18/11/16 The family took one last look at the old house before demolition in 2 days. As you can tell I gave up gardening several months before knowing it was all going – ok, lazy I know!
Funny, thought that we’d be more emotional to see the house go. Afterall, this was the first house we bought together, first added two cats, then later two kids – the only home they had known. Maybe because we had always envisioned doing a renovation or a new build. Maybe all the trouble we had. Who knows, but we were excited that something was happening. It wasn’t exactly a Frank Lloyd Wright or Eames that we were ripping down, but that asbestos riddled, possum infested, leaking house was ours! Anyway, closed the door for the last time.
Next day the temporary fencing marked a new chapter.
Despite clear instructions regarding the tree protection requirements, I thought I’d go in there the day before they arrived, to mark out it out. The portion of driveway marked with “KEEP” had to stay under the Tree Protection Plan to protect the tree roots. I would have to separately remove this after the house is built, and lay down a special one that protects the tree roots, but lets water through. Ignore the fact that we parked a car in the front yard on the tree roots for 10+ years (exactly where the bins are in the photo below) and it didn’t hurt the tree one little bit. Anyway.
19/11/19 It has started … first part is to remove the asbestos (apparently the non-friable type), stripping the inside, chopping down the smaller trees, etc.
Next, they got the excavator going. Minutes later house is gone
20/11/19 Next the garage with a masonry wall abutting my neighbour’s structure. Amazing how, on one hand, it could knock over the house like a kid knocking over Lego, but on the other, operate with the dexterity of a surgeon. Not a scratch on the neighbours’ structure.
21/11/19 Finished. Considering the pile of rubble (that it was before & during demolition) they did a great job levelling the block. You might notice the righthand fence and say, “Hang on, surely they damaged that!” Believe it or not, it was like that before demolition (per previous posts).
Our rickety back fence (only standing thanks to a makeshift piece of wood wedging it upright) didn’t survive the demolition. Nice view & access to the golf course ️️ The remaining portion of the driveway didn’t fare too well. And that was thick, old fashioned concrete!
And just like that they were gone, and it never looked like there was a house to begin with … (view from the back of the black towards the street & the only think left standing … the money tree!)
Next day the temporary fencing arrived – this now stays in place for the duration of the build
With demolition done, the pool folks could do the first stage of the pool (concrete shell) before the house builds commence early in 2020 …