Finally - An update

A series of miscalculations as well as work commitments and of course, Christmas preparations, basically prevented me from posting over the last couple of weeks. But I'm happy to share the status before departing for Christmas vacation.

With the sunshine and blue sky providing a great backdrop, I headed out to the house to take a couple of pictures this morning. Closing date is still scheduled for April 13, 2010 and it looks like things are coming along nicely. Early on, I was hoping to have foundation and roof on before winter. I was lucky enough to get foundation, roof, and windows / doors 3 days before our first Ottawa snowfall. I noticed this morning I have a front door! Yay me!



My goal for January is to put my kitchen appliances on order. I am upgrading the refrigerator, stove and dishwasher and Mattamy requests that the appliances be ordered 90 days prior to closing so I have The Brick on my to-do list. The washer and dryer, which I have picked out, just need comparison shopping at local retailers. With 2010 quickly approaching, the realization of the home ownership is quickly materializing!



I wanted to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! May your 2010 be prosperous!

Roof-tastic

Well, it's been a couple of weeks since the last update. Since then, I battled a nasty cold/flu thingy which put me out of commission for about a week and as a result, I missed my 'New Moon' weekend with my sister. But yay me - I saw New Moon a couple days later and loved it!

Today, I received an email from my Customer Care Coordinator, Steve, indicating the following:

'Great News! This is a very exciting stage in the development of your home as we have just completed the roofing! Sheltered interior finishing can now commence. Our construction teams are focusing on roughing in the plumbing, heating ducts, and electrical wiring - enabling us to insulate and vapor barrier your home prior to applying the drywall. In a few weeks you will be contacted by the Community Administrator to schedule your Framewalk. This is a guided tour of your home before the drywall is installed; providing you with a glimpse of your home's skeletal structure will all the above mentioned milestones.'

By the end of the weekend, I will provide pictures to accompany this exciting news!! Stay tuned!

Just another week...

This week, the dreaded "notice of delay" arrived by email. A bit anti-climactic since I've known for a few weeks now but I guess I just need to roll with it.

This morning I was unable to take a picture of the progress due to the number of contruction and contractor vehicles occupying my street, making it virtually impossible to snap a photo. However, I did notice (from the main street) that the third floor has been started and roof trusses are ready to go. Nice work boys!

Since I was not able to post a picture of the house, I have decided to post a picture with my sister in mind. We will be attending the 950 pm showing of New Moon next weekend - a couple of old gals in a room of screaming tweens - it's gonna be sweet!

Moving along nicely

This morning, I swung by the lot to see what (if any) progress would be made on the house. I was happy to see the balcony floor off the dining room had been constructed. I also noticed (not visible) the roof for the second floor was on. As I slowly snailed my way along the road, I also caught a glimpse of the inside and I could see framing for the stairs leading up to the second floor. Yay! I'm still waiting for my letter of delay from Mattamy as well as a letter indicating the change of kitchen suppliers. It's so nice to see things moving along so nicely!

Framing frenzy

I have incorporated my so-called creative skills and using Paint, I am able to outline what exactly you are seeing. The orange outline is obviously the front door. Can't really have a house without one. To the right, in the yellow outline, is the garage door. Now to me it looks much smaller than I expected however I am sitting on the street and didn't really get up close and personal.

Moving onto the second floor, the outline is red is the kitchen window. One of these windows will open (crank) while the second window will not open. And finally the outline in blue is the french door to the dining room. Eventually there will be a balcony attached to this part of the house but one thing at a time.

Pre-Con Pros & Cons

Well, all in all, my pre-construction meeting went OK. I got some good news and some bad news.

First, the bad news. I was informed that my closing date has been delayed 6 weeks to April 13. Apparently, according to my Customer Care Coordinator, Steven, there was an issue with permits resulting from the abundance of rainfall in June / July. I don't know what that has to do with me as the flood plain is no where near my development. I can only assume the city put a hold on any new development permits until the water issue was resolved which occured in August / September so the timing is about right and it makes sense. But according to friends, it makes me naiive.

