Saturday, October 11, 2008
Making Progress
Things have been going along pretty well lately. The windows have been cut out of the foundation and the plumbing was dug and buried this past week. We are waiting for the contractor to stick build the front of the basement; but the concrete floor needs to be poured first. Trudeau's was there this past week prepping the basement floor so that our contractor can lay the infloor heating in and have the floor poured. He should be building the front basement wall after that. We are on the schedule for our well also. They said they are 2-3 weeks out and Trudeau's says that is perfect for them. I'm hoping that they don't have to dig to far for the well. They gave us a standard quote and we are hoping that it doesn't cost that much. It would be our only saving grace!!! Anyway, I'm getting a little nervous because it is starting to get cold here and I just want to make sure that all the digging is done before the ground freezes. This weekend, Taylor and I are cutting down more trees..ugh! I'm so sick of cutting down trees and hauling them halfway across the lot. We have to cut down the largest tree on the property tomorrow. We thought we could get away with keeping it, but it turns out that it is just not going to work. With the trees being the last of my manual labor on this house for a little bit, I've started looking at lighting and flooring options. It is really difficult to make decisions on this stuff when you can't visualize what the inside of your house is going to look like. I just don't want to wait until the house gets here to start making these decisions, as I know some items need to be specially ordered. Anyway, it also keeps my mind busy; otherwise I'd be going stir crazy wondering when our house will be here! Enough for now...I'll post more pictures after we cut our tree down!
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Hurry Up and Wait!
So, alot has happened since my last post. we got our entire foundation dug out last month. The foundation plans were finally stamped and sent back to us a few weeks ago and foundation work started immediately. Our contractor started building with the Logix blocks and finished it in less than a week. The concrete guys came last week and poured inside the blocks; so now we just have to wait for the concrete to cure. The day after we poured the concrete, our building permit showed up (a little late)! Taylor looked at the permit and it said it permitted us to build the foundation walls of the house. Taylor called the building department and told them we had already done it; so they revised the permit to include everything and sent it back over the next day. We also had to finish up everything for our bank loan. That was crazy...putting all the paperwork together. They want estimates, contracts, schedules, etc. It is really hard when you are acting as the general contractor and you have to go out and get all the estimates and such. You also have to be pretty sure of what you want, as the bank looks at the estimates for certain materials and expects that you will be using those specific materials. Sometimes it is scary, cause you're not sure of what you are going to use but if you say you're going to use something and you change your mind, you could be penalized. That is a lot of pressure when it is your first house!
I feel like this summer we were much busier getting everything prepped and such and now we are not the ones working on the lot. It feels really weird and I kind of feel like things are going at a snail's pace. Then I go visit "the Property" and see all the accomplishments and it feels good!
So as of now, we are waiting to hear back from the bank as to when we will be closing on everything. Our basement floor is being prepped this week to be poured and I think all the electric, phone & cable lines are going to be dug and placed as well. The front wall, which is fully exposed is supposed to be stick built in the next dew weeks also. We are also waiting to hear what the delivery date is going to be for the house. Last we heard, it was going to be the beginning of November but Taylor told me that it was put on hold earlier this week again, so I'm not sure when it is going to come. It has me pretty worried because they are saying this is going to be a really bad winter. I just hope the house gets here and we are able to get the siding up and the two pieces seamed together before it gets too cold or snowy. The problem is that since we are going to be working in November, we will be very limited with light. We are going to have to work as fast as possible and work long hours on the weekends to get it done quickly. I hope all of you are prepared...there is a chance that I will be begging for help on that part! Just want to give you all a heads up!!!
After the house arrives, our well will be dug and the lot will be backfilled. That should be the end of the really large things that need to be done. So in the meantime, I'm trying to keep myself busy with tile and flooring selections, paint chips and lighting. We have so many light fixtures to pick out, but it is really hard to make decisions on that stuff until you see the house and know exactly what type of look you want to achieve. I've been searching through tons of magazines and keeping clippings of styles that I like. Hopefully, this will pay off when it comes time to start decorating.
So, I'll keep you all posted on what is happening going forward. I took a little hiatus, as Taylor and I were on vacation for a week and then my step-mother got very ill and passed away. Things in our lives have been slightly hectic, but I will do my best to keep you all informed as to what is going on. The next two months should be crazy and things should be moving along quickly during that time.
I'll post recent pictures soon!
