NO TURNING BACK NOW...AND MET ANOTHER NEIGHBOR

Hooray, what a beautiful blue sky and day for ground breaking day.  We stopped by the lot this afternoon to catch a quick peek at the progress.  Also, we met another neighbor - this one will live next door to our house in the Esquire house.  She is already planning on adding a fence...to keep the deer out of her yard.  We can't wait to meet more of our neighbors.  So far everyone has been very nice an inviting.  It is so nice that we will all be moving in within weeks of one another. 

The following are a few pictures taken today.  We probably won't make it back to the property until Friday, which by then they plan to be done with all of the digging. 

our lot fenced in



approaching the lot



front yard

front yard

left-side of property

where the public sidewalk will go



start of the driveway

driveway



end of the turn table driveway

...and we have the start of a hole.
(middle of the house)

STAYING COOL...WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS?

For the bloggers that live in the Pittsburgh area, it feels like overnight that the weather went from weeks of rain to 90 degrees.  One of the many things that we look forward to in our new house is central air because our current house does not have central air and we depend on several window A/C units to cool the house.  The listing reflects that the house includes window A/C units.  However, there is a debate on do we put the window units in or not.  On one hand, if we install the window units we are concerned that the look and noise of the window units may turn off a potential buyer.  On the other hand, if we don't install the window units that the potential buyer may be discouraged on how warm the house is. 

What are your thoughts?

We have stakes and we met a neighbor.

We went out to the lot on Friday (05/27) to meet with the PM and to go over the layout of the house.  Overall we are very pleased with the layout, except we are a little concerned with loosing some of the backyard because the PM suggested to push the house back an additional 15 feet to decrease the slope in the front yard.  We hope that after we see the final product that we have no regrets.

We went back out to the lot on Saturday (05/28) to take another look and to make sure we are happy with the layout.  While we were there we met one of our neighbors that just put a down payment on a lot and plans to build the Ravenna.  We told him about the blogs and we hope he joins the RH blogging community.

The following are a few pictures of the lot and neighborhood. 

view of the front yard from the street
not sure what happened to the "SOLD" on the lot sign



closer view of the lot from the street

  

view of lot from property line
neighbor's house (Esquire) on the left

left-side of property
this is where the driveway will be located



view of front yard and down the street from where the driveway will be



view of the garage from the front yard



view of the lot looking at the front of the house from the front yard

closer view of where the porch will be from the front yard

view of the backyard from where the morning room will be

 

view of where the morning room will be from the back yard

view of the lot from the backyard

Our neighbor's a cross the street
the house on the left is a Jefferson and the house on the right is a Waverly

view of where the solarium will be
taken from front yard

another view of where the soloarium will be
taken from back/side yard

view from the lot looking down the street and at the model. 
There are 2 lots between our house and the model;
however, the lots are still available.

view of the front yard looking up the street




our daughter trying to find the right place to put the playround and sand box



We plan to post more pics on Wednesday (06/01) from the ground breaking.  We are sooo excited to get started into the next phase of the building process.

Current House Status Update - Week 3

Well another week and no offers.  Due to the lack of attendees, we decided not to have a Realtor tour this week.  However, we did have a man look at the house on Thursday that indicated he would bring his wife back to look at the house.  To date, we haven't heard back from them, but it has given us some hope that the house will sell.

Update regarding the neighbors: Well it appears that the "hoarder" was removing items from his back porch so that he could replace a refrigerator.  Neither neighbor has made any additional attempts to clean up their yard or house.  It looks like we will make another complaint to the borough compliance officer...this time it will also go to his superior.

We look forward to another week of great weather and hope it will bring out a buyer.

Have a great weekend everyone...thank you to all of the armed forces who have served or are serving to protect America.

Current house page - click on the link to view some pictures of our current house

Pre-con / Break Ground / Closing

We met with the PM and RH sales rep today for the pre-construction meeting.  The meeting lasted about 2 hours. We reviewed the details for all of our custom requests and then reviewed the details regarding the house.  We had to add 2 GFCI dedicated circuits in the Owner's bathroom to accommodate the custom tub and custom shower request and we caught a few errors, but overall the process was pretty painless. 

We are still waiting for RH to provide us with the revised quote regarding the custom shower request; but other than that all change orders are signed and submitted.

The lot is staked; however, we didn't have time to go to the lot.  We plan to visit with the PM tomorrow and we will take some pics.  Our PM is very nice, but appears to be a little stressed out.  This is his 7th house in 7 weeks and he is overseeing a new townhouse community.  However, he indicated that he will be there for us and we can contact him at any time regarding the process.

We are scheduled to break ground on 06/01/2011 with a 08/29/2011 closing.  However, the PM indicated that our custom requests may push the closing date out a little bit (a few days or week).

Overall it was a great day and we look forward to getting the process started.