Anyhoo, my builder seems like a good guy. We reviewed the upgrades I selected in my earlier design appointments as well as reviewed the exterior of the building. In approximately 6- 8 weeks, I will have my framewalk which my house, by then, will have a roof, plumbing, electrical, windows, doors. Something to look forward to.

As well, my builder has switched kitchen suppliers so I will likely re-visit the design centre to confirm my choices with the new supplier. But I was assured that my design consultant would work with me to finalize new selections.

Now for the good news - which is connected to the bad news. I'm kinda glad my closing date was moved. You see, moving in April will be much more pleasant than moving in February. AS WELL, the slight delay will allow me to save a bit more $$, which can never hurt.

Pre-Construction Meeting tomorrow

While I was in Edmonton this past week, I received a phone message from Jennifer at Mattamy indicating that it was time for my pre-construction meeting! My builder, Adrian, was ready to start framing the house and wanted to meet with me to review the process. What's covered at a pre-construction meeting you ask?

Well, from what I can figure out, the whole meeting will take approximately one hour during which time Adrian will review my upgrades with me prior to starting to build. He will talk about my site, what it has on it and what I should be aware of. This will also be an opportunity for me to ask the builder questions i.e. will I close on time? what is the next stage?

Of course, I will be bringing my camera along for any photographic purposes and hope to have a shot or two suitable for posting.

Framing and other fun stuff

As usual, I woke up early on Saturday and thought I would do my scheduled drive by and see what has happened over the last week. To my pleasant surprise, I noticed framing happening!! Now I couldn't really notice if it was my place or not but still very excited. AND there were construction workers working on houses so I didn't want to get in their way.

After lunch and a movie with the gal pals, I took a second drive by and this time I was going to take pictures. My block hasn't been framed yet but the wood is labelled and ready to be assembled. However, Block 47 has started framing so it can only be a matter of time before I am happily posting my own framing pictures.

Here's what greeted me Saturday afternoon:




On another note, I have started to narrow down my appliance choices. I went to The Brick yesterday and talked to Al who answered my questions concerning upgrading appliances. Then I went to Dufresne, a local furniture / appliance store. Robert, a very helpful salesman, helped me narrow down my choices. If I went with a top loader washer / dryer, I would choose the Whirlpool Cabrio. If I went with a front loader washer / dryer, I would choose either LG or Whirlpool Duet. Robert was helpful and gave me alot of valuable information. Now I just need to get off my butt and make a decision already!

Interesting weekend tidbits

Well, another Thanksgiving has come and gone and it was a very busy weekend. To my amazement this afternoon, I went to the Mattamy website and discovered a few interesting details.

First, the name of my village home unit has changed. When I purchased in April, my unit was called Honeygate End which inspired my oh-so-informative blog. The unit's name has changed from Honeygate End to Thornbury End. No word on why it was changed but such is life. Once I find out, I'll pass it along!

Secondly, and most surprising, the price of my unit has increased in price. I have discovered that the base price for my unit has increased from $201,990 when I purchased in April to a lovely $221,990 base price! Wowser! Not sure why the price would jump so much in such a short time but I'll take it!

More site pictures....

Thanks to Paul, my future neighbour for snapping these pictures.

This is looking south at the development. You can see the row of Village Homes lined up back to back with the street at the bottom of the picture. I am in the first block, 4th unit on the right. I will face west and have afternoon sun at the front.



This is a closer look at my home. You can see the pink insulation is in, along with sewer and water pipes. I've also got gravel in my driveway! Yay!



Yes, my street will be called Baynes Sound Way. I'm not sure how the builders come up with these names but it is a mouthful.

Progress continues

Since I woke up at the crack of dawn this morning, I decided to venture out early to get a picture of the house progress.




As you can see, it's a muddy place to be.

5 months and counting!

