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autumn_4_gw

It's July 2014, How is your build progressing? Part 2!

autumn.4
9 years ago

Kicking off part 2.

Great to see everyone's progress - love those sphere lights - so cool! Why didn't I think of that??? ;)

Link to July 2014 Part 1

Comments (150)

  • autumn.4
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    J-ohhhh yay! A celebratory drink? Cheers! I will toast with ice cream. :D. I was wondering how things were going down yonder.

  • amberm145_gw
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Autumn, I just finished a year long weight loss program with major changes to my eating habits. No drowning myself in chocolate. :P Alcohol isn't really much better, but I'm not likely to consume as much.

  • autumn.4
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Amber you go girl! I too just dropped 20 last year before the move and thankfully all the DIY counterbalanced my diet going to crap, that's all I gotta say. 5 pounds is nothing like it could have been. Keep up the good work!

  • Kathy Harrington
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Arrived at the build site this Saturday and DH and I went over and over it all weekend and arrived with a list for the builder today to fix and change. It was a productive day, but I'm exhausted. Some notes, this was the first visit where the walls were up, no roof yet, but it felt like a house and of course it felt too small! Also, there were a fair amount of "what were we thinking " issues, some we can change and others we have find creative solutions to make them work. All in all, I'm very happy! Another note, I need to be here more often. So, I'm going home for my daughter's wedding shower and then I'll come back for another week.

    Here are some photos of the stone, the rest still looks the same, hopefully at the end of the week, we will have finished framing, and I'll post then.

  • HappyValleyHome
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Carson, zganderson & Northpole....siding was supposed to start today but my windows are STILL not here! All but 2 have been ready for two weeks but they refuse to ship them until all are ready!?! Guess that is the way building goes sometimes. Our preliminary plumbing was put in last week and they will be pouring our basement and garage floors this week. Once that isin they will frame our finished portion of the basement. Fireplace and venting will be done this week, too. With electric scheduled in early August.

    Since we will be sharing this journey together, figure we should get to know each other a little bit...what part of the country are you all building in? Square footage? Style details? I am sure that you have all posted info before but sometimes there are so many posts on this site I miss things! I will start...we are building in a College town in central Pennsylvania. Our home will be New England/Craftsman in styling around 3500 sq ft plus 1000 sq foot finished daylight basement. Master and open concept kitchen, great room and dining on the main floor with kids and guest room upstairs and large rec room and exercise room in basement. Our land is a1/2 acre with great views (a must for my DH). We will be living there with our two daughters (11 & 8) and our 2 feline fur babies. Our build is predicted to be 6-8 mths and we started in mid-May.

    Carson...sorry for the disappointment on the sconces. Is there a spot somewhere else in your home that a single sconce might work since you love it so much? I am in the process of getting my lighting plan ready for the lighting store to quote on tomorrow...thought my lighting allowance was pretty good but nice fixtures sure add up:-(.

    Hoosier...congrats on finally being in your new home! I hope that you are starting to feel a little more settled and can just enjoy finally being in your beautiful new house.

    Jdez...your cabinets look great! What are you planning for the finish again??

    Autumn...congrats on finding a backsplash that you love...we need pics though!!

    Amberm...maybe we should all go in on a winery. As I am now working on my lighting plan, I am wondering how many lights I could purchase with the amt I have spent on wine this past year and it probably would buy me quite a few extra!?!!

  • lizzieplace
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Welcome ZGAnderson! The more the merrier :)

    Carsonheim, so sorry about that. You will find more things to love about your home.

    Happyvalleyhome, we started early May and hoping to be in the house mid-October (wishful thinking???). Again, very similar to your sq footage, about 3700 between the 1st and 2nd floor, also with a daylight basement (1800 sqft). Master bedroom will be upstairs since our kids are still very small.

    We have ducts in the process of being put up for the HVAC. Furnace has been delivered to the site. The electrical wiring seems to be all in, as well as the housing for the recessed cans. No signs of siding being put up yet for us.

    Another issue we need to bring up with the builder tomorrow is that the round window that they only put up today is a different color! It has been sitting in the garage for quite a while, with all the windows already up. We thought they were waiting for the right one to be delivered. It is definitely not white like all the other windows. I think it will stand out even more when the white window wrap is placed around it. It is in the front part of the home. Hoping to get answers tomorrow.

  • robynstamps
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    JDez!!!!!! That is soooooo awesome!! I'm a little jeaous, too! Your kitchen looks wonderful!

    That is very frustrating about the windows happyvalleyhome! I feel your pain!

