With all that we have going on at the farm it is easy to lose focus on the larger picture of what possibilities of what this farmhouse actually represents. while dealing with stripping the plaster off the walls inside, shingling the exterior, and wiring in a whole system of new electrical plugs and switches, it is no wonder that we end up focusing on each of the little things and let the rest fall to the side. So in order to remedy this I’ve been doing my best to envision some of the wide ranging possibilities that might, or might not, come to fruition over the next coupe decades on the farm.
So far this has included a plan to wiring the farmhouse and barn up with modular and extensible electrical systems, ethernet connections throughout, phone and coaxial extending to, at least, all corners of the house. Right now it doesn’t make much sense to wire the barn with cable and ethernet–that is, until you imagine what might be going on in ten years with a winery in operation or family and friends over to watch the football game, etc. Who knows, but I know that while the walls are exposed it is best to run the wiring while it’s easy.
Likewise this mentality should prove useful in running the water lines, choosing the heating system, and even in picking out a door [ref]Who of us have ever struggled with moving furniture around the house, especially up and down stairs, because the doors and doorways are in the way? This is a particularly potent issue in older construction where doorways and hallways were narrower to help reduce the heating load.[/ref]. Anyway, that’s the plan; only time will tell us how well this planning manifests itself.