I forgot to mention yesterday morning I woke up and found another puddle on the kitchen floor that started at the wine fridge and went a few feet, turned the corner, headed for the front door then turned and headed into the TV room where it finally stopped. Yes, the wine fridge dumped it's refrigerant, that's what I get for buying a cheap-o Magic Chef from Home Depot. Had it about 26 months, warranty except for the compressor is over, and according to my reliable local appliance people they aren't worth repairing if it's even possible. So essentially, I rented one for $200 a year. Anyone have any recommendations that won't break the bank? DH would like to keep it as far below $1000 as possible. I am so annoyed but grateful for my LVP flooring!

Thanks everyone. They plan to grade the dirt to meet the added height of the foundation. My builder said this happens a bunch and usually isn’t a problem except of course in our town. We are already on a hill, so it shouldn’t be a issue. Apparently the septic now has to be higher too but the health depts usually prefer that. Picture of the super high foundation.

We finally have front doors!!!!! Now the hard part of figuring out stain :/

Buzz - I got a Samsung dual zone wine fridge on sale for $1100ish. Holds 54 bottles.

@Blair where is the wine area located? Is that going to be a sitting or dining space in front of it? Love the cabinet color!

@Buzz Solo in northeast MI Yay for the hood vent!!! I can't wait until they peel the protective covering off :)

@Joy M I think the baseboards look OK. Maybe it's just the stark contrast throwing things off?

A flurry of busy today:

- doors installed

- bad news on water....water softener was out and he smells Sulphur. That means a whole home filtration system at an additional $2300

- arranged for install of security cameras and activating the cat 5 on the 10th

- tentatively moving up move-in to the 14th

- final survey back!

- carpets supposed to be in on Friday

- need to drop off all the cabinet and bath hardware before Friday (which means frantically googling standard heights for things)

- sprinklers scheduled for Friday and sod on Monday BUT this is all depending on retaining wall guy

- changed address with postal service and drivers licenses (yay for online services now)

- set up garbage

I figure I just slowly pack a box or two a day and make an address change or two a day.

I'm lucky if I'm averaging 4-5 hours of work a day. I don't know how people with inflexible jobs do this.

@Joy M our guest bath cabinet has feet so it doesn’t go quite as far back, but you can see they did do the same idea following the line of the cabinetry/feet.

I’m not sure what else you can do unless you just have it only run into the top part and cut straight leaving a gap where the cabinet is recessed back.

@Kat @Naomi I checked the baseboard / cabinet issue off of my list. Looks like this is typical. Now that it is painted It's less noticeable. One of those occasions where I'm analyzing every detail, but when it's all complete I won't give it a second though.

What about stair skirts and landings? How did everyone do theirs? The stair skirt is flat, but the baseboard trim is detailed. Tying the two together looks odd.

Our shingles arrived today and it looks like (hopefully) the roofers are there working on them. I'll get another update when our cameras upload a new set of images haha We are getting Timberline HDZ in charcoal: https://www.gaf.com/-/media/shingleswatches/720x720swatches/timberline_hd-charcoal.jpg

Joy M - We don't have any place where our baseboard runs into the stair trim. Could you post a photo of your staircase?

Took a photo of my house in the bright sunshine while walking the dog this morning. We will have rain for the next few days in TN, starting tomorrow afternoon, so figured I better get out for awhile!

So glad not to be living in a hurricane prone area. I feel so for those with lost homes and damage. Feeling guilty that we are planning to go to WDW on Monday should the park be up and running. Orlando took a pretty good hit, as well.

Wondering how chispa did with the hurricane? I am not sure where his house is located.

@Joy M Do you have an image of your staircase and landing? Are you using speed base?

There are a few ways to deal with this detail but it will depend on your exact situation and, also, the skill of the carpenter. Like in @User pic, many homes have paneling run up the staircase which helps overcome the issue with baseboard-skirtboard integration.

@tendrac how is your house? Have they finished trim?

@User I've been wondering how @chispa fared too. My dearest friend (college roomie) grew up in Ft. Myers and her bother still lives in their old home. Luckily, he had only six inches of flooding, but two other college friends of ours lost their homes. Horrible. I'm thinking Chispa was north of Tampa (Cedar Key?)

@User Disney isn't allowing check ins at this point until Monday, but sounds like you should be fine, unless it changes. They said it was minimal damage and flooding, so I think they'll be back at it. Quck services were opening up and they were ending the food kits they offer to guests during hurricanes. My daughters and I did Universal for the first time two weekends ago, but we squeezed in a dinner at Ohana and stopped by The Grand for a drink at the Enchanted Rose beforehand. We had to push our fall trip to December this year and while I hate waiting I'm looking forward to seeing the Christmas decor again! Enjoy your time. Your house looks lovely as always. We are just starting with the rain here and are under a tropical storm warning, but I think it's just going to be some wind and a lot of rain.

