We are set to close tomorrow at 1pm - we had our final walkthrough on Friday, and everything was good. We've signed the contract with Ryan in August, so it feels like this has been such a long time. But, once we finally get the keys tomorrow, we are going to hop in the car and drive downtown Indy to the Super Bowl Village and spend the rest of the day there - not at our brand new house. Haha. We'll move this weekend.
As I'd guessing, I did not do a good job on the 7 day countdown - so I'll do the last three now.
#3 - Neighborhood and location - we have a tree lined yard on a private cul-de-sac street (not at the end of cul-de-sac as we'd originally hoped - most of those lots were just too small or didn't fit our house with a 3 car garage). We're excited to live in a neighborhood with a park and pool, and lots of young families. The Ryan homes are probably on the lower price range for the neighborhood, but I'm OK with that.
The school district is great. Our lot is in the middle of the neighborhood - away from traffic and busier streets. I drove through a nearby new construction neighborhood, and the houses felt like they shared backyards and were on top of each other. I'm glad the lots in our neighborhood are all either tree-lined or overlooking a pond.
#2 - Master 'suite' - we have 2 closets, a big bedroom with tray ceilings, and a nice sized master bath. We are excited to get a King Bed, and enjoy our new space (where we won't fight over closet space).
#1 - Family room with fireplace and 4 ft extension - these are the upgrades that I fought my husband for (he wanted them, I said they were a waste of $$$). I'll eat my words and say I was wrong - and I'm glad he won the argument. We will love the fireplace, and the 4 ft extension was awesome - gave us more space in the family room and the media room downstairs. I can't wait to enjoy a glass of wine sitting by the fireplace this weekend.
No pictures for this post, but hopefully I'll get a ton of pics tomorrow when we walkthrough before closing. I will post pictures after moving too - I'm sure the house will be a mess for awhile - and we have NOWHERE enough furniture to fill the house, but it'll be a work in progress this year.
Congrats to everyone else closing soon, can't wait to see everyone's pictures.
Once I close, I'll post some opinions on NVR and Ryan - I don't want to jinx myself beforehand.
Monday, January 30, 2012
Friday, January 27, 2012
Walkthrough pics with #4 and #5
To continue my countdown to closing:
#5 - 2 story entry - excited to have the open/dramatic entry, and big light up there.
#4 - Media Room - this would be #1 on my husband's list. We won't have furniture or equipment for this room right when we move it, but we'll get it going soon.
Here are some pictures from our final walkthrough today. It went well, and the project managers really have done a great job and addressed all of our concerns. But its really cruel to have the walkthrough on Friday - and the house is perfect and clean - except for a few minor things - but I can't close until next Tuesday. I'm sure the wait will be worth it but seems unnecessary right now. I've got the cash for closing, NVR has final approval, and Ryan's finished - so now I have to wait 4 days? I'll survive I guess ;)
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
#6 - Kitchen and morning room
I'm looking forward to all the cabinets and island space. And there will be plenty of room to move around in the kitchen and morning room - plus we'll have bar stools by the island.
I love the dimension that the morning rooms add to the morning room (plus, that is extra space in our basement).
Inspection was today - there are a few issues but overall, the house looks awesome and the house is nearly finished.
I love the dimension that the morning rooms add to the morning room (plus, that is extra space in our basement).
Inspection was today - there are a few issues but overall, the house looks awesome and the house is nearly finished.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Starting 7 day countdown - #7 - Space
Our final inspection is tomorrow (1/25), final walkthrough is Friday (1/27), and we close on 1/31.
#7 - Space
We loved our old house - we bought it at a low price in 2005 - it looked like a 1980's vacation home on the inside, and we fixed it up and brought it to the 21st century. It was 1780 square feet and had a giant backyard on a cul-de-sac. We bought it as our starter home, knowing we'd want a house with a basement down the road.
Once we had two young kids, we were bursting at the seams, and knew it was time to act with low interest rates.
We sold the 1780 sq ft ranch and moved into a 1500 sq ft ranch (temporary home).
