Initial clearing

The previous owner, who owned the property for over a decade, had logged a good portion of the oldest, most valuable trees, mostly western red cedar. The county requires replanting, but they replanted Norfolk pines, which are now 6-12 years old, many buried behind bramble.

I was so fortunate to meet André Harness, my realtor Becki's husband. He owns Harness Construction, whose motto is 'We make dirt look good.' He and his crew spent several days clearing brush, downed logs, debris, and taking down dead and damaged trees over about an acre close to the driveway. 

 

Lisa and Mark were my eyes, ears, and project managers during February and March of 2020.

They visited the lot almost daily to keep me updated, and they coordinated with Andre and his crew, who brought in some big equipment for clearing and grading.

I intended to put my house on the market in mid-March, have a quick close, and be back in Washington by May 1st at the latest. The day my house was supposed to go on the market -- March 14 -- I got word that California had shut down completely due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and that no real estate showings would be allowed. In April, that rule was loosened to allow private showings if the owner was not living in the house, so I moved out for a month. It went very slowly at first; people were very cautious, and consumed with bigger worries than looking at real estate. The market did pick up, but it took longer to sell the PLUSHouse than I had expected.

I finally headed to Washington for good on June 27. Left at 4:30 AM, made 3 charging stops, and arrived for dinner that evening. The next morning Lisa, Mark, and I drove to the lot for my first glimpse of all the work that had been done.

I had the beginnings of a driveway, and a path that circled back into the lot to the bench they set up in a little meadow down the hill.

 

Now the real work would begin.