Well we have passed almost every inspection, the cal closet install is finally complete after a couple of goof ups. We have the elevator inspection left and hopefully a CO next week. I noticed a bit of wonkyness of of Thermador oven closing; doesn’t feel solid and went thru this with a Viking dud before in my current my rental. I have a feeling I will have some service calls in the future post-close with that. Ah well
Pics below are kitchen with the accent lights finally working, mirrors installed in the bathrooms (master pictured, and sweet baby Jesus, the heated floors are bliss and I might sleep on them) my daughters closet (she’s 5 and doesn’t know how good she has it), the laundry room where I discovered undercab hidden led lighting I had no idea existed)

@NYCish loving your Thermador range. What model? Wow, love the closet system too!

Getting discouraged over here. We finally got our front door and siding finished. Can’t post any photos for some reason. But I’m upset the cedar posts have knots all over two and the others don’t. It doesn’t look very uniform. I’m getting tired of pointing out problems with details. To me it’s the little details that make a house. We paid around $700 for these posts I think they should look right. Drywall crew’s van blew its motor so no drywall installed yet but at least it has been delivered. Now I need to finalize wall colors, cabinets and flooring!

@K H its the thermador progrand 36"

Yeah we are happy with how the California Closets turned out (I mean, we should be, that stuff is $$) I can't remember where I mentioned it, but we had a credit from the designer towards closets and she uses Cal Closets. if I didn't have to choose them, I might have gone with Elfa or something. But I have to say, we didn't even buy the nicest tier (Id estimate on a 4 tier basis, we chose tier 2), and the drawers are solid with self-close, nice hardware, nicely finished shelves, etc. The experience was nice, they were mindful of my budget, and the installation process, even with a few hiccups, was smooth (their customer service is pretty great). And they have a lifetime warranty. But again, not cheap. For 3 walk ins, 2 large reach ins, and 1 smaller reach in, it was nearly $12K. CRAZY

$12k? WOW I can just see me trying to convince Hal that we need to spend even a third of that. He'd think I was nuts. I'll be lucky if my closets have more than one hanging bar and a shelf. And they will because I'll figure it out myself. Only reach ins for us, never cared for the walk-ins I've had in the past. And there isn't enough room anyway.

No work on the house since last Saturday. Rain and wind. Looks like we might be able to work on it tomorrow and Friday. And they're calling for rain/snow mix starting next Tuesday so I hope we can get the remaining rake trim done by then.

@buzz yeah thankfully we had a large credit. I bet elfa would have been a third to a quarter of the price! I can’t imagine how much the elaborate closets cost. Ours was more basic in terms of what they offer. Based on what I saw, I’d imagine a kitted out large master with all of the bells could easily, easily top 100k. Insane!

I'm still trying to get floorplan hammered out so we have a chance to get foundation in before winter. How do you stop second guessing everything? I just want to start over. LOL.

Trish - I'm in the same boat. We've started work on construction drawings and I'm still freaking out occasionally over whether I want to change things...

I ordered this beauty way back in January. It’s been sitting in its storage crate in our hall since late August. Today it was finally installed! Inspections start tomorrow.

@kayce03 beautiful range! What kind?

@Trish Walter easier to design on paper then tear out concrete and walls! I tried starting over too and my builder said that I had worked so hard on what I had. He said it was a livable plan and well thought out. I do have regrets that we didn’t go with dormers/stick built attic on our house but now that we are into the build I don’t think we could have afforded my dream plan! It would have easily been 400k whereas our budget was 300k. There wouldn’t be enough money left for flooring or cabinets if we had included those things!

@kayce03 drool

@K H wow. our goal was to be at $400k and we are not very close. You did it for $300k? impressive.

You will second guess everything and fret over it. I think that comes with the territory.
Now that I am in I can say things I felt I had to have, I really didnt. Much better to get everything well thought out on paper I agree. Things can change as the build goes on. I think it is inevitable and hapoens in every build. prepare yourself for that.

NYCish everything looks beautiful! Congratulations, you are just about there!

Buzz hope the weather holds out for you to get more done.

kayce wow love the oven. Gorgeous and a showpiece!