I feel like this summer we were much busier getting everything prepped and such and now we are not the ones working on the lot. It feels really weird and I kind of feel like things are going at a snail's pace. Then I go visit "the Property" and see all the accomplishments and it feels good!
So as of now, we are waiting to hear back from the bank as to when we will be closing on everything. Our basement floor is being prepped this week to be poured and I think all the electric, phone & cable lines are going to be dug and placed as well. The front wall, which is fully exposed is supposed to be stick built in the next dew weeks also. We are also waiting to hear what the delivery date is going to be for the house. Last we heard, it was going to be the beginning of November but Taylor told me that it was put on hold earlier this week again, so I'm not sure when it is going to come. It has me pretty worried because they are saying this is going to be a really bad winter. I just hope the house gets here and we are able to get the siding up and the two pieces seamed together before it gets too cold or snowy. The problem is that since we are going to be working in November, we will be very limited with light. We are going to have to work as fast as possible and work long hours on the weekends to get it done quickly. I hope all of you are prepared...there is a chance that I will be begging for help on that part! Just want to give you all a heads up!!!
After the house arrives, our well will be dug and the lot will be backfilled. That should be the end of the really large things that need to be done. So in the meantime, I'm trying to keep myself busy with tile and flooring selections, paint chips and lighting. We have so many light fixtures to pick out, but it is really hard to make decisions on that stuff until you see the house and know exactly what type of look you want to achieve. I've been searching through tons of magazines and keeping clippings of styles that I like. Hopefully, this will pay off when it comes time to start decorating.
So, I'll keep you all posted on what is happening going forward. I took a little hiatus, as Taylor and I were on vacation for a week and then my step-mother got very ill and passed away. Things in our lives have been slightly hectic, but I will do my best to keep you all informed as to what is going on. The next two months should be crazy and things should be moving along quickly during that time.
I'll post recent pictures soon!
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Planning Board & Excavation
So we went to the Planning Board two weeks ago and submitted our case for architectural review. The board looked at the plan, reviewed the colors, siding choices and shingles and was happy with all selections. They told us that we have to wait for the next meeting so the public could have the chance to review the plans and make any comments. So yesterday we went back to the planning board, walked in and they took our case immediately. Within 2 minutes we were in and out of the planning board with an approval to move forward on the house. I think that may be a record for time at the planning board!!! We are so happy about it.
In other news, we are still waiting for our blue prints to arrive, but in the meantime Trudeau's has started excavating the foundation and smoothing out the lot. It is so exciting to see the process start!!! They got about half of the foundation dug out yesterday. I asked Taylor how they could do this without having the blueprints and he said they have to dig additional space around the foundation anyway, so it does not have to be uber exact. That works for me!! Taylor and I are going to be cutting more trees down all through this week. We want to level out the lot in the front, so we have to cut the trees down so there is a place for all the fill. Trudeau should be done with the excavation in a few days and hopefully we will have our blueprints by then so that we can start building the actual foundation.
Our foundation is being built with Logix blocks, so it's like building with legos that snap together. I think you then pour the cement inside the blocks after everything is built. The blocks are a little more pricey, but way more energy efficient and you can nail your siding and drywall directly to the blocks without any framing. They are awesome!!
I will post some additional pictures up tomorrow...Taylor has the camera and is taking pictures of the lot through the whole process.
In other news, we are still waiting for our blue prints to arrive, but in the meantime Trudeau's has started excavating the foundation and smoothing out the lot. It is so exciting to see the process start!!! They got about half of the foundation dug out yesterday. I asked Taylor how they could do this without having the blueprints and he said they have to dig additional space around the foundation anyway, so it does not have to be uber exact. That works for me!! Taylor and I are going to be cutting more trees down all through this week. We want to level out the lot in the front, so we have to cut the trees down so there is a place for all the fill. Trudeau should be done with the excavation in a few days and hopefully we will have our blueprints by then so that we can start building the actual foundation.
Our foundation is being built with Logix blocks, so it's like building with legos that snap together. I think you then pour the cement inside the blocks after everything is built. The blocks are a little more pricey, but way more energy efficient and you can nail your siding and drywall directly to the blocks without any framing. They are awesome!!
I will post some additional pictures up tomorrow...Taylor has the camera and is taking pictures of the lot through the whole process.
Friday, August 8, 2008
Planning Board Meeting
Taylor and I were scheduled to attend the Planning Board Meeting this past Wednesday. I was so nervous, just from hearing all the horror stories of what can happen at a planning board meeting. Anyway, we had to submit our plans for architectural review; which means we had to submit the exterior layout of the house and shingle/siding samples. Basically, the board wants to make sure that we are not painting the house hot pink!
