Posted by Jen – March 12, 2008 7:54 PM
Well, the spring rains hit and my yard became the Mississippi delta. Greg's going to get the landscape team to take a look and see if there are any easy solutions. I'm leaning towards a retaining wall since we don't expect neighbors to build anytime soon. The jury is still out and I'm hoping for sunny days.
Posted by Jen – January 15, 2008 9:32 AM
Photo Credit: MyBiz1, Rate My Space Contributor
Keith and I escaped the pyramids (of boxes, that is) occupying many of our living spaces for a weekend in Atlanta. What did I discover? More oil-rubbed bronze hardware from sink faucets to coat hooks in our inn's bathroom. I remember a few years ago when there was definately a chrome trend going on. Everything was shiny-contemporary or shiny-retro and now what a move! Now every modern bath comes with dark, hand-crafted hardware.
Good news, I've unpacked my camera so I'll have a few pictures of my own oil-rubbed bronze up shortly. Now where is that USB cord?
Until then, check out a few photos of this classic trend in HGTV's Rate my Space.
Posted by Jen – December 31, 2007 11:09 PM
Keith and I are officially homeowners. We have keys, we have garage door openers and we have a mortgage to last us 30 years. The builders asked to move the closing a few days just to wrap up a few more things and Greg, our project managers, has assured us that we'll be seeing a lot of him as they work down our closing punch list. The punch list includes everything from two boards missing from the deck (we needed 18ft pieces, which are special order) to replacing a piece of broken glass in a window pane. We couldn't be happier. I would put up a new photo but I've packed the camera by accident.
Continue reading »Posted by Jen – December 31, 2007 10:55 PM
Keith and I took our final walk through the house today. Everything we found was small, except for a significant issue with the hardwood floors. I first noticed something was wrong when my socks started getting snagged a bit as I walked around. After close examination, it appears that dust has made its way into the finish. It really looks like small particles are suspended in the topcoat. Greg was right on top of it and called the flooring guys out to take care of it before closing tomorrow. It joins about a dozen other items (very small in comparison to the wood floor) to create an official post-closing punch list. In an ideal world, it would have been nice to have a perfect house at closing, but what is ever perfect. During this season, Keith and I are reminded how blessed we are to have a roof over our heads. Even with rough floors it is our home sweet home.
Continue reading »Posted by Jen – December 24, 2007 1:02 PM
Well two things happened this week.
1. A skunk decided that sleeping under the garage sink was good idea. (We let him stay and find his way out...surprisingly there weren't any volunteers that wanted to wake him).
2. The landscaping plants went in and the back deck and patio are nearing completion.
Here's a rundown of the plants in the landscape plan.
Adagio Maiden Grass
Autumn Royalty Encore Azalea
Bailey's Red Twig Dogwood
Blacklace Elderberry
Black Dragon Japanese Cedar
China Girl Holly
Coral Bells Palace Purple
Degroot's Spire Arborvitae
Dwarf Southern Magnolia
Gaiety Carpet Bugle
Green Velvet Boxwood
Legacy Sugar Maple
Limelight Hydrangea
Miss Kim Korian Lilac
Natchez Crape Myrtle
October Glory Red Maple
Otto Luyken English Laurel
Pee Gee Hydrangea Standard
Liberty Holly
Prague Virburnum
Schipka Cherry Laurel
Shasta Daisy
Posted by Jen – December 21, 2007 12:48 PM
The house was visited by the concrete guys, the paint guys and the landscapers. These teams worked quickly and by the weekend it was good to go.
A bobcat struck again! This time the lanscaper ran over the edge of the driveway and cracked a big chuck out of it. I'm going to try and get a photo. I'm starting to think that Bobcat driving really is an art because so many of the guys have created a mess with it.
Anyway, the paint is on, Keith and I are getting really excited as things wrap up.
Now we will await the staining of the wood floors and the fauna and foliage to arrive.
Posted by Jen – December 16, 2007 9:29 PM
We had a very busy week with so much happening inside and outside the house. The landscapers have been working between the rain. We also saw the granite countertops installed and they really do a lot in lightening up the feel of the kitchen.
The backsplash goes in tomorrow, the driveway is poured and then the exterior paint goes on.
Our awesome project manager Greg called and said since we are about 3 weeks from closing that he'll want to start walking through the house with us doing punch lists each week. We're heading out to do our first one next weekend. The hope in doing this is that a lot of the errors we find can be fixed by the contractors while they are at the house.