K C sorry you are feeling disappointed. Can they switch one piece with knots with one that doesnt so it looks uniform or would that be worse? Hope you can get it sorted out.

I wonder how Missi's build is going!

@kayce03 love the range!!

K H - it's the Lacanche Chagny 1400

Love seeing everyone's progress!

Popping in to see how everyone is progressing and WOW, some of ya'll have been busy!

NYCish - your house looks great! And so exciting to be so close to move in!

Buzz - your perseverance with your roof and whole house is amazing. It looks great!

kayce - I'm positively drooling. That range (and whole wall) is stunning!

Everyone else - keep plugging along! Things are looking amazing by many of you.

My only 'progress' to report on our list of never ending projects is our kitchen backsplash arrived! Still sitting in boxes in the garage, but physically here! Now just need to find a few spare weekend hours to install it.

Great progress. Love looking at everyone’s pics. Can’t wait to see gthigpens backsplash. My dining room table is coming in next Wednesday, so I will have something to post. We mulched today. DH insist we do our own landscaping while I insist we are too dam* old.

happy building everyone!

Trish, we've been building our home for 2 years now and the floor plan still isn't quite done! My problem is the interior has no load bearing walls so we can keep moving things around and around, though with the windows installed we're pretty much committed to where each room is located. I suppose it would help if I could get my husband interested in actually looking at the floor plan, but he has this tendency to put things off to the last minute. Heck the windows wouldn't have been here in time if I hadn't just told him I am ordering them NOW.

Thanks gthigpen. It certainly has been an adventure, that never ends! lol

NewEnglandgal, it's colder and good days are fewer but we managed to finish the reverse gable rake trim today! YAY! Just about 10 feet to go on the north side we should be able to finish tomorrow. Then we'll do what we can when we can, if anything. They are talking a little snow next week. Oh joy.

Spent today painting interior doors. 8 foot tall solid core doors are HEAVY! Glad we were able to beat old man winter and get this done today

@NYC your daughter will someday appreciate her fabulous closet. Lucky girl! I’d imagine seeing how close everything is to being finished is both exciting and frustrating the finish line is so close but not quite there yet.

@KH if you’re not happy with the post, I’d have them changed out. Your drywall will be up before you know it.

@Kayce OMG that range is a work of art!!!!! I’d love to have one like that, but since I don’t really cook, I doubt the hubby would approve that splurge. And if he did, he’s expect me to cook and I couldn’t risk that lol. Beautiful choice!

@Trish and di0spyr0s for us, we made a list of things that were important and ranked them in the order of importance. We started at #1 and worked our way down until we met our budget. On our previous build, we did not do that and we ended up with a lot of “little” ($1000 here, $1000 there) add one throughout the build that put us over budget. After living in the home, we realized most of those items we never used. It’s easy to get caught up in thinking this will be your forever home so why not add in everything I want. And if your like me, I find something new everyday I want haha!

@kayce03 can't wait to see more pics!!! Must be so exciting! Do you have a target move in date?

Finally its working! Loving my front door that we waited for since June! Exciting to see everyone's progress.

Wanting some honest opinions on my porch posts, live with it or have them swap wood. Don’t like the knotty on one side and not on the other! What do you guys think?

@Lou Myers where did you get your doors? Trying to get mine ordered but everyone is 5-6 weeks out! Also any suggestions on 36" gas ranges? Looking for around $4000 price.

K H, what's wrong with your posts? The knots? I like knots. (I have lived in a totally knotty pine house for 19 years.) I'm now considering knotty pine cabinets in my next kitchen, possibly tinted green. Heck, I'm probably not the one to ask, lol.

Lou are those doors navy blue? I LOVE the color and can’t wait to see them installed!

The Houzz app has been a bugger for me lately so I haven’t been able to post or read many posts. But, it’s improving a bit so I can post! I’m having so much fun enjoying all your pics and progress!

NYC goodness gracious cal closets are expensive!! Sounds like it’s good quality even without top tier - so that’s nice to hear.

I’ve been having problems with the app as well; comments cut off with a...so I can’t add much, but enjoying the pics!

