Alison, could you put some brick veneer on it?

@Alison-Put a sheer window treatment on the inside so you can't see it, but can still see the indirect light. No window well is attractive unless it looks like suru's!

First floor walls are up.

Wow! Mike Lamb - your house is really clipping along!

Ellen - Looks amazing! And huge.

We're still in the beginning stages; our plans were sent to the structural engineer last week. I'm envious of all of the houses that are actually under construction!

lexma....no need to be envious, soon enough you’ll be pulling out your hair like the rest of us :)

Man, Mike Lamb those drone pic are amazing! I so wish I'd had someone come video ours while it was going up! Dang the luck. :/

I can't catch a break. I am so over this f house. Today they installed my appliances. The appliances were supposed to be installed on Friday and because they weren't, we failed electrical inspection today. (We needed the range hood for inspection) On top of that the cabinet guy made the panels to the specs but they are incorrect. Both the fridge panels and the dishwasher panels are both 1/2" too small. They will be fixed but it's frustrating.

And the flooring guy can't get the floors in for another two weeks so the in-house guys will be installing the floors. Thankfully one of the in-house guys was a floor installer for years and extremely meticulous. I'm not concerned about that. The two in house guys are what are saving me with this house.

Then the painters were supposed to be finishing up. He sent one guy who worked a grand total of 4 hours today if you don't include all the smoke breaks he took. Last week the painters were here for a total of 10 hours for the whole week. And not with a full crew. With 2 people.

Then the supervisor had the audacity to say to me we couldn't move our stuff in on Friday because they couldn't clean the house until the painters were finished. I'm sure some of you saw the fireworks created when he wrote me that comment. I let him know that painting didn't need to be done for a CO or a TCO and I expected the floors finished before Friday and the house cleaned.

@lexma90, we are at the same stage...just got our plans back from the engineer on Friday. Still waiting on bids to come back from builders (agony) and just got word that our financing was approved. So we're started, but barely.

Cp how frustrating for you. I'm sorry your going through all this trouble.

Everyone houses are looking great.

Well I thought the builder had already received our permits when I saw them working on the foundation fill and framing, boy was I wrong. The building inspector didn't approve our plans. Sigh.....

He wants us to get a new elevation survey even though nothing has changed on our property. We also found out that FEMA redid our maps this year. Originally our land was in Zone X but the new maps have half my property in Zone A and half in zone X. After looking at the map I couldn't believe it, my house is sited half on zone x and half on zone A. I'm not opposed to flood insurance, in the past we've always paid it because it was cheap. But now I'm worried because of the zone A and what that is going to cost us because you know they are going to charge the higher amount. We should get that survey back this week.

I also had to go back to our plan designer and have him do a new res check. He used 2012 and our city just changed to 2015 codes in January. I also had to have him change the ceiling insulation from an r-30 to r-38 on the plans even thought we are using spray foam. Luckily our designer is an awesome person and had the changes made within 30 minutes.

Is it normal for a building inspector to visit the site before he approves our plans? I told the builder I wanted to be there when they meet.

On another note, I been shopping light fixtures! I've already purchased my foyer light, dining room light, over the kitchen sink light and a couple of hallway lights. Plus my kitchen sink, island prep sink and a cheapy laundry room sink. I'm still trying to decide on kitchen island lights. I know I want two lights on my large island (3 is to visually cluttering for me). The ones I like are 12" and I think they might be to small. At least I got some time to find some larger ones. LOL.

Crossing our fingers that we can start the foundation this week.

Yeah Alison, they changed things at the city since we started and now allow an extra 2% FSR for our property, we would have used that for sure, but we can't do anything about that now. sigh...

On a positive note though, our soffits are stained, cabinets are being built and painters start next week!

cp, time for wine.

... so much wine.... :) I am surprised that no vintner has come up with a bottle of wine called 'building a house'. I would buy it.

Oh my gosh CP - it just never ends for you! I am so sorry. I just can't imagine how frustrating all of this is for you. Those painters remind me of our electricians. I just wanted to throw them over the balcony some days they irritated me so much. It's like they just show up to make a showing with no intent of getting any real work done. Piddle around for an hour or two, then leave. Anyway, I sure hope everything gets finished and you get in your beautiful home this weekend. You deserve to!

Taranator- I would buy a case (or two) of that wine LOL.