Today begins the 5 month countdown until my tentative closing date! Wow - I can't believe it - where has the time gone... I have been busy purging all the unnecessary crap out of the apartment and it feels great. Some has been donated to the Salvation Army while other household items have been donated to The Canadian Diabetes Association. I have a couple of items that I am looking to get rid of - portable dishwasher, window air conditioner. If you need either of these items or know anyone who would be interested, let me know!!

Footings are in....

Yesterday, I received an email from a future neighbour, Paul, telling me that the foundation was going in. Excited to say the least, I told him that I would take a trip to the site and snap a picture of two suitable for posting. As I approached the site, I didn't see anything at first. But once I got past the big pile of dirt, my eyes lit up when I saw footings in place.

Holy Hole!

I drove by the site this morning to see if I could take a snapshot or two of what's been going. And to my excitement and glee, I discovered that there is a resemblance to a hole. Right dead centre, under the arch of the digger, that's where I will be. Yay!

Now, I'm not sure what this means but I would ASSUME it means they are prepping to do some work. But who knows! That's why I'm not a builder.

As I was leaving, this is what will greet you when enter the development. I love the brick and the way it looks. Yay!

Lay of the Land

Well, it's been a while since I last posted but I wanted to update everybody that Mattamy U was good. I met my builder, Customer Care Representative and HMB Project Manager. According to my builder, they are waiting for the building permits and once they have those, they can start to build. Yay!

On another note, I drove by the site a couple of weekends ago and discovered that the ground has been levelled, markers have been planted and a paved road is now down. This can only be a sign of good things to come! Unfortunately, I didn't have my camera but fear not, I will be venturing out today to snap a photo or two of my future dwelling.

6 months TODAY!!

Well, the countdown has begun! Six months from today, it will be my tentative closing date!! I can't believe in 180 days I will be an official homeowner. Lists are being compiled, finances are being organized, questions are being asked and answered at a fever pitch. I am learning so much about the home buying process and it can only get better from here on in.

Mattamy U? Yahoo!

I know it's been a while since I posted as I haven't had much to report but I am happy to say that I have received my invitation to "Mattamy U"! For those who aren't in the know, Mattamy U (or University) is an educational seminar provided by Mattamy to provide purchasers with an overview of the building process associated with our new homes. It usually lasts a couple of hours and it allows people who are closing in / around the same time to meet each other and the builder and customer service people to review the home building and warranty process.

This is a big deal (to me at least) as this is a signal that the building process will begin soon. Stay tuned for a post-meeting update!

It's all in the details

I have been pouring over my monthly subscriptions to Canadian House and Home trying to get decorating ideas for the new place. I am learning what size of rug would be suitable for my Great Room and how big the art pieces should be for the walls in the stairways. I have a friend who is a photographer and she has some amazing photographs that may be just the thing I'm looking for.

I did find this AMAZING light fixture for the dining room. It's called Arctic Pear and it's made by Ochre. I have absolutely no idea of the price but it's beautiful and someday, yes, it will be mine.

Waiting Game

I've noticed something strange over the last couple of weeks. I am participating in a waiting game that will be played for at least another 7 months. Ever since the design centre appointments have been put to bed, I am continously asking myself "Is it built yet?" knowing full well there's not even a hole in the ground.

Although this post contributes absolutely nothing to the home building process, I will post a picture of George Clooney just to make it more of an interesting read.

Enjoy.

So many choices

As promised, I ventured to the Design Centre today and took pictures of my selections. Enjoy!

FLOORING

Stairs / Hallway / Bedrooms - Berber Carpet - Oliver Path

Great Room / Dining Room - Riviera Red Oak Hardwood - Medium Brown

Foyer / Powder Room - Arbe Veneza

Paint - Traditional Tan (All walls)

KITCHEN

Cabinets - Maple Translucent

Countertop - Milano Mahogany

Flooring - Banff Brown

Backsplash - Banff Brown (not shown)

Grout - Cafe Au Lait (not shown)

BATHROOM

Cabinets - Barcelona Maple

Vanity - Rust Fibre

Wall Tile - Molise Beige with Molise Sapri Listello

Floor Tle - Molise Beige

Grout - Beach Buff (not shown)

And that's that.

