Week 11 - Mortgage drama

Well, we have been back and forth with NVR to re-establish the amount we said we were going to put down after closing costs as a mistake happened on their end.  *Do note,* closing costs were a lot more than we had expected, so I definitely recommend having a conversation around what to expect.  Anyhow, the rep at NVR made a mistake in the final figure we were putting down in the most recent paperwork (it was much lower than we were putting down, of course making our monthly mortgage much higher, and there was $3,000 that just 'popped up' in additional line items), so we had to get that updated, which was just an annoyance, nothing serious...but another reminder to always read through every line before you sign!!!

The PM said he changed the locks on the house so nobody could get in, including us!  We have our final walk-through next week, and officially move in 9 days from the date of this post!  Surely the work will continue, and we are prepared to learn even more about our house!

Family selfie in front of our fireplace, which has the hearth completed!

Week 10 - Cabinets, Granite, & Appliances Installed!

Granite was supposed to be put in last week, so we were really excited to finally see it. It is soooooo dusty in there, and our PM said even once they have professionals clean the place, we will be dusting a lot, and the granite especially will collect dust.  It's just due to everything being so new.

Upgraded to gas stove & stainless steel appliances

Look at that mess! Excited for this undermount sink though!

Seeing the doors put in really made it feel like it was becoming our home.....

Week 9 - Exterior is just about done

When we drove up to our cul-de-sac, we saw our house and literally, our hearts skipped a beat.  Our initial thought was: "Whose house is that?!?!?" and then it hit us, that was *OUR* house!!!!!  We did a double take, and yup, that was not a reno to our neighbor's house or our eyes looking at the wrong lot, that was definitely our love nest! 

See earlier post for color selections

Having our stoop poured was exciting, because now when we go inside we don't have to walk up a wobbly and thin plank of wood.  Unfortunately, our driveway (as well as our neighbors'), will not be poured until the late Spring.  The interior of the garage had the cement poured, and that really helped us picture how we were going to utilize our 3rd-car garage for organization and storage!

Week 8 - Fireplace

It isn't because of the record-breaking cold we had here in Cleveland this past February: this fireplace ROCKS!!!!  Seriously, this was our priciest upgrade but sooooooooooooo worth it. This is one of our favorite features of the house and when we looked at already built homes (model and for sale), we really noticed the fireplaces, or lack thereof, so we knew we had to have it.  

As you can see, it is not entirely finished.  Note: the raised hearth was an additional cost as well.  Also, the granite and light fixtures were supposed to be installed by the end of this week, but got delayed.

Week 7 - Kitchen Cabinets & Exterior Stone

Look at that BEAUTIFUL wooden cabinetry!  Ryan Homes offers a really nice selection of kitchen cabinetry. However, the knobs are an extra cost, and we did not like what they offered.  We also didn't love the backsplash offered, so we are adding these items after we move in.  



When I first started looking over the cabinets (checking for dents or scratches of course), I noticed the cupboard doors were uneven and didn't line up correctly when shut. Thankfully, the PM was right there and assured me someone would come back and level it all out. Phew, my OCD almost went into overdrive. 

Exterior stone is complete!

Week 6 - Trim, Spindles, & Hardwood floors!

Post-stain spindles

Pre-stain spindles

All of the trim is done and WOW what 
a difference it makes!  

Hardwood floors are also in -- you can see
a sliver of them up along the trim in the 2nd pic, 
but the rest of the house has cardboard
covering the floors so they are protected.  We could not be happier with our color selection - all of the pondering was well worth it! 

The spindles -- oh, these just make me swoon.  These were an upgrade but we just had to have them. They really complete the look and feel we are going for throughout our home, and being artsy people, we felt this splurge was well worth it. 

We also went back and forth on the stain selection and even went back to Rite Rug to make changes.  Again, more than happy with our final selection!  The railings going upstairs and in the basement were also installed this week!

Week 5 - A leak?!?

Well, all the dry wall was up by the end of this week, and we were really able to see the house starting to come together!  But, we did have one scare when we were poking around one weekend...As you can see in this picture, it looks there is a water leak somewhere in our bathroom basement !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

But, as our PM explained to us, this is just the concrete 'sweating.'  The ground was so frozen when the concrete was put in, and then you have the wood which not too long ago, was outside collecting water when it would rain.  The elementary explanation for this 'water stain' = The concrete and wood are adjusting to their new temperatures.  

So, a dehumidifier and thermometer was placed in the room and this 'stain' went away in just a couple of days.  Note: this is perfectly normal for a new home and happens all of the time.  In addition, it speaks to how important it is to have a dehumidifier running not only in the basement, but in other parts of the home, for the entire first year!  This is due to the changes in temperature/seasons and the house settling.  If you are in the building process, I'm sure you've heard the term 'as the house settles' a lot.  Panic attack successfully avoided!