The countdown can officially start...We'll be closing on the new house on January 13, 2012!!!!
Our pre-settlement meeting will be on the 11th and we'll close on the 13th (just realized it's Friday the 13th, good thing we're not superstitious). Our original date was the 4th, so this isn't too far off (especially considering the weather this fall and the holidays).
Now we just have to close on our current house (that we've been out of for 8+ weeks), but that's a story for another day.
We drove to Philadelphia this weekend to check out the Pottery Barn Outlet and came home with a truck and SUV full of furniture. I'll update the furniture section with pics when I get a chance, but we ended up getting all of the Family Room accent furniture (entertainment stand, coffee table and end table) and a buffet for the kitchen.
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Friday, December 2, 2011
Ready for Drywall
I'm really behind on updates, so I'm going to do my best to recap the past 2 weeks.
Our meeting with Guardian last Tuesday went well, except for the fact that we couldn't go into the basement to discuss tv and speaker wire placement. The concrete had just been poured, but the steps weren't installed yet. We ended up moving a few outlets around from our initial plans, and there were a few things we forgot we selected but it was a nice surprise when we found out we were getting it.
Not much happened throughout the week last week other than our garage door being installed and they framed the basement.
This week all of the wiring, hvac and plumbing went in. I stopped out yesterday and met a new PM that will be in our plan for at least the next month. Our other PM is still around, so now we have 2. The new PM was very nice and we walked through the house and went through a few things. I noticed one of the extra outlets we had added was missing and he said he would have it put in.
This morning our original PM called to schedule the pre-drywall meeting for Monday. We ended up deciding to have the meeting this afternoon with the new PM. He was very detailed and was able to answer all of our questions. I took pictures of every wall so we know where all of the wires, ducts, pipes, etc are. Since our conversation yesterday he already had the missing outlet put in. While we were there the guys were finishing up the insulation too.
We did have a few things that will be changed or fixed before drywall. They are going to move the data port in my office over one stud (my initial furniture plan changed this week when I found a sofa I couldn't pass up). They're also going to add a piece of wood between the studs where all tvs are going to hang (family room, game room, loft, master bedroom).
The only things Dan had issues with were related to Guardian. First, he didn't realize they were running component cables for the tvs, he would prefer to just have 2 hdmi cables instead of the 1. The PM said this is something he could easily run through, Dan just didn't like the idea of having all of those component cables there for no reason. The other thing was the gauge of the speaker wire used. We had 2 speakers put in the family room and one outside on the patio, so that's all whatever Guardian does standard. In the game room, we had Guardian install the wiring for us to just plug our own surround system into. Dan wasn't happy about the gauge they used and would have preferred a better quality (I know very little when it comes to this stuff, so not sure the specifics).
On Monday we'll have the energy test done and they should start drywall on Tuesday. We didn't get an estimated settlement date at the meeting today, but the original PM said he would call me on Monday with it (can't wait!).
Here are a few pics from the past 2 weeks...
We made a few more furniture and appliance purchases last weekend, but from now on I'll add that info to the "Furniture/Appliances" page.
Our meeting with Guardian last Tuesday went well, except for the fact that we couldn't go into the basement to discuss tv and speaker wire placement. The concrete had just been poured, but the steps weren't installed yet. We ended up moving a few outlets around from our initial plans, and there were a few things we forgot we selected but it was a nice surprise when we found out we were getting it.
Not much happened throughout the week last week other than our garage door being installed and they framed the basement.
This week all of the wiring, hvac and plumbing went in. I stopped out yesterday and met a new PM that will be in our plan for at least the next month. Our other PM is still around, so now we have 2. The new PM was very nice and we walked through the house and went through a few things. I noticed one of the extra outlets we had added was missing and he said he would have it put in.This morning our original PM called to schedule the pre-drywall meeting for Monday. We ended up deciding to have the meeting this afternoon with the new PM. He was very detailed and was able to answer all of our questions. I took pictures of every wall so we know where all of the wires, ducts, pipes, etc are. Since our conversation yesterday he already had the missing outlet put in. While we were there the guys were finishing up the insulation too.
We did have a few things that will be changed or fixed before drywall. They are going to move the data port in my office over one stud (my initial furniture plan changed this week when I found a sofa I couldn't pass up). They're also going to add a piece of wood between the studs where all tvs are going to hang (family room, game room, loft, master bedroom).
The only things Dan had issues with were related to Guardian. First, he didn't realize they were running component cables for the tvs, he would prefer to just have 2 hdmi cables instead of the 1. The PM said this is something he could easily run through, Dan just didn't like the idea of having all of those component cables there for no reason. The other thing was the gauge of the speaker wire used. We had 2 speakers put in the family room and one outside on the patio, so that's all whatever Guardian does standard. In the game room, we had Guardian install the wiring for us to just plug our own surround system into. Dan wasn't happy about the gauge they used and would have preferred a better quality (I know very little when it comes to this stuff, so not sure the specifics).