Furniture Fun

Now that the major decisions have been made, I can now turn my focus to interior furnishings. Not that I need furniture or in a rush but I am looking to eventually replace my dining room furniture. And the best part is, browsing is FREE!!

Below are a few eye catchers that I found.

P.S. My fave is # 3

Upgrade Update # 1

Well, this day has been one big bottle of adrenline! My design centre visit went marvelously so I couldn't be happier! My biggest concern today was picking out a backsplash for the kitchen as well as a ceramic tile for the main bathroom. AND the bonus of the day is coming under budget by a whopping $225!

Unfortunately I forgot my camera but fear not, I am venturing back to the DC this weekend to take pictures suitable for posting. Stay tuned!!

P.S. A huge THANK YOU to Erin, my design consultant extraordinaire, for her advice and patience!

Backsplash backpedal

After saying I wasn't going to do anything until my design appointment, I have decided to rethink my kitchen backsplash choice. I originally thought a 12" x 12" backsplash with one row of coordinating listello would be nice enough. However, after surfing http://www.buildinghomes.ca/ forums, I have discovered that my selection just won't look right. Since my appointment is scheduled for 9am tomorrow and the majority of my decisions have been made, I am not going to freak out and race to the design centre. Nope - not going to do it.


Oh and by the way, I have priced all of my upgrades and I have come in ~$225 dollars under budget! Woo-hoo!

Change of heart....errr...carpet

Well, after much deliberation and number crunching, I have decided to alter my carpet choice. If you have been keeping up with the saga, you will know that my selection of carpet is out of reach price wise. And if you haven't been keeping up with the saga, why not? :)

So today I ventured BACK to the design centre. And thankfully, I will not return until July 13 when I finally meet with Erin for my second design appointment. In a reasonably short time, I found my berber carpet of choice and poof, that was it!

I have also possibly altered my cabinet choice for the master bathroom. After taking the night and mulling it over, I decided to look again at the selections for the master bathroom. Here's what I came up with today - you can refer to my alternate choice in yesterday's blog entry. Let me know what you think!

Just over there behind those trees

After our marathon design centre visit and a quick tour of the new models at Half Moon Bay today, I decided to show my friend Fiona where my house will eventually sit. After a bumpy and hilarious drive on Greenbank Road, we ended up at the open space that will soon be my pride and joy.

Decisions decisions

After COUNTLESS visits to the Design Centre to date, I have made most of my final design decisions. With the help of my own personal interior designer and forever fabulous friend Fiona, my home is finally coming together. I hope you'll agree.

MAIN BATHROOM

KITCHEN

FLOORING

Just to clarify - hardwood in Great Room / Dining Room, ceramic in powder room, foyer and carpeting on stairs, bedrooms and upstairs hallway.

The only issue that remains is carpeting. Today, my friend Fiona noted my original carpet choice had a pink-ish tone to it that I did not notice. This was confirmed by a good looking gentleman also at the design centre who offered an alternative selection. Fine and dandy - until I got home and priced out what this whole circus was going to cost me. Unfortunately his carpet choice exceeded my budget and I am now left in a conundrum. Standard (which is included) or Berber (which will cost me extra $$)...

Nobody said this would be easy. Whew!

It's all in the details

As the days go by and my 2nd design appointment creeps closer and closer, I find myself second guessing my selections. Case in point - I spent 2 hours at the design centre on Sunday and have changed my mind on flooring and kitchen AND bathroom. Big shock! With the advice of the design centre gals, I think I have FINALLY secured my choices. And they are certainly not what I originally had thought I wanted. My kitchen will tones of brown in the ceramic flooring backsplash, and countertop with a light maple cabinet door. With the black appliances, I'm thinking it will look quite nice. And although the granite countertops are REALLY nice, at this time, they are beyond what I am willing to spend.