    We started our build in March and should be finished around the middle of September. Everything is pretty much on schedule. I am very impressed with our builder as he has everything well organized. Our home is pretty large. 3 levels on 3.5 acres. I have 5 children ages 16-7 so still many years left raising my kids and then grandchildren in the future.

    They finished the insulation today (or at least I think they did since I haven't been able to walk in the house all day). We have more inspections tomorrow before the drywall goes up and the stone & stucco go on.

    Here are some pictures of the insulation in my craft room on the 2nd floor.

  • mushcreek
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I've been on here longer than most, and will be here long after y'all are moved in! The reason is that I'm building the house myself, and I'm an old man, so it takes a while. Still, it's a life-long dream being fulfilled, so I can't complain.

    We're building a small empty nest. 1300 sq ft on the main floor and a full walk-out basement. We're building on 7 acres in upstate SC, with a panoramic view of the Blue Ridge mountains in the winter. The style I call 'Low Country Craftsman', with large overhangs on the roof, and massive columns for the porch roof.

    Completion date? We'd like to have a Certificate of Occupancy late this fall, but there will still be a lot to be done.

  • musicgal
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    JDez- checking out the corner Lazy Susan and your dishwasher position on the left of the sink. The wood on the cabs looks beautiful.

    Amberm... buy in bulk for the duration. There is lots of tomfoolery ahead.

    Over a year ago when we signed our pool contract, the franchise owner had a regional salesman visit us at home. He gave us the option to have our decking done with Belgard pavers, so we wrote up that option and cost to save in case we decided to use those pavers around the pool. Only problem was that our franchisee didn't have anyone who did decking, at least not in our area... and asked our GC if HE had anybody???? Scratching head??? If we have to find a decking contractor ourselves, because it is me who is shopping and vetting a lot of these guys, why should I pay a middleman's mark up? Unbelievable.

    After building my custom kitchen cabinets to fit a particular refrigerator I bought from Sears Appliances 4 months ago, they called me at delivery time and said, whoops- they didn't have one of those. I hunted one down online, and had it shipped from Florida to Texas by freight after telling Sears what for.

    The plumber decided to install a toilet the other day before the tile in that bathroom was grouted. Somebody hid the brown screws for the wood switchplates, so the electrician had to paint silver screws so that things matched... oh, the list goes on and on. Some things are rather large, such as the concrete guy telling you, yes- you were going to need stairs up to your front gate, when your engineered foundation was built exactly to forego that very situation. And you will have to fight them to get what is on the blueprint.
    Wine helps... pace yourself:)

  • jdez
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Ok, I read through all of the posts. Congrats to Zoe on getting started and congrats to Hoosier on getting moved in. NPH, HappyValley, Carson, Musicgal you all have beautiful homes with some amazing scenery. Musicgal, I love your little office nook. Autumn, I am holding out hope for you on the internet issue. I've been looking in to options for internet where we are building and my choices are very limited. Booooo. So, I ordered two of the lights pictured below. One will go over the kitchen sink and the other will go in front of the laundry/utility room that is visible from the kitchen. They sort of match my pendant lights and I figured with all the squareness going on in my house, the roundness of these lights would look good. Well, they are on their way, so it will have to work. We were supposed to stain the cabinets before they were put in the house but Little Miss Me couldn't decide on a stain color and the cabinet guy was pressuring me to finish the job so he could get the rest of his money. So, all the cabinets and built-ins were either installed yesterday or will be installed today. I will just have to make a decision on the stain and just finish them in place. Two guys from the building crew showed up yesterday to finish some work on the porch ceilings and they did a horrible job. There are huge gaps between the bead board panels and the trim. They also ripped out all the baseboards in the bedrooms. I had mentioned that I didn't really like them (they used #2 grade pine 1x4s that looked ridiculous, were going to be very hard to paint and would hold a lot of dust). One of the guys was supposed to use a router and bullnose the top edge so I could see if I could live with it but they never did it and I never said one way or another what I wanted to do. So I had a minor explosion and said some things that would make my Mom cringe if she heard her little girl speaking that way. Oh well, I felt better anyway. But, to make a long story short, they will have to fix it all before they get any money. So, we will see what happens. I've gotten really tired of the house building game, so hopefully we can get through that with no more problems. Ok, I have to get back to work. Have a good day everyone.

  • lizzieplace
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Sorry JDez and musicgal. Hoping for better news soon.

    I am curious as to whether people here go to the site during construction hours. My husband did that once to meet the security system person, and they were not let in by the workers. Workers said they need to be accompanied by someone from the builder's company. Wondering if we should be more involved in the process, going there to talk to the workers etc., to see what's going on. We go there almost everyday, but after everybody has left. Could you share how your experience has been? Thanks!

