The reason we chose this community was location yes, but 1 acre lot size was the icing on the cake. Not to mention mountain views! For us Florida peeps, we could not be more stoked. We paid a premium for our lot but it was the best lot in the neighborhood. Once the lot was picked, contracts were signed, color selection, and deposit was transferred,we scheduled our Pre-construction meeting. This meeting took place in the model and had all of our color selections and blueprints laid out. We went over each room and lay out as well as walking our lot to discuss the clearing and placement of the house. Our PM was very helpful and knowledgeable and informed us that each week he would send us updates and pics.Which brings us to the very first week of clearing and grading January 25th. I have read so many other blogs but they don't specify dates so I'm going to break down the timeline from start to finish as accurately as possible. Next up ... footers! Let's put out the "no rain " vibes!
Week 1 -Jan. 26th (Clearing & Grading)
We are officially cleared and graded! It is amazing to see the land in its raw form. It has been a run of great weather which I hope will continue over the next few months. They seem to be working very fast and I think since we are one of the last homes in the development, we are getting extra attention. Our PM has informed us that the footers will be on next week so lets pray to those weather gods.
Week 2- February 6th (Ground Break)
I couldn't believe my eyes when I opened our weekly email. They had really got a ton done! We are moving along with not only the footers but also the basement walls are half way up as well. All in a week's work. Next up will be finishing the walls,concrete, plumbing, and backfill. I am anticipating at least a day of rain so we will see how efficiently they can work to get all of this completed before week 3. It is certainly a tall order for such a short amount of time, so I am anxious for next weeks progress.
Week 3 -Feb.11th (Foundation)
We have a foundation! They were able to knock-out the walls as well as the underground plumbing and exterior waterproofing. There has been a run of dry weather so they have been moving along quickly. Next week we may not be as lucky but my hope is to stay ahead since they have been so efficient thus far.If you notice the two-story house across the street, that house had not even started last month when we were up there so you can see just how quickly these guys are. I have read that the 3 F's are footings, foundation, and framing, so we are well on our way now! Hoping next week doesn't dampen our building plans too much.
Week 4 -Feb. 18th (Back-fill and rain delay)
Well, just as I had suspected, the weather gods were not favorable this week. Inspections did not take place and since they have to have it dry in order to pour the slab, the week's worth of rain did not allow for much to be done. They managed to get the back-fill delivered but that's about it. I am confident that next week will be much more productive and hopefully it will get us back up to speed.
Week 5-Feb. 25th (Plumbing inspection,brick laid)
So after crappy weather last week, they were able to get a jump early this week (before more rain moved in again). The plumbing has been done and passed inspection, back fill is done, and the brick was laid on the front of the house. (you can see it through the plastic) Unfortunately, the concrete that was supposed to be poured in the basement was delayed due to rain so next week will be top priority before moving on to framing. Once the framing goes up, I think the weather will become less of a factor for inhibiting production. Hoping to see that lumber up next week!
Weeks 6 and 7- March 4th-(Slab poured, Framing begins)
I am combing these two weeks because my PM was out of town the last half of week 6 and I did not receive my update until the following Friday. It was torture for me to have to wait but it was worth the patience because as you can see, we now have an almost fully framed house! They were able to frame, backfill, and lay the brick in these past two weeks. They will be finishing framing over the weekend, adding the plumbing and HVAC on Wednesday of next week as well as electrical. In addition to all that, we have our official Pre-Drywall meeting date set for March 25th at 9:00 am! It's looking like great weather for the next week and we are so excited to get back to Greenville to the progress of our home. I am hoping that they will have our completion date for us at the time of the drywall meeting as well. For now, we are visualizing every room and the furniture (pre-shopping) has begun!
Week 8- March 18th (Framing complete, roof, HVAC, electrical)
In anticipation for our upcoming trip to Greenville this week, I have been particularly antsy to receive our weekly update. I have been checking the daily weather, reading other blogs, looking at furniture and planning our much needed hike! Living so far away through this building process and being so disconnected from our "new life" leaves much to the imagination. It is exciting and nerve wrecking all wrapped in one. Luckily, this week has been gorgeous weather and they have finished the framing, the roofing, inspections, electrical, and plumbing! It is truly looking like a house now and we are so excited to have our walk through. I have our list of questions, things to look for, and of course our camera ready. With so many logistics to plan for our move, we are hoping to have a closing date from our PM when we see him so we can make arrangements within the next month. Our original closing date per our contract was May 1st, so we are hoping for that if not sooner!
Week 9 March 25th (Pre-Drywall meeting!)