I have worked very hard to maintain neutrality throughout the home with the punches of colour coming through on my furniture and accessories. I guess we'll just have to see!

My next task is to bamboozle one of my gal pals to accompany me to the design centre next weekend and show her what I have chosen as my appointment is scheduled for July 13. Wish me luck!! :)

Totally Floored (But Not Really)

I have quickly come to realize that interior design choices can be daunting. In order to keep a minute piece of my sanity, I woke up yesterday morning with the intent of heading out to the design centre to start to tackle my choices. I decided the best way to tackle this task was to break the choices down into more manageable tasks. So yesterday was flooring day.

The powder room is incredbly easy as flooring is really the only choice. AND I have learned from a high number of design mags and model homes, the foyer ceramic tile can be carried into the powder room. So that is what I have done. I have the tile narrowed down to a tile called "Mouse Beige". Sounds incredibly exciting I know but it goes well with the wall colour and the potential carpet for the stairs.

In the main bathroom, I discovered my tub, toilet and sink are white with chrome fixtures. As my main bathroom will not have window, I tried to establish a dark choice and light choice. On the dark side, my tile is called "Banff Black", which resembles a slate tile. On the lighter side, the potential tile is "Banff Light Beige" (see Mouse Beige above).

In the main hallway, all stairs, master bedroom and guest bedroom, the carpet of choice will be a mushroom brown carpet. One of the standards available however I will be adding the upgraded Superpad underpad for increased comfort on the footises.

And finally, the piece-de-resistance, the hardwood floors in the dining room / great room. My original choice way back in the beginning, was a honey colour type of hardwood. However, after spending a couple of hours at the design centre yesterday, I have a few choices which I'm considering. And they are:

• Riviera Red Oak - Cherry (Plank)
• Riviera Red Oak - Medium Brown (Strip)
• Riviera Red Oak - Truffle (Plank)

I am REALLY leaning towards the Medium Brown as I just love the colour. My second choice would be the truffle which is a darker hardwood so we'll see what happens.

One down - one to go...

Well, my first design appointment is behind me. I managed to keep my wits about me and get out of there after only spending a mininal amount of moola.

Erin , my design consultant, was helpful and friendly and made the experience a little less frightning. We started out with Erin showing me the placement of all light fixtures and their switches. We then plotted the placement of my 2+1 cable and 3 phone outlets (additional cable outlet was an upgrade). This was actually a little more challenging than I thought. Because I can't see the room or my furniture layout, I had to rely strictly on my floorplan. Not an easy thing to do.

The appointment continued with me selecting standard bathtub, faucets, sinks, doors, windows, railings. I did upgrade to a black hood fan in the kitchen and included a central A/C rough in as planned. I did not include home security or garage door opener. Too much $$ in my humble opinion. Erin also indicated the plan includes a rough in for central VAC which will be helpful in the future.

I have until June 16th to make changes and I have made an inquiry as to how many outlets are in the kitchen - Erin indicated they were placed every 6 ft however I want to make sure I have enough in the kitchen! I would like to add an outlet or two on the mainfloor so I have until Tuesday to work it all out.

My next appointment (unscheduled at time of this publication) will be the BIG one. I am currently working out my budget and it's looking promising - I'm thinking my wish list will be a reality!

Appointment Excitement

With my first design appointment only mere days away, I am anxiously preparing my list of structural upgrades for the new pad. As my unit is a village townhome, there are limited structural upgrades I can make i.e no 9-ft ceilings for me!