I pray @chispa faired well. I know she's in the southern part, but hopefully far enough past the hurricane area. I have a friend who lives on the atlantic side in boca ratan and they are fine, but Ft. Myers area looks terrible.

@K H <Sigh>The house. It's been so traumatic and, now, starting to take an emotional and mental toll. lol

Yes, all of the trim has been completed. House should have been done this week but needed to extend.

I’m hoping this is me jumping back into the fold to stay for awhile. I’ve been stalking the site, watching everyone’s progress. Hoping to soon have my own stories to tell. I’m excited to report that they staked our lot again today. It’s been almost exactly a year since they staked it the first time. Meeting with a designer tomorrow. Fingers crossed. 🤞🤞🤞Also love seeing all the Disney references, we leave on the 22nd. Can’t wait. It will be the first time for the two youngest granddaughters. 🏰✈️

Keen B - So sad. 😥

My DH is currently on a golf trip with the guys. One of them has a 2nd home in Naples. As of this writing, he had no word on his house, but says that at the least, he will have about 2' of water inside. Must have prior experience to know that!

Kat - You are probably reading the same things that I am. I am on the DISboards.

It is my understanding that the Monday date is the date that reservations open back up - for booking. I think we would be able to check in Saturday, or Sunday, if we were going down that early. However, as of this morning, Disney was telling their guest who were staying past their reserved time that they needed to check out. The parks are opening on a modified schedule tomorrow.

tendrac - Sorry for your house woes. Can't believe that you are not in yet! We have been in ours for 10 months. So long that I am ready to make some changes!!! Just kidding. 😉

@nhb22 you are correct. It’s new reservations! Check- ins resume Friday afternoon!

Sharing my happy find of this rug today! I wasn’t sure what I wanted but fell in love. It works so well with my pink sofa and will allow me to add in many other colors!😀

My husband is right by Disney and he says the damage is minimal, but lots of rain. So I think you’ll be fine

@Kat LOVE the colors!! My formal powder room appears to be the same color as your sofa. And, I have a velvet sofa planned for the main-level family room. It has similarly-styled feet as yours.

@User It has been just wild (and beyond exhausting). I don't think that I am mentally or emotionally strong enough to try this again. The details have required an extensive amount of time and money--way more than we could have ever imagined. The house is massive (a little over 9,500 square-feet). Nearly every space has fully custom details.

Let's just say, we may need therapy after this.

@tendrac I still have severe decision fatigue and we have been in for a while. I still cant believe the tremendous amount of detail you have in your home. It must have taken a lot of planning power. Im sure you are tired of running the marathon! But I cant wait to see your home when you are moved in. Praying that it is sooner than later.

Wow @tendrac I didn’t realize your home was that large! We did custom trim with build- up under the crown but nothing like yours. I wish we lived closer! Id love a tour!

Kat - Your dog seems to love the rug. That's all that matters. 🙂

@tendrac - Absolutely amazing the attention to detail you have. I am hoping to still be checking in on this site when you are all settled and could post photos. Better yet, if you have any time left in your busy life, I'd love to see the house with photos taken before you move in. How old is that baby now...6 months?

@K H Thank you so much. Since I am the brain-child behind the design (excluding the mechanicals which are SO's), I have had to be involved from the very beginning when we first engaged our architect. Through experience, he had an idea of what I wanted but, definitely, was not prepared for the true extent of my desire. Pretty much, wherever possible, classical details were copied proportionally. This is why everything had to be fully custom and spec'd. It, also, required a lot of research and left us with a single carpenter to implement most of those details (the alternative was a highly regarded euro-carpenter who was booked out a year in advanced). I can definitely say that the knowledge, details, and skills of past are indeed special gems that very few people possess or can replicate today.

Stunning...I don't think I have been this excited about another house since following the Instagram post of @lovehouseTN. I'll make sure to keep checking in. I cannot give up checking back in.

@User I agree!

@Kat I love the floral pink in your new rug! It is very victorian! I love seeing your updates on Insta. My 10 yr old told me for her free write assignment she wrote about the victorian house she is going to design and build one day :)

@Joy M our finish carpenter was our GC and he was awful! He was great at framing and exterior stuff but finish work was terrible. For our stair I had to make the baseboard piece myself with a jig saw. He wanted to put a piece of baseboard parallel to each step ugh!

I used this book for our trim.

