Loads of progress this week. The septic installer met with our builder today and they finalized the location of the tanks. The install should begin next week. While they were meeting, my wife and I were at the granite warehouse selecting and reserving our slabs. Their inventory is getting LOW so we wanted to get ahead of the game. We're going with Blue Dunes granite.

Our builder plans to begin interior trim tomorrow. The bathroom cabinets have been set and the kitchen cabinets go in next week. We are meeting with the builder tomorrow to go over a few remaining choices around the style and color of the stairway and loft railings. Hopefully the masons have made good progress on wrapping up the stonework on the foundation, and possibly moved on to the fireplace. Pics to follow tomorrow evening.

@SBDRH exciting!

@Lynn Heins sorry about the rain. We are delayed on the pool because of rain here too. Waah.

Love the chix and kitty.

@shead hurst hardwoods color Riverwood 1/2" thick 7.5" with 3mm wear layer. Had 5" wide in previous house. 3.5 seems small but it will probably be the new trend in a few years! lol.

I get not wanting the grooves between the planks and site finished prevents that. Did you look into site finished engineered? or is that what you're doing? I believe companies sell unfinished engineered planks that you site finish. [Hurst does too I think].

Here are some random pics of the floor...[note shoe mold removed from side of island ;o)]

Following up on my Ferguson question from yesterday. Got my bid back. My builder was right. They were more expensive than what I can buy online.

@bytheriverbank we went to a local plumbing company and compared prices to online...some deals were better through the local company. So we bought some through them and some online.

I asked my Ferguson if they will match the price. I am guessing not since I haven't heard back.

@K H looks pretty!

Thanks @Trish Walter for the floor info!

I got the Ferguson bid back finally. With the builder’s discount, it’s about the same as online. I think we will use them just for convenience.

I still haven’t gotten our countertop quote back yet from the fabricator in Nashville but I’m leaning heavily towards solid surface now. Our cabinet maker has a guy that is pricing it out for us. We visited his shop today to look at samples. Joseph Corlett and Anglophilia sing its praises but I still need to do more research.

We had our closing to start our construction loan yesterday finally. More than 3 months into construction, and we still hadn't paid for more than just our plans lol. Such a stressful day though! The bank didn't send over the wiring info until that morning while I was already at work. Hubby was trying to figure out how he'd be able to go to the bank with the kids (only 1 & 3, so not an ideal errand for them). I had an unexpected break in my schedule, so I ran over to the bank. Was pointed out my license had been expired more than 2 months, so they couldn't do the transfer. He taught me I could do it online since I was below the maximum amount. Ran to the BMV since I'd need a valid ID for closing. Luckily they just recently started to take walk-ins again. While waiting, was able to complete the wire. Took an absolutely horrid picture with 3 chins. Made it back to work 15 minutes late with 3 patients already waiting for me. Signed our lives away at closing, which I didn't realize my husband had another doctor's appt at the same time that he ended up missing since construction is awful. All that to say I officially feel broke. Ha.

Anyway, all this talk about counters, that's next on our list. I have a day off in 2 weeks, so hoping to go then. (Again, losing my mind though. Work's been so insane I forgot to block out my schedule and now need to rearrange my entire week). I know I'm going to have a hard time picking something out. We're doing white cabinet perimeter and cherry slate island. I want them both to be the same in some type of white. I just have a feeling that all my inspo pictures are going to be to much $$$$ or stain easily.

@Ashley We were so tempted to start before the construction loan closed, but our bank warned us that could invalidate the loan. So we waited and lost 3 months of construction time. I’m glad it worked out for you. Sounds like it was a very busy and stressful closing :)

@bytheriverbank, we had already initiated the process, approved, appraised and all that prior to construction. Our builder just doesn't do the first draw until it's under roof, which is then what officially started the loan.

we started before loan also i believe... all different i guess...

Yay, I got a new PM and things are moving along! He said they are closing up mid week. Would I like to see it before? Is it worth flying out 2,000 miles to do the final check before closing up? What do you think? Love to hear collective wisdom.

What does "closing up" mean? Does it mean that it's totally done and they are leaving the job site?

