So sorry to hear about your problem. That doesn't sound like fun...you are one power outage away from a flood, so you might look into getting a generator...an automatic one that is big enough to handle the power needs of the sump pump. Your other option is not cheap, but well worth it is to recognize that gravity is your friend and water runs down hill. Is there anything in the terrain that will allow you to drain the water away from the house? Curtain drains installed either inside or outside the house can be most helpful in these situations. If you give the water a place to go, it will go there. At our old house we ended up putting in an exterior curtain drain which made a huge difference....in our new house we curtain drained the entire foundation...even though the builder said water will never come out of those pipes...fine by us, just so long as water doesn't come IN the house!

I think painting the brick might be worth considering (I don't love the dark brown brick). Some of those on the monthly building thread have elected to paint their newly installed brick (chose inexpensive brick from the start with the plan to paint it). I would want to research further how often it would need to be repainted before proceeding. I definitely agree that re-shingling the roof with much higher quality shingles will make quite a difference (does not have to be metal, but metal would look good). What plans do you have for the windows? How old are they? Some of them seem kind of small. Perhaps enlarging some of the openings might be in order. As per raising the roof, that does seem drastic for little return. How high are the ceilings? If they are less than 8 feet, than raising the roof starts to make sense. Instead, I would explore a small addition to add interest to the exterior (could be a porch addition or conditioned space add-on). I have linked a book below that will give you some ideas for adding on in a small (or larger way). I was able to get the book from my library and found it very helpful when we were designing our addition. Can you post a picture of the front of the house (I assume what you have posted is the back of the house)? Carol addition idea book

Oly I was just finishing up! I’m going to give you all the ingredients without amounts because there really isn’t a recipe. Soup is so forgiving that way. This is basically Ashkenazi Jewish peasant soup so when you have more of one thing and less of another that’s the way you make the soup that time. Very general measurements would be equal amounts of all vegies, roughly double that in pre-cooked barley and meat in the quantity you desire. Stock will depend on how thin/thick you like your soup and how much you want to s-t-r-e-t-c-h it ! Mushroom/Vegetable (Beef) Barley Soup Beef cut into bite sized cubes (can be chuck, short ribs or any other flavorful cut that requires long slow cooking and won’t turn to mush. My grandmother used beef shin but I never see that anymore Beef stock &/or Mushroom stock &/or Chicken stock (homemade if you have it) – use low sodium so you are in charge of the seasoning. I usually use a combo of beef and mushroom but sometimes make it with all chicken and then leave out the meat or use chicken meat instead. If you’re doing a meatless version which is also very traditional, use all vegie or mushroom stock for a vegan friendly version. Barley – I love the snap of hulled barley but will mix in a bit of pearled which acts as a thickener for the stock. It can be made with all pearled – that’s what I grew up eating. Peeled chopped carrot Chopped celery Chopped onion – optional Crushed garlic Dried shitake mushrooms, soaked, strained and chopped fine, use the soaking liquid with the broth. Salt & pepper to taste, a bit of dried thyme &/or bay leaves In a large pot brown the beef in batches in a bit of olive oil, set aside. Soften the carrot, celery, (onion if you use it) in the same pot in a bit more olive oil. When they are softened and just starting to turn golden add in the garlic and cook a bit longer. Pour in the stock, add the beef, barley and mushrooms. Bring to a boil then turn to a simmer for 2 – 3 hours. You can call it done right there and that’s very traditional or…. Add in sliced seared button or cremini mushrooms (I never do but a Jewish grandma would) Add in a can of diced tomatoes (depends on my mood) Add in tomato paste – I always add at least a teaspoon when I make this with beef as it just adds a nice richness to the broth. For a really large pot I’ll add a one of the small cans. Skip it if you use chicken.

From the CBC article linked above: "a century later, those bygone brooks are still responsible for fracturing the foundations of homes or buildings and collapsing roads into sinkholes, continuing like ghosts of the past to provoke the city that tried to choke them out." Even if a lot is not in a flood plain, the purchaser/builder should ask about subsurface water flows that are not obvious, but are well known. Meeting a trade at a house under renovation on Rushholme Rd., Toronto, I noticed a black line five feet up around the entire basement wall. When a crew was digging to create more headroom for a basement suite, they hit water, which filled the basement to that level before they could get pumps going. Now, two pumps run 24/7 to keep the Havelock stream of Garrison Creek at bay.