Honestly our GC should have subcontracted the finish work but he wanted the money..... and said someone else would be alot more and I was ready to move in so we pressed on!

@tendrac I'm completely gobsmacked at the level of detail you've described. 😮😮😮 Your home is going to be stunning and I really hope you'll share photos with us!

My landscaping was finished last week. Replacement carpet for the bedrooms was ordered this week. So hopefully moving day is just a couple weeks away.

@tendrac it looks beautiful. I can't wait to see more!! Does it have a basement?

The velvet pink sofa was actually a whim purchase during the beginning of Covid to brighten up the uncertain days and we had it in our sunroom, but I think it fits our formal sitting room nicely and I still love it. The other pieces in the room are odds and ends from other areas of our last house that I've put together untill I find pieces I love. Our one son does his homeschool work at the desk, so it has to stay for now even though I feel it's kind of out of place. . i'd like some type of display curio or antique secretary, or a replica for that wall eventually. I wish I could capture the rug colors more accurately. I'm just so pleased with it.

Anyways I'm so happy for you that you are almost near the finish line. I know what a journey it has been for you.

@K H thank you and I think that's so cool that your daughter is so smitten over victorians. I bet she is very proud of the house she made.

@Kat That sofa was a great purchase! I really do love muted pinks and how they can actually have a bit of neutrality to them, similarly to how brown behaves. I love the blue as an accent color! Turquois and muted purples work well with it, also.

Thank you so much for the compliment.

@cwcf185 Thank you so much!

Dragged out all my cabinet hardware, mirrors, and bath hardware and marked up everything for trim guy. Project manager was with me and we were laughing about how difficult a decision it is just for a toilet paper roll. Then I got home and forgot about a towel height and want to move our hotel rack up about 6” above the toilet. I think (e’ll be out there tomorrow.

Happy that he took my concern about only one living room light switch and is having electrician back out to add that switch and also my outside study switch.

We’re switching movers to the 14th now!

Tomorrow - retaining wall and carpet
Monday - sprinklers and trim guy for door knobs and hardware
Tuesday - sod
Wednesday - painters
Thursday - water softener
Friday - fiber install
Monday - smart home stuff
Thursday - blinds

We’re still missing a bunch of lights and study door replacement (although a random single door showed up on our back patio today 🤣)

These next two weeks are going to be crazy! Work is in a bit of a lull but really ramps up the second half of the month….so good timing I suppose.

@kat the wine room in in the front of the house coming in from the foyer. I guess it would be wher a formal living room would be, but that was one concession I had to give up for DH In our old 100 year home, I loved my rooms & then we added on the kitchen & family room. He always wanted an open space, so I reltented . After all, he had input in very few decisions. (he also cannot believe how much wainscoting I plan to add once we are moved in)

@tendrac where are you located? OMG i cannot wait to see your home. Just the few disucssions I can see how much time & care are vested in this project. I thought 5400 sq feet was a lot… i wouldn’t know what to do with 9,000!!!

@Naomi Congratulations! We ”supposedly” are moving in on the 17th, but we will see.

I feel like its always 2 steps forward 2 step back. The installers came today to install the hood insert & of course, they cannot connect the duct. I called this out back in February, but was told ”not to worry about it” Well the roosters come home to roost. But, DH is in the restaurant industry & he caught the mistake right away He says they are going to have to rip out the wall and move the duct. I am so afraid to hear what the answer is tomorrow.

Our guest jack & jill bathroom had to be replummbed because they only roughed for 1 sink, instead of 2 So they had to do 2x the work , cuz on the plans , the vanity was 2 sinks all along. i wanna scream So here are some pictures of the screwed up bathroom & my new washer & dryer (that I am actually excited for!)

@Blair darn those husbands for wanting to have something they like:-) Was your 100 year old home located in the same town? I didn't realize your home was so big. Do you have children? Have you ever shared a floor plan. I'd love to see it if you feel comfortable sharing. I saw your coment about Disney. Do you live near Orlando then?

@tendrac I love your brick choice and the arches for your covered patio off the daylight basement. A 40' pool sounds incredible. Our tiny coastal lot meant ours is only 12x20 with the additional small tanning ledge. I will say that spot has been much used, so I am very thankful we added it. I felt much like you the entire time we built. It was a project, but it was very hard to picture it as our home. Now nearly 4 months in it's starting to feel much more like the latter. I know you'll get to that point one day. Does the tree line behind the porch go far back, or is that near the back of your property. If I recall correctly you said you had a a couple of acres.

@cwcf185 and @Naomi you are both in a race for the finish line. Very excited for you both!!

