How Much is that Puppy in the Window? Chpt#5

WELL!

We got our Construction Proposal, Specifications and Optional Changes for our new house. CHING CHING!! Yea - nothing is cheap is it.

Our first decision was to finalize WHAT the house would look like. The builder gave us three choices that would go with the plans, each about $2000 more then the next. Here were our choices and our thoughts.


This was the most expensive of the three plans. What we did not like from the get go was the faux window things on the roof. Why have them if they are not useful.

This was the least expensive. What none of this drawings have is the front porch railing which actually is a key in our final decision.

This was in the middle and was our first choice. However, once we let things settle in and visualized the front porch railing we both felt that perhaps the front was too "busy". Just too many things going on with the duel window and railings and the roof peak. Then if you add landscaping in front it would just get too active.

We picked #2 which as luck would have it, was the least expensive.

Then it was time to play with a new software toy. I had downloaded the Imagine Pro Suite, a Full-Featured Home Design Software.

After downloading (takes a while . . it's HUGE). I spent about 40 minutes playing with it. Remember, this is 40 minutes from the time I clicked start for the first time. There are MANY MANY things I can do with landscaping, Interior and exterior design but all in good time.

Just playing around and I have already changed the roof and other things as I was just taking the program for a test drive. It does give you a clue though.

Anyway there were more important things to consider, the Optional Stuff.

For instance, The two car garage with a 1 car storage area. The original plan had no outside service door, $600!

Concrete patio at rear of home $6 per sq foot.

Transom windows in the three bedrooms. Here is the thing with that. The three bedrooms all have windows but ONLY front and back. None on the side of the house, meaning no cross ventilation. $1350.

Three glass cabinet doors in kitchen $450

Install laminate bar countertop with small overhang on half wall above kitchen sink $275

Frame, drywall and install rough plumbing basement $1000

Brick per square foot, add $22 per foot, we’re thinking $2000

Install stone cap on brick posts $300

And so forth.

We have a $1000 lighting allowance, a $2000 Appliance allowance for Refrig, Stove Dishwasher and a $5500 flooring allowance.

Decisions, decisions, decisions.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch we're trying to get the CURRENT house ready for sale with a Feb 1st-ish date.

We are getting five rooms panted, redoing the main bathroom with new floor, vanity and lighting along with decluttering and tossing "crap" into the garbage and getting rugs cleaned.

So far we're liking the BUYING part of this process more then the SELLING part.

OH, and the BUYING part is about $10,000 more then we expected because the lot is $10,000 more then we thought.

Still, we're not totally outside the financial box yet. Yea - we're leaning on the side's of that box but have not stepped outside yet. Of course, when buying, who does not take a step our two outside of it.

In other news we see that a home 5 lots away is selling for $450,000 - YIKES!! It's nice to have the least expensive home in an area, it'll bring up the price of our house.

We have a meeting with the builder Friday to iron out the details!

I'll get back to you with the finals.

Rod and DJ.