CP I feel your frustration. Definitely make them clean the house. We couldnt get ours cleaned before moving in and what a freaking job that was. I left DH with the movers on moving in day and frantically tried to clean the areas where big furntiure would go knowing after it was placed it wasnt going to move.

Alison I dont know how you survived that period after you moved in. I am in that stage now and dont have babies and am going insane. I told my DH that I think they are purposely doing a bad job so we will tell them not to bother with anything else.

No lie, a huge part of the reason we are taking a baby break is to build the house. I absolutely cannot handle the stress of the current remodel and then the new build with baby #7. So unless we get a massive surprise over the next four years it’s going to stay capped with #6 (who is special needs and more than a handful, though he’s a great little guy!) until the house is done. This shop is CLOSED while we mess with real estate!

dsnine .....I know it’s easy for me to say, but 6....I think that’s awesome! My soon to be neighbor has 9.

The shop may be closed, but you’d better put a lock on the door :)

2nd story walls are going up...

After a very long process with many speed bumps and road blocks deposit paid and site scrape today!

228 m2 (2450 ft2) house on 795 m2 (8550 ft2) section in Rolleston New Zealand

Alison- The builder has only put the fill dirt for the slab and partial framing for the concert slab. It looks the same as the pictures I posted.

We're waiting on the elevation survey still and I'm trying to figure out if I want to move the site of the house to try to avoid the fema flood zone. Our house is suppose to sit in the upper center part. Both zones run through the middle of our house. So now we're trying to figure out if we have enough room to move the house over to the right side of the property into zone x. There is also a 3 to 3 and a half foot drop off that will need to be excavated in zone x if we decide to move it.

Thank you Wysmama! Initially we were going to do a self build however due to issues with the bank are not able to.

Silver lining is I can just turn up on the weekends and watch all the progress.

Drywall, drywall primer and texture done. Having moved from the east coast where we had smooth walls, it took a while convincing the texture guys to bring drywall texture to my liking, it's done now. I almost blew a fuse when I initially saw texture results; yes it was wet and looked nasty, like measles. 4 days of drying and some sanding has it down to a fine satisfactory texture (like a thin rash) which I'm hope will smooth out more with paint primer and couple of finish coats of paint. Perhaps not necessary, we are considering an even lighter paint shade to compensate for wall texture.

Went over to the millworking shop and saw the double entry solid oak door being built. 123"x98" frame looked massive. Below is a pic of frame and one door. The slats across will be removed once it's primed and painted and the 1" wide polished stainless steel inserted in five groves across on both sides of both doors.

We have broken ground! Site scrape, footings dug and crusher dust sorted. Hopfully we keep this momentum.

Exciting, Emma!

One step forward and two back. Our rockpit flooded and the pump couldn't handle it and it all backed into the site again. It's all run off from the snow melt. I'm glad it happened now while we are still framing, before slab is done, while there are still machines on site, and when it can be fixed. I'm not sure what the resolution will be but I most certainly can tell you that nothing else is getting done till this is fixed. Ugh.

So the floors are almost done. Finally! They match the old floors and they are level! Boy I dodged a bullet on that. They are doing the staircase now and then have to do the elevator floors.

Here's two pics looking towards the kitchen from the living room.

First pic shows the cabinets. The fridge cabinet doors will be remade so they are full overlay. Only thing that bugs me is the freezer door is a bit lower than the cabinet doors to the right. If that were my biggest problem all along, I'd be doing great.

This next picture shows the divider cabinet between the kitchen and the living room. There is a another matching cabinet on the right side to separate the dining area from the living room. (Ignore the blue tape on the cabinet.)

Well, I will jump into this thread! Our house is framed, the roof shingled, the interior has the rough heating and cooling installed and electrical work just began. No siding or stonework applied to the exterior yet. House is on track to be finished in a few months. Will be selecting the granite slabs for the kitchen soon. Current home being listed next week so lots going on.

Lots of progress for us. They were working on the roof yesterday when we headed out of town for spring break. I can’t wait to see what it looks like when we get back next weekend. These guys have been working 8-8, 6 days a week. We have been really impressed with our contractor so far. One week from Tuesday, after we get home, we are scheduled to do our electrical, plumbing, and cabinetry walk through.

Sadly not much progress this month. Little delayed getting plans into ARC and the review committee is still reviewing.