Additional notes from the meeting:

• 80 gallon hot water tank
• solarium comes with a tray ceiling
• turn-table driveway
• brick to grade (all around house)
• above windows - solider course with Keystone
• hardware - RH had satin nickle s/b bronze
• 110v hookup above range; even though RH can not add microwave because it would violate code
• oak tread steps (upgrade)
• Custom Tub - RH approved and we signed a changed order that reflects $1000 credit to remove tub/decking; 
• we confirmed with PM who stated he will work with us after closing to install the tub; 
• we were under the impression that the tile from the decking would be used on the walls to surround the tub and that tile would be installed under the tub.  We are very disappointed that RH is not including the tile surrounding the tub in the package, especially because the cost of the additional tile should be minimal because the tile from the decking can be used on the walls.  We plan to follow-up with the RH sales rep. to see if there is anything we can do.; 
• PM needs to know if it comes with external hardware and does it work with pecks?
• Garage - Additional insulation was approved
• HVAC exterior mechanical - PM will f/u with us on location
• Custom Spa Shower - waiting for approval from RH
• External Sprinkler system - need to wait until after closing
• Pendant lighting - we need to choose a light and get back to RH; PM will install

ON TO THE NEXT STEP...PRE-CONSTRUCTION MTG

Finally, we are scheduled to attend our pre-construction meeting tomorrow at 9:30 a.m.  We are so very excited to move onto the next step in the building process.  We plan to drive by the development and our lot to see how much has changed...there are 7 houses started in front of ours. 

We are off to enjoy this beautiful evening.   

ADDITIONAL CUSTOM REQUESTS

Before we begin this blog, we want to start off by saying that up to this point our RH sales rep. has gone above and beyond our expectations with accommodating our needs and making this process an exceptional experience. 

Now on with the blog...originally we submitted a custom request to add a rainfall shower head from the ceiling to the shower located in the Owner's Suite bathroom.  And then we recently submitted an upgrade to that request to add a vertical spa system.  This system includes 4 programmable presets, 7" rainshower shower head, 3-function handheld shower head w/ 30" slidebar, and 4 jet sprays that all work off of an electronic control panel that is connected to a central valve system.  This system is so cool that we can activate the shower using a remote control.  We knew when we submitted the request that we may have gone to far with this custom request.  We received an email yesterday morning from our RH sales rep. that we really were not expecting, but some how she pulled it off again.  RH approved and will install the custom shower head system and the rainfall shower head from the ceiling. 


The following is a video that we found on youtube that reviews the system - Moen ioDigital Vertical Spa System and Installation


As seen on DIY's Bath Crashers - Blinged Out Glamour episode: http://www.diynetwork.com/videos/blinged-out-glamour/58701.html

Moen Waterhill 10” Rainshower – 10 inch rainfall showerhead



Moen 295 Vertical Spa Shower Trim – ioDigital Vertical Spa Trim

Moen 3384 ioDigital Vertical Spa Valve – ioDigital Vertical Spa Valve

layout

In the same email, we were informed that RH also approved the service door request (located in the garage) and additional insulation request for the garage.  We plan to attend our pre-construction meeting this Thursday to work out the details and submit a change order; and we are scheduled to break ground the following week, on 06/01/2011, weather permitting.


Words can not express how happy we are with RH and our sales rep.  Let the building process begin.

CURRENT HOUSE - NEIGHBOR UPDATE

This is an update on the posting regarding our neighbors.  We arrived home today to find out that the "hoarder" neighbor actually removing items from his back porch...that's a start.  And the other neighbor actually cut his front yard and we can only hope he will clean up the back yard as well.  We guess that the code enforcement officer was getting tired of us filing complaints.  Our next step is to contact the mayor and then the county.  We will wait a few days to see how much progress is made before we move forward. 

On another note, we had another potential buyer look at our current house this morning and we are waiting for feedback, even better maybe an offer.  We will keep you posted.

Thanks to everyone for their positive feedback on our current house and we know we will eventually get a buyer.

Well we are off to enjoy the beautiful (non-raining) day.  Let's go Bucs (for those of you that don't live in Pittsburgh or follow ML baseball, that is the Pittsburgh Pirates).  Have a wonderful day everyone!!!!

Current House Status Update - Week 2

We received a text Sunday morning from our Realtor stating that another agent has a potential buyer interested in seeing the house.  So we tidied up the house and took off for a few hours.  A few days later we received some feedback from our Realtor, which is nothing that surprised us.  However, anytime you receive negative feedback - it hurts.  Especially, after you spent so much time and money to fix up the house. 

There is one issue that is out of our control - our neighbors on the right and left - lets just say to be nice have let their house and property go.  The one neighbor has never cut their grass and we believe they are hoarders and the other neighbor cuts the grass about once a month and the backyard has a wooden playground set that has fallen down and the grass has never been cut.  We filed a complaint with our borough, but nothing has changed.  We don't know what to do next and it is soooo out of our control and it is driving us nuts.

Thursday was local Realtor tour #2 - so we tidied up the house and took off for a few hours.  We returned home to find out "no show" again.  Our Realtor states that we don't have a lot of agents or activity where we live so this is not a surprise. Regardless, it is very frustrating.