Only bad news this week is that they pushed our closing by 3 days. While disappointing, Keith and I would like the house to be as close to done as possible and don't want them to rush doing a good job.
Continue reading »Posted by Jen – November 28, 2007 10:00 PM
The cabinets are in. After I took this photo, Greg the project manager walked around and placed blue tape on all of the flaws. I've saved you all from the close-ups of scratches, dings and poorly finished areas. The pantry is to be completely replaced. My theory at this point is that it was on a truck, fell off the truck, placed back on the truck and then was installed in the kitchen. Not only is it cracked along most of the joints, but along the side, an edge is entirely chewed up. Thank goodness for Greg as the new parts and pieces arrive next week. It makes me wonder if subcontractors just go through the motions or do they think "this looks really bad, I should tell someone before I waste time installing it."
What are your thoughts on this? Am I wrong in thinking subcontractors don't care?
Posted by Jen – November 19, 2007 10:54 PM
Had I been able to contain my excitement about seeing color on the walls, I probably would have avoided getting a headache from the fumes...but I was excited! The painters had just wrapped up two days of work and paint was thick in the air. I've mentioned before that the builder selected Sherwin-Williams paints, and in the selection process that meant the exterior as well as the interior. From the large fan palette, Keith and I selected two interior paint colors (included in the price of the home) as well as trim paint and ceiling paint. Have I mentioned that I'm not the most decisive person? In the end, green and khaki made it onto the walls which we thought were nice "neutrals" to begin with. If we continue on schedule, the stairs and cabinets are next to be installed!
Posted by Jen – November 17, 2007 10:16 PM
New reader Sue asked in previous post about the order of material selections. Now I know every builder is different (as are delivery times and vendors), but I wanted to share the selection order we worked from in hopes that it can help someone feel more organized or in charge. I thought this was a neat article on HGTVPro.com that spoke of selecting your building materials.HGTVPro.com: Controlling the uncontrollable, Materials
Jen and Keith's Selection Checklist
Homeplan Choice and Elevations
Plan Modification upgrades/downgrades
Final Plan Modification Approval
Exterior Paint
Exterior Stone
Exterior Siding and Design Elements
Appliances
Electrical
Wiring - Standard and Media
Plumbing and Fixtures
Cabinet Finishes
Wood Floor Stain
Cabinet Hardware
Tile
Interior Paint
Lighting
Carpet
Landscaping
Posted by Jen – November 4, 2007 9:45 PM
The trim, crown mouldings, specialty woodwork and mantle were installed this week. The stairs and newell posts are stained and drying in the garage. We were so pleased to hear the painters are lined up to arrive next and everything is moving along. Only one minor issue this week. All the door hardware arrived with brushed chrome instead of oil rubbed bronze. Here's how the conversation went with Greg.
Jen - "Greg, why are their brushed chrome hinges on everything?"
Greg - "No problem, I've got a big bag of oil-rubbed bronze hinges back at the office. That's an easy change."
Jen - "Well, we changed our minds in the middle. I hope the doorknobs and other hardware show up in oil-rubbed bronze."
Greg - "We'll look into it. It should be ok."
The value of a good project manager! I'm not worrying about this one.
Continue reading »Posted by Jen – November 4, 2007 9:26 PM
The wood floors are in and we both really like them. I asked why the flooring switched directions between the kitchen and the living room and Greg shared that the direction of the floors should run against the direction of the floor joists. This strengthens the floors and prevents squeaking and warping that might occur when the house settles. The floors will not be worked on again until the painting is complete and the heating/air is installed. The flooring contractor wants the heat on in the house for a bit before applying stain.
For more photos of the wood floor, click on the photo.
Posted by Jen – October 26, 2007 11:36 PM
I mentioned before that the garage has turned into an exciting place. Today we discovered stacks of doors and trim and they've already started the installation. I love everything but the hinges. Keith and I decided to upgrade the hardware to oil-rubbed bronze from the standard choice which was brushed chrome at the very last minute of our selection time. The upgrade amount ended up being negligible and I love the dark hardware. Seeing the chrome hinges was enough to get me worrying that all our new selections had not made it onto the materials order. Thank goodness that Jean, the designer and Greg, the construction manager are very patient people and deal with these little hiccups all the time. Greg assured me that he had a box of bronze hinges and not to worry. If hardware color is my biggest issue, I think I'm doing pretty well through this build.
