Pre-drywall - check.

Hey All - just a quick update here - the building is up and I had my pre construction meeting today.  My closing date is around December 20th - just in time for me to be mid-move for Christmas!

Nothing really to note, everything seems to be going smoothly.  I've got to come back this weekend to get pics of the wired up walls before they put up the drywall.

Now some pics:

I'm Still Here!

Hi All - just wanted to give an update here now that I actually have something to report.  I've been waiting for a LONG time now to start construction.  I originally signed my contract in February with an expected closing date somewhere between Aug-Oct.  A few things have happened to push that out a bit:

-I was the first to sign, so they had to sell the remaining 4 units.  They still have one to sell but are moving forward with construction any way.
-My county apparently updated their fire code standards and Ryan had to revise them, submit them for review and submit them again for final approval.  We're good to go now.

I have my pre-construction meeting scheduled for Wednesday of this week so I will report back with some more information then.  From what I understand we're only a month behind - I've been told it should be completed in November.  I work only a few miles from the new place so expect a lot of construction pics :)

A few bits of information that may help people currently starting the process that we just recently learned:

-If you have a gas range - they will probably not let you put a microwave above it.  Apparently there is a certain clearance required above a gas range.  They are putting a hood in and said that I can install a microwave on my own.
-No comfort height toilets in a tiny powder room.  I tried to put comfort height thrones in all bathrooms (I'm 6'4") but again, code prevents them from doing this.

That's all I've got for now.

J

Done with Decisions. Done I say, DONE.

Having a month and a half of time to make all of the decisions seems like a great idea but man am I tired of thinking about it and second guessing myself.  Thankfully I got a promotion last week which has allowed me to add in a few things that I didn't think I would.

Some of the major final decisions:

-Gray staggered tile in kitchen- I tried to get away from this but had to go with my gut and nix the laminate in the kitchen.

-Scottsdale cabinets in Maple Cognac- I was leaning towards maple spice (fairfield) but the color just looked so flat.  I like the angles in the Scottsdale and will appreciate the deeper drawers and thicker boxes.  I also added the molding (a rip-off @$390 but don't think I can match the color easily on my own)

-Impala Black granite in kitchen- wait. no, dakota mahogany.  Or. maybe... Uba tuba? no, Dakota Mahogany. I've been all over the place with the granite but ultimately settled on the Impala black.  I'd like to do a colorful glass backsplash in the future and think that it's neutral enough to not limit my options.  Removed standard 4" granite backsplash so I don't have to take it out when I do my own tile backsplash.

-Upgraded faucet in kitchen- did this so I could get the 60/40 sink, not for the faucet.  I think the faucet is an eye sore and will replace it with a goose neck style one...

-TV level outlets in living room and master bedroom, as well as an extra outlet in the coat closet (to eventually hold media server components).

-5.1 surround prewire in living room

-No security system- with taking on my first house I don't see it wise to throw on another $45 monthly payment contract on top of that.  It's a safe area and who wouldn't be afraid of a 6"4 guy who weighs in at a whopping 155 lb??

-4th Ceiling fan rough-in in loft/office area

-Removed all wire shelving in closets- I design closet products for Rubbermaid so... nuff said... I've already designed and purchased my custom closets.  Left the wire in the pantry and linen close though, but I'll likely replace it with the tight mesh wire.

-Removed all cement from my teeny tiny yard- 10'x15' between the garage and house... I to use every square inch of this space and there will be no concrete.  I will lay pavers to connect the two doors but want as much grass as possible.

So- with that said, I have signed my final change order and will not be making any more changes.  I know my posts have been very option heavy but those days are gone now.  I'll put together a final specs tab to capture it all, but now I wait for the other units to sell and then you'll get the infamous staking / foundation post!

Cheers guys - thanks for all of your input on my decisions!

Just a quick update -

Flooring and Granite - met with Rite Rug for a second time today to discuss doing tile in the kitchen.  I'm going to go with it as my gut was telling me to.  But doing so has made me rethink my granite and I think I'm either going to go with Uba Tuba (level 1) or Imperial Black (level 2).  This will be based on what the final cost of the cabinets I want is, which I'm still waiting on from my SR.  I expect them to be quite a bit as the Sonoma cabinets are full overlay (tiny gap between each cabinet door), but I think that makes a huge impact on the look of a kitchen.  The Dakota Mahogany is great but I think it will limit my options with colors that I may use in the kitchen down the road.

I would also like to have them install the kitchen tile staggered to make it interesting:

Question - I was encouraged by the woman showing me the flooring that if I plan to do my own tile backsplash that I request that they not install the 4" granite piece along the back wall.  Did any of you do this and do you recommend it?  I plan on doing my own backsplash down the line and could see that being an advantage.

