New House! New House! New House!
May 30, 2008
We’re SO excited to finally get started. And there are SO many decisions to be made I’m getting a little dizzy by it all. Plus I’m spending way too much money on home stylin’ mags.
First things first: the plans. The pics are huge so I’m hosting them on Flickr.
Main level (click)
Master Retreat (Daren is calling it the Bow Chicka Wah Wah Den) (click)
Here’s the wish list that we gave to the builder as he asked as for a Top Ten List not unlike David Letterman’s Top Ten:
1) The biggest wish is to be in by August 27 (we close August 29th and I’ll need a day or two to come back and clean this house for the nice pregnant lady moving in - I want it spotless for her). We know this is a tight deadline and it might not happen, so we’re looking at renting a house or staying with family - we’ve asked for a general time line. We’re flexible and obviously would rather have the house done right than rush it. 
2) Kitchen stuff: an island, a refrigerated produce drawer - want to compare wood flooring (see #8) vs. ceramic tile in terms of durability and price.
3) A walk out from the downstairs to the backyard.
4) Ability to add central vac, including that crumb sucker option under kitchen cabinets. (I’m not sure I want this because I I think I want a Dyson more - anyone have and like their central vac? My Granny hates hers)
5) Front porch across the front of the house (we think this is in the current plan)
6) Laundry chute from master bedroom to laundry (if possible)
7) Daren wanted to have co-ax and CAT 5 network cables throughout the house - even to kid’s bedrooms BUT my concern is that CAT 5 will eventually phase out for something better as technology is always changing so hard wiring that in might be silly. Not sure about co-ax. Don’t tell Daren I called him silly. Ha ha.
Flooring - bedrooms = carpet; everywhere else = hard wood with dark stain (thinking oak w/dark walnut stain) See # 2 though - not sure of kitchen flooring. Bathrooms = ceramic tile - need to inquire about $$ of having heating under bathroom floors.
9) Basement - please rough in for a bathroom and drywall. Daren will draw up a general plan for the basement - we’re thinking an extra bedroom, a bathroom, a workout room and a big family room with a wet bar. He wants to build this himself but needs the basics done by builder.
10) Oh look, there is no # 10! How easy are we?
So dear readers, your thoughts? We love these floor plans and those aren’t changing.
Have you got any suggestions for planning? Websites to share? Assvice is welcome!
May 30th, 2008 at 1:07 pm
Your photos appear to be protected.
May 30th, 2008 at 1:15 pm
Okay I think they’re fixed. Thanks Suebob!
May 30th, 2008 at 2:02 pm
Go with the Dyson for sure!!!!! Also…..Can I live in your wet bar? Just a thought
May 30th, 2008 at 2:03 pm
I can’t see the pics either.
The plans look really nice. I’m so excited for you!
Regarding the central vac, we have one and I both like and hate it. I would like a Dyson for the carpeted areas (and will probably buy one eventually), but I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the crumb catcher in the kitchen and wonder how I ever lived without one. Everyday sweeping is a breeze.
Procrastamoms last blog post..Mooooom!!11!!!
May 30th, 2008 at 2:09 pm
You’ll want to have CAT6 put in, not CAT5. CAT5 is rated for speeds up to 100mb/second, and CAT6 is rated up to 1000mb/second. It’s a bit more expensive, but it’s the newest standard in networking cable. To get 1000mb/sec speeds, you’ll have to get gigabit network hardware (IE network cards for the computers, router, etc), but your existing equipment will work just fine at your current speeds with the new cabling, but whenever you want to upgrade your hardware, you’ve already got the cabling in place.
I could not convince my parents to do this, but maybe you’ll listen to me!
As far as it being outdated, it’s going to happen eventually; however, it’s MUCH easier to replace existing cable than it is to run new cable. (Existing cable is a built-in pull string!)
May 30th, 2008 at 2:35 pm
I don’t have any suggestions, just thought I’d tell you how jealous I am.
I love the heated bathroom floors…definitely get that done!
Karlys last blog post..My Vagina: Version 2.0
May 30th, 2008 at 2:37 pm
We have a central vac in our (new to us) house. While I loved the idea of it, it doesn’t really have enough suction, especially the further away you get from the main unit (ours in in the garage). It is handy out there for vacuuming out the cars, though. So I would say no to that.
This house also has beige-ish ceramic tile in the kitchen/breakfast room/ foyer/laundry room/powder room areas. I HATE it. It is impossible to keep clean, and I think it’s hard on the feet. Also, tiles crack. I currently started the process of looking into replacing it, and I think I’m going to go with cork. Our old house, however, had hardwood floors in all those areas and I LOVED it, so I say go with that. I also think it’s prettier than tile.