  • ZGAnderson
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    happyvalleyhome, we're building in Iowa on a quarter acre lot. The house is my design with some significant input from the forum here :) 1700 sqft main floor and 1/2 finished basement, will be adding a finished home theater after we're moved in. We're owner/builders and the process so far has been overall quite a bit of fun with an undercurrent of stress!

    Started in May, should be having our combined framing/electric/hvac inspection this week or early next, then insulation and drywall hopefully all complete by the end of August.

    Once we're done with that I'll be calling in for a driveway to be poured and landscaping while we DIY the trim/tile/paint/floors (except carpet) and cabinets. Assuming with start those at the end of August that will give us 8-10 weeks for those jobs. Working nights and weekends with some help from friends and family I expect we should be able to get it done.

    Added a link that shows a version of the plan that's 99.9% of what we're ending up building.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Previous thread on our plan

  • musicgal
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    northpolehome- We are paying for everything as we go, so we own it- unfinished as it is. Now, we are very careful onsite because we have hazardous dropoffs right now. Not sure how my GC handles his insurance as it pertains to us... but in previous bank financed builds, we were chased away by a crew foreman. I always felt uneasy about that, but a lot of it has to do with liability and not the fact they are hiding stuff. Of course, the latter could be true too. I want to see every stick that goes up in this house. It is, after all, MY money putting it up.
    Their attitude though (the various crews) can be much different. When my crews thought we were building with a loan, they were always looking for the bank rep to come around. Anyone who showed up with a tie was automatically a bank rep... lol. Of course, they thought I was the designer for a long time. They feel allegiance to the bank because the perception is, the bank owns the house. That was fun to see the light dawn when they realized I was funding the draws. They didn't catch on until late in the process, and many of the crew members were quite dismissive of me. It's a little hard to backtrack when you've been a stinker around the owner. I never fired anyone this past year, but I've had them kicked off my project for awhile.

  • jenniekehr
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    We started in May and are hoping to be in by Thanksgivining.

    We are building on 1.5 acres in Lake Wylie, South Carolina. It is about 5400 heated sq ft, with 1,000 sq ft of it being a MIL's apartement.

    Northpolehome: We can walk our site any time, and we meet there often with the builder who has no issue with us going through it. We are careful with our kids though, and our litltest one we keep in the car or a babysitter. All of the subs know we come by unanounced and have had no issue with it. We eriodically bring by treats for them, so maybe thats why they do not mind :)

  • autumn.4
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    jdez-I like that light. I think you will love it when it arrives. Hang in there - it will get better. You just need to get through to the other side - even then for me the relief was not immediate but the sense of urgency is gone. You have expectations ya know...and when you are doing a lot yourself and you move in and it's not...finished...sigh.

    carson-you have me runnin scared that the backsplash that we actually agree on is going to be disco so I think I'm going to order it up! Your light sub is pretty close but I can see what you loved about the other that leaves you feeling meh. Hate it when that happens.

    Here is a link - it's so hard to see on line what it really looks like. It's a textured limestone, color quadrata. Sonoma Limestone Quadrata. It's the last color swatch. It comes in a lot of different shapes. We are thinking 2x4 broken joint but I think the herringbone or rhomboid would be fun. It is similar to a split stone we considered but decided against because of the clean-ability factor. This will be much easier to maintain.

  • amberm145_gw
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Surprise, surprise, we're not applying for our permit today. When the architect said he had an appointment "Tuesday", he meant NEXT Tuesday. He can go in without an appointment, but it means standing in line. And I don't think he's finished the last changes he was supposed to make. (He hadn't marked on the drawings where the footings go for the various support posts.) I've offered to go stand in line if he sends me the drawings. No response.

    JDez, I love the light. Where is it from?

    Autumn, I'm down 46lbs in the last year. My program is over, but that just means I no longer have a coach, and new habits to practice, and daily email reminders. I have another 20-40lbs to go on my own.

  • robynstamps
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Are my posts going through at all? Lol! Think I am being missed.

    I go to my build site about 2 times a day during working hours. My GC encourages is as I have caught a few mistakes that they were able fix right away. We are the owners and pay as we go. Everything is in our name. I can't imagine being chased away from my home. That wouldn't go over well.

    Wish us luck! More inspections are today! I'm hoping to share drywall pics tomorrow! Woohoo!!

