Our New Adair Home

We have moved in!

Saturday was the open house.  It was crazy.  There were so many people that came through.  Jeff and I spent some time at the house and answered questions about the construction and timelines and such.  Being as happy as I am with the whole process, I think I might have sold a couple new houses myself!

Our son, Jake, was standing at the ready in the afternoon to help us start loading up at our storage facility.  We rolled into the drive with the large items right when the last visitor was leaving.  Two loads and a lot of pizza later, we had the living room and bedroom set up, along with a garage full of miscellaneous stuff.  Jeff and I worked again on Sunday, and now it is mostly boxes and wall hangings left to be moved from storage.  I have found it is going to be a process, but we are in the house and out of the fifth-wheel.  I'm thrilled!

So this is the end of this part of our story.  We will now start a new chapter in our lives.  We thank God for the blessing of the "do-over."  We are committed to being better stewards of what we have been given this time. 

I can't finish this story without thanking all of the people who have been a part of this journey. 

First, Scott Pursley - the salesman who first pointed us in the right direction.  Scott is not only a great salesman, he is a knowledgeable professional that understands every part of the process because he has worked on the construction side as well as sales.  He is a guy that can make things happen.

Heidi and Diane at Adair Financial.  Without them I am unsure if the building loan would have happened.  Being self-employed in this economic climate was a real challenge.  But those ladies helped me navigate through the rough spots and we got it done.

Jeff - our building superintendent.  Didn't see much of him, but Jeff kept the momentum going even through the rough fall weather and the Thanksgiving holidays,  All of the subs that were sent out were professional and efficient. 

Warren Ewing - our excavator.  I am not inclined to name each sub that we used, but I need to give Warren a special thank you for not only the quality workmanship he provided, but also the personal interest he took in our well-being.  Because of his expert abilities, we saved $10,000.00 on the installation of our septic system.  That savings resulted in a lot of extra gravel around the jobsite that benefited all of the trades coming after, and it allowed us to install a whopping big patio that we will enjoy for years to come.  Hats off to Warren.  If anyone reading this has a opportunity to work with him in the future, count yourself fortunate to have him on your team.

Ben Wheeler - our finish superintendent.  This is my can-do guy.  I don't think Ben ever saw a problem he couldn't fix.  Having built an Adair home he and his family live in and planning to build another, this young man understands  from the inside out.  I could always find a willing ear and a ready answer for any problem with the construction process I had.  Ben kept me informed as to what was going on and what I could expect at all times.  That really helped, because, as the finishing work started happening I found things got a lot more personal.  Ben instinctively understood and helped me work through my concerns.  

Jim - our finish carpenter.  Once again, I really need to mention one of the sub-contractors.  Jim is an amazing craftsman.  He is a tireless worker, polite, kind, professional.  He can bend wood to his will.  We will be enjoying the fruits of his labor for many years to come.  Thank you, Jim, for the beautiful interior of our home.

To all the sub-contractors that I didn't mention, our heartfelt thanks for being a part of this project.  There is not one person Adair sent out that was not completely professional.  Every trade came when I was told they would come and finished their job in a timely manner.  The nightmare stories I have heard about building simply did not apply.  Even the small repairs that needed to be done have been done timely.  We could not be any happier.

I hope if anyone reading this blog is interested in building, you consider giving Adair a try.  If you are up for putting in a little time to participate in the process, the rewards are huge.  If we could do it, so can you!

The Home Stretch

Jim did indeed finish installing the finish woodwork on Friday, and Ben and I had our walk through.  The punch list is being worked on this week. Also, caulking and filling the nail holes on the woodwork continues.  The cleaners are due in tomorrow to do the final cleaning.  Inspections are ongoing this week.  We have to pass a plumbing and a mechanical inspection, and then the final.  Ben is hard at work on these to make sure everything passes.

We had another issue with the granite.  When it was installed the second time there was too much overhang at one end - like about 5" too much.  So the granite installers have to come out and cut it back and do whatever it takes to make it look right.  That is suppose to happen today.  Getting it right has been a challenge for those people.  Ben is staying on them, though.  

Scott is gearing up for the open house on Saturday.  It will be from 9 - 5.  It is our intention to at least set up our bedroom once the open house has ended, so we can sleep in the house Saturday night.  It will be so nice to sleep in a real bed again.  Not that the bed in the fifth-wheel isn't "real."  But it is short and the covers constantly slide off and when you get out of the bed you have to step down a step to the floor, and we only have to do this four more nights!

So I have some new pictures.  Keep in mind the house needs to be cleaned.  But here is the finished product so far.

Welcome to our home!  The gravel in the opening will be removed and I will plants some shrubs and flowers.You can kind of see the house numbers we put up the other day.

