Framing started…..Framing done?

 So I wanted to wait until the framing was done until I wrote this blog. They started last Tuesday and was mostly done by Saturday. We went out Tuesday night and got to watch the first wall going up, which was to the morning room. It seems like it’s been forever since we started the whole process. We went back out the next night. We were told once they start the framing it goes fast. They already had most of the first floor done and was starting to do the floor beams on the second.

So Friday night we went to a high school football game and afterwards we stopped by. They had framed the whole second floor. So in a matter of 3 days the house was mostly framed. All that they didn’t have done was the point on the front which was on the ground ready to go in and the roof covered. So we waited and went out on our normal day of Wednesday. The roof had been finished and the windows and doors were on. We looked in the windows and saw they had the framing of the island and pantry done and a few others. It’s really starting to look like a house that’s for sure. Hopefully by this weekend it’s going to have the roof all the way done.

First wall going up 

First floor done 

10pm Friday trip second floor done

Saturday daylight check 

Back of the house 

Tuesday all framed roof ready for shingles and windows/doors in 

Progress….for the sake of progress

A few days since we had been out to the site we decided to stop by and see if the walls were up or not. Little to our surprise they were up and done. Now we get to wait for the weekend to be over to see what else they do. 

Basement walls poured

We had some stuff to do and didn’t get out to see what’s been done until yesterday. To our surprise they had the basement walls wrapped and even back filled and the pipes ran for some of the plumbing. Now they should be able to pour the floor of the basement the next few days. To our amazement they had delivered the wood and windows to the lot. It’s so unreal seeing the pile sitting there and more than just a hole in the ground.

Wrapped and back filled

Pipes ran ready for the floor

All the wood 

Doors and windows 

We have footers

So after the long Labor Day weekend we were told by our PM that the footers would be done on Tuesday. We know how it’s been going so we were hoping that they would actually get to do them. After the wife got off work we ran over to the site to see and sure enough they were poured and they already removed the forms to them. They must have done them first thing in the morning. I use to pour concrete before I was in the military and normally if we got it done early enough we could remove the forms later in the afternoon, it would be set up enough. Now we hope we will have basement walls soon and all the wood delivered.

Back On Track

The paper we needed to drop off to authorize the moving of the house back 5 feet was dropped off on 08/26. John called me that evening to let me know that the lot was going to be staked again that night so they could start digging the next day.  It made us feel so much better to know that they would start digging the very next day.

So the wife and I drove out to the lot on Thursday to see what all they were able to get dug up. As we drove up we noticed that there was no digger on the lot. So it was not a shock to us that there was no hole besides the small one they had started a few days prior. I text our PM that day to see what was going on with the lot not being dug up. He let me know that there was an issue with the excavator and that they were working on getting it fixed. Our PM said that they would start digging on Friday and would have it done by Saturday at the latest. Of course we weren’t exactly thrilled about it but nothing we could do.

Friday morning we decided to drive by the lot to see if there was an excavator at the lot yet and there wasn’t. That afternoon I received a call from our PM letting us know that they still weren’t there and should be there on Saturday or at the absolute latest Monday. At this point the wife and I were just hoping for a hole to get dug on Monday.

We made our way out there Monday evening and saw them finishing up with the dig. It was absolutely amazing to know that the build was finally really starting for us. It seemed like we had been dealing with a big standstill the entire time.

                                                     Front view 

The garage 

                                                  Where they had to move it back 5ft

                               

The Kitchen/morning room 

Our soon longer driveway

Now we are just hoping for some good weather the next couple weeks so they can get the foundation done for us.

So it begins…..or so we thought

So on 08/24 I text our project manager to ask him a question and he gave me a call. He let me know that they were probably going to start digging on 08/25 instead of 8/26. This made both my wife and I very happy. Sure it is only one day difference but to finally have the house started had us excited.

The wife and I decided to drive by the lot that same day and get one final look at the lot before they started. To our surprise they had already dug up the dirt where our driveway would be going and put gravel down. We both decided that we would come back by the following evening to see the progress they had made since they were going to be actually digging the next day.