I don't envy your situation as I can't imagine doing a long distance build. I'm less than 2 miles away that seems like too much some days :/

@shead Ooops, sorry. I meant drywall going up. Final chance to catch anything inside.

@Trish Walter I wish I could have seen that people started before the close of their loan. Our bank said they would not close if we started early. I’m not sure how’d they’d know since the appraiser didn‘t do a site visit. We waited and waited for the bank due to COVID delays. We could have self-funded for a few months and not lost construction time. Oh well.

Our bank is going out to the property to make sure we haven’t started! We close Monday! Finally!

@bytheriverbank you're starting now and that's what matters plus it should be easier to get things now that stores etc are open...

best of luck.

@Sherryl yay!

@snowcountry is there anyone that lives nearby that you can 'hire' to check on the house etc.?

@Trish Walter I wish! I think it means you think it will be good for me to take a look.

@snowcountry drat. Have you met any friendly neighbors ? LOL...

Oh yes. The neighbors are helpful but they don't know the details like if the switches are in the right place, etc.

@snowcountry perhaps you can ask someone if they would do some of the checking for you maybe not switches etc. but when there's something you want to check...you can pay them or buy them dinner when in town etc. ? whatever you work out? I know some of my neighbors would have done that in a heartbeat [they wanted any excuse to check out what was happening at the house ha ha]...

just an idea. i know you're so far away.

@snowcountry i think if you could have someone FaceTime you and do a slow walkthrough. It is so much harder to move a can light or switch with the drywall. My electrician had to move my vanity light and ended up accidentally drilling thru a stink pipe for the sink! So a large hole had to be cut and then they patched both the pipe and the drywall. There is still a noticeable bump! I think it would be worth it to fly out and check things before they drywall. Unless you have someone willing to spend several hours on a FaceTime walk thru

@snowcountry it would also be nice to have pictures of the studs and where the electrical and plumbing are so when you go to hang things later you don’t hit something!

@K H Ouch! I think you are right. I should go.

Well we are still finishing up some major items in our home. My husband and I have decided to wrap our basement floor jacks and put up a bar! Big project but we already have all the lumber sheeting etc... just need the fasteners. I’m hoping it will look like this.

Basement Entertainment Area and Stand Alone Bar · More Info

As of today it looks like this!

We finally got counter height chairs! I bought them on Craigslist so I’m distressing them some and then polishing them up. Got six solid wood chairs and a table for $250!

@K H That's a steal! Well done.

@K H That bar is perfect for the room What a great idea.

@K H woohoo! love a deal!!

Awesome... and can't wait to see the basement. We have to build a bedroom in basement asap but so behind. oy.

Here's my current great room...pretend there's a dining table there. LOL.

Host chairs ended up more beige then linen and the couches ended up more blue than gray...hoping a good rug in family room area will tie it together...

still waiting for table, 2 chairs in family room and the tv console [tv console will be on left of fireplace; i'm thinking mirrors on the right of the fireplace and art on the wall behind the couch]...

can't commit to island stools or rug for family room...any thoughts?

this picture is taken from kitchen looking into great room [dining/family]

here is where stools will go [if i turn around]

@Trish Walter Lovely!

@Trish Walter Love your floors. You did a great job pulling everything together.

@Trish Walter looking amazing! I love you great room, the fireplace stone and the beams are perfection :) I think you need color in your great room rug and maybe it can tie together with the artwork you are planning to put on the wall. Maybe a nice navy or pale yellow. If you love brighter colors teal or magenta would look fabulous with your grays.

Is it normal that a cabinet fabricator/installer won't work with a contractor, and instead will only work directly with me? That's what the one I talked to today said - that I'd have to deal with ordering, scheduling, payment, etc and they wouldn't talk to my contractor at all. They said they'll only work with contractors who have a large number of projects through them.

Just wondering if this is typical, or if I should look for a different fabricator?

Our cabinet maker works through the builder and gets paid from the builder, as there is an allowance in the contract.

@K H I am planning color in accessories like art. I have a turquoise clock for above the fireplace. And I'm planning little touches. But it's a pretty neutral palette. Going for 'soothing' I guess? LOL.

We all need soothing at the end of a build!

Trish, I’d love to see a picture of your turquoise clock! Our house is on Turquoise Trail, and our front door will be teal. I’m doing some turquoise accessories (which I already do it our current home - fortuitously!), but not too much. Would love a lock somewhere!