Saturday is supposed to be nice; hopefully, we will see some activity this weekend.

Current house page - click on the link to view some pictures of our current house

NO MORE CHANGES!!!! (REPOST)

We originally posted this on 05/12; however, the post disappeared. 

This post is way overdue...

We met with RH rep. on 04/30 at the Waverly model (sorry no pics) to review all of our options (standard/upgrades) and to discuss the electrical options (outlets, ceiling fan, etc.).  We were able to finalize all of the selections.  When we got home we reviewed all of our options and found a few errors that we brought to our RH reps. attention and all errors have been fixed and the change order are complete. 

Now we are waiting on approval for a few custom requests and outstanding issues.  However, we feel pretty confident that we have made our final selections and there will be no more changes. 

Final Selection Page - click on the link for more information
Pictures Page - click on the link to see appliances

Outstanding issues:
Garage - Service Door request (waiting for approval/cost?)
Garage - additional insulation request (waiting for cost?)
Kitchen - Pendant lights over gourmet island
Porch - Sconces - update: confirmed, included w/ package
Owner's Luxury Suite/Bathroom - custom tub request - update: approved
Owner's Luxury Suite/Bathroom - Dedicated circuit to accomidate the custom shower head system (waiting for approval/cost?)
Owner's Luxury Suite/Bathroom - custom rainfall shower head request (waiting for approval/cost?)
Measurements - floor (main, basement, 2nd floor)
Measurements - windows (RH recommends that we wait until the windows are installed)

Pre-Construction / Break Ground - scheduled

Our pre-construction meeting is schedule for 05/26/2011.  We already met our PM earlier because we had to discuss which existing trees were going to be cut down and which trees would stay.  Also, we discussed the layout of the house and pushing it back a few more feet away from the road to decrease the slope in the front yard.  So this meeting shouldn't take too long.  We really like our PM, he appears to be very friendly and polite.

RH plans to break ground on 06/01/2011.  (Subject to change due to weather conditions, which it wouldn't surprise us if the date changes because of all of the rain). 

We are still scheduled to close around the end of Aug. / beginning of Sept.  We were told that we will have a more exact date once the framing is complete.

We are still very excited about the whole process and we look forward to watch the house be built.  We live about 30 minutes away from the lot and there is a lot of road construction that may inhibit us from going to see the progress as much as we would want to.  However, we plan to take lots of pictures.

CUSTOM TUB - APPROVAL

Currently we live in a 108 year old Victorian house and one of the things we love and will miss the most is the character of the house, which would cost thousands of dollars to replicate in our new house.  We recently remodel our bathroom and at that time, we installed a free-standing claw foot tub.  We really like how it looks so we decided to carry the look into our new house.  However, this time we upgraded to a larger tub with a whirlpool system.  We received the approval from Ryan Homes to install a custom tub in the master bathroom after closing.  To accommodate the size of the tub, Ryan Homes will expand the door into the master bathroom from 2' 6" to 3'.  We also received a $1000 credit. 

The one negative is - we will have to install the tub after closing.  First we need to find a place to store the tub and then we will need to get the tub to the house after closing.  We are going to check with our PM to see if they will be willing to help us with this; otherwise, we will need to contact a professional to help us with the install.  Neither of us are very handy; especially when it comes to plumbing. 

This is a picture from the website.  Please note: Our tub will reflect a ball & claw foot with Old World Bronze finish.

The Victoria

On another note, we are waiting for approval on a custom request to install a rainfall showerhead from the ceiling in the master bathroom shower.

Missing Post (05/12/2011)

On 05/12 we updated our blog with a post and final specs page; however, for whatever reason the posts are gone.  So we are in the process of reposting the information.

REPOSTED ON 05/19

Current House Status Update - Week 1

Well it has been one week since the current house went on the market and "no interest".  The local Realtor tour was yesterday and no Realtors showed up.  We spent many hours getting the house prepared to show and for noone to show up was very disappointing.  We wished for a quick sale, but knew with the way the economy is right now that it probably wouldn't happen.  We can only hope that next week will be better.

Current house page - click on the link to view some pictures of our current house

HOUSE FOR SALE

We have been MIA for about a week now because we have been very busy working on our current house to place it on the market.  Today, our realtor took the pictures and video of the house (what a beautiful sunny day with no rain) and we have been told that the house will be listed by the end of the day.  Hopefully, we will receive some interest in the next few weeks and the house sells quickly. 

As for our RH house, we met with our RH rep. last week and finalize our options.  We will post more details in another post.  We did find out that break ground has been pushed out 1 additional week from May 25th to June 1st. 

Now we have to catch up on what other bloggers are up to and will post more about our final selections in the next few days.

