We live in a beautiful country, in a beautiful province, and now, we get to live on a beautiful property. The back part of our land is Environmentally Protected. That means we can’t  build on or subdivide the property, nor can any of our neighbours. To us this is very good news; we love looking out the back and seeing nothing but stunning trees. In the winter, when the leaves are down, we can see the large ponds, streams and marshes. Here’s some photos of what I’m talking about:

We also saw some paw prints in the snow! It makes sense that there would be a lot of wildlife back there, but we weren’t expecting beaver.  Check out what great lumberjacks they are!

Can you help identify these paw prints? Hoping it’s not coyotes, especially the ones that would like a little sausage snack!

We are looking forward to experiencing the change in seasons on our small piece of paradise!

Well I just can’t believe it but we have finally moved in! The PEC inspection under our development permit went really well. Jeff from Jeff McMillan Construction was there to walk the inspector through the property. Just one small item, which got corrected right away, and then we got the okay to move in. The Electrical Safety Authority inspection was today with David our electrician, of David Lacroix Electric Inc. No surprise that the electrical work passed with flying colours. David finished up the electrical on the garage, and we are pretty happy with the lighting supplied to us by Norm Fischer. I think you’ll agree it looks great!

We jumped the gun a little bit by moving some of our belongings in late last week, but now we are free and clear to settle in and figure out our lives in The County. Here are a few photos from our last few days.

Well, we are almost there! The final step of our build is to get the County of Prince Edward to inspect the house, cottage, garage and exterior, to let us know if it’s safe to occupy. It’s a big deal as this determines if/when we can move in. It also triggers Property Taxes – there’s always some bad with the good!

Jeff from Jeff McMillan Construction has been working with us on the interior finishes. Jeff and his buddy Warren have been doing a great job, especially as they switched to the exterior to get us inspection-ready. We weren’t able to get the grading done to bring the land around the house up to the porch, so we had to put in some temporary railings. This will keep everyone safe until we can get some landscaping done. Jeff also arranged for a sand slinger, which I’ve never heard of before. It basically is the opposite of your vacuum cleaner – it sprays sand under the deck and around the house. This is needed for the inspection as the landscaping has to cover up to the black tar waterproofing.

So these next photos aren’t necessary for the inspection, but they are for making a construction site into a home.  The range-hood is next as Jeff and Warren have been working hard to get the interior to a place where we just need to do some touch up painting … and then of course to move in!

Next up – moving day later this week. Woo hoo!

Saying this is not to sound ungrateful, because we love our plumbers! We first met many, many, MANY months ago, when the roof was on and the interior was being finished. Veenstra Plumbing was recommended to us, and we immediately made a connection with Chris Walcott, the owner. Chris came out to the property and walked us through what we would need; from hooking up the pump to connecting to the septic, and everything in-between. Mark and Travis did most of the heavy lifting, but Chris was there through-out to make sure everything was going as planned. Veenstra’s motto is “Good Plumbers. Good People”. This is truly how they do business, which means a lot to us, because being treated fairly and working with good people makes for a nicer experience. And guess what – Chris stuck to his quote, and only went over where we discussed, and we knew about it in advance. I know this is hard to believe, but it’s true! Veenstra is located in Bloomfield, but works all over the County. If you’re looking for a plumber, you won’t find any better!

We are pretty excited about the house now that the kitchen is in. The place is really starting to feel like a home – our home! It took awhile, and I think was a bit more complicated than we first thought, but it looks awesome. You’ll probably recognize the cupboards if you’ve been to IKEA lately, and we have become experts on putting the cupboards and drawers together. Well, deb and our brother-in-law John are the experts at putting the cupboards together – I was on cardboard management. Seriously, if anyone needs help with an IKEA kitchen, give us a call!

Once the cupboards got installed, the appliances were set, and the plumbers came in and put in the sink and hooked up the dishwasher. They weren’t the cleanest, but got the job done!

We are so pleased with the butcher block counter tops. It really finishes off the island. Our installer, Jeff McMillan, is a perfectionist. The island is 140 inches (356 cm) wide. So to make the counter top work, Jeff cut the wood to give a design on both ends, and strengthens the counter. We think it looks awesome.