The little projects slowly progress. We had our gutter guards installed this week. Not exciting sounding, but the leaves are dropping everywhere and we need them! Ordered bar stools for the kitchen island and was promised Arhaus would deliver by Thanksgiving:) I was promised kitchen back splash by Thanksgiving, so crossing my fingers.

@K H looks great. I wouldn't have noticed that the ones on the right seem knotty and left don't. Could you have them darken them then you won't see knots? looks great Love the colors. What color is the house?

Range. Check out Big Chill [made by Blue Star but sealed burner vs the BS open burner; BS also makes sealed burner models] https://bigchill.com/us/36-pro-range.html I'd also search ajmadison.

ask on the kitchen forum too.

@Lou, I meant to say I love the colors of your doors, too. Never would have occurred to me to do interior doors in shades other than white or wood! Must ponder this.

Yesterday Hal and I got the final peak's rake trim up. We actually took down the 3rd level of scaffolding and put it in the shed for winter! Now THAT's a statement, lol. Today he will be doing some tricky corner molding where the house roof goes up above the garage roof, Needs a bit of corner molding, then a small piece of rake and a tiny triangular piece of blue siding to close that all in. Not a 2 person job. I get to stay home and do housework, lucky me!

@Trish Walter color is Foothill it’s prefinished from Sprenger Midwest LP smartsiding. @Buzz Solo in northeast MI fantastic to check off the list!

@ K H we purchased our doors from our local lumber yard. We had them delivered before we started framing. We ordered our interior and exterior doors at the same time because DH wanted them to match. For your posts, I do like some are knotted and some are not. I would have them switch the outer two tho so all the knots aren’t on one side. To me it would bring u the balance your looking for, but that’s just my 2 cents. Ur door is gorgeous!!!!

@ Kate door color is Inkwell by Sherwin Williams in satin finish. When dry it looks like a matte black. When we were painting them, in the sunlight they looked like a very dark hunter green and I thought, “how the heck and I’m going to make this look right?!” As they started drying they looked more like a deep navy and I exhaled a little. Then the next morning when they were dry and they were the color I had planned, I was one happy gal. It was a challenge convincing DH painting the doors black was not “crazy” so I really didn’t want to tell him we needed to repaint them a different black!

@kriii checking off those little projects are nice! I look forward to those days. And gutters!

@Buzz I would be doing the happy dance seeing the scaffolding be put away! Doesn’t housework seem to be more of a chore when u have a new house in process? I’d much rather sweep up drywall dust in the new house than dog hair in my temporary house. Why is that?

NYCish - we were supposed to move on Nov 4, but our propane tank has not been delivered yet, so we may have to push it back a week or so. How about you?

We are nearing the end of our long 3-year home building process (officially 3 years at the end of next month). Here are a list of things that have gone wrong in the past month:

- under ordered special order tile that had to be air freighted so the tiler, who was leaving for a month could finish the job

- bathroom backsplashes are too thick and the wall mounted faucets can't be screwed in. need to replace or cut down.

- wrong tub was delivered and installed (!!), need to swap it out

- under ordered wood floor that we learned had been discontinued (luckily we found some in San Diego)

- wrong sub water meter installed, need to replace

- shower cubby in the master shower was drywalled and then tiled over and we all somehow missed it :(

- wrong pocket door hardware was delivered and installed

I am so ready for this to be over!

Chin up Kayc it will soon be over and perfect! @Lou Myers what color is your trim?

@Lou, I think Hal might have been doing a happy dance. Neither of us enjoyed being on the 3rd level. Though I think he liked it better than being on top of the roof.

Hal got that little corner finished but doesn't like it. The white corner trim is too wide but doesn't come in narrower sizes. I suggested replacing it with blue to match the siding but he's going to leave it for now. It is a pain to get more siding and trim. I'll just have to wait and see.

@kayce03 oh gosh. That seems like a hug awful headache. Especially at the end when you feel like you are already hemorrhaging cash.
It seems like most of those things you were able to reconcile but I’d be bummed about the outstanding stuff too so close to the end. I bet in 6 months when you are settled you won’t even remember them. I think back to thinks I thought were major issues 6 months ago, and they aren’t on my radar now.

