Lifted house, installed basement

[Darren]

I bought my house in 99. The house was built on cedar posts, but i soon found that every single one of them was totally rotten just below the ground. There was nothing holding my house up.

This project began in the summer of 2003. I did most of the block laying and all of the carpentry work. Take a look at the many pics and let me know what you think.

http://members.shaw.ca/hackers/pics.html

[giddonah]

You definitely posted in the right section. That's an awesome project. Where do you stand with it now? Is it finished? It looks like the redhead wasn't that excited in a couple of those pics :) Any chance of a ballpark disclosure on cost of the project and value difference in the house?

[Darren]

Thanks for the comments :)

I'd guess that i spent so far maybe $30k Canadian or so. I replaced a lot of stuff though. All new windows and doors, new hot water tank and new high efficiency furnace and all new duct work, new wiring, all new plumbing. The foundation is insulated from the footing to the rim joist with R7.5 foam, with R5 foam over the rest of the house. The inside of the basement is also insulated with R13. I spent 3k just on insulation.

I saved a TON of money doing most of the work myself though. The only local company that lifts houses wanted almost $8k just to lift the house. I bought 300 bucks worth of railway ties and borrowed some i-beam, and voila, the house was lifted. A freind showed me how to lay block. My best freind helped out every day for 12-14 hours. My other best freind is an electrician, so he redid all the electrical right from the pole. I have another freind who is a carpenter, so he helped out a bunch. The biggest help was having a very understanding wife (the redhead). We lived in the house the whole time too...

Right now, we are finishing the drywall inside, and completly finishing the basement. It will have a living room, sauna/shower, and bathroom/laundry room.

After thats done, i'll gut the main floor, then the attic bedroom.

[Rich]

Nice work Darren. Well done.

[Darren]

Thanks Rich, and thanks for this forum, its an awesome resource which i read everyday.

[Cole]

Great Job, Darren!!!

[giddonah]

Holy hell. You lived in it the whole time? That's hardcore. You're awesome. And you're still married too... Man, what a deal. You have some awesome friends and an even better wife. Congrats.

[Darren]

yup, we lived in it the whole time. It was the worst summer ever. It poured rain every day for 2 months. We had no back door, no heat, no nothing :D We just say that we were camping in a treehouse for the summer.

The funniest part was when my wife was going pee, and we were digging the basement with the excavator right beside the house. Wouldn't you know it, the counterweight of the excavator smacked the house, right under the bathroom window. I she wasn't already peeing, she would have peed her pants :D

What an adventure

[steeve]

And you're still married too... Man, what a deal. You have some awesome friends and an even better wife.
great job, from seen it ,it realy paid off... :)
hope my wife will be as understanding when i go through my construction project...

[Darren]

The secret is to just spring the idea on them and then just put the plan into action before she can object.