Posted by Jen – October 24, 2007 11:15 PM
There's been such a focus on the inside of the house lately, Keith and I were wondering if the outside was going to catch up. Greg assured us that the mason's needed to get their work done, then the porch, driveway, front path and sidewalks would be poured. Well, they knockout out the first item on the list. Our foundation blocks are now covered with fabricated stone. Keith and I selected the sample that we thought looked most like real stone. I'm really excited that a rocky hillside wasn't obliterated in the creation of this beauty. Can you believe this is concrete?
Posted by Jen – October 7, 2007 9:58 PM
The tile subcontractors worked hard this week and we now have tile floors, bathroom walls and a gorgeous fireplace surround. These were all standard tile selections but we did decide to pay a few more hours of labor for them to turn the 12x12 tile in the shower to add a decorative diamond band. Jean, our assigned designer, came up with that option instead of paying a lot for a decorative tile accent. I thought it was a brilliant idea and it came out looking great.
Tile floor in the master bath
Master Shower Stall (note the row of diamonds and shampoo nook)
Fireplace Surround
Posted by Jen – October 6, 2007 9:39 PM
As a child I loved opening the mailbox, reaching in and sliding a handful of rustling envelopes out of the opening. I'm now experiencing that same expectant feeling as an adult as I pull up to the homesite and peek into the garage. Every visit lately there's been a newly delivered stack of materials awaiting installation. Today the tiles for the fireplace surround, bathrooms, master shower and kitchen backsplash arrived and I couldn't have been more excited. I quickly opened each box and snapped some photos to share.
Cement board next to boxes and boxes of tile
Tumbled marble tiles for fireplace surround
Master shower floor tiles
Bathroom floor and wall tiles
Posted by Jen – October 5, 2007 9:22 PM
Our drywall installers have now come and gone. They started by putting up the wallboard and then covered the screws with mud. The next day they added the metal strips to the corners and followed up by taping and mudding (is that a word?) everything. It looked great and Greg, our project manager, told us to hold off on being tidy as swirling up the dust isn't good when you've got freshly mudded walls. So, we were good and kept our brooms at home. Glad we did as they came back a few days later and sanded everything. We probably picked up a pound of dust each as we walked through checking out their handywork.
Posted by Jen – September 19, 2007 10:25 PM
During this building process I've taken some pictures of things I've seen or found along the way. I just had to share.
Sandcastles
Our framing crew decided that the pile of sand left from the foundation build was perfect for a little beach time.
'The Jobclock'
I've never seen one of these before, but it was bolted into one of the kitchen studs and arrived the same day as the drywall installers. It looks pretty serious.
Spray Bottle
This little bottle is still hanging from the wires of our heating and air system. It showed up with the tile installers so I'm guessing it is either sealer or just for giving the grout a little mist. The yellow tinge appears rather toxic so I'm keeping my distance.
Wasps
My husband Keith said that these were the homes of muddaubers which are local, harmless wasps. I found this "nest" on a wall stud in the garage. I quickly dismantled their home with my broom and I think they got the message that they weren't welcome.
Posted by Jen – September 12, 2007 11:32 AM
They rolled Owens Corning R-13 fiber glass insulation into the walls and then two days later, we had drywall. It's amazing the sense of space now that we have walls and ceilings. Keith and I walked through and found a few broken edges of wallboard, so Greg our project manager is working with the contractor to get those pieces replaced. I highly recommend you walk around and look at each wall. If they leave those big, open spots in the wall, at some point you'll be hanging a picture and make a mess.
Posted by Jen – September 8, 2007 12:31 PM
The garage floors were poured this week. They look great! Our project manager wanted to get them in so that they could proceed in preparing for the garage doors. The 8 foot height of the garage doors is pretty standard so if the opening is too large based on the elevation, they'll need to make adjustments.
The other thing you can see in the photo are the water lines in the far corner. The plumber came back to add in the water and sewer lines for the utility sink just days before the pouring. I wondered if the water lines under the garage faced any danger of bursting in inclimate weather, but I've been told that's how they are installed. Anyone have a story about a burst water line below their garage floor?
Posted by Jen – August 29, 2007 5:52 PM
The garage floor is supposed to go in today. When the footings were initially poured, we wondered if it was big enough. In the planning phases we had elected to add a foot and a half of depth to the garage for the bikes, and a future workbench area. Keith and I were thinking that you can never have enough garage space, especially when you don't have the luxury of a basement.