    Have a great day everyone!
    Robyn

  • amberm145_gw
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Robyn, I see your posts. I'm jealous as I was hoping to start around the same time you did. :P

  • jdez
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Amberm - Etsy on the light fixture. If you are interested I will send you the maker's info if they look as good in person.

  • amberm145_gw
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    JDez, I am interested. Although with Etsy, it's probably out of my price range, especially with shipping.

  • HappyValleyHome
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Northpolehome...I go to my build site at least twice a day. During the day I often just stop by to see what is happening and then we go through the house in the evening once the workmen are finished. We are welcome on the lot and I go through with the builder whenever he is there but don't really want the kids and I to get in their way. We have the advantage that our builder lives across the street from our new build so he keeps a pretty close eye on what is going on and keeps me in the loop. We have a really good working relationship...it helps that he is one of those rare people who is super talented but still very humble.

    Zganderson...I designed our home, as well. After first working with trying to customize stock plans and always having a key element missing and costs skyrocketing due to changing too many things, it seemed easier to just draw it myself and have my builders draftsman draw it up. The only problem with self design is that I constantly worry I have created a hot mess and have no one to blame but myself! My builder has a pretty good sense of what looks good so I am hoping he would have stopped me at the paper stage if there was a true issue.

  • autumn.4
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Robyn-how far from 'home' are you now that you have moved? My bad, I have been meaning to comment on your pic of the front with those mountains in the back but keep forgetting. I would never ever tire of that view! Curious if the other home you had in a different state (can't remember now) had any similar landscape or if this is completely new for you. Drywall will make everything look so sifferent yet again!

    Happyvalley-I think it was you that asked. We started after mush creek but we aren't really completely finished yet so it's a toss up on who will take forever, I mean the longest. We started last september, west Michigan. Moved from subdivision living to a 2 acre wooded lot. GC'd the build and did a lot of week ourselves. And it continues on and on and on, lol.

    Amber-so this appointment in a week, it's the one yes? You can take a shovel to the lot after that apt?!?! Good work on your lifestyle eating changes. I swear it's never ending and old habits die so hard! I used fitness pal and need to get back to it, blasted internet, but I digress.

    So we placed order number 3 for cable and they are supposedly coming out tomorrow. Sigh.

  • MTguy
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hello everyone. I haven't been good at posting as I go but work has forced me out of town so I can't be on site today. Most days I work my 8 hours and then rush out to my build site to check in with the subcontractors before doing my second job of building my house. It seems like there were an inordinate amount of setbacks on my project but today it finally felt like everything clicked and things are getting done. My flooring should be finished tomorrow, finish electric tomorrow, and my geothermal well digger called and said it would be done within 2 weeks! Now I have to get my butt in gear and finish my projects. Here is a pictures of my kitchen with my DIY cabinets. I still need to add the crown molding and trim out the island. Stainless steel appliances are chomping at the bit to get in there.

    Here is a link that might be useful: my barely completed build log

  • robynstamps
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    MTguy - Your flooring looks AWESOME! We are doing medium brown but after looking at yours I wonder if we should have gone lighter. I am so impressed that you are doing this yourself. Wow!!

    Autumn - We are only 3 miles from the build which is awesome!! I love being so close. It's helped a ton!

    We passed the exterior and insulation inspections today! YAY!! They start actually putting the stone on tomorrow and hanging drywall! I stopped over tonight to take a pic of the drywall that they dropped off and some workers were still there working!! They have been working around the clock this week. From 8 am - 9 pm everyday!

  • amberm145_gw
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Musicgal; you're right, lots of tomfoolery ahead. I wonder sometimes how people make a living without knowing how to do their jobs.

    Autumn, in theory, yes, once we get this submitted, we can start. It takes a few more weeks to get the permit fully approved. But, when we apply, we can pay an extra $93 for a partial permit, which allows us to build up to the first floor. I've been TOLD by someone on the phone at the city that we can get this immediately. So we can get the foundation done and backfilled before the "W" word. We can also go in and apply before the appointment, it just means waiting in line. The architect has said he'll go on Thursday. DH found an online status tracker that shows how many people currently in line for various permits. It said 0 at 3:30 this afternoon. I think that means the tracker is broken. DH thinks everyone is waiting on appointments. :P

    But then the architect sent me an email this evening asking for the engineering for the deck. The deck which is less than 2' off the ground? #1, why would we need engineering for that. And #2, if we needed the engineering for that, why the *&^* wouldn't you ask for that a week ago when all the engineering was done? BIL got CC'd on that, so he called me and said we don't have to engineer anything, we just need it marked on the drawing where the posts are going. Neither of us can figure out why that's so difficult.

