Several necessary first steps had to be completed prior to the initiation of the construction phase. Here sits our house before any lift has occurred. The white picket fence in front, grass on the lawn, a visible chimney on the roof. All of these things will disappear before the house project can even begin.

Above the fence has been removed as well as all of the foundation plantings. We relocated as many as we could to the back yard with the hopes of replanting them once the project is complete. Our house was built in the 1920’s and was already elevated a few steps, yet not high enough.

Before they can begin to cut holes in the foundation to make room for the steel beams for the lift, all exterior access stairs have to be removed. Our cement built stairs were jackhammered off, leaving no access to the house through the front door. Little did we know what a headache the front stairs would pose during this project. The style and design is a big consideration. The house is going from a few steps to around 17 steps in total to reach the front door.

Also before the lift, the interior chimney has to be removed, as shown in several other posts.