We also noticed the moat that had appeared around the house. The water lines will be covered up shortly, and when the landscapers arrive the irrigation system tap into those lines also. Speaking of irrigation, I always wondered if an irrigation system was really necessary. It seems so luxurious but after experiencing 98 degree temperatures for 30 days straight, I'd rather pay for it than the cost of a new yard.
Posted by Jen – August 27, 2007 6:19 PM
I think I mentioned that I was amazed at the price of faucets. I am know facing the sticker shock that comes with interior lighting. Believe it or not, the difference between the foyer light options and a three light chandelier is less than $50. Yes, flush mount and semi-flush mount lights are not cheap. If anyone can explain that, I'm willing to listen.
Anyway, here are the foyer lights Keith and I were considering. They are from various manufacturers and will be installed on a nine foot, foyer ceiling. We are leaning towards foyer light 1, due to the fact it is in the same line as our kitchen light, which I also included below. It warrants the question "Is it too matchy matchy?".
Kitchen Light
Foyer Light 1
Foyer Light 2
Foyer Light 3
Foyer Light 4
Click on the photos to view more building photos on flickr.
Continue reading »Posted by Jen – August 25, 2007 5:27 PM
I must pass this advice on from our interior designer Jean (she's the one that has worked with us to select everything from flooring to light fixtures).
If you are building a new house, at rough-in either video tape or photograph your walls before the drywall goes on. By documenting where the water lines, electrical and duct work runs in the walls, you make it much easier on yourself and your repairman when it comes time to fix or add to your home.
And here's something I figured out rather quickly....once you take the photos of your roughed-in walls, write the descriptions down immediately. I'm going through all of these photos now and the walls are starting to look like one another!
For more building pictures click on the photo.
Continue reading »Posted by Jen – August 13, 2007 5:22 PM
I know, it has been awhile but I'm back on track and so is the house. We've had a couple of weeks now of plumbing, electrical and duct work done. Keith and I have been trying to visit often. Once the drywall goes up, it makes it much harder and more expensive to add fixtures and switches. Our wonderful project manager Greg has been on top of everything, and he's been very responsive. Thank goodness for his patience with us and his dedication to make sure the contractors do it right. There's nothing better than a good project manager.
Click on the photo to see more framing pictures
Posted by Jen – July 26, 2007 9:46 PM
Well, it appears that the construction company is getting closer to finishing the model homes in the neighborhood. You can see the architectural detail added to each one as well as the colorful paint palettes. At first Keith and I thought a few of them looked a little too bright and shiny. When we look at them now, the colors, landscaping and streetscape really "works". We noticed when the driveway is poured, they also pour the sidewalks. I'm really looking forward to taking our dogs for walks!
Click on photo to see more model homes.
Posted by Jen – July 26, 2007 9:28 PM
Keith and I had to make some decisions on exterior lighting. Due to the architectural review board, we had four different light styles to choose from. We need two hanging lights for the front porch and 2 sconces for above the garage doors. We are leaning towards Option 1 because a) we think it will look good with the exterior colors and finishes and b) this style is the least expensive of the selections thereby saving us a few dollars in the lighting allowance. I've discovered that building a house is much like planning a wedding. Every time I ask what the price is, I end up cringing.
Continue reading »Posted by Jen – July 22, 2007 8:35 AM
I wouldn't call myself a particularly decisive person but after the flurry of selections we were asked to make, I've definately gotten better. I've only second guessed myself once (can you believe on the color of doorknobs!) so I feel like I'm doing pretty good. This week it was time for some focus on the kitchen. I took some pictures so you can see choices and selections.
1. Appliances
Included in the price of the home is the dishwasher, microwave and stove. We were thrilled to see that the standard are stainless steel GE Profile appliances.
2. Kitchen Faucet
The fact that the appliances are stainless made the selection of the stainless steel faucet easier. Our builder had a selection of Moen faucets for us to choose from and we'll have a one handle faucet with pull out sprayer. I'll look and see if we have a product ID so I can share the link online. Picking the faucet was actually kind of funny. The designer Jean said, would you like stainless or oil rubbed bronze... so that's it! In the end, how critical is the kitchen faucet? I really don't think much about the $30 faucet I have now, but when you'll forced to choose between two you almost feel like it's a trick and you should be asking some profound question about faucet sealing or handle rotation!
3. Cabinets and Countertop
The cabinet options were completely overwhelming. Keith and I were glad we both like cherry cabinets and that helped narrow it down a bit and we quickly agreed on one (see pic). The countertops was the easiest selection because the standard selections were all black and green except one! We think this creamy, gold, fleck granit looks excellent with the cabinets and it isn't black, which people have told me show every crumb and speck of dust.
