What does $17,000 in down payments get you? Apparently a sign at the entrance of the neighborhood. It sure beats the desperate “Free Pool” sign that stood on the corner of that intersection for the last 7 years or so (though sadly the free pool promo does not apply)!
In addition to seeing a sign go up, we made a few decisions regarding “extras” to be built into the base home cost. The exterior will be vinyl siding but we opted to add a little bit of character to the facade with a stone water table accent around the front. Sure, it’s not the most luxurious of upgrades, but I think it adds just enough to the exterior. On the interior, we opted to close off what is called a “living room” on the floorplan with glass French doors to create an office space right inside the entrance. This will be critical as a functional space to work from home as well as an area my wife can escape to grade papers if needed. Lastly, we added a powder room to the finished basement (because I'm too lazy to go upstairs when nature calls). This should just about wrap up the structural changes that impact our purchase price. The price tag is a bit scary, but I feared much worse.
As for contractor changes, we’ve begun working up a laundry list of adds for when we start to deal with contractors directly. Most of my adds are of the electrical/wiring variety. I want the place wired for cable, ethernet, home stereo, and outlets in every place imaginable. I also want lighting options galore. Jen, on the other hand, wants to add a few design flourishes in the form of accent tiles, slate colored appliances (okay, I prefer this too!), and interior paint. It’s a little frustrating that painting the walls a color other than white is considered an extra, but from the research I’ve done, that seems pretty common for most builders. The price tag for that is about $4,000 which I’m certain we can accomplish for far less with our own painter and/or doing some of the work ourselves so I'm expecting to cross that one off the list.
Other considerations I'm tossing around include lawn irrigation, a utility sink in the garage, and some upgrades to flooring. We're also considering seeking a credit for items that the contractors won't perform. Some of the standard feature options feel a little weak if you ask me. Bathroom mirrors, for example, only have the option of a large plate of mirrored glass or an oval with beveled edge. I’d much sooner receive a couple of dollars credit and go buy something ourselves to install after move in than have the builder install something I’m going to want to replace on day one anyway. We'll know more in a couple of weeks once we get a better feel for materials. I dislike pedestal sinks, but we might just have to live with them for a year or two. I’m requesting overhead lighting and ceiling fans all over the place, but I think I’d rather them just install the box and cap the wires for me to pick out my own fans or overhead lights and install myself. So if you were thinking of getting us a Christmas present this year, Home Depot/Lowe’s gift cards are at the top of my wish list!
I'm more than willing to hear advice/suggestions as to other "must haves" that we should splurge for!
Plans have been ordered and should be headed to the Township very soon...
Color Selection meeting is December 3rd...
Meetings with Kitchen & Bath contractor needs to be set up for December...
Ground breaking is likely around the 1st of the year!
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