This was the moment we had been dreaming of for weeks! We were so excited to drive up and see what our property,home,view, and street looks like. As we pulled into the neighborhood, with the Blue Ridge in the backdrop, I was reminded of why we picked this for our new residence. Our street was the very last one to be completed so there was about 6 houses in addition to ours that are still under construction. All of which will be completed prior to ours,which means no construction once when move in! As we pulled up to our lot, there she was with that adorable front porch. The front of the house is misleading in it's stature because it looks so small. However, once we walked around back, it was like a wave of "wow" that hit me all at once! I could not believe how big our house was, but our backyard was even more amazing than I had ever imagined. Don't you love when things exceed your expectations like that? It is the best feeling. So much so, that I choked up and was literally speechless. Since our yard is on a slope, our PM was inventive enough to build us a really cool rock retaining wall. Needless to say, the kids can not wait to go sledding next Winter. Our PM walked us through the entire house room by room, and went over details of it's energy efficiency. He also let the kids sign their names in their rooms which I thought was so sweet. There were a few minor things that had to be adjusted with regard to the placement of electrical,but nothing major. He also told us his plan to grade a flat space at the bottom of the hill for a play area as well as pressure wash the rocks before they spread the seed and straw. In upstate,the ground is clay so Ryan Homes included the seed and straw for the yard with an option to purchase sod. We opted not to do sod. After the walk through, we were given the most exciting news...our closing date!! We will be closing on May 17th with our walk through on the 16th. Until then, we will be mapping out all the possibilities for our amazing backyard!
Endless Possibilities back here!
You would never guess it's 4700 sq feet
Claiming their room
Our open concept with mountain views!
Week 9 April 1 (Siding and Drywall)
Well we are moving into the fun part now and it's really taking on character! I was back and forth on the siding color for a while because you can't really get an accurate idea from a tiny swatch. However , after seeing the siding on the house, I am more than confident in my choice and absolutely love it! The color was brand new also and since we are the last house in the neighborhood, we are the only ones with "evening blue". I am hoping to add a "craftsman" style wood door to the front as well as a decorative gate around the front porch. In addition to working on the siding, they have have almost completed the drywall and are moving on to paint,cabinets, and possibly tile by next week. Can not wait to see the inside!
Week 10 April 8th (Paint, cabinets,exterior)
Heading into the 10th week and the inside is taking shape. I couldn't wait to see the cabinet color as well as our "craftsman" sinks! The basement kitchen cabinets are also in (darker color) than we chose for our kitchen and bathrooms upstairs. Once the white granite countertops are installed and the dark wood floors , it is really going to make the whole combination look amazing. Picking out all the colors and customizations has been such a fun experience. Next week will be floors, tile, and driveway. We are now 4 weeks from completion!
Week 11 April 15th (Countertops, Deck, Trim, Stair Banisters)
Well we are really picking up steam here in week 11. The biggest "wow" factor is most definitely our beautiful deck! We actually designed this deck custom because the standard deck just was not big enough for us. We like to spend most of our time outside. We can't wait to have meals on our deck while taking in our views of rolling hills and mountain ridgeline. They still have to pour the concrete underneath for dad's walkout patio which will be done next week along with the driveway. The countertops are in the bathrooms as well as the kitchen and basement kitchen. The stair banisters really made my day also. I just love the "craftsman" style railings and can't wait to string them with lights and garland for Christmas. We are in our last month and the countdown has begun! Next week,we should have a driveway, floors, and decorative trims.
Week 12 April 22nd (Driveway, floors, appliances, lighting
I can't believe we are less than 3 weeks away from leaving the state of Florida and starting our new life in the Carolina's! I have had time to get all of our furniture delivery dates set, our appointments for utilities, as well as Summer hiking and local activities planned. We are so ready to get this Summer kicked off and take advantage of living in our beautiful new home while exploring both South and North Carolina. This week is basically the beginning of wrapping up the final items before completion. Our PM has been so informative,quick to respond, and gone the extra mile when it comes to accommodating our build. He even said he has a "surprise"for us next week. So next week will be landscaping, slab under the deck,trim,and final paint. They should have plenty of time for all the final touches within the next two and half weeks.We are in the home stretch!
Week 12 and 13 (April 29-May 6th)
Well these last two weeks have been the most exciting yet! Not only on the inside of the house but also the outside. The last time we were up there it was still Winter and the trees and land were barren. Now that Spring has sprung it looks like a whole new surrounding. This is one of the many reasons we are excited to move out of Florida... seasons! The backyard is now filled with green rolling hills and trees. They have finished the wood floors, the bathrooms,the carpet,the basement, all the trim,as well as the energy efficient NEST system. The landscaping is being finished up and the final grade has been done to the backyard. In 4 days they will be pressure washing and doing a final cleaning in preparation of the final walk through on May 16th.That's right.. we are moving in 6 days! In only 13 weeks from the time they broke ground and I have to say I have been thoroughly impressed by the process and communication with our project manager. He has been quick to reply and fix the minor mistakes. So far, the process of home -building has been much less scary than I initially anticipated. Now it's time to prep/pack/ and say good-bye to Florida and hello to our new journey in the Blue Ridge foothills!