Next round outdoor fixtures, flooring and paint colors!
Continue reading »Posted by Jen – July 20, 2007 9:01 AM
My friend Carol warned me that when you look at the footprint of your house you'll say to yourself "That looks small." Well, Keith and I both said that and now we're seeing how wrong we were. I can say I was right about one thing though. I knew going in that framing gets done really quickly. Once you have a floor on it seems like the roof appears just a few days later. That was definately the case when you look at these photos! We have been really pleased with the framing work and have been over just about every night to keep tabs on it. We also have begun cleaning up when we are there and I think the framers have gotten the hint...I noticed garbage bags beginning to appear and the empty water bottles are no longer being thrown out into the dirt. You've got to love a tidy construction team!
Posted by Jen – June 25, 2007 12:43 PM
I've realized that I haven't shared a pic of the final house or the floor plans. Here's the house in another color, I'm trying to visualize our color selection and stone selection on the architect's drawing, but it's a little difficult.
If any of you know of a site where you can upload a picture like this and recolor it, let me know! I'll dig up the latest floor plan and take a picture to share.
Time to select the stacked stone that sits at the base of the house. I've pulled our selection of Sherwin-Williams paint colors we'll be using and have dropped the three stone selections Keith and I narrowed it down to. We are leaning towards option 3 because it looks more natural (and less pink) to us.
Option 1
Option 2
Option 3
Posted by Jen – June 15, 2007 11:07 PM
Christmas in June! We stopped by the site tonight after work and found cinder blocks stacked like presents inside the foundation dig. We jumped out of the car to examine our blocks and noticed they had dug deeper around the back corner of the garage walls and had leveled off the concrete footings where the porch will be built.
We noticed a few things happening in the neighborhood too. On the drive into our area we noticed, new fences, some additional parking and a large sign with a rendering of the clubhouse on it. We got a postcard in the mail announcing that the development is having a big open house this weekend and put two and two together. Keith and I are both curious about the updates they might do to the neighborhood this weekend to prepare it for visitors.
Continue reading »Posted by Jen – June 13, 2007 10:22 PM
So, they dug the foundation on June 1 and a few days later had set in rebar and poured the concrete footprint. Now, we just wait. I know that the concrete has to cure, but now that it is June 13, I'm ready to see some progress.
On a happier note, we did get to meet the neighbors who are expected to move into their home in August. They gave us a lot of good tips for working with the building and project management team.
Continue reading »Posted by Jen – June 3, 2007 11:25 PM
It's not everyday that hot pink, spray paint lines make me pull out my camera, but this weekend we were snapping away. Just as planned, the site preparation team had a Bobcat out at our lot scraping out the crawlspace and marking it up for. Keith and I had a great time walking around and seeing each room and its placement in relation to the street and backyard. I'm amazed at how small it seemed. I do remember walking through a few homes in construction that felt small until the drywall went in. More to come, I've got some model home pics to share but after being out in the heat, I'm going to call it a day.
Posted by Jen – May 6, 2007 6:12 PM
Keith and I are in an upgrade tornado right now. Who knew there could be so many options outside of the base price of your home? Now to be fair, none of the prices are so out of the ballpark that I think my builder is taking me for a ride... but good golly, who knew?
Here are the upgrades that were presented to us. For each one we asked ourselves two questions. (1) Will this effect the resale value of our home? and (2) Do we really think that this upgrade would improve the quality of life?
Posted by Jen – April 29, 2007 8:42 PM
Our pre-construction meeting was just as they said it would be...a lot of information! We met our building team; Jennifer, the project coordinator, Jean, the interior designer, and Eric, our construction manager. Jennifer walked us through the construction process, and gave us the rundown on areas where we will have an allowance to work with, like appliances and lighting. The first decision we'll need to make is the exterior paint colors. They pulled together 18 different schemes (all from Sherwin-Williams) that all work with this mountain craftsman style. Keith and I narrowed it down to the two groups below, which one do you like?
Option 1
Main Color - Bunglehouse Gray SW2845
Trim Paint - Favorite Tan SW6157
Accent Paint - Rockwood Dark Brown SW2808
Grey stone at foundation, grey asphalt shingles
Option 2
Main Color - Macademia SW6142
Trim Paint - Roycroft Brass SW2843
Accent Paint - Fairfax Brown SW2856
Grey stone, burnt sienna asphalt shingles
Option 1
Option 2
Option 3
Option 4