This is the great room looking from the nook towards the front door.  That is my office to the right of the door.  The other opening leads to the master bedroom.

Here is the kitchen with all of the granite and all of the appliances.  The overhang that is too long is on the right.  I brought a couple of our bar stools in to see if they work with  the height of the counter.  Check out the pendant lights.  So sweet!  Down that hallway is the utility room - first door on the right, bedroom - second on right, hall bathroom - first on left, broom closet - second on left, bedroom (which will be used for Jeff's office) - third on left.  The door at the end of the hall is a linen closet that I intend to use as a pantry.

Another view down the hallway.  You can see the additional counter space in the nook.  I think this is intended as a work area, but because Jeff and I will both have an office, we are going to use it for extra seating for the grandkids.

Another view of the kitchen.   You can see the dishwasher in this one, and it gives a better idea of the expanse of the island.  Notice the American flag across the room.  I went to the home show Saturday.  Elmer's Flag and Banner was there and I couldn't resist.  We put the bracket up Sunday and my flag is flying. 

Powder room off of the entry and across from my office.

Another view of my office cabinets.  With all the trim finished, they really do look lovely.

This is the master bedroom looking toward the door to the great room.  Master bath to the right.  Notice the little door - our finish carpenter was kind enough to install a built-in ironing board for me.  I purchased it at Lowes.

Master bathroom looking from the closet to the bedroom.  In the original plans the half wall was a full wall with the stool enclosed in its own room, and the bathtub was smaller.  We like the openness of this better.

Hall bathroom.  Toilet and bathtub is in a separate room.

This will be our guest room.  We call it "Fay and Bill's room" because we expect my sister and her husband who live in Texas to be frequent guests!   Note the door in the hallway.  That's the broom closet.  I love that little door.

Here is the white room.  This is Jeff's office.  Remember, he wanted it white.  Maybe I'll like it better when he gets some pictures up.  He loves it.

Utility room.  This is my least favorite thing about the house - that the laundry room looks so mechanical.  But, hey.  I have a washer and dryer again!  And the room is quite large.  So, no complaints.

Well, that's about it.  I hope you enjoyed the tour.  Moving day is right around the corner.  I'll keep you posted as I find the time.

Plumbing and lighting and woodwraps, Oh, my!

The plumber and the electrician both were here on Monday, working their magic.  We now have lights and switches in every room.  We have a thermostat on the wall for the furnace.  The heat pump is in.  And we have hot and cold running water!

The carpenter is continuing to install the wraps around the windows and doors.  I am attaching a few pictures so you can see.  Again, the pictures do not do it justice.  It is so pretty it almost makes me cry. 

Here is a close-up of the crown molding.  This tops all of the windows and doors.

This is the double door leading to the master bedroom.

This is the door leading outside from the master bedroom.

Here is an example of what the base molding looks like.  (Notice the granite hasn't been replaced yet.  That is suppose to happen today or tomorrow.) 

Jim says he will be done with the finish work tomorrow.  Ben says we will have our walk-thru tomorrow afternoon.  It is my goal to have the final county inspection by Thursday of next week.  So close!

Valentines and Granite

First, on a personal note:

Last Sunday was Valentine's Day.  After returning from church around noon, Jeff (husband) asked me to go over to the house with him for a minute, he had something to show me.  What a sweet surprise - he had set up a make-shift table on the half wall that will be the bar.  He had laid out a lovely lunch of crab and crackers and such accompanied by candles and chocolates and one perfect red rose.  We brought some stools in and had our very first romantic meal in our almost finished new home.  That's one I'll remember for a long time.  What a great guy I'm married to!

Now for my update.  Not much has happened this week.  Al came out Wednesday and Thursday to finish touching up the exterior paint and to paint the exterior doors.  We have had great weather this week, so it was a good time to get this finished.  I'm still really pleased with the way the outside turned out.

The granite was suppose to be installed on Wednesday, but got moved back to Thursday.  I had to leave home around 1:00 that day, but I went over before leaving and took these pictures.  The pictures do not do it justice.  The granite is beautiful.  I love it! 

So, I was at an event with my grandson at about 5:30 when I got a call letting me know there had been an incident at the house.  Evidently, the granite on the upper part of the bar (you can see it in the first picture) had not been braced when it was set, and the whole slab had taken a tumble.  There was some minor damage to the vinyl flooring and to the sheetrock on the bar, but thankfully no other granite pieces had been damaged.  That first picture is the only one we will see of that slab!  The new slab has already been ordered and will be installed next week.  Ben has assured me any damage will be repaired and we will be good as new.  I am confident that will be the case.

