When we started thinking about putting a cabin on our lot, we imagined a relatively small, modest structure. However, after receiving a...

With construction nearly completed, we welcomed our first guests at the Grove. In fact, we've hosted a few groups of family and friends...

It’s hard to believe my last construction blog update was more than three months ago. A lot has been completed in that time frame. As...

It’s been more than two months since my last blog update, so this one is overdue. Construction has continued at the Grove on Mayne...

I'm happy to report that construction is continuing at the Grove, despite a few cold rainy days and me not being able to spend as much...

As is often the case on the Gulf Islands, winter brings rain. It wasn't the biblical rains we got 2 years ago, but it rained hard - so...

I'm back on the blog after a 2-month hiatus. Thankfully, contractor Steve and his crew kept working on our project while I was getting...

Well, it took a little longer than planned, but the forms for the footings were completed and the Ready-mix cement was poured. Why are...

We had some very exciting news in the last few weeks: our building permit was issued on October 3, 2023, and we're thrilled! It took...

Since the house was delivered to our lot by Nickel Brothers on June 13, we've been busy moving things along, patiently waiting for...

It's been four days since our house was delivered to our lot on Mayne Island. It feels like we got an Amazon delivery, except it didn't...

With the trees and logs out of the way, Matt T started excavating where the house will sit. Normally, excavation starts once the building...

Recap: Nickel Brothers is a company that buys houses from people who are redeveloping their property. They save houses from being...

With just a little over two weeks to go before the "new used house" is delivered to the Grove, we're continuing to work on preparing the...

Sometimes, being flexible is important. Maybe it's important all the time, actually. For those who have followed our Mayne Island...

We're learning a lot about designing and building a home. As discussed in the Finding a Builder blog, some builders provide a suite of...

Researching and evaluating home builders could be a full-time job. The options are endless. There are small builders, big builders,...

We're so happy we found this lot... Thankfully, the offers we made on other properties fell through, or we walked away after the home...

We've been looking at lots and cabins on the Gulf Islands for a long time - probably more than 15 years. We tried and experienced several...

We took possession of The Grove February 14, 2021. As luck would have it, a thick carpet of snow fell the night before, but that wasn't...