Got my mudroom and desk!

Last night M2 and I met with the builder to go over the preliminary plans. I went to the meeting thinking it was going to be not altogether that comfortable. There were windows left out and the mudroom was just way to small to be in any way usable.

Turned out to be a great meeting. We got the mudroom to be much bigger and we didn't have to pay any extra for it. The room is going to be 6ft6in X 8ft. There will be a door to the garage, a door to the backyard and then a door to the house. That is a lot of doors for that small a space but on paper it seemed to flow better than it had. There is now a wall where we can put a bench and hang some hooks for coats. That is really all I was hoping for.

The missing windows were just an accident. As it turned out we got a nice slider to go to the backyard from the family room area plus another window in there. There is also a pretty window on the landing in the stairway. That will give nice light.

The other highpoint for me is the little desk we added to the one wall next to the pantry. Just big enough for me to put my laptop and slide a chair under but I am so thrilled about that. I figure I can put some shelves up above for putting my little calendar and other "mom" stuff. They did charge us for that but I am not sure how much yet.

So altogether a positive meeting. We have to secure some construction homeowner's insurance before settlement. Final plans will probably be in late next week. We are looking at about 4 weeks away from breaking ground! After that the builder has 150 days to complete construction. We were told last night that they like to finish between 120-130 days. How exciting is that?!

Link to general plans

Here is a link to a basic plan that is similar to our house. Our house was based off this plan and then we made lots of changes and upgrades

http://www.frankbetz.com/homeplans/plan_info.html?pn=821

Preliminary Plans

We got the preliminary plans today. Things look ok. Matt and I have to sit down and look at them together but my initial thoughts are as follows:

1. The mud room may be a little on the small size

2. We need another door to the backyard

3. Love the kitchen except for the dishwasher is on the right side of the sink. I think that in any house I have ever lived in it was on the left. Am I crazy?

4. The front entry is nice and big with plenty of space

5. Love the laundry upstairs

The View

Here is a picture of the view we will have from our lot.

2006 Affordable Suburbs

Here is a link to this article that names the top 25 Most Affordable Suburbs for 2006. West Chester, PA is #21!!!!

http://images.businessweek.com/ss/06/11/1116_suburbs/index_01.htm?campaign_id=yahoo

Hints on building a house

I found this information helpful at www.ourfamilyplace.com


Don't overbuild for the neighborhood. Having the biggest and most expensive house in the area may be wonderful for your ego, but it will be a disaster when it comes time to sell.

Build for resale. No matter how long you intend to stay in the house you build, it will have to be sold at some point (which is often sooner rather than later). Never build strictly for your own needs and tastes--a 1 bedroom 3 bath house may be perfect for you, but it will be next to impossible to sell.

Get the best contractor your budget will allow. When building a house, quality is usually more important than quantity. ServiceMagic makes the process of finding a contractor simple, since they pre-screen firms throughout the United States. Click here for more information.

Be prepared for delays. Building a house is a complicated project and utilizes dozens of subcontractors, workers and suppliers. Delays can--and probably will--happen, and that will back up the entire process. A delay, for example, in the framing stage stops everything: electricians and plumbers are unable to do their "rough-in" work until the framing is completed. Don't lock your move-in date in stone--it may be weeks later.

Monitor the progress of the house building as much as possible. During construction a lot can be accomplished--both positively and negatively--in a short amount of time. This is especially true during the framing stage. Catching a mistake early will save a lot of headaches later.

Watch your construction allowances. Generally, in the total cost of building a house you will be given allowances for such items as flooring (carpeting and vinyl), lighting, plumbing fixtures, etc. Make certain that you can actually get the materials you want within the allowance amount. For example, if you have a $3500 flooring allowance and the carpeting and vinyl floors you want will cost $5500, you are the one who will have to make up the $2000 difference. These "allowance overruns" can add up quickly!

Advantages and Disadvantages

I found this list of plusses and minuses to building a house. It helps me to think we are doing the right thing.


Advantages
More customized to your wants and needs

All components of the house are new

Most components are of the latest design

New houses are generally built in areas of expansion rather than decline. This will really help the future resale value.

May be more personally satisfying if you take an active role in the house building process.

Disadvantages

Generally more expensive than a resale house.

The delay during time of construction.

Potential "new house" problems--like anything brand new, it is rarely perfect.


The added costs--landscaping, window treatments, decorating, etc.--that you incur after moving in.

More complicated--finding a lot, finding a builder, getting a construction loan, etc

To address the issues above:
The delay during construction time is not an issue as we have already sold the house and my dad has so graciously allowed to shack up at his place.

Generally costs may be higher than resale but it seems as though we are getting a good house for a good price when you look at the houses that are on the market right now for the price we are paying.

The added costs would be an issue whether new or resale.

We have already found an area we like and it comes with a builder that is a custom builder. We have been able to choose plans that we like and make changes as we like. The process has gone real well so far.

99.9%

That is the percentage we are sure that we will be building a house.

We found a nice neighborhood near the school we would like our kids to attend.

There are street lights and sidewalks.

50 new lots just opened up a few months ago and the lot we have put money on has a TERRIFIC view! Of course, we wanted a lot that would give us the biggest, flattest backyard we can get. That's important when your thinking of wiffle ball games, tag, hide and seek, and any other childhood game I can remember playing.

All in all I think, if we do this, we will end up with a real nice house that is well built and offer us a safe haven for many years to come.

Bring on the choices!