The Perpetual Wish List

It seems  like the longer it takes for us to get into our new home the longer the wish list of things we would like to do grows.  The problem: it all requires cash.

Some of the things are simple: like putting epoxy down in the garage or installing a Nest.  If you haven't heard is one the latest and greatest things to hit the environment control market.  So much so- the second generation now has competitors- the biggest form of flattery.   This plus the whole house humidifier and the whole "built smart" concept of Ryan should make heating and cooling of our home only slightly more expensive than what it costs to do the same in our 1955 row home.  Now this is amazing as the new house will be 4X the size of the current one.

If you hadn't notice- you can control this thermostat with your smart phone AND it learns your preferred comfort level.  Plus a rocket science degree is not required to do a professional install.  The down side: this unit costs on average $250.

Now I was gun ho and ready to use the free design services that I discussed in previous post.  My husband said "No". Why? Because he didn't want to be roped in to using just their furniture.  He wants to go back to my original idea of hiring a interior designing.  I know, I am the outcast of the RH blogging world, being that I am not some DIY, decorating guru (oh how I envy you!) but again that is just not in my skill set.  Ask me to make you soap, or lotion or hair conditioner and I am all over it.  Just don't ask me to decorate.  I know what I like- I just don't know how to pull it together, to make it cohesive.  But interior decorators are expensive and I dare just one them to talk about my maple glazed cabinets.

Here comes my husband with a solution. Homepolish is relatively new process (2012) that matches you with an interior designer at mid range prices.  You can control as much or as little of the process as you want as long as you pay by the hour.  I knew there was a catch!  Now hear me out- you also get access to their vendor discount.  You can look through the vendors yourself or have them do it for you.  You can even have them go shopping with you to pick out furniture pieces or accessories.  1 hour consultation fee and a minimum 5 hour booking will cost you at bare bones $550.  This company is located in a few select cities- so check out the site to see if you may be lucky enough to live nearby.

This may not be an option for all of you- but my husband insists that he has a hand in decorating (WHY?!).  He is a modernist and I am a traditionalist. I like neutral to light schemes with pops of color.  He likes dark wood tones and dark colors.  We need durable and comfortable.  You can see where this headed.  So hopefully hiring the designer will help us blend our tastes.

I promise that I will show you pics of everything we do.

List of Companies that offer FREE Design Services

I read alot of blogs where not only are they building a fabulous home they are excellent DIYers and home decorators.
Let me be clear- my main set of skills lie in medicine, everything else is happen stance.  I know what I like- but how to tie them together without making a complete brown mess, on that, I am clueless.  Thus I was excited to find a company that would offer FREE (yes FREE) design services.  That company was Calico.  The more I searched the more companies I found offered the same service. This is a list of  free design services with and without the purchase of products


Lazy Boy

Calico

Pottery Barn

West Elm

Ethan Allen 

Bassett

Laura Ashley

JC Penney


These are just a few national chains.  There are plenty of local furniture stores that offer the same service.  The idea?  To get you to spend money in their store!  So if you have trouble (like me) pulling your home's look together but really only have enough for furniture pieces and not some fancy design consultant then this may be a viable option for you.

Happy Decorating!

Tips and Tidbits

I have read a ton of reviews and blogs about home building.  You know the good, the bad and the ugly.  My SR even told me not to read those things- I think she was scared of the information we would gather.  By the way- I highly suggest you read all the blogs for every home builder (I read quite a few about the Toll Brothers process).  There is so much to learn and so much  you will learn you have no clue about.  So here are a few tricks and tips that I feel has helped us through this exciting time in our lives thus far:

1.  Visit every model home you can: this helps with decorating ideas, the feel of the space and what to look out for in the building of your own home.  

2.  Go to the community events.  Meet your potential neighbors and ask questions about how the process was for them.  You may even make new friends- you have at least one thing in common, you built with Ryan Homes)

3.  Read the blogs- all of them.  Even if its not about the model you are building.  They tend to have other information you could really use (like pre construction questions or sealing granite or asking the door in the laundry room to swing out)

4.  Write your thoughts down- a notebook, a smart phone, a tablet doesn't matter.  This will help keep information organize and help you to keep track of everything that's going on and there is a lot going on.

5.  Research ALL your mortgage options- run numbers frequently, complete your own debt to income ratio (DTI), and monitor your credit.  I can't count how many times the SR at our community has said the financing fell through for a potential buyer at the community.  I truly feel that because we did all this leg work before signing the purchase agreement it put us in a really good position to buy this home with as few hiccups as possible.

6.  Hire your own inspector.  Ryan Homes does hire an inspector to come to the home to inspect before you move in.  But based on all the blogs and reviews (complaints) I suggest you hire your own inspector for these time frames: Pre Drywall, Pre Settlement and 1 year review.  There is no way you can catch everything on your own and unless you are a contractor yourself it may be difficult to know when something is really out of line.  A little money up front can save you a ton of headache later.

7.  Set a budget and stick to it.  Easier said than done.  With Ryan Homes we could have added ALL their possible options and still be within our budget- but with that comes a larger down payment, increased closing costs and increased taxes. 

8.  Write your own blog!  This blog was to help record our home but to also help someone else.  There aren't too many Courtland Gate blogs and I thought I would toss my hat into the ring.  It is always good to get a different perspective to help with building your home.  

This list may be extended as we get further into the building of our home, so stay tuned.