the hard won building permit
Work started on our Vergemoli project right on time. We were lucky with the weather, the equipment arrived, everybody turned up and the foundations began to take shape.
our yellow digger
the start of the foundations
our new house
much discussion
I think it should go here - did I mention that the builder is quite good looking?
6 days on and the progress is amazing despite the fact that we have had a few days of heavy rain. The internal brick walls are laid first and the outer stone walls will follow.
the first bricks
taking shape
hard at work
they have to be level
knocking it into place
the door to the living room
those bricks are rough
My father, uncle and both grandfathers were builders and one brother is a buiilder. I am familiar with buildings sites. I love to watch the house grow.
I love building sites
another yellow machine mixes cement
and it lifted the work shed into place
Another week on and the building has grown.
this looks official
it is growing
a window takes shape
the top of the window frame goes in
the front door to the terrace
mixing more cement
we have a new road to the well house
there is no shortage of water from our spring
water collected from the spring
this will be a terrace beside the house
another of our lovely builders
and another
As well as having a great view, the site is in sunshine all day. I think the house is going to be excellent. At this stage everything is going along very well.
Click here to see the original pile of rocks. The house in Vergemoli now has its own category as well.
Oh my God. How exciting! Love to see the progress of the building works – especially the differences in both the structure as it evolves and the countryside. It doesn’t hurt having easy on the eye builders either…
Cath
Albany Creek (country Brisbane)
By: micalanaca@bigpond.com on March 29, 2011
at 6:44 am
No, it never hurts to see good looking men. I’m hoping shirts will come off when it warms up.
By: bagnidilucca on March 29, 2011
at 8:07 am
Good progress! Very nice Debra!
By: Rosaly Palma Torvnes on March 29, 2011
at 6:52 am
It is going very well so far.
By: bagnidilucca on March 29, 2011
at 8:06 am
1. What a location! 2. Do you tell all these cute builders that they’re going to be in your blog???
By: The Daily Cure on March 29, 2011
at 7:38 am
Yes I did, and they all wanted to be photographed. They are a great team. I can’t wait to see the stones being laid.
By: bagnidilucca on March 29, 2011
at 8:05 am
How exciting Deb, I’m with you here, I love seeing things take shape as they emerge. Who ever thought a pack of stones & bricks would start to look like a house…… and then….. a home. Lucky you girl…, it looks amazing.
By: Anna Johnston on March 29, 2011
at 8:47 am
It is very exciting to watch it grow. I can’t wait for the stones.
By: bagnidilucca on March 29, 2011
at 10:00 am
Debra that is very exciting! Exciting for you, as you are building a new house. Exciting for me as you have a blog that lets people like me dream that one day I could do that! Have you ever watched Grand Designs? My favourite ones were the international episodes.
By: cityhippyfarmgirl on March 29, 2011
at 9:09 am
I have watched Grand Designs. I especially love the Italian ones. It is fun watching the house grow. It is all going smoothly just now, but there is a long way to go.
By: bagnidilucca on March 29, 2011
at 10:02 am
How very exciting!
By: paninigirl on March 29, 2011
at 2:15 pm
It is exciting watching the building grow.
By: bagnidilucca on March 29, 2011
at 4:21 pm
This is so great! Not only are the photos great for us but as a memory for you and all those that follow who will live if this house. It’s interesting to follow the construction as it is so much different than how houses are built in te US. And yes, the guys are super cute!!
By: Denise Blackman on March 29, 2011
at 2:35 pm
I intend to record as much of the building process as I can. Rosi will still be here when I go back to Australia, so she will take photos as well.
By: bagnidilucca on March 29, 2011
at 3:55 pm
Have to say …..I’m so giddy at watching YOUR dream come true, the photos, the progress, the SETTING, your viewers comments etc. …I ate half a bag of cookies!! What a trip!! Good wishes for it’s continued (positive) development. Bet there’ll be one grand party when it’s done – Luis catering of course.
By: Caterina on March 29, 2011
at 2:35 pm
We are going to put in a wood fired pizza oven as soon as we can. I would like to have at least one picnic up there on a sunny day before we return to Asutralia in May.
By: bagnidilucca on March 29, 2011
at 3:56 pm
Talk about quick!! Well we really enjoyed our picnic there last year with you and the gang and we wish you nothing but good things with the project. The team all seem so nice and yes, make sure we get to see some of their muscles when the sun comes out. It is beautiful……
By: Moira Drexler on March 29, 2011
at 5:57 pm
I think we should go there this year when you come. We could have a barbecue and make the place feel wanted and loved.
By: bagnidilucca on March 29, 2011
at 6:24 pm
I have been looking forward to these photos. If I understand you correctly, the stone blocks go on the outside of the bricks. That is going to be one THICK outside wall. It looks fantastic. Incidendally photos taken during construction can be very useful later on. (chasing wiring etc). Do you have a garage planned?
The setting is beautiful, your own water supply and the neighbours don’t look too close either. Beautiful.
By: Colin on March 29, 2011
at 11:08 pm
The walls are very thick. There will be insulation between the bricks and the stones as well. We can only rebuild what was there so there can’t be a garage. The house has to be rebuilt to exactly the same dimensions as the one it replaces, with the same doors and wndows. We did get permission for a bigger door onto the terrace, which took some doing.
By: bagnidilucca on March 30, 2011
at 5:11 am
Lucky you – it’s a beautiful setting! I think you’re very brave taking on a building project in a “foreign” country. Will you settle in Italy permanently or keep moving between Italy and Australia?
By: lisa@notesfromafrica on March 30, 2011
at 7:52 am
We will always live in both Australia and Italy. The house is being built to sell. Adriano lives here and has had experience with building. We would never have taken this on alone.
We love our apartment by the river. The house in the mountains would be too remote for me, I like to see life aorund me.
By: bagnidilucca on March 30, 2011
at 8:04 am
I think I’d also choose the apartment by the river.
By: lisa@notesfromafrica on March 30, 2011
at 8:11 am
We have never regretted our decision to by right in the village. I love being able to walk across the bridge to Bar Italia for my coffee etc.
By: bagnidilucca on March 30, 2011
at 8:50 am
Great location. Looks like they build houses in Italy quicker than here in Aus. When are the sexy looking ladies in bikini’s comming to the building site?
I can’t wait to be in Bagni Di Lucca in the end of May to have good look around. Pitty we miss each other by a few days as I would have loved to meet you and your husband face to face over a bite of lunch and a bottle of vino.
By: paul on March 31, 2011
at 2:30 am
I’ll keep an eye out for some bikini wearing builders. It has taken us a couple of years to get to this point, but it seems to be moving quickly now. There are five builders there every day and they are a cheerful bunch. The bricks for the bottom floor are extremely big and heavy, the ones for the next 2 floors will be a bit lighter. I can’t wait to see the stone layer.
By: bagnidilucca on March 31, 2011
at 5:05 am
[…] here to see the last report on the house, or go to the ” new house in Vergemoli” to see all […]
By: The stone walls are growing at Vergemoli « Bagni di Lucca and Beyond on May 2, 2011
at 4:29 pm
I love these pics! We’re in the middle of building work at home (Cape Town, South Africa), and the most exciting bits were when the foundations were cast, the walls went up, and the roof went on! What is left now is all the fiddly ‘attention-to-detail’ ‘making-things-look-nice’ stuff, which is far more challenging somehow.
By: Reggie on May 30, 2011
at 9:00 am