Week 10 - Lock Out

Hi All,

So, they finally locked us out of the house.  LOL!

I had to call my project manager to get a guided tour. It was KILLING me to be away from the house for so long. I hadn't been in for 6 days.

Regardless, here's a list of the awesomeness that occurred while they kept us out:

• granite countertops were installed (once the stove is installed, the last cabinet and countertop will be installed between the stove and the refrigerator)
• vinyl flooring was installed
• HVAC was completed - the A/C was running!
• deck footers were poured
• sidewalks were completed
• front stoop was completed

On our end here are the items I had to finalize:

• homeowners insurance
• title services
• get final walk-through date
• schedule final private inspection
• schedule termite inspection

We were given a settlement date.  However, I don't want to settle on a Friday because if the cash wire doesn't arrive, I lose a weekend that I could be moving/unpacking. There's nothing worse than sitting in a house with everything you own in boxes three days longer than you planned. (I know, I know...first world problems!) Although I'm asking nicely, I still don't have the NEW settlement date confirmation. Will ask with a smile again on Monday.

FYI - Make sure you shop your mortgage and title services.  Shopping your mortgage keeps everyone honest and shopping the title services saved about $500.

Deck Footers

Master Bathroom Vanity

Kitchen cabinets and counters

-Honey

18 days to go!

Week 9 - Trim

Hi All,

I know the week isn't over but I have a lot to share.

I took doughnuts to the crews again this week. Yes, "crews". There was a small army working hard this week!  The electricians, painters, carpenters, plumbers, siding and tile crews were on site.

Items completed this week (pics below):

• doors hung and painted
• cabinets installed
• sinks installed
• siding installed
• baseboards and molding installed
• banisters and railings installed (not yet stained)
• tile installed in bathrooms (including floors)
• lighting installed (including ceiling fans, switches and wall plates)

I hunted down the settlement person. Couldn't wait for them to find me because I have a move to schedule! 

Honey

-26 days to go

Week 8 - Paint & Miscellaneous

Hi All,

We were so pleased to see that all the walls and ceilings were painted (white) this week!  

Even more, the garage door was installed and the cabinets were delivered!

We had the first rain since construction started and I was concerned. There were flash floods in the area. But everything was as dry as bone. Woo hoo!

After a lot of research, I took advantage of the Labor Day sales and purchased my refrigerator.  Sears won easily for a few reasons:

• Free delivery.  The competitor charges $79 for delivery.
• I can delay delivery for months.  The competitor won't delay delivery for more than 4 weeks from purchase.
• Flexibility. Because I don't have a firm settlement date yet, I need the option of changing the delivery date.
• Price. They had a 30% off sale and once I factored in the delivery charge, I was able to beat the competitor by about $200.  Sweet!

I also started pricing window blinds. It's overwhelming.  I think I might have paper blinds for a while.  LOL!

I think we might paint a few rooms.  Nail pops be damned! The garage, powder room, master bathroom and master bedroom are on my hit list. Once I get quotes, depending on the cost, that decision might be delayed.

Over the last week I did a LOT of purging. There were boxes we moved with last year that were unopened from a prior move. I refuse to move them again.  They are almost all gone!

FYI - I LOVE my project manager!  He is on top of everything, professional and keeps me in the loop. He sent me pictures showing the repairs made on the items my inspector found.

-Honey
32 days to go

Week 7 - From the Windows...to Drywall!

Hi All,

This week was another fast-paced construction week!  

Before the heavy-lifting began, I took an opportunity to write a few bible verses on some studs (Tuesday):

On Wednesday, the insulation was added and drywall was delivered:

And by Saturday the walls and ceiling were drywalled! It looks so much bigger and brighter since it's white.

Additionally, dirt was delivered so that the lot could be graded.

What's interesting is that I thought all of the connected units would be completed on the same schedule.  The other two units are still down to the studs.  Not my concern...just something I noticed.  Just glad things are moving along for us.  :-)

-Honey

39 days to go

Week 6 - Electrical and Plumbing

Hi All,

I stayed away from the construction site for a week.  It was rough!

During this week the electrical wiring was completed, foam insulation caulking was completed, and all of the pipes for plumbing was run.  I even have bathtubs.  Woo hoo!

I had a private inspector come in to protect my interests before the drywall was put up.  The inspection went well.  My inspector was impressed with the build and the fact that a lot of the specs were above the township code minimum. He also took the time to explain everything.  I learned a lot.

The minor items found were: 2 tears in the house wrap (will be fixed with tape); 1 warped stud (will be replaced); 1 missing nail plate; 1 damaged duct (will be replaced); and missing foam caulk above the garage door.

To my project manager's credit, he was there for the entire inspection, took notes and told me he would take care of everything.  Half a day later the nail plate was installed.  (Yes, I already admitted that I stalk the construction site!)

-Honey

41 days to go