We have our building inspection Monday and zoning Tuesday. Monday is the biggie. And then hopefully close the week after. But as far as move: there are a few outstanding things that will happen after closing for various reasons so we might delay our move for a week or two to allow those to happen

@Kayce I’m so sorry to hear you have had such a rough month at the finish line. Fingers crossed everything else from here on out goes smoothly for you.

@KH trim will be PPG antique white

did any of you finish early? or on time? just curious...

@K H is the gable window to a 2nd story room or is it entry window or? curious as we're debating what to do with similar. we moved the upstairs from that part to the side but still want the gable there...thanks. [still finalizing floorplan]/.

@Trish Walter I wish it was a 2nd story window. Hubby wouldn't go for a two story house or cathedral ceilings. I envisioned a beautiful loft and cathedral ceiling with windows in the side gables and the front gable shining light in from above, a play area for the kids. But hubby didn't want to pay for the space to be heated and cooled when we already have a full size basement. Plus trusses or stick built would have cost upwards of 6000(room in trusses). And of course we would have had additional Sheetrock, another staircase and the flooring cost. So I compromised because our home as it is has a total of 4400 sq ft of livable space without an upstairs just main floor and walkout basement. We are finishing 3200 sq ft. I could have eliminated the gable and the house would have been just as nice but I love the character the gable gives it and it cost us around $1000 (window included). I was basically burned at the stake by some of the old architects on this site when I proposed a decorative gable but I don't care because I think my house looks fabulous and it is what we can afford! Most houses pictured in the Houzz photos are really million dollar homes. We are in the Midwest so costs aren't as high as the coasts but our budget ceiling is 300,000. With that being said I'm sure if my kids ever wanted to expand, our house has the backbone to put in a load bearing wall and easily build up.

@K H I hear you. I think it looks great. Did you paint the back black? Our other option is to bump the porch out so that it can be a 2-story foyer...idk if worth it...currently our porch is under the 2nd level...

I hear you about some of the 'advice'. You definitely need to put on thick skin sometimes when asking [especially floorplan] questions. I just sift through for useful nuggets.

@Trish Walter Our contractor covered the wood behind the window with black roofing underlayment paper. Easier than paint! BTW love your floor plan. It looks so functional and very pretty!

@kayce03 sorry to hear of your struggles. Hoping for better things to come!

@Trish Walter we finished "on time" but it was a serious crunch at the end. However, we did the driveway (Nov 2012), site prep, trenching & footers ourselves. We had 6 mo on the construction loan.. They finished the flooring & baseboards the day of inspection/closing. It was a bit nerve wracking. :) We started digging footers Aug 12, 2013 and were moved in 22nd of March 2014. There were still things to finish up we were doing ourselves, and the projects continue to this day! lol :)

Like.....

We put gutter guards on over the weekend, at least the most prone to clog up places. Have to order some more for the external garage.

Spam

@ Trish Walter We had a 2 story foyer in our last home we built and I regretted it. It was impossible to deal with cobwebs. And cleaning the second story window up above. HA! Never again. Of course we're building a ranch now so I'll only have 9 foot ceilings to worry about.

Hal and I knocked out the remaining fascia the other day when the weather warmed to a balmy 56F. You can't really tell between this photo and previous ones because I had already primed the fascia just in case, but nevertheless, that trim is done. Corner molding next. I am still trying to talk Hal into replacing the inside corner trim with a blue one because I think it looks weird next to the front door, but at this time he isn't concerned about looks so much as getting stuff done. Maybe next year. Easy fix just costs time and money.

@Buzz Solo in northeast MI I think when you get the rest of the white corner trim on, the one by the door will look just fine! :) Hope the weather cooperates for you!

I hope so, we plan to have a white post at the outside corner of the front porch, too. It's not necessary but we thought it would look nice.

SO glad we're dried in because we've been having a snowy slushy mess off and on all day and could get a few inches tonight. Sure is a yucky day for the kids going door to door.

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween to all

Here is the November thread.