Things went well and the meeting and we were in and out in a matter of 15 minutes. We have to go back later this month so that people from the community can attend and tell us how much they don't like the look of the house! I'm not anticipating anything, as it is pretty much and Adirondack-style vacation home look and the brown siding is going to meld right into the hillside.
In other news, Taylor and I were struggling to get our piece of property sub-divided from Commercial/Residential to Commercial & Residential. I guess we got the papers signed the other day, because now we are able to be sub-divided for the bank which makes me feel a whole lot better. Before, we were going to have our home and business under one mortgage; so if the business went sour, we would lose our home. Now that won't happen and I can breathe just a little more!
Things went well and the meeting and we were in and out in a matter of 15 minutes. We have to go back later this month so that people from the community can attend and tell us how much they don't like the look of the house! I'm not anticipating anything, as it is pretty much and Adirondack-style vacation home look and the brown siding is going to meld right into the hillside.
In other news, Taylor and I were struggling to get our piece of property sub-divided from Commercial/Residential to Commercial & Residential. I guess we got the papers signed the other day, because now we are able to be sub-divided for the bank which makes me feel a whole lot better. Before, we were going to have our home and business under one mortgage; so if the business went sour, we would lose our home. Now that won't happen and I can breathe just a little more!
Monday, August 4, 2008
Big Wishes...Big Constraints
When you say you want to build a house, you don't really have any clue what goes in to that kind of investment. You think, I'll get a loan, pick a floorplan, and pay someone to do the rest.
I guess that mentality works for someone who is independently wealthy, but not for the rest of us. Taylor and I have known for 3 years that we wanted to build a house. I've been pining of floorplans for 3 YEARS!!! I finally scraped most of them and designed it myself with my needs in mind. See, we're buying a pre-fab; so there are only so many things that you need to do, or have to do. I am limited by structural "boxes" and maximized lengths and widths of those boxes. It can be a pain, but at the same time it is kind of nice. I know my limitations and where I have creative freedom and where I don't. I need those boundaries sometimes!!
Taylor and I live in Lake Placid, where most of the houses are beautiful and are designed to enjoy the views of the mountains. Taylor bought our lot a few years ago for his business and we are lucky enough to be able to build our home on the same lot. We are also very fortunate that the view from our lot is of the Sentinel Range Mountains. We want to make sure that we take advantage of the view, but it also means that our house will not be hidden from the scrutiny of passer-bys. We are building next to a really nice stick-built house and want to make sure that ours fits in with the locale. A typical pre-fab wouldn't cut it for us. The houses around us are all wood siding with beautiful decks and big picture windows. We can't afford all that, so we are doing everything we can to achieve that same look without the cost. It is tricky and very time consuming.
On top of everything else, my mind flies a mile-a-minute when it comes to dreaming up ideas for the house. Paint colors, tile selections, interior decorations...you know; all the fun stuff! If I'm lucky...my head won't explode before the house comes!
I guess that mentality works for someone who is independently wealthy, but not for the rest of us. Taylor and I have known for 3 years that we wanted to build a house. I've been pining of floorplans for 3 YEARS!!! I finally scraped most of them and designed it myself with my needs in mind. See, we're buying a pre-fab; so there are only so many things that you need to do, or have to do. I am limited by structural "boxes" and maximized lengths and widths of those boxes. It can be a pain, but at the same time it is kind of nice. I know my limitations and where I have creative freedom and where I don't. I need those boundaries sometimes!!
Taylor and I live in Lake Placid, where most of the houses are beautiful and are designed to enjoy the views of the mountains. Taylor bought our lot a few years ago for his business and we are lucky enough to be able to build our home on the same lot. We are also very fortunate that the view from our lot is of the Sentinel Range Mountains. We want to make sure that we take advantage of the view, but it also means that our house will not be hidden from the scrutiny of passer-bys. We are building next to a really nice stick-built house and want to make sure that ours fits in with the locale. A typical pre-fab wouldn't cut it for us. The houses around us are all wood siding with beautiful decks and big picture windows. We can't afford all that, so we are doing everything we can to achieve that same look without the cost. It is tricky and very time consuming.
On top of everything else, my mind flies a mile-a-minute when it comes to dreaming up ideas for the house. Paint colors, tile selections, interior decorations...you know; all the fun stuff! If I'm lucky...my head won't explode before the house comes!
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