...and the tearing down begins

Power was finally disconnected on October 16, and final permits for demolition issued by the town on the 26th. But, why wait? Trees started to come down on the 25th, and the rest of the trees are now down. The lot is much more open, which means the new house will be able to breathe. We hope to not have issues with mildew, mold, and other ugliness in the new house. (I just found this blogspot site with a guy's rants about home construction in Japan and the moisture issues he has there - the comment on the shoes has been a challenge for us, as well)

With the trees down, the stone wall that marks the property border is more visible, and gives us a sense of things we might do with the landscaping once all the work is done. The ferns and other natural growth will set the stage for whatever we do, so it still fits in the midst of the woods. This space will not become some manicured suburban tract.

Here's how the view has opened up...

There's a sense of progress, but it's sobered by a sense of having abandoned the house and leaving it to suffer great violence. Much of what could be removed has been and is probably settling in to some other person's home. The kitchen counters were carried off, along with the sink and kitchen appliances, the washer and dryer, the wood stove, the furnace and thermostat, and even some light fixtures. All the sliding doors to the deck have been removed, and hopefully will find their way to some second life as well.

Here's how the kitchen looked a few days ago, with the various piece-parts removed...

We had hoped to find new homes for as many things from the house as possible, so they'd have continued use rather than ending up in a landfill. It turns out that unless you're good with tools and have a big truck or are willing to hire it out, it's hard to give this stuff away on a charitable basis. But, there's always someone who wants something, and we're glad that the subs found stuff of interest. Since the house is coming down, nobody needed to be particularly careful, so the kitchen looks like a tornado hit it. The living room is scattered with leaves, bits of wallboard, and other scrap. A lower level wall was ripped down - perhaps to get the furnace out more easily - and the sliding door met a bad end, with glass all over the floor and the frame removed. Ironically, the front door is locked, in a facade of serenity and security that belies what awaits you within.

During our visit to the house yesterday, it was also raining pretty hard. Word has it that someone played a practical joke on one of the tree guys and let a big chunk of tree fall on the house (he apparently didn't know it's getting demolished - wish I could have been there to see his reaction when it happened), leaving a big gash in the roof and our very own waterfall in the entry hall, furthering the reality of our abandonment.

Not sure where the mice and chipmunks are currently eking out a life, but a good-sized snake sidled up against the house under a bunch of leaves while I was walking around the perimeter. Hopefully it'll move on in time Monday, when the crusher arrives.

It's progress, but it's still sad to see the passing of the house.