@Sherryl I should have said "countertop fabricator." Sorry. The way you said is how it is working for my cabinets (and lights, and plumbing, etc, etc). And I do have an allowance for the countertops. But the company I talked to who does the countertops is saying they refuse to go through my builder - I have to coordinate everything and pay for it directly :(

Unless that's standard, I think I'll find another fabricator. Because it makes no sense to me that I have to act as a middleman and try to coordinate scheduling between them and my builder (and his subs). And I have no way to get it into my mortgage if they're forcing me to pay them directly. But I've never done this before, so I really don't know what's normal.

Fortunately everything else is on track right now! Cabinets are in process, drywall is going up, siding is almost complete. Rock and tile are ordered and on their way. Fireplace should be shipping next week, and I already have all the extra components for it. It's looking much more like a house!

I did both ways. Some go through my builder, others bill me directly. For installation and site visits, they go through the builder but I also have chipped in to organize. Mine is a cash build and the rules seem rather loose around here.

@hummingbird678: Yes, I agree with you. Our builder tells us which stone yard to choose stone from and then the builder’s fabricator picks it up, or the stone yard delivers it to them (not sure), so I’m not involved except for visiting the stone yards and choosing slabs. However they did put in our supplemental “granite level 1” with each additional level adding $1000. Of course I’m sure level 1 won’t be my choice LOL. I had recently done a kitchen and bath renovation where we live now, and I fell in love with particular slabs of River White granite (level 3). They have sweeping movement and gorgeous colors. I’ve never seen any other River White that looks like it. We’ll see what they have when the time comes. I also like Fantasy Brown, but it’s a dolomite and prone to etching, from what I hear.

Maybe ask your builder about the fabricator. The fabricator I used for our Reno (that I love) is not the one that works with our builder, so I can’t use them, unfortunately.

@Sherryl I do plan to ask my builder about fabricator(s) he's worked with in the past on Monday. This all just came up Friday afternoon, so I haven't had a chance to talk with him. I went to a place my architect recommended.

I'm planning to do soapstone, which complicates things a bit as no one around here stocks it. So I'm going to have to go to the warehouse 2.5 hours away to select my slabs. My builder has never dealt with soapstone before, so I'm going to have to make sure whatever fabricator he recommends is familiar with it.

I love soapstone! Great choice!

@hummingbird678 and @Sherryl thanks for the discussion on granite. We picked our slabs last week and are going with a level 3, "Blue Dunes", but we're in the dark regarding the additional cost above the level 1 allowance.

Lots of progress this past week. Most of the exterior stonework is complete.

All cabinets are in except the kitchen, and interior trim has begun. We're doing SW "Snowbound" on all cabinets except the island and master bath cabinets which are SW "Stamped Concrete".

Master shower tile is done as well

@SBDRH pretty!

And yes, I hate how they try to 'hide' the pricing in letters and numbers...so annoying. Why do they still do it this way? Seems so antiquated. And it takes more time. Since we were the builder I was getting quotes from 2 different fabricators for the same stones [they all use use the same 3-4 stone yards].

SBDRH: Just gorgeous!!! Everything is amazing!

@SBDRH, I love Blue Dunes! It’s actually on my short list of choices right now. After more research on solid surface, I am now leaning back towards granite :)

BD was the first slab we saw the other day and DH and I both loved it! It was leathered and heavenly....

@shead Beautiful stone. Dramatic!

It's August 1st. Will an August 2020 thread be starting soon? I will be joining in...finally!

Our house was actually staked last week. If it will every stop raining here in TN, we will break ground. Suppose to have happened yesterday. All they got done was the silt fence. :(

Looking forward to joining this group on an official basis. In the meantime, I have been learning so much from everyone. Our new build has been in the planning stages for a little over a year!

At what point in your build, was half of your budget spent? I have about half left from where I started off. Not much done, foundation, framing, windows, rough-ins. All appliances, fixtures, lighting are purchased, deposit made for cabinets and countertops. Am I spending too much or do I have room to splurge a bit in my budget?

Here’s the August thread:

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/5968275/august-2020-building-a-home-thread