    And yes, old habits are hard, that's why the program was a whole year. But the big one for me was learning to eat when I'm hungry, instead of eating because it's "time". MFP never worked for me because I actually need far fewer calories than "average". I was forcing myself to eat because an app told me I wasn't eating enough. Tracking is really good for a lot of people though, because a lot of food gets eaten without us realizing it.

  • jackson2348
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    So, we're supposed to be a week of so from moving in. Final inspection scheduled next week. The countertop people came out to drill holes for my air switches for the garbage disposal, and...... Screw it up. Beyond fixing. They've tried, several different ways, can't repair. Oh, did I mention we searched for my countertop material for 2 months? Yeah. So countertops have to be replaced, we've all (me, builder, countertop folks) been on a frantic search for more acceptable material. Plus, my island is really big, so Quartz is out, which has been my super secret backup plan. Ugh.

  • Oaktown
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Amberm, our permit office is kind of like that, I've been there nearly a dozen times, no appointment, most times with no wait or only a minimal wait. However, the time I went with the architect to submit for plan review (and I only really needed to be there to write a check and sign one piece of paper) it took 2 hrs. Their traffic seems to go in waves -- as in you wouldn't want to show up right at opening or right after the staff gets back from lunch, because that's when everyone else without an appointment shows up. Perhaps if you're in the area you could make a short visit to scope out how things work?

  • MFatt16
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Wow, on the easy permits! We are outside city limits, by 2 miles or so if that and the city is like that. Very organized, reasonably priced and all that.

    Jackson- I am very sorry to hear about your counters. We too have a large island and I know that countertops are hard to find. :( How bad is it? Could you possibly cover it with something else, a plate? Perhaps you could make it work and get a partial refund to spend someplace you had cutback? We haven't picked slabs yet but its on the to do list for the near future.

    For us, exterior painting started yesterday and we woke up to a monsoon outside so I am guessing that will be half done for at least a couple days. sigh. If it's not one thing its another right?

  • amberm145_gw
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    MFatt, I've noticed the comments about Unincorporated King's County. But I don't think anyone's ever called my city an easy permit place. $93 is just one fee for getting to start while they actually review your BP application. I'm kind of in doubt that it's actually what I think it is, because it's ONLY $93. Everything else is crazy. We're already close to $7k to the city, and that doesn't include the building permit. The BP is another fee somewhere between $4k and $10k. There's a complicated form to fill out to calculate the fee. I can't fill it out myself because there are numbers needed that should be on the drawings but aren't. So I need the architect to tell me. He won't. He's going to fill in the form himself, go down, pay the fee, and send us a bill. If he screws up the form and we pay more than we're supposed to, there will be nothing we can do about it because he already paid it to the city.

    We also have to pay $20k to a 3rd party to replace the water and sewer line. We have a water and sewer line. And if we weren't building a new house, the CITY would have to replace it in the next 10-20 years. But since we're building, we get to pay it and don't even get a break because we're saving the city money.

    I checked the online wait status this morning, and there were 5 people in line 10 minutes before they opened. 20 minutes after opening, there's only 1 person in line. So the website isn't just broken.

  • amberm145_gw
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Oh, and the permits expire after 6 months. If you aren't done building, you need to pay again to renew your permits.

  • MFatt16
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Our permits are good for 12months I think. Not sure exactly but I will check, our loan needs to be wrapped up at that point so I hadn't really thought about it.

  • cz_scrap
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    We're waiting on building permits and think they should be here within two weeks. My husband retired last week so once this house sells, we'll head to California for a rental. Although he had hoped to work for another year, and we're doing some financial rearranging(we'll be okay-just a few more needs than wants in the new house) it will be so much easier to build near by rather than from Phoenix or here in southeastern PA. Sitting here waiting for first meeting with realtor-who called to say she'd be late. Having PTS flashbacks from selling our last house-rush, rush rush to get it ready then wait, wait, wait...love seeing everyone's progress, learning a lot from everyone too.

  • mushcreek
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    If I had all of the permit issues and costs you all have, I'd have never built a house, which is maybe what they're trying to do.

    I filled out a one page form and paid $400. That's it. No drawings, no engineering, no other costs, other than the septic permit. I do have to submit 'as-built' drawings once the house is done, but they can be a pencil sketch showing the primary dimensions. I asked if I could just submit a CD with all of the drawings on it, but no, they want prints. 8-1/2 X 11 is fine.

    Our permit is good indefinitely as long as I show 'some progress' every 6 months. You could drag out a build for many years if you wanted to. As it is, our build is at 2 years now, and we have at least 6 months or more to go.