So for this first appointment, I am looking at the following standards:

Standard doors and windows

Standard carpet grade stairs

Standard shower head and faucet in the main bathroom





Standard fixtures in powder room




Standard oak railings - to eventually match oak hardwood floors

I will be investing in the following upgrades:

Shut off valves to sinks - very handy in case of repair or replacement in the future

Addition of 1 cable outlet - house comes with 3 phone and 2 cable

Outlet upgrade to accommodate future ceiling fan with light - I'm getting this for both the bedrooms

Home security system

Potlights for the breakfast bar - I originally thought 3 here but after seeing pictures of a finished home identical to mine, I've decided to go with only 2

Upgrade my kitchen hood fan to black to match my appliances

Rough in for central air - doing this now as when I get my A/C post-move in there will be less structural demolition that needs to be done by the installer

I am currently on the fence about ERV (Energy Recovery Ventilator) or air exchanger as well as a shelf for the microwave in the kitchen. As I am short, I am opting to NOT upgrade to an OTR microwave. It just doesn't make sense for me.

I know the list isn't long but I'm saving myself for the oh-so-important second design appointment which will involve cabinets, flooring, countertops, backsplash, paint, trim, moulding, hardware - all the fun stuff!

Appliance Compliance

As an incentive when I purchased the house, three kitchen appliances were included. I learned the appliances were Frigidaire models and of course, were the cheapest ones available from The Brick. I also discovered that I can upgrade the appliances and pay the difference. Shopping for appliances is not the easiest thing to do (as is everything thus far!). As a very "detail oriented" person, I am doing research left, right and centre and I have made a couple of decisions.

First, my kitchen appliances will be BLACK. Although stainless steel did come in a close second.

After consulting a number of consumer websites and reports, I have decided on a Bosch Evolution 300 dishwasher.




I have also made a decision about a laundry pair. Although really quite nice, front loader washer and dryers are just too expensive and too large for me as a single gal. So I have decided on the Whirpool pair below. And yes, I have decided to go RED.




Where are the refrigerator and stove, you may ask? Well, those are still being researched. Although I am leaning towards LG appliances. They are sleek and stylish and a little more pricey than others so if anyone has ANY suggestions, I am wide open!

Sitting pretty

Last night I had a new idea for my yet-to-be-built kitchen nook. Instead of the usual eat-in kitchen fare, I plan to turn my nook (9'7" x 7'7") into a seating area with a couple of comfy rattan chairs and a small side table. As I will already have a dining room which will be furnished with a normal table and chairs suitable for eating and entertaining, I thought this area, once furnished with comfy furniture, would be ideal for those early mornings reading the paper while overlooking my new front yard.

Fixated on fixtures

As I have been busy prepping for my first design appointment on June 9, I thought I would take a break from poring over the catalogues and go to Home Depot last night to browse light fixtures and appliances. The house comes with standard fixtures but I thought it would be fun to see what is out there as a replacement.

I thought this one was really nice but not sure where I would use it. Maybe the foyer or in the upstairs hallway.

Here's a couple of potentials that would be nice in a dining room.

A gentleman in the lighting aisle last night complimented me on bringing my camera to the store. Lately I don't leave home without it!

Armed and Dangerous

Great day! Today I received my design centre catalogues. Many many choices and many decisions to be made. I plan to work hard and stay within my budget! My appointment is scheduled for sometime in June so it gives me a good few weeks to decide!

I will also be soliciting advice from those more experienced home owners so don't be afraid to post a comment or two!

Fantastic floor plan

As with any new purchase, you need a plan. And here's mine. Say hello to the Honeygate End Elevation A.

http://www.mattamyhomes.com/uploadedFiles/Ottawa/Communities_in_Ottawa/Mattamys_Half_Moon_Bay_in_Barrhaven/Home_For_Sale/hmb_honeygatee_otvh03e.pdf

I've been spending the majority of my weekends at the Mattamy Homes Design Centre trying to pick out cabinets, countertops, tiles, etc. Who knew it would be so complicated?

Hello Honeygate End

On April 19, I purchased my first home. As of today, there is nothing there - nada - not even a hole in the ground. But somewhere around Feb 25, 2010, it will be all mine. Hang on and enjoy the ride....

NOTE: the posted profile photo is the Mulberry End and not Honeygate End. Once building has commenced, I will update the photo accordingly.