@tendrac @User @K H here are a couple of pictures of the stairway. From the main level our stairs go up to a landing and then turn and go up to the bonus room. Working with the trim carpenter I suggested reducing our base from 7" to 5" in the bonus room to make the transition work, but he had already installed the 7" base. The stair skirt board isn't as tall as the 7" base when it comes to the landing.

Our front porch posts were installed yesterday and the front door has been stained. The gel stain is much darker than I wanted, but it will be ok. Front of house details still to come - iron railing, brick steps, green/gray shutters. We need the driveway and sidewalk concrete poured so we can build steps. Railing can't be measured for until the steps are complete. I know this will hold up CO.

@Blair What color paint is in the bathroom? I love it!

@tendrac I really like the brick, especially the arches.

@Kat Thanks! It's hard to believe I closed two weeks ago today! If not for the bedroom carpet debacle, I'd be moved in and living there by now. The entrance to my master shower still needs to be figured out but that won't keep me from moving in. Otherwise my punchlist is getting worked through piece by piece - I'm going to miss having the subs in & out of my house (I know, that's weird).

My drywallers are amazing...they are nearly finished, and doing an excellent job. I'm going to have to finally make up my mind about paint colors soon, Lol!

@Blair Your new house looks quite a lot like my current home, color, shape and style. Yours is much larger and fancier with the extra room between garage and main house, but I've loved my home and you will too! I have to say, when I was trying to choose exterior color (it was white when we bought it) more than a few neighbors made comments about how worried they were when they saw all my big swatches on the outside. But now they love the blue and remark on it often. To me it's such a normal New England color--just not seen that much in the south. I'm going to take a little credit for how then the neighborhood got a little more bold in the house colors after that, HA! (of course, it might also be all the flip shows' influence, moving away from bland colors.)

@Kat I get it. We just got lucky on our future pool size. Codes just added a 5% increase on impervious surface ratios, so now we can have a 300, rather than a 200 sq foot pool, though Dh isn't sure he wants to give up the extra yard space. It's all tiny, no matter.

Parade of Homes opens today. I think I’ve found the answer to my stair trim dilemma. (Minus the qtr round)

That looks good @Joy M

Joy M - Glad you found a solution because I had none. I cannot believe that your carpet was already out down before the baseboard and stair skirts!

The outside of your home will look lovely when all is said and done. Also, as I recall, the gel stain faded a bit on the garage door (side entrance) in my previous home.

Blair Courtney - Love both of your houses, past and present. My mother grew up in Winnetka through high school.

@User my trim carpenter has mentioned the carpet one or two times as well. It was a scheduling oversight and I was trying to get things done! Thank you @tendrac I sent the picture of your suggestion to the trim carpenter as well.

@tendrac I totally understand what you mean. Our last home was 4,000 sq ft but spread over 2 floorss,so it was much wider. Our current house is bigger sq ft, and you feel it in the hallways as well, but also in the bedrooms. The old house was 100 years old, so the bedrooms were tiny , as well as closet space & the bathrooms!!! Here the bedrooms are nice size & and appropriate closet & bathroom -hence the sq ft. My main level feels tiny, but thats also because we convereted our galley kitchen into a pantry & butlers pantry and added on a new big kitchen. So I understand. Your home is so beautiful I cannot wait to see the finished result!!

All is quiet here, no subs Floors are being put in on Monday, can’t wait!

So here we are at the end of September - time for another end-of-month status update. I started the month knowing and anxiously awaiting my countertops would be installed on the 8th. They were so worth the wait and exactly what I had envisioned.

I closed on my house/ took possession on the 16th. I moved a lot of stuff from storage into the basement last week (I'll get through it eventually). The replacement carpet for the bedrooms was ordered this week and once it's installed I'll be moving in completely.

Of course, mustn't forget one of the water pipe connectors busting at 1130 the first night in the house. Thank goodness I was there and caught it right away.

Bring on October!

Glad you’re okay chispa.

End of month has us down to the little things. Mostly correcting mistakes, touch ups, etc.

Major things left are sprinklers/lawn, retaining wall, staining back patio concrete, and missing lights.

Movers booked for the 14th!

Congrats @Naomi! I'm not able to book my movers until i get the carpet install scheduled - too much room for error, especially since I have quite a bit of business travel scheduled this month - and of course that means I still can't submit my 30 day notice to vacate my apartment. I need to reach out to the installation scheduler on Monday to ensure she knows she needs to coordinate days directly with me instead of builder since I've taken possession of the house - I have visions of carpet Installer showing up and nobody's there to let him in because I'm out of town. 😬

Welcome to October. I will start a thread...

SEE you there: OCTOBER THREAD