On Monday we'll have the energy test done and they should start drywall on Tuesday. We didn't get an estimated settlement date at the meeting today, but the original PM said he would call me on Monday with it (can't wait!).
Here are a few pics from the past 2 weeks...
Looking into kitchen from family room.
Top of the stairs looking into loft and bedroom 1
Bedroom 2
Master Bathroom Sink Plumbing
Looking from game room into storage room 1 with hvac
Basement storage area 2
They started framing the Florence next door to us while we were there today.
Top of the street view.
We made a few more furniture and appliance purchases last weekend, but from now on I'll add that info to the "Furniture/Appliances" page.
Monday, November 21, 2011
They've been busy
I wasn't able to get out to the house at all this week because I was so busy with an event I was working on. I couldn't wait to see if they had framed anymore (we had bad weather Mon and Tue), so I sent Dan out on Saturday. It finally looks like a house!
They still haven't poured the garage or basement yet, I'm guessing that will happen early this week. We also have our walk-through with Guardian on Tuesday. Here are a few more pics Dan took while he was there.
Kitchen looking into family room.
Kitchen looking into garage.
That's pretty much all I have now. I did order our fridge last weekend from Lowes (awesome price + 10% off coupon): http://tinyurl.com/7kspazk
I also ordered a dining room set and I'm going to check out bedroom furniture at some point this week. The set we originally liked was marked down as a floor model and I just couldn't pass it up. There's a leaf for the table, but it's still a little small. My plan is to eventually move the table and buffet into the kitchen area and replace it with a big reclaimed farm table (just haven't found what I'm looking for yet).
They still haven't poured the garage or basement yet, I'm guessing that will happen early this week. We also have our walk-through with Guardian on Tuesday. Here are a few more pics Dan took while he was there.Kitchen looking into family room.
Kitchen looking into garage.
That's pretty much all I have now. I did order our fridge last weekend from Lowes (awesome price + 10% off coupon): http://tinyurl.com/7kspazk
I also ordered a dining room set and I'm going to check out bedroom furniture at some point this week. The set we originally liked was marked down as a floor model and I just couldn't pass it up. There's a leaf for the table, but it's still a little small. My plan is to eventually move the table and buffet into the kitchen area and replace it with a big reclaimed farm table (just haven't found what I'm looking for yet).
Friday, November 11, 2011
We have a 1st Floor
I got to the plan around 4:30 today and was so excited when I saw that they had starting framing!
The guys said they would be done at 5, so I went up to the model to compare furniture swatches with our cabinets (maple butterscotch glaze). I went back at 5 and everyone was gone so I was able to walk around and take pics. They finished framing the 1st floor, wrapped most of the house and cut out the windows.
I'm kind of regretting not getting the morning room, although I don't like the placement of it in the Milan. It's been the incentive here for a few months, so almost everyone else on our street so far has one (we got a finished basement with 1/2 bath instead).
A view of our back yard (with all of the wood in the yard).
View from the townhouses above our street looking at the back of our house.
The 3 houses on the bend (the house on the other side of us, not pictured, will probably be framed next week).
View from the top of the street.
I didn't walk inside at all, wasn't sure how safe it would be. But I did peek in the front door and saw this right at the entrance...
The guys said they would be done at 5, so I went up to the model to compare furniture swatches with our cabinets (maple butterscotch glaze). I went back at 5 and everyone was gone so I was able to walk around and take pics. They finished framing the 1st floor, wrapped most of the house and cut out the windows.
I'm kind of regretting not getting the morning room, although I don't like the placement of it in the Milan. It's been the incentive here for a few months, so almost everyone else on our street so far has one (we got a finished basement with 1/2 bath instead).A view of our back yard (with all of the wood in the yard).
View from the townhouses above our street looking at the back of our house.
The 3 houses on the bend (the house on the other side of us, not pictured, will probably be framed next week).
View from the top of the street.
I didn't walk inside at all, wasn't sure how safe it would be. But I did peek in the front door and saw this right at the entrance...
Quick update
Just a quick update on my visit yesterday. It looks like the foundation, waterproofing and plumbing is finished and they're getting ready to frame.
The Venice next door is completely framed, and they're working on the foundation for the house on the other side of us.
The view from the culdesac shows the 4 houses at the bend (Florence, Venice, Milan-Us, and ?) and one Venice at the top of the street.
This view shows the 4 houses in the culdesac (the Venice, 2nd from the right closed this week).
I'm going to try to stop by tonight and check on progress. More pics to come.
The Venice next door is completely framed, and they're working on the foundation for the house on the other side of us.
The view from the culdesac shows the 4 houses at the bend (Florence, Venice, Milan-Us, and ?) and one Venice at the top of the street.
This view shows the 4 houses in the culdesac (the Venice, 2nd from the right closed this week).
I'm going to try to stop by tonight and check on progress. More pics to come.
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
First Purchase for the New House
We made our first official purchase for the new house this weekend. After 3 hours sitting on every sofa/sectional in Macy's, we finally made a decision for the family room. We ordered the sofa, loveseat, chair and ottoman.
