Score!

Just heard from my PM that all of my extra tweaks are no problem at all. Thanks to you guys, esp. Sgt Rich for providing some heads up.

• higher dryer vent
• 6" higher master closet shelf run and they will install the 2nd lower course of shelving as well as ceiling fans & pendants at the 30-day if we buy them prior, we will still be living out of boxes at that point anyway since were not fully moving in for a week or so after closing, no rush.
• 20' wide driveway, he said the apron that leads to the street has to be 18' because of county codes, so it will taper slightly at the curb, but we still get plenty of parking space
• were getting the side door on the garage and he may be able to arrange a concrete walkway to that door from the driveway (this one will cost me about $450)
• clearing nearly 30' behind the house for a larger backyard, were totally wooded
• guaranteed 3' of foundation above ground so the house will sit taller on the lot
• 2nd outlet on the opposite side of the gourmet kitchen island, garage light switch inside the house and an additional master closet light switch next to the master bath light switch ($50 each)
• run kitchen cabinets 1" higher on the wall to make sure our tall frig will fit. There might be just 1/4" of clearance otherwise and thats too close to risk it possibly not fitting.
• were also going to order a small triangular kitchen wall cabinet to go on the edge  to the left of the sink, there is some blank wall there that doesnt really look right. also to dress up the island we will be ordering cabinet door fronts to cover the sides and back veneer panels and yes, you guessed it, they will install them at the 30-day

Im going to have to take my SR & PM out for beers after closing. (unofficially of course)

Idle Time

Pre-construction meeting is today, from what I see from other people its pretty uneventful, so onto other news...

The time between signing the contract and closing is so nerve racking and exciting and boring and confusing. I'm going crazy thinking of things I want to buy, styles, paint colors...We've found a great tool that lets you layout your house in 3d placing furniture, etc for FREE and its online too, so nothing to buy and nothing to install. It takes a bit to get used to but once you do its really fun.

Here is what we've come up with so far (1st floor), they have a wide selection of furniture items to drop in your design. You wont find everything you need but this is definitely a great layout tool to come up with ideas, colors, visualize spacing, etc. And based off of this, its a lot easier to make your shopping list which Ill start posting soon -- Ericka

And so it begins...

 

 
We have been following the blogs here for quite some time while we were waiting for NVR approval and need to thank everyone in advance for making us aware of all the little nuances of what to look for to make the process as smooth as possible. Our pre-construction meeting is set for Monday (2/13)  and because of you guys, I think we've ridden our SR like a race horse, exchanging about 200 emails since December and probably know as much as him right now :-)

So here's the upgrade rundown:

• Elevation B with Brick Front
• Finished Basement - 3 piece bath rough-in & recessed lighting, no walk out
• Bonus Room will be used as double office/craft area, brings us to 3788 square feet
• 1st floor study to be used as guest room.
• Hardwood: Manchester Gunstock in Foyer, LR, DR, Kitchen/Mudroom, Powder Room and Morning Room
• Carpet/Padding: Mid-level upgrade - Collinsville Sahara Buff
• Morning Room (Free with NVR incentive)
• Kitchen: Scottsdale Maple Cognac cabinets with crown molding, Golden Moscarello Laminate, Gourmet Island, Tiled backsplash & recessed lighting
• Level III Black Appliance package with alternate layout (microwave next to Frig) and gas conversion on the Range. we have a Jenn Air ceramic top now and hate the look of it after burn marks have fused onto the cooktop and no amount of scrubbing/scraping has made a difference.
• Upgraded Master Bath
• Maple Spice cabinets in the bathrooms
• Optional Side Windows: Morning Room, Family Room, Master
• Exposed Oak Staircase
• Garage Door Opener
• Deck 12x14 
• Pedestrian/Service Door on side of garage
• Flood lights in rear
• Luckily the default interior paint color for this neighborhood is Tan with white trim!
• 5 Ceiling Fan Rough-ins - Morning Room, Master, Kitchen Island for pendant, Family Room & Bonus Room
• Added power outlet in master closet for ironing and in garage because there is only one!
• Wiring: Security System, a few wall mounted power outlets for TVs, speakers in the Bonus Room ceiling with music sourced from the Family Room
  

View of backsplash tile with laminate

Our next post will be about the customizations we have planned and our shopping list :)

Until next time...