom, but it wasn’t enough for all 4.5 of us to sleep so our sleeping arrangements were a bit more… rustic. The shed we had built for the well became our “home,” outfitted with a cot, a bunk bed for storage, and just enough space to feel like an adventurous camping trip.

Through the day the guys would fall trees, limb, stack the logs, and burn the brush. Some nights Troy would be up all night with the machine feeding the fire to keep it going. The days were long but they were exciting.

The Excavation

Once permits were in progress, we knew we had about two months to get a head start on excavation. With city approval, Troy began doing what he does best— excavation. Since our property slopes significantly, we had a friend and fellow machine operator come and dig a large pond (honestly it was more like a lake—approx. 50’x100’ and 10 ft. deep) while Troy excavated each building area and used the fill to build up the surrounding grade. It didn’t go far, but it was enough to level out the driveways, prep the building locations, and separate out the structural fill required for the foundations. 

The Framing

Everyone knows you start with the foundation. But what everyone doesn’t know is your foundation will always look too small. 

Don't worry. It’s a thing. 

So does how long it takes to complete the foundation. ICF is faster, but we went with a conventional 8” concrete wall and prepping the forms (the wooden structure that will hold the concrete) takes some time. But once it’s done and the floor is on... here comes the excitement!

Walls go up, spaces start to take shape, and site visits between the designer, the homeowners and carpenter are often, even if to just Ooo and Awe (and keeping them happy with coffee). 

This is what Wayne does best—carpentry. The walls went up and very minor changes were made. We lowered (enlarged) the front windows by six inches, removed an exterior door to the side of the house, and I made the definitive answer about the power room under the stairs— it was tight for someone like my husband (6’-3”) but the height would work.

Framing went quick and smooth but the kiln-dried fir timbers were stressful. When something is expensive and you’re there to see it get installed, the stress is amplified by 1000x. They were installed beautifully and without any issues. 

The Frustrations

Like any project, we hit a few bumps along the way. One involved our gorgeous (and very expensive) 6” tongue-and-groove cedar. The first batch was for our interior ceilings, which doubled as the loft floor. After painstakingly testing stains, we landed on a light wash that removed the cedar's red undertones while preserving its warmth—and it turned out beautifully.

When we ordered the next batch for the dining room and entry ceilings, we started installing it, only to realize halfway through that the stain didn’t match. It was a light whitewash—similar, but not the same. The supplier assured us it would “warm up over time.” I know BS when I hear it but I left it. 

When we ordered cedar for the soffits, they promised the original stain but delivered something completely wrong—a very white whitewash. We refused to accept it, sent it back, and made it clear we wouldn’t be paying for their mistake.

In the end, the interiors match, and the exteriors match, but they’re not the same as each other. Do I wish it was consistent? Absolutely. Did the dining room ceiling ever change over time? Of course not. We eventually fixed the problem ourselves, but it was a frustrating detour in an otherwise beautiful build.

To Lock-Up

In case you were wondering when the pandemic hit… this was it. We had just roughed in electrical, plumbing, and mechanical systems when everything came to a halt. Our roof had a waterproof membrane but no metal, the soffits were in, but there was no siding. Construction halted for a couple months while everyone stayed in their homes.

But we didn’t have a home. Thankfully the one home we did have was an insulated shell—plywood floors and all. During this time, we managed to pass our inspections (awkwardly I might add), get the metal roof installed, and insulate the ceilings and boxing joists. 

It was unknown how construction would go during the pandemic, so when our insulation contractor offered a great deal, we switched to spray-foam for the rest of the house.

Once construction ramped up again, so did we. And when I say ramped—I mean it skyrocketed. With everyone being home for 2 months straight, everyone wanted to renovate. Troy was booked solid, and I juggled multiple project requests while overseeing our build. We decided to live apart temporarily—me on-site to keep things moving and Troy in our old town, visiting on weekends to continue working on the house.

Life did not look normal, but it didn’t for anyone.

Clearing, excavating, and framing mark the true beginning of any new build. These stages are full of hard work, long days, and tough decisions, but they’re also when your vision starts to take shape.

For us, this phase was as much about making progress as it was about finding joy in the process—even when that meant sleeping in a shed, pulling all-nighters by a fire and enduring a pandemic and a construction boom.