Current house page - click on the link to view some pictures of our current house

PAINT / SCREWS vs NAILS

We are still a few weeks away from breaking ground and we received some advice from a friend who recently built a house (not with Ryan Homes) and that builder used flat paint on the walls.  It has only been a year and they are currently in the process of getting quotes to repaint their walls.  Our RH rep. confirmed that flat paint is the standard paint used on the walls and semi-gloss on the trim. 

Also, the same friend informed us that their builder used 4 screws and the rest were nails to attach the drywall.  Now they are dealing with nails popping.  Our friend suggests that we request that RH use all screws. 

Just curious on other bloggers thoughts and advice.

RAIN, RAIN, GO AWAY.../ EASTER WISHES

We are so tired of the rain.  Today was the first day we haven't seen rain in some time. However, rain is predicted for the next 3 days.  We really want to get the outside of our current house in order so the realtor can take pictures/video on Tuesday (04/26); however, the rain seems to be delaying our progress.

We have decided to take a break from all of the house stuff and focus on some family fun.  This evening, we plan to attend our daughter's art show located at her school and enjoy a nice dinner out together and this weekend we plan to spend time with our family.  HAPPY EASTER, EVERYONE!!!

We will catch up with you next week.  

CHANGES...

We are very busy in getting our current house in order so it can be placed on the market May 1st.  One thing we would like to do is to stain our deck, but with all of the rain we don't believe we will be able to get to it prior to the pictures/video, which is scheduled to be taken next Tuesday (04/26).  So we are focusing on the things we can control (i.e. painting, cleaning, declutter, etc.).

Also, we have made a few changes with the new house.

Flooring - Rusmur
We placed a change order to reflect the following:

• Main Floor - changed from Hardwood/Carpet to the standard vinyl and carpet flooring.  Our plan is to upgrade the flooring after closing.  This may delay our move-in date, but we felt it is a decision that will save us money in the long run. 

Security/Audio/Phone/Media - Guardian
We had our 2nd meeting with Guardian to finalize our options, as follows:

• Security System - Base package, which includes standard keypad, 1 pet motion detector, 1 control panel, 1 siren, 3 door contact, 1 heat, and added 1 glass break detector and 1 carbon monoxide detector; Also, received 6 month free. 
• Home Wiring (phone/cable/data) - Standard features, which includes 8 single wall plate outlet, 4 telephone, 4 cable, 6 data, and upgraded to premium 42 enclosure, added Cable - 11 single wall plate outlet, Data - 3 single wall outlet, 1 Home Network Package, includes 7 port router and 6 data outlets 
• Audio System - Lyriq Standard 4 Room Audio, which includes 1 main source input, 1 local source input, 3 pair of Klipsch R1650C In-ceiling, 1 multi-source input and added 1 AW 500 SM Dual Voice Coil Outdoor speakers, upgraded 4 source eight-zone distribution module; added Lyriq Standard 2 Room Audio, which includes 1 main source input and 2 pair of Klipsch R1650C In-ceiling

Waverly - Ryan Homes

• Custom Tub - in progress - we are working with Ryan Homes to not install the standard built-in whirlpool tub in the Owner's Suite bathroom so we can install a stand-alone claw foot (jetted or whirlpool) tub.
• Custom Shower head - in progress - we are working with Ryan Homes to install the standard shower head in the Owner's Suite bathroom shower and add a custom rain shower shower head
• Outdoor Sprinkler system - in progress - we are working with Ryan Homes and independent contractor to coordinate installing a outdoor sprinkler system that will be installed after closing. This will delay landscaping provided by Ryan Homes.
• Appliances - in progress - we are working with Ryan Homes to finalize our selection for a stainless steel gas cook top, double-oven, dishwasher, and microwave (optional).  Waiting for Ryan Homes to provide the specs for the alternative location for the microwave.  May not purchase microwave from Ryan Homes. 
• Columns - added columns, which will reflect between the dining/living room and Owner's Suite bedroom/sitting area
• Electrical (outlets) - in progress - we need to meet with Ryan Homes to finalize the selections/upgrades. We want to add multiple outlets and ceiling light/fan box in various rooms.

Well that is all for now.  We will post more later, but we need to get back to working on our current house.

REALTOR MEETING...

Today we had a several hour meeting with the realtor regarding our current house.  Except for a few minor things, we are ready to put the house on the market.  The realtor will return on 04/26 to take the video and pictures.  As of May 1st the house will be listed and we can only pray that it doesn't stay on the market for very long.

WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

Today, we finally have new steps and walkway at our current house.  After 2 days delay starting the project, the contractor finished replacing the steps and walkway at our current house.  Overall, we are happy that it is finally done so we can move on with listing the house.  However, one of us is not happy with the final product.  So unhappy, that we held off on paying any additional money to the contractor until we have a chance to further discuss what can be done to fix the problem. 

We want to know, what would you do? Take a moment to view the pictures below and let us know how you would feel in this situation.  We are looking for honest feedback.


