A not so detailed update

Hello there!  So here's a quick update on the status of Operation Dream Home.  We've been knee deep in loan paper signing and initially, clearing portions of the property for soil testing/septic design/well placement, permits, and finalizing blue prints.  Just yesterday we went and chose all the finishes for cabinetry, plumbing, hardware, light fixtures, siding color and style, and the roof color.  I'll post specifics once we're done with the changes we decided on last night... HA!  We went with a few upgrades like the garage door (carriage style), granite counter tops, the siding style, and we'll need to do an upgrade for paint colors.  Standard is 50 shades of beige, and I'm not down with that. :)

We're scheduled to close on the loan next Friday... yeehaw!  I can't recall if we have a pre-construction meeting before or after closing, but that will be coming up, and I'll have pictures then... HOPEFULLY.  Then it's a matter of permits falling into place.  In our minds we're hoping to break ground before the end of the month, but we're just not sure how this "timeline" all plays out.  So much out of our hands!

Home Show

So, we went to our local Home Show this past weekend and learned loads. We went last year and just kind of rinky dinked around, but it felt really great to go this year with legitimate questions and ideas of who we wanted to talk to and what we really truly wanted.

We spoke to 3 different builders to kind of get a feel for how much time it takes a home nowadays to go up, financing, and experience with the particular style we want. After looking at what seems like hundreds of home plans, we found one through David James Homes, a local builder here in the NRV, and we spent some time talking in detail to their representative about financing. Here it is in all it's glory... well the outside of it anyway, which will actually look NOTHING like this:

This plan may change 30,000 more times but currently we are smitten. :) Basically here is what we're looking at:

1st floor: 1401 sq ft, dining room, living room, kitchen which is open to brunch room and great room, full bath, 4th bedroom/study, garage

2nd floor: 1562 sq ft, master suite w/trey ceiling/walk in closet/separate shower and bath, two bedrooms w/walk in closets, full bath, laundry, and bonus room over garage

Unfinished basement: 1042 sq ft

They've actually just constructed this exact house (with some custom changes) here in The Burg in the craftsman style, and I literally could die. We went over and looked at the outside of it the other day... a family has just moved in, and I wish it had been us! :)

Here are some pictures from Facebook of that particular house. Bryan and I have literally already picked out the girls' room and where we want to put this and what we want to put there... heaven help up. There is so much to do before we even for sure choose this house and apply for permits... like get our current home ready to sell! MINOR DETAIL.

The weather, starting tomorrow through early part of next week, is supposed to be BEAUTIFUL... like 80 degrees on Friday BEAUTIFUL, so my plan is to get some much needed things done outside. There is tons to do, so hopefully Bryan is up to it! :)

Oy Vey and Oy Yay!

It's been a while. We are busy little bees and things are only getting busier. After a lot of discussion, Bryan and I have realized that getting our current home ready for a Spring 2011 listing is unrealistic. We traveled tons this Summer and lost too many weekends, Fall is jam packed with football season weekends, and the Winter is when Bryan gets disgustingly involved at Alpha... there is just too much going on, and we didn't manage our available time very well. Then here on the home front my dining room has been turned into a Kindercare. :) Right now I'm just not willing to hide these things in order to show a home. We're enrolling Reese in Montessori school starting this coming January, so this decor is sure to slow down.... until Summer at least... when we can use the garage as an option. :)

We have, however, made some progress in looking into what we want. We've looked at hundreds of layouts online and ended up buying a home plan book from Lowe's. We have our list of must haves:

~ at least 2000 finished sq ft. (per covenants, but we're planning on more)

~ an option for an unfinished basement (which does not count in the 2000 sq ft and is something we will finish on our own... family/bar area w/spare bedroom/bath)

~ master bedroom on main floor w/other bedrooms upstairs

~ space for playroom

~ large laundry/mud room

Not too crazy... at least we don't think so. :) This is what we stumbled upon in the book. It's the only house out of the hundreds of homes listed that filled all the requirements, and we love it. A sign perhaps?

Changes... we really like the contemporary craftsman style homes.... particularly the color combinations and pillar options. We'd like to swap out the lighter siding and darker shutters/trim for a darker siding and lighter shutters/trim... like the one below... just maybe not the green.

And the pillars on this home are beautiful! Craftsman style, but not as chunky as on the one above.Here are the floor plans for the main and upper floors... this home does have a basement as an option... and it has additional unfinished living above the garage.(Hopefully you can click on the images to get a better view.)

Now as long as this home isn't going to cost us 30 million dollars we're good to go. Only time will tell. We really need to get the biggest bang for our buck in our current home. We won't be able to even pretend to afford a home like this if we don't take our time, do these projects right the first time, and show how great our home is now. And that my friends is going to take us AT LEAST another year. New goal... listing Spring 2012. :)

Houses Houses EVERYWHERE

Bryan and I do quite a bit of driving around searching for exactly what we want. We have quite a few floor plans that we acquired from a recent home show and have also bought a book full of floor plans, but honestly... it's more fun to actually see homes in person even if we don't get to see the insides. We recently discovered this Craftsman style home to the right. I love it! It's in a cute little neighborhood, and I'd love to just uproot it and place it right on our land. :)

Then there is this bad boy. It's a monstrous house literally the size of 3 of our houses currently. Again the Contemporary Craftsman style is so clean and period looking. Ahhhhhh... I just want to be building already! HOWEVER we are busy little bees over here at 311. I'm currently priming the breakfast nook/kitchen with the hopes it will be completely painted by the end of this weekend. I can't wait! Bryan is in search for some replacement pieces for our floor. There are light fixtures to be bought, ceiling touch ups, and then the nook will become the girls' modified playroom. This place is going to look beautiful! :)

The goal

So Bryan and I have been driving around for what seems like months... actually it has been months... trying to get a taste of what we want in our new home. This is a custom built home in a neighborhood very close to where we live now. It was actually built by the developers who sold us our land. While a home like this is laughably out of our price range, I heart the design.

We've agreed that we're looking for something in the Contemporary Craftsman style. We love the bright colors, the columns, the stone... the list is endless. We have probably close to 10-15 floor plans that we're looking at currently. None of which are Craftsman, but have a lot of the same features on the exterior that we're sure could be switched out for the style we're looking for.