We also have a lower level walkout family room with a wet bar, guest room, and bathroom w/shower, as well as some unfinished space for hobbies and storage. Uh, HELL YEAH. Party Central.
Your plans look great! How exciting!
Peggasuss last blog post..GRF
May 30th, 2008 at 2:37 pm
Yay! AWESOME. I love house porn.
May 30th, 2008 at 2:41 pm
I have no words of advice but um…..
Squee?
Yes, definitely squee!
Hillys last blog post..Comment Contest Winners!
May 30th, 2008 at 2:44 pm
Finally making my way through all the blogs from DGM. Anyway - I would give my right arm - and my husbands right arm for that matter for a laundry chute! Wow…I’m not too hard to please, huh? In addition - my suggestion: Certainly ceramic in your bathrooms - but don’t get white. Makeup/Hair, etc - so easy to see.
Kerries last blog post..Memmed Again
May 30th, 2008 at 2:46 pm
It looks like it’s going to be beautiful - how exciting! Just one piece of assvice. If you get tile in the kitchen, don’t get white or very light. It will never LOOK clean even when it is, and it will make you crazy!
catnips last blog post..not as bad as I expected
May 30th, 2008 at 2:48 pm
Watch out on the extras. When MIL & FIL built their villa they got hosed about 20K on extras. That crap adds up. Also, if you are handy and do not like the lights the builder provides in the cost you can always have them leave those out and purchase ones you really like at Home Depot or Lowes. Sometimes the stock lights are butt ugly. Shower door, again if you are handy, buy your own. The shower door the IL’s wanted for their masterbath would have been 700 through the buildre, cost them 400 at home depot. Highly suggest ceramic in bathrooms, much easier to clean. The laundry chute is a wonderful idea. Save you from hauling dirty clothes. Good luck!!
Jesss last blog post..Chick-Fla-A, They Bring the Chicken, You Bring the Crazy.
May 30th, 2008 at 3:37 pm
Get the Cat6. It may seem like overkill now but you’ll be living in that house for quite a while. Futureproof!
Andrew is getting fits last blog post..A good long run
May 30th, 2008 at 4:56 pm
My mom has the under counter crumb thingie - and it comes in very handy when the grandkids come over!!! I love it!
May 30th, 2008 at 5:18 pm
Well, Thursday’s Child just stole my comment all kit and kaboodle. Listen to her. Always have it run during construction. When it needs to be replaced you tie the new stuff to the old stuff, pull and voila! You don’t want to have to run it after the house is done.
Congrats! (heated bathroom floors sounds like the most wonderful idea I have ever heard).
May 30th, 2008 at 6:07 pm
I LUV LUV LUV my mom’s crumb catcher/central vac. It is especially fantastic for icky dead bugs that I don’t want to deal with. Just scoot them over and suck them up, all done with my feet!
Congrats on the house. I’m SO excited for you!
Christys last blog post..Reader’s Choice #1
May 30th, 2008 at 7:08 pm
I don’t have any suggestions for you but this all sounds so very exciting! I can’t wait to read about it over the next few months!
Jens last blog post..Rant
May 30th, 2008 at 8:12 pm
Do not go with wood or Pergo for the kitchen or bathroom floor - we had Pergo and our dishwasher sprung a silent leak. It leaked for a week underneath the flooring and we ended up with significant and sever water damage - we had to redo the entire downstairs.
I’m the only one alive, but I HATED the dyson with the passion of 1,000 suns. Love the Oreck.
Carmens last blog post..I’m Looking For…
May 30th, 2008 at 8:13 pm
Duh - severe water damage.
I can TOO spell.
Carmens last blog post..I’m Looking For…
May 30th, 2008 at 9:27 pm
Use a professional kitchen and bath designer. If you can possibly afford it, don’t just use the developer. With a professional K&B designer you’ll get EXACTLY what you want, and you’ll get a much better quality and probably price. I happen to know one who is fabulous that I HIGHLY recommend.
http://www.cassiadesign.com/index.html
margalits last blog post..LOST Discussion Friday: There’s No Place Like Home pt 2
May 30th, 2008 at 9:59 pm
It’s got a master retreat no less.
My mom loves her central vac… love it. And she has a crumb sucker and loves it too.
I just want someone to do the house work for me.
So when the say end of August it means you’ll be in by Christmas???
Nats last blog post..I would run 700 miles
May 30th, 2008 at 10:41 pm
No suggestions just a request. I would like my room painted in soft greens. I will send swatches….
Kelleys last blog post..Duuuude! Point that thing outside.
