And also you higher imagine I’m yelling! 😀 Y’all, how lengthy have I been ready for a driveway? Eleven years! We’ve been on this home eleven years with out a driveway, and it’s lastly taking place subsequent week. I’m so excited I can hardly consider the rest. I’ll share with you the way this all took place, however first, let me again up a bit.
The primary time I drove by this home to try it, the very first thing I observed was that it didn’t have a driveway. That alone was virtually a deal breaker, however I attempted to have an open thoughts as a result of it was a fixer higher in determined want of some TLC (which is what I needed), it was within the metropolis (a non-negotiable to me — I’m not a rustic lady), and it was on a one-acre lot (extremely laborious to come back by within the metropolis). So whereas I hated that it didn’t have a driveway, I attempted to push previous it.
All that it had was an outdated gravel driveway, with many of the gravel displaced at that time, and which had largely been taken over by weeds. And the driveway went from the road on to the storage.
And as you recognize, through the years, that storage was was my studio, and we had a carport added to the again of the studio. We nonetheless had no driveway, and at that time, we wanted a fair longer driveway (about double the size of the unique driveway).
We had the driveway priced years in the past, and the estimate we got was about $20,000 to go from the road, to the aspect of the home, and have it cease in order that it lined up with the again of the carport. We had one other individual a few years later give us a common estimate, and it got here to the identical quantity. However I didn’t simply need the driveway to cease proper there. I knew I additionally needed to increase it to the again of the workshop, however I figured we’d have to do that in phases due to the price. In reality, you possibly can see how I needed it on the panorama design.
So the driveway has at all times been in our listing of issues to do, however it by no means reached the highest precedence. So right here we have been, eleven years later, and nonetheless with no driveway.
Quick ahead to final week. I had simply had my workshop constructed a few weeks in the past, and now I wanted a ramp going from the tip of the carport to the storage door of the workshop.
I weighed the professionals and cons of constructing a wooden ramp or pouring concrete, and Matt and I each agreed that concrete could be superb. A good friend of ours had given me the title of the person they used for his or her concrete driveway, so I gave him a name and he got here out to have a look at the venture and take some measurements.
Whereas the concrete man was right here, I had him not solely give me an estimate for the ramp from the carport to the workshop, however I additionally defined that at a later date, we’d be pouring a concrete driveway, most likely in two totally different sections at two totally different instances, and I requested him to offer me a worth for these individually as nicely.
Nicely, he gave me the costs, and I couldn’t imagine it!! The worth for all three initiatives — ramp, driveway, and driveway extension — got here to about what I anticipated for the driveway alone. I used to be so excited! I advised him that I’d have to speak to Matt in regards to the order wherein he needed to get this stuff carried out, and that we’d most likely need the ramp carried out now, after which perhaps in a number of months, we’d do Section 1 of the driveway, and perhaps subsequent summer time, we’d do Section 2 of the driveway. However once I shared the costs with Matt, he mentioned, “Let’s simply do all of it now.”
WHAT???!!!! OH MY GOSH!!! I CAN’T BELIEVE IT!!
So the concrete man jumped to motion instantly and despatched his guys over yesterday to take away the outdated 11-foot chain hyperlink gate and the 2 small sections of fence on both aspect.
Simply seeing that fence taken out was so thrilling to me! I’ve been that eyesore for eleven years, and it had gotten to the purpose that it was fully ineffective. It wouldn’t shut as a result of it dragged the bottom a lot. So not solely was it ugly, however it was ineffective.
They’d fairly a time getting these sections of fence out as a result of the world was so grown over with trash bushes (hackberry and such) that had grown in and thru the fence.
However my goodness, simply getting the gate out made an enormous distinction!
Most every little thing went easily till they acquired to those poles. They’d a heck of a time getting these out. However in fact, they lastly succeeded.
And right here it’s with the outdated fence sections and the large gate gone. What a distinction already!
And now at the moment, the tree guys are right here getting all of that overgrowth and people trash bushes lower down, grinding stumps, and getting every little thing prepared for concrete subsequent week. WOOHOOOO!!! So this view is about to vary drastically.
I lastly get to say goodbye (and good riddance) to this outdated unkempt gravel driveway, and I’ll have a correct concrete driveway that leads from the road, to the aspect of the home, and again to the carport.
The driveway will go all the way in which previous my workshop, and can line up with the far wall of the workshop. (Say hey to Tiger, the neighborhood stray cat who hangs out largely at my home as a result of I feed him each day. 😀 ) The driveway will meet up with the little porch outdoors the aspect door of the studio, after which simply previous the air conditioner unit, it’ll meet up with the carport.
After which behind the carport it’ll meet up with the ramp to my workshop. Sidenote: As I used to be taking footage this morning, I caught sight of one thing I’ve by no means seen earlier than. There’s a deer in my again yard. Are you able to see it? Tiger’s wanting proper at it, and has the fluffiest story I’ve ever seen, and the fur on his again is standing on finish. In eleven years, that is the primary time I’ve ever seen a deer in my yard.
Anyway, all of this space is being cleared out at the moment. All of those bushes and overgrowth are being despatched by means of the wooden chipper proper now as I write this. It’s an thrilling day!
And whereas they’re right here, they’re going to get all the remainder of this mess cleared up that was left from the frantic tree trimming that needed to occur the morning that the workshop construct began.
They usually’ll filter out all the branches that I trimmed the day earlier than the workshop was constructed. I put these in two huge piles below these bushes. I do know a few you have been nervous about that and the hearth hazard it introduced. So after at the moment, your worries might be gone. 🙂
And after subsequent week, this view might be drastically totally different.
Again in 2018, I acquired some spray paint and painted traces on the bottom to see what my curved driveway would appear to be. Right here’s an concept of the place the driveway will go…
Anyway, I’m so excited. After ready so lengthy, it really looks like it’s taking place actually quick now! 😀 He mentioned they’ll begin early subsequent week. I positive hope which means Monday!
UPDATE:
These tree guys are making fast work of this! This space with the overgrowth of trash bushes alongside the fence to the left of the place our driveway will go (i.e., the bushes that make the fence barely seen, if in any respect)…
…now seems to be like this…
Now it seems to be like a driveway can really slot in there!
Addicted 2 Adorning is the place I share my DIY and adorning journey as I transform and adorn the 1948 fixer higher that my husband, Matt, and I purchased in 2013. Matt has M.S. and is unable to do bodily work, so I do the vast majority of the work on the home on my own. You can learn more about me here.
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