    The only special rule for building the house yourself is that you can't sell it for 2 years after completion.

  • MFatt16
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    We weren't looking to build particularly. We found lots of existing houses that were great, then we sold, and so did all the great houses. What was left was out of our pricerange so voila, we are building. The cost is still going to be better in the long run but its been a bear of a project. I am thankful to share in the process here with others who get it. :)

  • hoosierbred
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Autumn, we got our landline and internet last night! We can only get AT&T out here. We got Direct TV the day before. I feel like we are connected to the world again. :-) We were eating up our data plans on our phones and iPad. We would probably still be months out to get it if our SIL had not contacted a friend at AT&T. Our install got escalated because we were told we couldn't get any service because the parking lot was full! Install still wasn't easy and were scheduled for so many installation dates and no-one would show. But, we're up and running now. I hope you get service soon.

    One of our last big projects is getting done. Concrete. And, lots of it. Holding our breath that it doesn't break the bank. We think the estimate we got is still in the ballpark. But, we'll see.

    For those who like to watch men work, here was my view from my small office/computer area in the back of the laundry room. They showed up at 6:15 this morning! I was sitting at my computer sipping coffee in my PJs. Talk about a mad dash out of there when I spotted one of the guys come around the corner.

    We're having a lot of concrete poured! This is what they poured yesterday. It was the area from the garage pad to the driveway and the driveway starting at the pole barn and working down toward the house. I was standing at the pole barn when I took this.

    This is a view from the pole barn looking toward the back of the house. DH is in that hole installing some drainage pipes. The guys were forming the walkways from the back patio to the garage and to the pole barn. I'm thinking we are going to have to do some bigger landscaping in the area between barn and house.

    Here's the walkway to the barn.

    And walkway to the garage from the back patio. They had to revise the walkways on the fly this morning after SIL came down and talked to them about some vents along that one side.

    And, since we had rain rolling in, here's what it looked like after they left this morning.

  • MFatt16
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Your concrete looks great. We are still waffling on saving money in that department and blacktopping part of the drive. We have a huge drive like you do and the expense is considerable.

  • musicgal
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    My husband just gave me our lease termination notice to proofread, so we REALLy need to be OUT by the end of August... all legal and such. Even lovelier- I will be "showing" the rental to potential buyers starting August 1st.

    robyn- I always think of that insulation stage as one of the most integral parts of the building project. So important for cold weather folks... and for us too, so we can keep the cool air we generate in the envelope. Passing inspection on that is a BIG deal.

    jackson... wow. So sorry. Maybe you will find something even better.

    I am finding that taking some time away and doing some personal things for myself has helped with the stress this week. Had my hair done yesterday, and made a doctor's appointment for something I've been ignoring forever.

    amberm- yes, that is just the kind of thing that is so infuriating. If the deck had to be engineered, why wasn't that brought up in the discussion prior to it having to be an "oh, by the way" item....? I've gotten to the point where I make wise cracks when this type of thing happens. My favorite is, "No problem, I always like to pay twice for things." Then, there is the ever popular, "Of course, it's going to cost more".

  • amberm145_gw
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I got a text from the architect this morning with another, "still need deck engineering." I replied immediately for more info, no response. I called him, no answer. I had DH call, text and email him. We're supposed to be applying tomorrow and you still need more information, but can't clarify what information you need??? So, with the inundation of texts, emails, and calls, he phoned me back while I was in the shower. I had brought the phone into the bathroom, so I talked to him soapy and wet. I was in the changeroom at the mall when the city called to say they'd approved our first permit (the permit to apply for a building permit.) I told DH that if things happen when I'm naked, I'm going to be naked more often to keep this project moving.

    So, after the call with the architect, we're still applying tomorrow. BIL/GC doesn't think the city needs what he's asking for. If they do, we'll have to go back again next week. But the big hurdle is to get the architect to put on the drawings that there will be support for the posts holding up the front porch roof (which is what he meant by "deck"). The engineer letter saying that it's sufficient doesn't take more than a day. So, I'll book the dirt guys as soon as I get some quotes, today or tomorrow. And then it'll be about 2 weeks before they can come out.

    MFatt, we weren't originally going to build, either. But I wanted a downtown, walkable community, and DH wanted a big garage. Our downtown areas are all tiny 1950s bungalows (900sq' 1 story) on big lots that are being torn down and replaced with a combination of reasonable sized houses (2000sq' 2 story) on half lots, or giant mansions on full lots. But nobody is building reasonable sized houses on full lots. We wanted a reasonable house on a full lot so we can have some yard space and a big garage. But builders sell based on sq' of the house. So even the giant mansions only have 2 car garages. If you get one with 3, the realtors act like it's over the top extravagance. And this is a city that is extremely car dependent, so 2 car households are the baseline. Add in a hobby car, hockey gear, camping gear, golf equipment, lawn mowers, bikes, etc, and nobody has room for their cars in the garage.