May 30th, 2008 at 11:29 pm
No Clues. But… DAMNIT. I just typed “I’d like my room to be pink” but then I read the Kelley already moved in. Frak. How’s that for original? Mah brain must be fried…
Mrs. Flingers last blog post..Miss Missouri
May 31st, 2008 at 2:48 pm
Also, just to clarify, if you’re wanting TVs in the rooms, then go ahead and run coax in the rooms.
If you all have satellite TV, you’ll need to have RG-6 run, at least to the locations where you’ll have receivers. You can, of course, always have it run and left in the wall, no need to have it put into faceplates just yet. You can do that both with the coax and the RG-6.
I didn’t mean to ignore that bit in my earlier post.
Thursday’s Childs last blog post..Changed Forever
May 31st, 2008 at 5:40 pm
I love looking at floorplans. My husband thinks I am insane because whenever I see a new neighborhood going up, no matter where we are I want to look at all the floorplans. Your house looks awesome! How exciting!
When we were building our house, I took pictures of the progress every couple days and made a little photo album of it. The kids love to look through it and some of the pictures had the kids in them so it is fun to look back on how small they were and how empty the land was before our house was here. I hate scrapbooking, but this was different and cool.
toris last blog post..Garage Sale
May 31st, 2008 at 11:02 pm
That’s just too exciting!
Teena in Torontos last blog post..Camera Critters
June 1st, 2008 at 1:15 am
gotta tell ya, dark wood floors are so awesome to look at in other people’s houses. where you don’t have to clean. cause they show EVERYTHING. especially if you have windows. with light coming in. light that lands on the awesome dark wood floors. and all the dust that you never knew lived with you. even if you just cleaned them a few minutes ago. i’m just sayin’ . . . DON’T DO IT. but if you do, i bet they look awesome. since i don’t have to clean there.
cool beans on the new house!
June 1st, 2008 at 12:55 pm
We SO wish we had heated bathroom floors.
June 1st, 2008 at 5:55 pm
We have a very powerful Central vac. I like it much better than any uprights and canisters I’ve used but the point is that you have to get a good one.
Ceramic is better than wood in the kitchen. I’ve had both. Wood gets marked up and is subject to water damage much easier. Although I hear cork is supposed to be ok but I think seams may be an issue there. Do more research. Ask flooring people who do both what they recommend.
As far as rough ins, wiring for this or that put in, do it to save damage later. rough ins in the basement - plumbing yes - the rest can probably wait.
Jeannies last blog post..Slainte Mhath
June 1st, 2008 at 7:47 pm
You had me at “refrigerated produce drawer.”
HUGE congrats.
Mom101s last blog post..Thalia-isms (#1 in perhaps an infinite series)
June 3rd, 2008 at 1:56 am
[...] 2, 2008 by raava This is my crumb sucker (as Karen likes to call it), otherwise known as a Vacusweep, otherwise known as The Sucker I Love [...]
June 3rd, 2008 at 10:33 am
Great plans - I LOVE the retreat. That’s a serious party room!
Don’t put cable in the kids rooms. You;l never see them as they get older, also makes it very difficult to monitor online habits, homework etc etc.
Other than that… DYSON! all the way. I am ready to give up my hugely expensive electrolux for a dyson.
I opt for wood over ceramic floors. I have ceramic in my kitchen and hate it. Whenever I do serious cooking for dinner parties, or holidays I have to wear my high intensity aerobic shoes because the hardness of the ceramic starts to hurt my legs and back about three hours in. Also.. breakage. The things I’ve broken on that dang floor
Good luck with the draem house!
June 3rd, 2008 at 11:10 pm
Gorgeous floor plan! Master retreat - wow, look at the size of that room!
Go with tile in the kitchen, but pick something not too light in color. Even better if you pick something that isn’t a solid color - won’t show dirt, and with kids and pets, that’s a good thing.
Also, if you’re already wiring the house, go ahead and wire it for speakers throughout the house - central audio systems rock!
June 4th, 2008 at 12:57 am
I’m so glad you guys finially sold the house and are buying the dream home
I can’t wait to see it in person live!
Aren’t you excited for our hang out weekend? Woot! Let’s make some memories in the old house before you get rid of it
Sarcasticas last blog post..Smiling
June 8th, 2008 at 5:19 pm
Definitely, definitely spring for the heated tile floors in the master bath. One of my favorite things about my house.
I have both central vac & Dyson. I use the central vac downstairs exclusively (which is mostly hardwoods & tile) and use the Dyson upstairs on the carpet.
July 14th, 2008 at 8:34 am
[...] Recently we decided that if we completely forgo both options, we could afford a bigger version of the dream house we’re building. [...]
July 23rd, 2008 at 11:12 am
[...] Maybe this would be it! Now because he works with Daren I had to be honest and tell him we’re building a house blah blah…and we would be renting for about 3.5 months but we would pay the entire thing up [...]