Dry Wall and Debris

Bring on the dry wall! All the dry wall was up, and the joint mud was still drying when we made our way through this week end. What a mess! Mud, drywall scrap, and puddles of joint compound cover the floor. No worries though, all this will be swept and scrapped up before long. Things won't be clean again until well into the finish work. We're changing into old shoes to tromp around the site in, after my mud bath.

The Framing Inspection

Yesterday we had our framing meeting with the head contractor. Luckily, it had been raining all day, so the site was plenty muddy, and very slick. For those that know me, you won't be disappointed what happens....

So the contractor walks us around the house, as workers are installing the drywall . We go thought the check list of cable and phone outlets we added, and he answers a few questions we had about time lines, finish work, when we might close. Then we go outside. When I say we, I mean the head contractor and myself, my wife didn't like the look of the muddy back yard. So we go outside, I get a little to close to the edge of the underground utilities ditch, and splat, in I go. I wish we had our camera, it was a priceless moment.

Yes, I had mud to my knees, and of course I had a meeting at work after we were finished with the inspection. A word to the wise....hip-waders anytime your building site might be wet......

Enter The Design Center

Going to the design center is an experience. I had heard from acquaintances how a trip to the center caused arguments, hair pulling, and the momentary loss of all reason for a number of people. Fortunately, this was not the case for us. Granted, we had some issues imagining what a few of the combinations would look like, but it was actually a pleasant 2 1/2 hours last night.

Surprisingly, it didn't feel like that long. A bit of advise, make as many of your decisions as you can before you go. We knew most of the available options when we placed the lot deposit, and had decided what we wanted in the house weeks in advance. Knowing where we wanted (hardwoods, tile, extra crown moulding, etc...) gave us time to work out the hardest part....carpet and wall colors..... After years in apartments, I couldn't wait to get away from white walls and beige carpets!

The final word for our house:

• hardwoods in the kitchen, dining room, living room
• tile in the bathrooms (master, 1st floor half, both second floor baths) and laundry
• double crown moulding on the first floor and 2nd floor common area
• a carpet upgrade through the house
• gas stove
• microwave/hood over the stove
• granite counter top in kitchen
• bronze hardware and lights upgrade
• trim package around windows
• screen rear porch*
• upgrade staircase*
• fourth bedroom with 3rd bath*
• glass block window in master bath*

The last thing we need to decide on is a refrigerator. We may go to Lowes or Sears, depending on the finishes available from the builder. We're not a fan of the way a stainless 'frige collects fingerprints.

*upgraded in July, before building began.

A View of the Community

One of the features we really like about our house, is our front porch view. From the second story porch, we get a great look at the common area that will feature a fountain, benches, and a wi-fi connection!

Another great feature is our neighbors. The development hosted a party in September, and we met a number of the other buyers. We're going to have a great group of folks on our street!

A Pause in the Activity

Not much has changed since last week. It looks like they are ready for the inspections before insulation and dry wall are installed. We grabbed some shots of the tiny back yard, and a preview of the view from the second floor porch to share. We're making another run to the design center next week. Hopefully, we can finish our selections, and start thinking about curtains, furniture, and the other choices that come with a new home.

One of the hardest parts of watching your house construction, is watching the construction. Any little problem stands out to my eye. Even though I know the supervising contractor will find and correct anything I may see, we still want to talk to our sales manager about things we see. He's been great! He's given clear and specific answers to our questions and been very understanding when working with us first time buyers!

What a difference 2 weeks made! While we were on vacation, they rough in the 2nd floor front porch, drop in the windows, and get the siding on. The garage shell is nearly done, and the back porch has its overhang. It looks like the wiring is nearly finished, and the plumbing may be ready for the pressure test soon!

To the Design Center....

We made a trip to the design center (still under construction) to choose our cabinets and counter top. After comparing several combinations, we chose a black granite counter top, cherry cabinets, and 'gunstock' hardwood floors. We also upgraded to the bronze fixtures throughout the house, and selected the under mount sink for the kitchen.

We can't wait to finish choosing our options when the center opens later this month.