Old walkway

 

Old walkway



New walkway

 

Old walkway

   

New walkway

We are OK with the walkway, even though we lost about 4 inches on each side because the contractor didn't want to mess up the grass because we plan to have a realtor take pictures of the property and house within the next few days.  After expressing our disappointment with the 4 inch gap on each side of the walkway, the contractor said he would come back and fill in the sides with top soil.  Maybe we will plant some flowers down the walkway and that will solve the problem.  Now onto the steps... 

Old steps

New steps
From this point of view, maybe not so bad.

New steps
This doesn't look like the old wall

New steps
This doesn't look like the old wall

New steps
This doesn't look like the old wall

New steps
This doesn't look like the old wall

New steps
This doesn't look like the old wall

Now to be honest it's not horrible or unlivable; however, it is not what we agreed upon and that is where one of us has an issue.  One of us wants to pay the contractor and move on; the other one wants to either have the contractor provide the product that was agreed upon or accept less money for a product that doesn't match what was agreed upon.

What are your thoughts?

WOW ... REC'D GUARDIAN ADDENDUM

We met with Guardian last Friday to discuss the security system, phone jacks, cable/network outlets, and audio speakers (inside/outside) and today we received the addendum.  Well let's just say we were not expecting for the final cost to be so high.  We know a lot of the options are based on personal preference; however, any advice/suggestions on how to decrease the cost is greatly appreciated. 

Summary:

Security System Options

• Preferred Builder Security System - Base Package (includes standard keypad, pet motion detector, control panel, siren, 3 door contact, heat)
• Standard Keypad w/ Fixed English Display
• Window Contact
• Glass Break Detector
• Smoke Communicator
• Carbon Monoxide Detector

Home Wiring System Options

• Basic Home Wiring Package (Standard - Telephone/Cable/Data) (includes 8 single wall plate outlets, 4 telephone, 4 cable, basic enclosures 20, upgrade premium 42 enclosures)
• 7 Single Wall Plate Outlets - Cable
• 3 Single Wall Plate Outlet - Data
• Home Network Package w/ 7 Port Router, includes 6 Data Outlets
• Home Network Option: Wireless Access Point - additional cost

Audio System Options

• Lyriq Standard 4 Room Audio System (includes Main Source input, Local Source input, Pair of Klipsch R1650C In-Ceiling)
• AW 500 SM Dual Voice Coil Outdoor speakers - additional cost
• Lyriq Standard 2 room Audio System (includes Main Source input, Pair of Klipsch R1650C In-Ceiling, Multi Source Input)
• AW 500 Dual Voice Coil Outdoor speaker - additional cost
• Four Source Eight Zone Distribution module - additional cost
• Pre-Wire Only Installation Option for Lyriq 4 room Audio System (includes Main Source input location, Local Source input location(s), 3 In-Ceiling Pre-Wire location(s), Outdoor Pre-Wire location(s))
• Pre-Wire Only Installation Option for Lyriq 2 room Audio System (includes Main Source input location, 1 In-Ceiling Pre-Wire location(s), Outdoor Pre-Wire location(s))

Do you know do we have to go with Guardian or do we have option of using other vendors/contractors prior to closing?

Well, we are headed off to bed.  Another big day on getting the current house ready to sell.

LAST DAY TO MAKE STRUCTURAL CHANGES...

Today, we toured a Waverly model (in the process of being decorated) and met with our Sales Rep. to finalize our structural options and to obtain additional information regarding fixtures and to answer a few questions. 

• Microwave - this is still pending.  Since we decided to go with a gas range; we are not permitted (by code) to have the microwave located above the range.  So we are waiting for our Sales Rep to provide us with an alternative location.
• Siding - changed from Heritage Grey to Slate
• Shutters - changed from Grey to Black
• Kitchen Appliances: changed from Black to Stainless Steel (this was an error made by the Sales Rep.)
• Owner's Bath Vanities - changed from STD Owner Ste to Wyoming Square Cherry Bordeaux (this was an error made by the Sales Rep.)
• Garage - added Floor Drain (includes 2 drains for 3 car garage)
• Laundry - added Utility Tub Floor Mount
• Family Room - removed optional side window (this was an error made by the Sales Rep. - not an option to add window w/o the Bonus Room)

Confirmed:

• 42 inch cabinets, standard
• 9 foot ceilings, standard
• Morning room - walkout stairs are not included (we will add after closing)
• Living room - opted not to upgrade interior case opening
• Laundry room - comes w/ wire shelves in closet and tray for washer; confirmed washer/dryer location; added utility tub
• Family room - confirmed fireplace stone (Aspen) w/ stone mantel and hearth
• Garage - confirmed standard carriage door is insulated; opted not to upgrade door opener (we will install after closing); confirmed brick on side of garage near the porch
• Windows - Keystone is included on outside; trim is not included on inside windows; Sales Rep confirmed all windows (standard/option)
• Landscaping - standard package includes seeding, mulch beds and bushes/shrubs in front of house, 7 trees (choices - maple, oak, pear, birch, cherry) and we choose the location
• Solarium/Study - standard 15 lite doors
• Mailbox - included and installed by Ryan Homes
• Outside lights - standard walkway light included and installed halfway down walkway (PM will provide more information); Porch - light in roof (no sconces); Morning room - light outside door; Garage - 2 sconces outside garage
• Porch roof - shingles
• Furnace - confirmed 3 units includes humidifier - 2 units in basement, 1 controls basement and main floor and 1 controls solarium; 1 unit in attic controls 2nd floor
• Paint - standard Dover - Walls/Ceiling flat and Trim semi-gloss
• Outside sprinkler (front yard) - work w/ PM to push off landscaping to after closing; we can use our own contractor, just work w/ PM
• Outside water access - 1 outside garage and 1 back corner (by Solarium)
• Attic - not finished; will include light, but no outlets; per PM, access may be in 2nd floor hall and/or bedrooms
• Refrigerator dimensions - space can accommodate up to 25 cubic feet; however, send dimensions to Sales Rep to confirm

Outstanding issues:

• Master Bathroom - custom bath; need to send dimensions to Sales Rep
• Garage - Service Door - not an option w/ 3 car garage; Sales Rep is working with PM to come up with a solution to accommodate our request
• Garage - additional insulation - Sales Rep will follow-up on cost
• Electrical outlets/ceiling boxes - need to schedule a meeting with Sales Rep.
• Columns (dining/living room and owner's suite/sitting room) - need to follow-up with Sales Rep if we want
• Appliances - Sales Rep will email options
• Fixtures - Sales Rep will email options
• Owner's Shower - need to follow-up with Sales Rep to see if they can accommodate 2 shower head - 1 waterfall and 1 standard
• Hardwood floors - follow-up with Rusmur to change to vinyl (upgrade to hardwood after closing)

DWTS fans - VOTE HINES WARD

BUSY, BUSY WEEK....

A majority of our time this week will be focused on getting our current house on the market.  Here is our to do list (not limited to):

LANDSCAPING - DONE
The landscapers came out on Saturday to clean-up the yard, pull a few shrubs/plants that didn't make it and replace the shrubs/plants with new ones, and to lay fresh mulch and they plan to finish up today.  So far, it looks great!!!!

STEPS/WALKWAY - DONE
The contractor was supposed to start this morning, but the threat of severe thunderstorms scared him away.  We are very disappointed because it has been sunny and warm all morning and we feel that he could have at least removed the existing steps/walkway before it starts to rain/storms (which is not project to start until 3 pm.).  This is very frustrating!!!! 

Update posted on 04/12 - Contractor no show for today and states he will start tomorrow and pour the concrete on Thursday.  So very frustrating!!!

Update posted on 04/13 - Contractor showed up and removed more of the sidewalk than originally agreed upon; I expressed my disappointment and told him that we were not paying him to fix his mistake; he indicated that he will fix it at no additional charge to make up for starting the project later than promised.  So around 1:00 p.m. he ask for 1/2 payment in cash (which was agreed upon), he leaves and doesn't return.  He didn't finish the framing and he is supposedly exposed to pour the concrete tomorrow.  I have a feeling that either he is not returning or the job is not going to be completed tomorrow. 

PAINTING (in progress)  - DONE
We will focus on finishing up some painting projects that are already in progress. 

DE-CLUTTER (on-going)  - DONE
We will box up what we don't currently need or use.  Some will go to storage and some will be donated.  We need to find a way to organize/hide our daughter's toys.  Any suggestions?

SCRUB CARPETS (postponed 04/24)  - DONE
We will scrub the carpets in the partially finished basement and finished attic; hopefully, it will give a fresh clean smell/look. 

PRESSER WASH (scheduled week of 04/17) - POSTPONED DUE TO RAIN
We will clean the front porch (we get a lot of traffic in the front of the house, which causes a lot of dust/dirt) and back deck.

STAIN (scheduled week of 04/17) - POSTPONED DUE TO RAIN
We will stain the back deck - this is not priority; however, we feel it will give it a newer cleaner look.

PLANTS/FLOWERS (purchased, need to plant)  - DONE
We will purchase some potted plants/flowers to add some color.  We don't want to plant them just yet because there is still a chance for frost and cold nights.  This way we can cover them or bring them in the house, if necessary.

REALTOR - DONE
We scheduled a meeting (Friday, 04/15) with our realtor to take *pictures, sign papers, discuss last minute issues, and hopefully get the house listed.

*Pictures/video will be taken the 04/26  - DONE

RYAN HOMES - SALES REP - DONE
We scheduled a meeting for tomorrow to tour a local Waverly model; discuss final options (except for flooring, electrical, Guardian, which will still have some time to make a final decision); and to discuss a few custom requests.

THE MARKET
Good news...we have been tracking a few houses within our current neighborhood and noticed that 4 houses (one a comparable to ours) reflect sales pending/under contract signs.  This makes us very happy.  Are there any other bloggers trying to sell their current house during the building process?  Just curious.

