large trucks carted away 1,300 metric tons of dirt. our driveway being narrow, it was hard to fit the large vehicles into the small space available. in addition, inclement weather caused a three week delay, as the earth became too heavy for transport due to its being saturated with water. once the hole was dug, an unexpected expense and further delay arose: the excavation is relatively large, and it's on a hill. in order for it to remain stable, it became necessary to shore it up with concrete walls along the outer perimeter of the dig. meanwhile, the house was looking rather naked with its foundation exposed and the garden entirely removed.