Next week, we will be moving next week into a 2 story house plus a basement with a total of 4,020 square feet. I will never be able to find my husband. And my kids are going to drive me nuts with the stairs. But we'll finally have room to breathe, plus unfinished storage plus a 3 car garage.
Here's an updated phone picture of our exterior (with door painted, pillars up and driveway done):
And here's a preview of the price I will pay for all this space we will be getting (my 1.5 year old was obsessed with the stairs when I took him to visit last week...in his super man pajamas and gym shoes...)
#7 - Space
We loved our old house - we bought it at a low price in 2005 - it looked like a 1980's vacation home on the inside, and we fixed it up and brought it to the 21st century. It was 1780 square feet and had a giant backyard on a cul-de-sac. We bought it as our starter home, knowing we'd want a house with a basement down the road.
Once we had two young kids, we were bursting at the seams, and knew it was time to act with low interest rates.
We sold the 1780 sq ft ranch and moved into a 1500 sq ft ranch (temporary home).
Next week, we will be moving next week into a 2 story house plus a basement with a total of 4,020 square feet. I will never be able to find my husband. And my kids are going to drive me nuts with the stairs. But we'll finally have room to breathe, plus unfinished storage plus a 3 car garage.
Here's an updated phone picture of our exterior (with door painted, pillars up and driveway done):
And here's a preview of the price I will pay for all this space we will be getting (my 1.5 year old was obsessed with the stairs when I took him to visit last week...in his super man pajamas and gym shoes...)
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Closing in 9 days
I got to walk through the house yesterday - it is amazing and so close to be done. I think we still need microwave/range, mirrors, 2nd half of gourmet island, 2nd half of kids bathroom vanity, painting the front door and putting the pillars up, and the two big light fixtures - dining room and foyer.
I was so excited to see the floors down that my brain stopped working. I didn't walk on the carpet in my dirty shoes, so I walked around the covered floor and didn't leave the 1st floor. Then, as I was leaving, I realized I should've taken my shoes off and walked around the carpet and the Other floors. Wow. At least my husband had a working brain and took pictures of the basement and 2nd floors. Here are some pics
I was so excited to see the floors down that my brain stopped working. I didn't walk on the carpet in my dirty shoes, so I walked around the covered floor and didn't leave the 1st floor. Then, as I was leaving, I realized I should've taken my shoes off and walked around the carpet and the Other floors. Wow. At least my husband had a working brain and took pictures of the basement and 2nd floors. Here are some pics
Monday, January 16, 2012
Resolution to two issues below and random pictures
Talked to the PM today and he explained that the fireplace was being moved today. I will go tonight and try to get a picture...
Also - the vanity in the 2nd bathroom - apparently the 2nd half of the cabinet is in the garage, and they are missing the longer countertop - but the guys 'went ahead and installed' the wrong smaller vanity on the half-cabinet. But the correct countertop is ordered and will be installed when it gets in.
So all good on the 'issues' front for today. I'll try to take pictures tonight if there is any light - but in the meantime, here two of the most random pictures ever that my husband sent me via phone last weekend. Random! The pictures kind of feature my lighting (I upgraded to the "Lighting Package B") and the Maple Cognac cabinets. Haha.
We both fail at getting good pictures for the blog... I love everyone else's pictures - they paint such a pretty picture of their building processes and issues.
<
Edited to add a few pics - kitchen (minus second half of gourmet island) and the fireplace hole after the 'move'.
Also - the vanity in the 2nd bathroom - apparently the 2nd half of the cabinet is in the garage, and they are missing the longer countertop - but the guys 'went ahead and installed' the wrong smaller vanity on the half-cabinet. But the correct countertop is ordered and will be installed when it gets in.
So all good on the 'issues' front for today. I'll try to take pictures tonight if there is any light - but in the meantime, here two of the most random pictures ever that my husband sent me via phone last weekend. Random! The pictures kind of feature my lighting (I upgraded to the "Lighting Package B") and the Maple Cognac cabinets. Haha.
We both fail at getting good pictures for the blog... I love everyone else's pictures - they paint such a pretty picture of their building processes and issues.
<Edited to add a few pics - kitchen (minus second half of gourmet island) and the fireplace hole after the 'move'.