Well, we need to get to work...we will check-in later to see how everyone else is doing.  Have a good day!!!!

Sunday drive...

We took a drive today to show the property to some family members.  We were very surprised when we drove up on the lot to see that the builder started the process.  We lost several trees, but we get to keep the big Pine tree located on the right-side of the property....we can't wait to decorate it for Christmas.  Also, we plan to plant trees after the house is built.

Here are some pics...

So much for not changing our minds...

Today was another productive day and not just on the new house.  We started our morning by getting a well overdue family picture.  We can't believe that it has already been 17 months (today) that we were blessed with our beautiful daughter.  So before things get real crazy with selling/building a house; we figured we would take a few moments together to get a professional picture taken.

Also, we took advantage of the warmer weather to catch up on some yard work at our current house.  We have so much to do before we can place the house on the market; however, regardless of what happens - May 1st is our deadline to get the house listed.  So we will be spending every waking moment (except for when we are catching up on the blogs ;-) ) to get the current house in order. 

Now in between getting pictures taken and catching up on yard work; we found a way to squeeze in some time to drive around a few neighborhoods to look at the exterior of a few houses.  This prompted us to think about making some changes to our selections: vinyl siding - darker gray and shutters - black.

Also, we discussed some the following:

Hardwood floors
To save some money, we discussed changing the hardwood floors to the standard vinyl flooring, which is included in the price of our house; and after closing we would upgrade to hardwood.  We already have a contractor who installed the hardwood floors in the kitchen of our current house and would just need to price out buying the hardwood floors ourselves.  However, this is still in the discussion stage.

Porch roof / bay windows
We noticed different looks on the porch roof and the top of the bay windows.  Can anyone give us more information on this - what is the included? what are the options/upgrades?

Porch roof

Keystone above the windows
We noticed that some of the windows reflect keystone.  Does anyone know off hand if this is included or an upgrade?

Keystone above windows

Custom bath tub in Owner's Suite bathroom:
Neither of us really like the boxed in tub that comes with the house.  We really like our clawfoot tub in our current house and would like to take this look with us to our new house.  However, this one will be a whirlpool jetted tub.  We are going to visit a model house this week to take the dimensions to see if the clawfoot tub fits and then we will follow-up with Ryan Homes to see if they are able to accommodate our request for a reasonable cost.  I will keep you posted. 
 

Clawfoot Tub Whirlpool Jetted Spa

72" Acrylic Double Ended Slipper

Well that is all for tonight....I need to catch up on some much needed sleep.

WOW...so many decisions were made today

We had an amazing busy day; however, we got so much accomplished.  Please note: Pictures are located on the Picture page.

LOT MEETING
We started our day on the lot - we met our PM and Sales Rep. to discuss the location of the home site.  We agreed with the PM to push back the house an additional 12-15 feet, which will decrease the slope in the front yard.  It will take away from some of the back yard, but there is still enough space to add a patio and eventually an in ground pool.  However, we found out today that we have an easement that runs through the far back part of our back yard (close to the conservation area) to accommodate the sewer line.  We were a little disappointed to just find this out today and plan to do more research to make sure that this does not affect us with our plans to put in an in ground pool in the future. 

Also, today we found out that we are currently 7 weeks out before we break ground, which will be around May 22.  This makes us a little nervous because we already have plans to go on vacation on June 4th-12th.  We are afraid we are going to miss so much of the building process and to get pictures.  We are hoping to get a family member to take some pictures while we are out of town.

ADDITIONAL OPTIONS 
We met with our Sales Rep. and made the following selections.
Brick - Madrid
Vinyl siding - Heritage Grey
Trim - White
Shutters - Grey
Door - Plum Jam
Counters (Kitchen) - Red Montana (3470) Formica (we went with this option because we know that we can get granite counters a lot cheaper and we didn't really like any of the options; so we plan to replace the counters with granite shortly after we move in)
Cabinets (Kitchen and Bathrooms) - Wyoming Square Cherry Bordeaux Timberlake

ELECTRICAL
We ran out of time today and need to schedule an appointment with Sales Rep. to discuss the outlet and wiring option.

RUSMUR - This meeting was 2 hours long and very productive.  We are pretty confident that we will stick with our selections; however, we have until 04/28 to make any changes.

Hardwood - Manchester Plank 3 1/4 Cherry
Foyer, Living Room, Dining Room, Solarium, Kitchen, Morning Room, Powder Room, Study

Carpet - Collinsville 101 Sisal w/ 6 # pad
2nd floor hallway and all bed room (upgrade owner's suite 10 # pad)
Basement, except Powder Room (upgrade padding Karastep rubber 21 # pad)

Carpet - Top Talent 123 Straw w/ 6 # pad
Family Room

Tile - Salerno SL 83 Marrone Chiaro, installed on diagonal
Owner's Bath

Vinyl - Initiator 66177
Laundry Room

Vinyl - Initiator 66200
2nd floor Bathrooms #1/#2, Basement Powder Room

Stairs/Bannister - Direct Set White, Oak, Cherry Stain, No Carpet

GUARDIAN
This meeting was an hour long and very informative, but not as productive as we expected.  We discussed the security system, phone jacks, cable/network outlets, and audio speakers (inside/outside).  Once we receive the quote via email from the rep. regarding the selected options and pricing; we will schedule a follow-up meeting to finalize the selections.