Monday starts a very eventful week.  The electricians and the plumber are both scheduled.  Tuesday Jim, the finish carpenter, comes back.  Hopefully, by the following Monday we will be ready for our walk-through.  We are getting really close to occupancy!  The plan is for Scott to hold an open house on Saturday, March 6th.  Then the house will be turned over to us.  I can't wait!    

The Concrete Work is Done!

The concrete pour was moved back a day to Tuesday.  The morning dawned foggy, but turned into a beautiful, sunny day, which was just perfect for pouring concrete.  Toby Davis and his crew arrived bright and early, and by the end of the day we had a porch, sidewalks, a parking pad and a wonderfully large back patio.  With all of our children and grandchildren I assured Toby we would enjoy every square inch of that big patio. 

Here is a partial view from inside the house.

I must say, this has been one of the most exciting events so far.  I was concerned that, because of the winter weather, we would not be able to have our concrete until later in the year.  The timing for the pour was excellent.  It started raining again on Wednesday.

Jim continued to work on the finish inside the house this week.  All of the interior doors are hung, the closet shelves and dowels have all been installed, and he has started on the surrounds inside the window frames.  Unfortunately, Jim will not be back until a week from Monday.  Hopefully, we are on track for his work to be finished the last week of this month.

Wednesday the carpet and vinyl layers began their work.  By Thursday night all of the carpet and vinyl was installed as well as all of the countertops in the bathrooms and utility room.  The laminate color is call Tumbled Roca and mimics travertine.  It is a very soothing color.

You can see the vinyl flooring in this picture.  It is Mannington's Jumpstart Prairie Beige.  Here is another view.  This is down the hallway off the kitchen. We chose to replace the carpet in this hallway with the vinyl due to our dogs coming in the house through the utility room (first door on the right.)

Here is a view looking toward the front door.  You can see how the vinyl and the carpet blend.  We also made a change in the entry.  The house plan calls for hardwood at the front door.  But we wanted something a little more durable, so opted for the vinyl.  It's certainly pretty enough to be the first thing our guests see when they enter our home!

Here is one more picture taken in my office.  You can see the carpet better in this one.  I am really please with everything so far.  Next week will be rather slow.  Granite will be installed on Wednesday.  I will post pictures when that happens.

Update . . .

It's been a week since I have posted, and a lot has happened.  Monday Al, the painter, finished the interior of the house.  I have been a little nervous about the color I chose.  It took on a pinkish hue (to my eye) after it was on the wall.  I call 40 gallons of paint "commitment," so I figured I would have to live with it.  But, guess what?  Once the cabinets and white woodwork started going in, I find it is just the color I was after!  

The finish package arrived on Wednesday and Thursday. 

John went to work laying the underlayment for our vinyl flooring.  He also hung the front, side and back doors so we could secure the house.  Thursday Jim, the finish carpenter, started installing cabinets and interior doors.  Things are changing hourly. 

Here are the kitchen cabinets.  They are beautiful!

This was taken in the master bedroom with the door to the hall and to the bathroom closed.  See how lovely the beige walls are against the white woodwork.

These are the cabinets in my office.  

Friday the concrete crew came out and set the forms for the porch, the garage apron, the sidewalk down the side of the house and the back patio.  They will be back Monday morning to lay concrete!!! 

I have to keep pinching myself.  This has got to be THE most exciting part of the construction so far.  I am starting to be able to visualize the finished product, Our Home.

 

Garage Doors

As promised, here is the house with garage doors!

 
They look great, don't they?  I think we are going to leave them white.  I was considering painting them the same as the trim, but I like they way they look.  Very clean.  Can't wait for the front door to go on.

We are finishing up the inside paint. We need to be done at the end of the day on Tuesday.  We also need to have the house cleaned out and ready for the finish package on Wednesday.  After the sheetrock was hung, workers came in and laid paper over all of the floors.  That has caught all of the mud for the sheetrock, overspray from the wall and ceiling texture, and paint splatter.  We need to take all of that paper out and sweep up any leftover debris.   

I talked to the concrete guy today.  He will be out mid-week to start the forms for the porch, sidewalk, parking apron and patio.  The rain has delayed finishing the outside paint, and it will be a factor in how soon we can complete the concrete work.  We need sunshine!

New Pictures

There probably won't be much to share this next week because we will be painting the inside getting ready for the finish package.  That is suppose to be delivered the 3rd and 4th of February.  The garage doors are going to be installed on Tuesday, so I will post a picture of the house when that is done.

I edited my post titled "Ready to Roll" and added more pictures.  I realized I had gone from a lot with some gravel on it to talking about paint colors.  I hope this gives a more complete idea of our timeline.