Guardian meeting tomorrow - any tips? regrets you wish you had done? things I should stay away from?
Current plans - surround prewire only, adding a few outlets here and there, prewire for undercabinet lights(?)

Fiberglass tub and showers - the bathroom in my 2nd bed room has a fiber glass tub with simple glazed white tile surround.  Is it worth the $150 for the tile surround or should I just do full fiberglass as it's easier to clean?  I plan on eventually renting out that room so it will be in use by someone else.  Home makers out there - what do you suggest?

That's all I can think of for now - thanks in advance for the input!

Second Thoughts...

So I'm having second thoughts about the flooring in the kitchen.  I currently have nice looking laminate floor (cherry) but I've really come to love this gray tile I put in one of the bathrooms.  So - I was thinking about doing the kitchen floor in the gray tile and I really like the way it looks.  Whether it will look in person how it looks on the screen may differ but I think I may go with it (about the same price...).

I was also worried about having the laminate in a wet environment like the kitchen (dog bowl area is notoriously dribbly)...

Let me know what you guys think!

Cabinets - Maple Spice, Sonoma style
Countertop - Dakota Mahogany granite
Tile - nameless gray tile (Daltile)

(I put three representations of the granite, not sure which one is most correct)

My current choices are in my previous post... I'm glad that they still have to sell 3 more units until they start building so I have time to figure all this out...

Flooring!

Picked the flooring at the showroom today.  This was a much more anxious and stressful process than I thought it would be.  When it was all said and done I was mentally drained.

Here's the goods:

Main level and kitchen
-Maple Cognac cabinets (Sonoma), Upgraded laminate floors (wide plank cherry), Dakota Mahogany granite

Carpet (center) - level 3 (nylon) with 8 lb pad - second and third floor

Master Bath - level 3 tile, Uba Tuba vanity, maple spice cabs, slate and glass mosaic around shower

(Same granite and floor tile in 3rd floor bath)

Added two of these to the corners of the shower

Second floor bath - darker gray tile with gray grout (standard counter top and fiberglass shower), maple spice cabs

And now I wait for Guardian to set up my meeting.  Adding a few outlets, data ports and surround pre-wire in living room.

Decisions Decisions

OK - I have a few big decisions that I need to settle on which will determine how much freedom I will have in the flooring showroom tomorrow:

Kitchen Island:


I thought this was a done deal until I added up the costs of it - about $2500 with the granite.  This is currently built into my price.  While It's nice and all having an island with matching counters and storage (3 drawers and cabinets below), I just don't see how it justifies that expense.  The back and sides were thin 1/4" MDF and had a pretty cheap, flexible feeling to them.

I cook a lot and make huge messes so the island is key for me.  But should I go with their island?

Pros: matching granite, matching cabinets, electrical outlet on side, cost rolled into mortgage (not out of pocket), drawers and cabinets underneath.

Cons: it's effing expensive for what it is - simple cabinets with a 10 sq ft piece of granite @ about $80 per sq ft, ho-hum look and feel.

Alternatives:

Solid butcher block table with drawers (48" x 36")
Cost: $1200, Savings: $1,280

Island with bar
Cost: $900, Savings: 1,580

Next up:

Upgraded Granite:


Dakota Mahogany vs. Uba Tuba

For my plan it's about $1000 to go from level 1 granite to level 2 granite.  I wasn't questioning my decision to go w/ Dakota Mahogany until I calculated this out.  The sales rep pulled the old "which granite do you like? - I'm not going to tell you that one costs exactly one thousand dollars more than the other".  Oldest trick in the book.

I really like the Dakota Mahogany and think it matches really well with the darker maple cabinets that I'm going with but I'm having a hard time justifying the cost when Uba Tuba seems ok too...

Again - this is already rolled into my price but could the solid grand be better used elsewhere?

Odds and ends:

Raised vanities in bathrooms - I currently have this in the master but should I go ahead and add it to the other two full baths?  I feel odd in a bathroom with the standard height counters - it this a common upgrade that you all have made?

Comfort height toilets - I currently have 2 of 4 toilets upgraded to comfort height - thinking about just making them all comfort height.  It really is comfortable.

Carpet pad - I currently have the first level upgrade - should I just max it out for the upstairs carpet pad?

By the way - there's no better way to take your mind off of stressful decisions than an amazing and exhausting bike ride in one of the most beautiful places in North Carolina:

I <3 NC - born and raised...

I will leave you with a few pics of a model Hepburn that I found online (my kitchen and master will be 4 ft longer :)