    Anyway, we found a lot that's odd shaped. It's full size at the back (on the alley) and just over half sized at the front. So it doesn't fit the standard builder plans, and has room for DH's oversized 4 car garage. Also, the idiot who sold it to us, a realtor, under represented his own property, and only listed the front size in the listing. So we got it for a decent price (compared to other lots around). The lot used to be much bigger, but the old realtor tore down the house, sliced off a piece and built a 2000sq' standard infill next door. He then realized what a pain it was and decided to sell the dirt rather than build another boring waste of space. He had done up plans for a 3600sq' house with wasted rooms, no yard and a tiny garage.

    MFatt, it sounds like you're going to be dealing with the county for the headaches of building, and then just as you're done, the city will annex you and you can pay city taxes. The worst of both worlds. :P

  • MFatt16
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Bite your tongue Amberm!!!

    LOL, you are probably right.

  • lizzieplace
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Carsonheim, I found these! I thought of you immediately. Are you still looking to replace your Savoy House sconces? The square one is just in black though.

  • lizzieplace
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Carsonheim, this is the other option.

  • carsonheim
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    north- thanks for that. I actually did go ahead and purchase my number 2 choice.

    I really do like that one with the black shade -- except for the black part, LOL. The shade looks the same as my beloved-but-discontinued favorite. And the PRICE on those is fantastic.

    I'm movin' on. There are far more important things to be upset about in life than my silly sconce drama. My neighbor just came over and told me they are doing an MRI because they think she has a brain tumor. She's about 75 years old.

  • carsonheim
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    quick catchup here... been so busy!

    amber- great job on the -46 pounds! I have that much -- and more -- to lose. Luckily, I don't seem to be *gaining* during the build.

    happyvalley -- late to answer your questions regarding our group of similarly-timed homes. We are in Texas. Our house is about 5200 square feet on a slab. It's a heavily modified version of the Abberley Lane home by John Tee. Here's a look:

    others -- speaking of permits, we are SUPER lucky here. I'm building *just* outside of city limits, so I have no building permits. I did have to get a septic permit from the county health department -- cost 300 or 400 bucks. That's all the permitting required.

    hoosier -- concrete looks great. I really like the curved path to your barn.

    musicgal -- that's frustrating about the pool decking! WTF???

    Robyn -- your build seems to be going incredibly smoothly. Nice neat job on the insulation.

    Jackson -- Sorry to hear about your counters! Hope you find something you love even better.

    JDez -- great light fixture!

  • Oaktown
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Those of you building tight houses, be careful of your woodwork during construction. Our t&g paneling cupped over the weekend after painting due to moisture -- the windows all had been closed and taped off so they could spray. Ugh. It will be fixed, but puts us further behind.

  • amberm145_gw
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Oaktown, that sucks about the wood. Did they install it wrong? I've heard of wood cupping, but it takes a serious amount of water. Or, if it's installed too tight, it has no room to expand.

    Jackson, It sucks about the counter, but I'll bet you end up with something better. Fingers crossed for you.

    Carson, thanks for the congratulations. Good point about the perspective. I have used some stories on here to relax about my own build. At least I still live in my own house. Living in a rental while these delays happen would make it so stressful. I hope for the best for your neighbour.

    I was in a downtown neighbourhood today where a few new houses are being built. There was an electrician's van out front, so I snapped a pic with my cell phone to get his contact info. Just as he came out of the house. So I got his business card. It's the first time I've been caught doing that. :P

  • jdez
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Amberm - I know you've been trying to get started for a long time. Exactly how long has it taken you to get to this point? I don't think I would have the patience. When I get my lights and make sure they are not junk, I will email you the info.

    Robyn - Y'all are moving fast! I agree with Carsonheim that your insulation looks really tidy. You also have the longest sheets of drywall that I've ever seen.

    Carsonheim - That is indeed lucky for you that you don't have to deal with permits. I like your second choice lights. You should remove the teardrop crystals and replace with a crystal TX star.

    Musicgal - It sounds like you need to have a half price sale on any Craigslist items you have left and be ready to get out of there. Your place is looking beautiful.

    Hoosier - Even though you had to rush to get out of your jammies, I bet it is nice to just be in your own new home, supervising the work.