Closing in 2 weeks
I still don't have any good pictures, but maybe my husband will get some today since he is off work.
Lots of progress has been made - cabinets in, first coat of paint done, trim and doors are up, plumbing work done, electrical work partially done. We are very happy with the selections we made so far, and the house looks great. Both the Project Manager and Project Supervisor have been informative and great to work with so far.
However...we have 2 weeks to go, and it feels like there is still a ton left to do. And one major issue, and one minor issue (but it is important to me).
Major issue -
The fireplace is not centered on the side wall - it would be centered if we had no 4 ft extension - but we have a 4 ft extension... I brought this up at the pre-drywall meeting, and the PM told me that that was how the plans were and the model home was like that. Shame on me for not double checking that fact. I let it go and forgot.
Then, last week, the PM emails me and says they realized the fireplace should have been centered. This is a substantial change and amount of work for them, but they were willing to do it to make it right. We looked at it in person, and it does look bad not centered. So we asked them to fix and they said it would not delay closing. I'm skeptical but hope they can come through on this one in time. I appreciate their honesty and bringing it to our attention even though I'm sure this is a major hassle for them.
Minor issue -
The vanity in the 2nd bathroom upstairs is half the size of the one at the model (which I was told was the 'standard' un-upgraded choice). In the model, the vanity is a double-sized vanity with one sink and an extra long counter. I chose this instead of adding a double sink (which was a upgrade), and was told that I would get the extra counter space instead of the sink. The price of the upgrade wasn't that much - so it made sense to us that the upgrade price included adding additional plumbing for an extra sink and the faucets.
When we visited Friday, I noticed that the vanity was half the size of the model, with one sink, and no extra counter space. And basically a random 3 feet opening between the door and the vanity. I have emailed the PM and will follow up with a phone call today. I have pictures of what the vanity looks like in the model, and hope this can be corrected.
Hopefully, I will have pictures soon! Maybe even pictures of these issues. Both Ryan and NVR have been great for me to work with so far - and I hope I can say the same after closing.
Speaking of NVR - they have already given me a copy of the drafted settlement statement. I have to send paystub copies to them on Friday, but everything else appears to be in order. I'm glad they seem to have a better handle on it then my last closing experience (selling my house in November) - where we didn't have a draft settlement statement until an hour AFTER closing was supposed to start.
Lots of progress has been made - cabinets in, first coat of paint done, trim and doors are up, plumbing work done, electrical work partially done. We are very happy with the selections we made so far, and the house looks great. Both the Project Manager and Project Supervisor have been informative and great to work with so far.
However...we have 2 weeks to go, and it feels like there is still a ton left to do. And one major issue, and one minor issue (but it is important to me).
Major issue -
The fireplace is not centered on the side wall - it would be centered if we had no 4 ft extension - but we have a 4 ft extension... I brought this up at the pre-drywall meeting, and the PM told me that that was how the plans were and the model home was like that. Shame on me for not double checking that fact. I let it go and forgot.
Then, last week, the PM emails me and says they realized the fireplace should have been centered. This is a substantial change and amount of work for them, but they were willing to do it to make it right. We looked at it in person, and it does look bad not centered. So we asked them to fix and they said it would not delay closing. I'm skeptical but hope they can come through on this one in time. I appreciate their honesty and bringing it to our attention even though I'm sure this is a major hassle for them.
Minor issue -
The vanity in the 2nd bathroom upstairs is half the size of the one at the model (which I was told was the 'standard' un-upgraded choice). In the model, the vanity is a double-sized vanity with one sink and an extra long counter. I chose this instead of adding a double sink (which was a upgrade), and was told that I would get the extra counter space instead of the sink. The price of the upgrade wasn't that much - so it made sense to us that the upgrade price included adding additional plumbing for an extra sink and the faucets.
When we visited Friday, I noticed that the vanity was half the size of the model, with one sink, and no extra counter space. And basically a random 3 feet opening between the door and the vanity. I have emailed the PM and will follow up with a phone call today. I have pictures of what the vanity looks like in the model, and hope this can be corrected.