LOOKING FOR ADVICE...

UPDATE ... We fixed the comments to allow for comments from anyone.  Please let me know if you continue to have problems.  We were wondering why we were not receiving comments.  Thanks Shara for letting us know about the issue and for the advice.

We are meeting with the electrical and flooring contractors tomorrow.  We have an idea on what we want; however, we are always open to hear what others have to say.  Any advice is greatly appreciated.

BTW, love all of the blogs....it is nice to see we don't have to do this alone.

FOCUS...

We have spent so much time focused on searching for the right existing house or the right plan, lot, builder and we haven't spent as much time on getting our current house on the market.  Over the past 3 years, we've been making improvements to our current house (painting rooms, fixing what needs fixed, replaced appliances, etc.); however, now it is time to get serious to finish up all of the outstanding items and place the house on the market.  We have a "To Do List", we just need to focus.  With that said, the next few days (except for Friday, which will be spent with the flooring and electrical contractors) will be dedicated to getting the current house in order and to schedule a meeting with the realtor to get the house on the market and with a lot of prayers and luck get the house SOLD!

CHECK OFF ONE, ADD TWO MORE...

As we check off one item from the endless "To Do List", we seem to add more items.  However, the entire process is very exciting and is going very well.  Everyone has been very helpful, friendly, and accommodating to our schedule.

NVR APPROVAL
We received notice that our financing is approved.  The next step is to get on the construction "start" schedule, set-up a formal meeting with the Project Manager, and schedule the pre-construction meeting. 

ELECTRICAL
We are scheduled to meet with the contractor on Friday, April 8th to discuss the wiring for the electrical, cable, and phone jacks.  We have already decided that we want additional cable and phone jacks; as well as, electrical boxes for either a ceiling light or fan.

FLOORING
We are scheduled to meet with the contractor on Friday, April 8th to discuss the flooring options.  We have an idea on what we would like to do; however, it is subject to change based on either us changing our minds or cost.

HOME LOCATION PLAN (PLOT PLAN)
We are scheduled to meet with the Sales Rep. and PM to discuss the placement of our house on the property.  The PM is suggesting to push the house back from the road an additional 15-20 feet, which will allow for less of a slope in the front yard, but takes away from the back yard.

PUSH BACK ...

We received a call from the Ryan Homes suggesting to push back the front of the home an additional 15-20 feet so they will be able to grade the front yard with less of a slope.  By doing so, we will be able to keep some of the existing trees in the front yard; however, we will loose some of the trees in the back yard and the back yard will be smaller than we originally expected.

Hmmmm...what should we do?

UPDATE posted on 04/06/2011: We are scheduled to meet with our sales rep and PM at the lot on Friday, April 8 to discuss our options.  I will let you know how it goes.

FIRE SPRINKLER SYSTEM REQUIRED IN PA

Last week, my husband emailed me a link to the following article "Controversial Law To Require Fire Sprinklers In New Homes", which states as of 01/01/2011 a law that all new homes in PA require a sprinkler system.  Well this was news to us because Ryan never mentioned this to us.  After further research via the web; we discovered that the PA House of Representative repealed the legislation and is now waiting for the PA Senate. (source: "Pa. residential fire sprinkler mandate is up for consideration"). 

The following is Ryan Home's response:

"As of January 1, 2011, per the building code, all new construction single family homes had to be built with sprinkler systems in them. This new code has caused an absolute uproar with builders all over the country because of the expense of these systems, which is why this bill is being repealed in congress as we speak.

With that said, Pine Hollow was priced for sprinkler systems, but there are 5 home sites within the community where Ryan Homes was able to pull permits prior to the January 1^st deadline allowing these houses to NOT have these systems installed. Your lot was one of those lots. By having a permit prior to the January 1^st deadline grandfathers your home and will prevent you from having any difficulties with resale.

Secondly, by having a permit pulled prior to January 1^st gives you a $5,000 credit which will be represented on the Change Order Addendum along with your Flooring and Guardian extras."

Source: Email from Ryan Homes on 04/03/2011

All in all, I believe that the lessons learned here is, knowledge is power and that it doesn't hurt to question or ask.

Other sources: Uniform Construction Code, Advisory on Residential Sprinkler Installation

NVR (1st meeting)

Today was our first meeting with NVR to discuss the financing.  We spent a majority of the time going over our finances and signing lots, lots, and lots of papers. Thanks to my husband for keeping very good records and keeping the debt in check; all and all everything went very well and we don't expect to run into any issues.

UPDATE posted on 04/05/2011: NVR notified us that our financing is approved.