And this past weekend Uwe Leder put in the back splash. We went with white subway times with dark grey grout. I know, pretty standard stuff, but we want something that is simple and timeless. Uwe also did the red tiling in the Cottage, and the back splash is equally stunning. We are so pleased!

So now it’s the finishing touches – putting the matching front panel on the dishwasher, attaching the handles and installing the stove vent. Shouldn’t be long now!

I went down to the house today as Lowe’s was delivering our Snow Blower. We figure getting a blower might be the only way to get the snow to stop for the rest of the winter so we can get this place finished! Lots of snow isn’t all bad tho’ – it’s beautiful to look at and the colder weather keeps the mud frozen. Got to take the bad with the good I guess!

Jeff McMillian is helping us finish up the house – inside and out. And by “helping” I mean he’s doing all the work! Jeff is an amazing craftsman. He lives up in Sterling, but works all over the Quinte area. There are a few people we’ve met during this build that we are truly thankful for – Jeff is one of them.  He delivers very high quality workmanship and has  standards above anyone we’ve met. Jeff wants to do it once, and well. You know someone stands behind his work when he says “pay me when I’m done and you’re happy”. Truly a gift as we try and bring this home, well “home”.

Jeff, along with his equally talented and trusty sidekick Warren, did the floor install, all the tiling, the window and baseboard trim, and are building the kitchen. Jeff and Warren have built the stairs to the basement, and framed and put in the basement door. And as soon as the temperature goes above -15 they will build the Cottage porch and stairs off the back Mud Room. See, an all round great guys.

Here are some photos of the work as it was underway. The house is still a bit of a construction site, so the “after” photos are to come.

David Lacroix, our electrician, is back, and getting the electrical finished as we continue to prep for the Occupancy Inspection.

However David is more than just our electrician, he’s become a dear friend. His advice and “sure, I can do that” attitude has bailed us out many a time. Who to get to install the insulation in the basements? Who can get the painting done ASAP so we can get the floors down? And who can get the generator electrical switch-over installed and up and working? David Lacroix. David’s electrical prowess is what has impressed us the most. He’s a safety-first kind of guy, but also open to cool looks and helping us find solutions. David was really impressed with the lighting we got from Norm Fischer, and saw our vision for bringing new life to the lights from TDSB schools.

David has relocated to London Ontario where he’s setting up his electrical company. So if you know anyone in South Western Ontario who’s looking for an electrician, please tell them about Lacroix Electrical.

David his lovely bride, and of course all their dogs, have an open invitation to our Cottage whenever they are in The County!

The land looks so beautiful right now. It is truly a “Winter Wonderland”. Especially yesterday, when the sun was glistening on the snow.

Now I know what’s under the lovely blanket of white – frozen mud, a mound of sand waiting to be spread, and worse of all, building supplies and builders’ garbage.

But for now, let’s focus on the Winter Wonderland. This is the reason we are choosing to live way, way, out. And so far, even with the build being 6 months late and no occupancy date in sight, we still have no regrets.

Happy New Year everyone – thanks for caring about our progress in The County. Will keep posting in 2018!

We love Joey Vaughan! Joe is with Vaughan Contracting, and before yesterday the last time we talked was Summer 2015. At the time the grass was up to our waists, and we really couldn’t see the topography of the land. A neighbour told us about Joey Vaughan when I asked if they knew anyone that could help us clear the land. Within days Joe had the grass cut, and we were able to find the best location for the well. From there it was the house, the cottage…well, you get the picture.

We weren’t able to get down to PEC last Friday – the weather was just too bad. The Friday before it took us almost 4 hours to drive home. It was treacherous. So why take the risk. We drove down yesterday and it was a beautiful trip. The 401 was dry with little traffic and even the County roads were clear. But when we got the the house the road clearing had worked it’s magic and the drive was completely blocked. The snow was up over our boots, so we are thinking about 18 inches. There is NO WAY we would be able to shovel this out!

So I called Joey Vaughan, and within 2 hours Joey arrived.  I can not believe how fast it was to clear the driveway. It’s about 300 feet long, so it took a few swipes.

For the last few years there’s been almost no snow in The County. Looks like Winter 2017/2018 is going to be different. With Vaughan Contracting on our side, we are ready, bring it on!