We decided to order this now because we selected a non-stock fabric option so production time is 8-12 weeks. It's actually a little more tan/brown than it looks in the swatch. We didn't want to go with a micro-suede, so the one we chose is more of a chenille (which gives the color more texture and dimension).
The saleswoman at Macy's was great and gave us the Friends and Family pricing (which doesn't start until the end of November). She's also going to link all of the sales receipts together so when we buy our other furniture we'll only pay shipping one time.
We still haven't decided on the dining room, bedroom or office yet. They're supposed to be getting a new bedroom set in this week that I've only seen online but think that I like. We'll probably buy the rest of the furniture during the F&F sale because by then we should have a closing date. We're really into Black Friday shopping, so we're planning to try to get appliances taken care of then.
Now that the family room furniture is selected I can start looking at paint colors and decide on the finish/color of the tables and entertainment unit.
We've had pretty good weather this week, it didn't start raining until this evening and should be clear tomorrow and Friday. I'm going to try to stop by tomorrow afternoon and over the weekend. I really hope that I can see progress (it seemed like our neighbors house sat as just foundation for 2+ weeks). If everything went as planned this week the PM estimated framing would start tomorrow, so fingers crossed.
We decided to order this now because we selected a non-stock fabric option so production time is 8-12 weeks. It's actually a little more tan/brown than it looks in the swatch. We didn't want to go with a micro-suede, so the one we chose is more of a chenille (which gives the color more texture and dimension).
The saleswoman at Macy's was great and gave us the Friends and Family pricing (which doesn't start until the end of November). She's also going to link all of the sales receipts together so when we buy our other furniture we'll only pay shipping one time.We still haven't decided on the dining room, bedroom or office yet. They're supposed to be getting a new bedroom set in this week that I've only seen online but think that I like. We'll probably buy the rest of the furniture during the F&F sale because by then we should have a closing date. We're really into Black Friday shopping, so we're planning to try to get appliances taken care of then.
Now that the family room furniture is selected I can start looking at paint colors and decide on the finish/color of the tables and entertainment unit.
We've had pretty good weather this week, it didn't start raining until this evening and should be clear tomorrow and Friday. I'm going to try to stop by tomorrow afternoon and over the weekend. I really hope that I can see progress (it seemed like our neighbors house sat as just foundation for 2+ weeks). If everything went as planned this week the PM estimated framing would start tomorrow, so fingers crossed.
Monday, November 7, 2011
Moving right along
On Saturday we went to the model to meet some of our new neighbors. There were probably 5-6 couples there and I'm pretty sure everyone had a toddler/baby except for us. The people we met were really nice and it seems like it's going to be a great neighborhood.
After we left we walked around the lot and I was able to get pics of the foundation. This is from the back corner of the house (driveway on the left). We have 2 unfinished storage areas and a half bath in the basement, so the finished basement will still be an "L" shape, but it will also be a little more square.
Dan was checking out the egress window. We didn't want it in the finished section or along the back of the house and were really glad to see they were able to move it to the unfinished storage area).
Here's the view from the back of the house. I'm pretty sure one of the lots across the street sold and is going to be a Brighton.
We found out the neighbors are building a Venice, which makes 4 on the street so far. I'm not sure what the neighbors on the other side of us are building (they were out of town this weekend so we didn't get a chance to meet them). Here's an updated shot of our neighbors- Florence, Venice then our Milan.
The first completed house closes this week and then there's another in 3 weeks. The SR said they're currently on April deliveries.
I texted the PM today since it's been 3 weeks since I've heard from him. Got a quick reply saying that they're finishing up plumbing, groundworks and backfill by Thursday and that they should start framing Friday. I'm not really sure what groundworks and backfill are, but I'll google those later. I'm just so excited that we're this close to framing!!
After we left we walked around the lot and I was able to get pics of the foundation. This is from the back corner of the house (driveway on the left). We have 2 unfinished storage areas and a half bath in the basement, so the finished basement will still be an "L" shape, but it will also be a little more square.
Dan was checking out the egress window. We didn't want it in the finished section or along the back of the house and were really glad to see they were able to move it to the unfinished storage area).
Here's the view from the back of the house. I'm pretty sure one of the lots across the street sold and is going to be a Brighton.
We found out the neighbors are building a Venice, which makes 4 on the street so far. I'm not sure what the neighbors on the other side of us are building (they were out of town this weekend so we didn't get a chance to meet them). Here's an updated shot of our neighbors- Florence, Venice then our Milan.
The first completed house closes this week and then there's another in 3 weeks. The SR said they're currently on April deliveries.I texted the PM today since it's been 3 weeks since I've heard from him. Got a quick reply saying that they're finishing up plumbing, groundworks and backfill by Thursday and that they should start framing Friday. I'm not really sure what groundworks and backfill are, but I'll google those later. I'm just so excited that we're this close to framing!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)