    Jackson - That is the pits! (To put it nicely.) I'm sure it will all work out but what a PITA! Keep your chin up, and your fists if you have to...lol.

    MFatt - I hope the monsoon didn't wreck the paint job. We will need pics of course.

    Mlweaving - What about you? Hope all is good.

    MTguy - Love your floors.

    Cz_scrap - It's good that you'll be close to your build. Everything happens for a reason.

    HappyValley - Your house will be perfect because YOU designed it. If there is anything wrong with the design, it will be the permit office's fault for not catching it on paper and warning you.

    Autumn4 - Nice backsplash. And bonus that DH likes it. So, no internet?

    I am now in the process of shopping countertops. We have it narrowed down to two Cambria quartzes (is that a word?) DH likes New Quay and I like Whitney. I think his pick is too neutral and he thinks my pick is not neutral enough. He might be right this time. We decided on LG Hi-Macs Cotton Dust for both bathrooms, currently on sale. Well, that's all.

  • amberm145_gw
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    JDez, we've been working with the architect for a full year as of this week.

  • caben15
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Almost done with plaster now. They just need to sand.

    On to masonry:

    (south bay quartzite with bluestone trim)

    Stone veneer will form a masonry "shelf" appearing to support the raised bedroom wing:

    Sewer ejector:


    ... has been quite an adventure over the past couple of years, getting easements across neighboring properties etc. Finally we rid ourselves of the old septic system and join the modern age.

  • thisishishouse
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    musicgal: We too are in the same boat as you, regarding moving. Our current rental contract is up end of August, and the owners have it listed and showings are coming thru at random times.

    The difference is that your house is a lot further along than ours. Our floors aren't down, kitchen/baths aren't in, septic isn't in, finish electrical, driveway and landscaping isn't done,... Sigh. Builder says we may be a few weeks late. Wish we'd included some kind of late delivery penalty in our contract.

    Our kids start their new schools up there in a few weeks, so we have to be up there. Our new house is abt 40 miles from our current, so we can't stay around here, we don't know anyone up there yet, and there's no hotels/motels.

    So this means we're heading to our 4th temp housing in a year. Kids have been cool with it all, but dw will flip out. It's the "few weeks" that I think screws things up. If it were a "few months", I might be able to score a short-term rental, or a long-term discount on a hotel/motel stay. Nobody is going to rent for a few weeks, and a hotel stay (if there were one within 20 miles) will be full rack rates.

    I'm actually planning to shop for tents this weekend and camp in the back yard. Or maybe camp in my builders front yard. (Yaay, passive aggressive!) I'll have the movers put all our stuff in the basement of the new house, then we can camp out back. Or in the 200ac of woods behind our yard, if we need to dodge town officials.

    Until then, I've moved into full-fledged pester mode. Daily calls and emails, status checks. I hate micro-managing my projects, but when things come to the wire and people aren't delivering, I actually enjoy being an @ssh0le. Makes me feel all warm inside. ;)

  • HappyValleyHome
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hi all,

    My windows arrived!!! House was bustling with activity yesterday as they started installation, laid sewer, water and electric and poured the basement floor!!

    Jackson...so sorry to hear about your beautiful stone. Will keep my fingers crossed that you find something that you like even better.

    Robyn...congrats on passing inspections! Your insulation looked perfect so am not surprised! This next stage things will really start to come together...you must be excited!

    Amberm...you are getting so close to starting. We had so many delays and restarts that until that hole was in the ground I never really believed that it was going to happen. Our permits took 7 wks and thanks to reading all the stories here it sounded like it was not that bad even though it felt like forever! I think it was you that said you were building in a city in Canada...which one?? I grew up in Canada (Toronto & Calgary) and still have lots of family throughout the country.

    Hoosier...your concrete looks great!! It must be so nice to be able to supervise from the house (pj's and all) then having to trek down there everyday.

    Musicgal...you need to start packing and get into that beautiful new home!

    Carson...your neighbor sure puts things in perspective. It is so easy to get caught up in the not so important things in life as you build and a reminder like that really helps put things back in perspective. Hope she is ok.

    Jdez...I laughed so hard over your permit office comment that I almost spit my coffee out! The permit office did miss a few things...like support for a bump out window...it was in the garage so we were able to roll with it and create a cool window box to break up that wall.

    Caben...plaster looks good and that stone will look great under the raised bedroom.

    Autumn... Like that tile...it is nice and simple and should go beautifully with your counters.

    Jenniekehr...sounds like u are on a similar time frame to a few of us. What is going on in your build now?

    Here are some pics of my windows going in as I know how much u all like pics!!

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