Spent some time this afternoon painting the basement. I'll do touchups tomorrow. This next week, now that the snow is actually melting, I'll get in touch with the landscaper, but it won't be time-critical on his part.

I sat down with the GC this morning (actually, we were both standing), and asked him if he planned to be finished with everything by the end of April, and all interior work by April 20th. He wanted a list of things still to be done.

Hmm. He's gotten that list in the past. Both hard copy and by computer mail. More than once. (It is a longer list than I alluded to in a post in this thread earlier this month.)

Until today, he'd only been here for about half an hour this past week... to put up a bit of trim he'd omitted over a doorway.

Back in December, one of the solar install guys had slipped and fallen on ice. He told me he was fine, just a bit shaken, but fine. I now have a notice from his lawyer... which I've forwarded on to my insurance agent. Yes, we should be good, here.

My role now is to complete the pantry design, complete the basement painting, stain the deck out back and put on preservative. (The outdoor work needs to happen AFTER temps are reliably above 40 degrees F.) This is stuff I originally wanted the GC to do or contract out, but I'm just taking this into my own hands, because I can do it, and I'd rather blame myself if it doesn't get done...

I'm getting day old chicks in early May. They'll live in my workshop for a month, then move outdoors, so I have to get cracking on a coop and at least one chicken tractor. I am buying electro-net fencing from a woman who has raised chickens locally, sadly she's selling off because she's in 4th stage cancer and has to move to smaller environs, and won't be able to manage livestock of any sort.

Karl...when glancing quickly at your pics I thought to myself, “wow, they’re really going for it with that carpeting on the stairs” :)

Roof trusses went on today...

Zookeeper....I was going through this thread and noticed your response to one of my earlier posts (I hardly get notifications anymore to threads I’ve participated in).

You asked a question about what I would do differently in my build. At this point I would have a long list. I did go over a spattering of those things in my very long thread [Cannot procrastinate any longer...[(https://www.houzz.com/discussions/cannot-procrastinate-any-longer-with-hardware-choice-dsvw-vd~5106472), it was in answer to another poster who was asking the same question (mike I believe was his name). I can’t for the life of me get all the comments of that thread to load, so I am unable to search for the spot where that diologue took place. When I find it I will post it (rather than try to recreate it).

One little piece of advice I would give that has been repeated over and over on these forums regarding building is to find the right building lot with the correct exposure. This cannot be emphasized enough. If you’re into windows and light and a cheery interior, you do not want to purchase a piece of land that only allows you to place your house with the main living areas facing north! No matter how beautiful it is, resist the temptation. I have found that a southern exposure on the backside of the house (if the main living area is in the back) along with windows on the east and west sides of that same main living area will allow for the best (and continual) light throughout the entire day. I get morning sun streaming in the east side windows of the great room, then the midday sun through the south side windows, and then setting sun around the west side of that same living area (with some trees blocking some of that setting sun). It’s glorious (I love light!). No need for artificial light even on an overcast day and no need to turn on the lights until the sun goes down. When searching for land, I would look up its location wth an aerial view and if it didn’t fit my specifications for exposure, I would not even consider it (helps weed out a lot of land). Anyway, all that to say....be very picky about your lot!

I have a guess about who but boy do I hope I’m wrong. Ugh.

Sounds like you need to set up an exterior camera to check on your assumptions. Frankly if your assumption is right, it might solve your other problem?

Nidnay, I agree with you. The best thing about my house is that I don't need to turn on lights from early morning until sundown. The house is that bright and light. It's absolutely delightful and even all the subs have commented about it.

The other thing I'd say is that to get the best possible flow in the house.

Nidnay & cpartist, I have to triple agree with how important the lot is. The first lot I was supposed to build on would have put the house facing north. It takes forever for the snow to melt and we would have never had any sun coming in the front windows. Also, there is a steep hill behind which would have blocked some of the southern exposure.

The lot we eventually built on faces east with the back to the west. I also have quite a few windows on the south side so the house is always bright and cheery. Fortunately, there is a small hill that blocks that "in your face" sun on our west side when it sets. I am very, very happy with how light and bright the house is. The north side is always dark, so I put the garage on that side. The lot is very important indeed :-)

Karl, that office is gorgeous. Beautiful paint color and built ins. I’m jealous!

We have two weeks left before we closed.