Hopefully, I will have pictures soon! Maybe even pictures of these issues. Both Ryan and NVR have been great for me to work with so far - and I hope I can say the same after closing.
Speaking of NVR - they have already given me a copy of the drafted settlement statement. I have to send paystub copies to them on Friday, but everything else appears to be in order. I'm glad they seem to have a better handle on it then my last closing experience (selling my house in November) - where we didn't have a draft settlement statement until an hour AFTER closing was supposed to start.
Monday, January 9, 2012
It finally feels like Christmas!
Went by the house at 8pm to find cabinets in, some countertops on, and some trim and doors done. Wow! I'll include 1 pic with the disclaimer that it's a dark, poor quality camera photo. Sadly, that's going to the best pic I get till the walkthrough.
Pleasantly surprised: I like my Formica choice, cabinets have crown molding and office door is 15-panel glass.
Our old house had standard 1980s oak cabinet, trim and doors. So - seeing my 42" maple cognac cabinets and white trim blew me away. Wow. Even in the dark, I was really impressed.
Hopefully I have real pics for my next post.
Pleasantly surprised: I like my Formica choice, cabinets have crown molding and office door is 15-panel glass.
Our old house had standard 1980s oak cabinet, trim and doors. So - seeing my 42" maple cognac cabinets and white trim blew me away. Wow. Even in the dark, I was really impressed.
Hopefully I have real pics for my next post.
Sunday, January 8, 2012
21 days till closing?
I don't have any pictures - just some updates from my PM via phone. I'm a CPA (see my 2nd ticker on the right), and I've started working later and haven't seen the house in daylight in while. We are locked out now - plus its dark by the time we (I) get home.
Per PM, the drywall is done, the house has been primed (maybe painted), and the house is 'live' (meaning working power and heat).
Next week - driveway and sidewalks to be poured, trim and doors to be done. That's as far as I got, but I'll plan to get updates via phone more often since we can't go out and visit more often.
Our model/elevation is getting popular - the last two houses before us were that model (Victoria Falls, elevation C), and now us, and then the next house too. Kinda strange since our neighborhood isn't that big (our builder is basically finishing the last part of a neighborhood started in 2004 since the old builder went under) - there are maybe 40 total lots left. Luckily, those 4 houses are spread out over the remaining lots.
It also looks like they've increased prices and changed around the models available - they've taken away the Bainbridge and Ravenna, and added the Capri. And I think the first Rome will be built soon on our street - I'm excited, I love that one!
Hopefully, I'll have some pictures soon! I hope to see some of the other bloggers closing/final pictures! I can't imagine how crazy it will be when we move in...it will take us forever to get settled since its tax season and I can't take time off till April (unfortunate, I know).
All our 'stuff' (furniture, boxes) are in storage -- I can't wait to see all of it! Scheduled for delivery on 2/1 - and my husband will be home to direct them and unpack. I will never be able to find anything in my new house! :(
Per PM, the drywall is done, the house has been primed (maybe painted), and the house is 'live' (meaning working power and heat).
Next week - driveway and sidewalks to be poured, trim and doors to be done. That's as far as I got, but I'll plan to get updates via phone more often since we can't go out and visit more often.
Our model/elevation is getting popular - the last two houses before us were that model (Victoria Falls, elevation C), and now us, and then the next house too. Kinda strange since our neighborhood isn't that big (our builder is basically finishing the last part of a neighborhood started in 2004 since the old builder went under) - there are maybe 40 total lots left. Luckily, those 4 houses are spread out over the remaining lots.
It also looks like they've increased prices and changed around the models available - they've taken away the Bainbridge and Ravenna, and added the Capri. And I think the first Rome will be built soon on our street - I'm excited, I love that one!
Hopefully, I'll have some pictures soon! I hope to see some of the other bloggers closing/final pictures! I can't imagine how crazy it will be when we move in...it will take us forever to get settled since its tax season and I can't take time off till April (unfortunate, I know).
All our 'stuff' (furniture, boxes) are in storage -- I can't wait to see all of it! Scheduled for delivery on 2/1 - and my husband will be home to direct them and unpack. I will never be able to find anything in my new house! :(
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