I did finally pick out the color for the interior.  It's called Winsome Beige and is a light mocha.  I think it is going to be delightful against the white of the wood around the windows.  The garage is all white, and Jeff wants his office white.  (Too bright for me!)  So we will be working on that all next week.  I'll try to get some inside pictures while that is progressing.

Sheetrock is finished!

The sheetrock crew just rolled out of the driveway.  They sheetrocked the house last week, taped and mudded this week, and today they textured the walls and ceilings.  We can start painting the inside of the house tomorrow afternoon.  The only problem I have is I'm still not sure about the color I want to use inside.

I decided I want the walls all one color.  The house is too open to try to paint different colors in different rooms.  So the color I choose needs to be just right.  I'm leaning towards a light tan (nice and neutral) but still not sure.  I got a piece of foam core and painted it with some of my sample color.  When it dries I am going to take it over to the house and see how it looks in that light.  The color is called "Comforting."  How could you go wrong with that?

The painter was able to get some more done on the out side of the house this week.  Here's what it looks like so far.  I LOVE the color combination. 
The strip of dental above the green as well as the corners, around the other set of windows, the posts and the garage doors will all be painted the cream color.  We would have been painting today, but the weatherman was wrong.  It's been raining all day.  Hopefully tomorrow will be better. 

 The garage doors are going to be put in next Tuesday.  That will really make the house look complete.  I have been told our finish package is being delivered February 3 and 4th.  The front door will go on then and we can secure the house.  I'm happy for that.  It seems like things are starting to happen really fast now.  The end is in sight!

Here's the latest on what is going on out here in Eagle Creek.

 
It's Moday, January 11th.  I haven't blogged for a couple of weeks because we were in the process of
drying out the house.  This became more involved than we originally
thought it would be.  Sheetrock cannot be installed until the moisture
level is below a certain percentage (17 or 18, I think.) We were above the
amount needed in almost every room.  We own three propane heaters, a small
dehumidifier and a box fan, so we put those in the house along with the
rented equipment I told you about, boarded up the doors and turned on the
funace.  It really made a difference when we got the heat up.  We dumped
gallons and gallons of water out of the dehumidifiers.  I must say this
has been the most challenging part of the owner to do list.  (If anyone is
interested in exactly what we did, Jeff kept a record of how he went about this process.) 

Anyway, when Ben came back one week later, we were good to go.  That was January 1st.

Almost forgot.  During that week after Christmas the concrete for the
garage floor got poured, and we had the house rough plumbed for a central
vacuum system.  With Jeff's asthma, we feel it's a good feature to
include.  That needed to be done before the insulation. Also, Jeff
installed the dryer vent.

On Tuesday, the 4rd, the house was insulated.  We decided to have some of
the interior walls insulated also.  It only cost us an extra $135.00, but
we were able to insulate the master bedroom, the island, and the laundry
room from the great room.  You can see some of this in the picture below.  Should make for a quieter house.  Wednesday the insulation and framing were inspected by the county.
  
 I had read in my Homeowner's Handbook (provided by Adair) that
reinforcements should be installed beside windows if we intended to hang
curtains.  So Jeff put pieces of 2x6 at the windows and also a couple
other spots we intend to hang heavy things (like a wall mount TV in the
master bedroom.) I noticed the framers had already done that for things
like towel racks.  It will be great not having stuff pull out of the wall
because it is only attached to sheetrock.  Not having built a house
before, it is really nice to be able to address these little things as the
house comes together.

The rain has really impacted our ability to start the outside paint, but
we decided to at least tackle the prep work this last week-end.  We have a
painter we are working with, but have decided to do some of the work
ourselves in order to save money.  So Saturday, with the help of some
family, we began caulking joints in the siding.  It is a long process if
you do it thoroughly.  We feel like if we do a really good job now we are
less likely to have problems later.  Since yesterday (Sunday) was a dry
day, the painter came out and painted two sides and part of the back of
the house with the first coat.  It is exactly the color I wanted!  The
green was a little startling at first, as I have been looking out my
window at light tan siding for weeks.  But when it is all trimmed out, it
is going to be perfect. 
 

The sheetrock was delivered Thursday.  The install crew came rolling in
this morning, and as I type I can hear them working away.  Music to my
ears.  We also have a guy over there continuing to work on the caulking.
We hope to be finished with that by Wednesday.  There are so many little
places where water can get in.

Speaking of the Handbook, that has been a wonderful tool. There are
folders to keep all of my important papers in, from the bid process to
loan docs and the like.  At the back of the book is a detailed narrative of
the building process, along with directives and helpful tips.  At first I
thought, nice, don't need it, whatever.  But then I made myself read it,
because . . . I should.  I found there was alot of good information in
there.  As we got further into this process, I found there was invaluable
information in there.  I have come to depend on the "back of the book" to
keep me on track.  Great tool.






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