Driveway ready 

As soon as the wife got off work the next day we made our way out to the lot. When we drove up we did see more dirt piled up but not the size hole dug out as we expected. Only the front room appeared to be dug out. The wife stayed positive and tried saying maybe they got started later today and will get more done the next day.

Little dirt moved 

The hole so far 

As we were driving back home I checked my email and saw that I had one from our sales rep. Apparently while they were digging they found a sewer line. So now they want to move our house back 5 feet and we have to sign off on something before they can proceed stating that we agree to it. While we both understand that 5 feet isn’t that big of a deal it is still very frustrating. How is it that they did not know there was a sewer line on our property? They should have been able to know this from city records. So while I am writing this our lot is just sitting there not being worked on until we get this paper up to our sales rep. We have to rush the paper up there on my wife’s lunch to get it to them as soon as possible so they can continue working. Again this is not that big of a deal but just very annoying and frustrating.

While my wife and I were discussing this on the drive home we had our son in the backseat telling us to not sign the paper. My wife asked him why he didn’t want us to sign the paper and he told her because he would lose play space in the backyard. Of course my wife being the woman she is downplayed the loss of the 5 feet in the backyard. She told our son that 5 feet is just the length of her if she lay down. This seemed to calm him down a little bit. I guess 5 feet to a 6 year old seems like a huge amount.

Not the best start to the dig but there could be worse things that could occur. Hopefully moving forward it will be smooth sailing.

Pre-Construction Meeting

So a few days ago we had our pre-construction meeting. It was at the model home with our sales rep and John, our project manager. Our sales rep told us this meeting would be about an hour and to write down any questions that we have. When we first sat down we went John’s role and what all he would be doing. He let us know how we can get in contact with him if we need to for any reason regarding the building of the house.

John had a long checklist of everything we would be discussing over the meeting. John made sure that we were aware that we were not allowed on the site without a ryan home rep present due to safety reasons. For this part of the checklist both my wife and I had to initial that we understood. John made sure to let us know that we are not able to do any type of work on the home until we close with NVR. He went through all the steps of when everybody will be brought in to do the work on the house. I was happy to hear that the drywall people come out 3-4 times after they first do the drywall for touch ups and clean up along with the painters.

Then we went over the blueprint and all the outside options we had picked out to make sure everything we had picked out was there and everything was correct. This was done for all levels of the house and every option we had chosen.  Just a last minute check to make sure they get all the right stuff to go into the house. John then went over the timeline they are looking at and about when the pre-drywall meeting will be about and what all it entails. He went over that we will be working with him after we close for our house walk though and home demonstration along with the post 30 day inspection.

On top of initialing the area where we agreed to not go in the home alone we had to sign his check list of everything he went over. We also had to sign a survey paper showing us where the concrete drive way, sod and seed would be along with the lot size which we already knew. It seems it was just to verify the lot size and where the sod ends and seed starts. A copy of the survey paper was made for us so we could keep it in our files for if we want to build a fence down the road. We wrapped up with a few questions we had. John was really thorough in his explaining so most of ours were already answered.

Our sales rep then asked if we were going to go down to the lot and check it out. John didn’t think it was staked yet but we went down and it had already been all nice and staked out. We walked around the lot with John and he pointed out where everything would be. On the 26^th they are supposed to be breaking ground. As of right now our close date is November 18^th, a week before thanksgiving. Now the fun 

                                              Lot all staked out (and they are digging the lot right behind us)

Loan Approved

Well it took 9 days to get here back from underwriting, but we are APPROVED!!!!!  It was a pain waiting, everything hits a standstill while you wait. We did find out our start date is the 26^th of August and attentive complete date is the 18^th of November, which is great because our lease is up the 30^th. So we could be out in time and not have to hold over and pay more money. Our pre-construction meeting is set for August 20^th. So now we wait for that meeting and then they should be breaking ground in under a week from that meeting.