27 April - Settlement

27 April - Settlement

Our settlement went without a hitch. It started with a status update from our project manager, Jason, regarding the punch items outstanding from the New Home Orientation. Feeling excited, we met at the Settlement Office (NVR).  The settlement staff worked us through a decent sized stack of papers for signing. There were no surprises, no extra fees, no unreasonable rules/policies to deal with, so we collected our keys and headed back to the home.

As fate would have it, it was a beautiful sunny day - perfect for day one in a new place. We walked around a bit and then I started on my list of "must do's" - things I decided I wanted to have done before we moved in. These are mainly things that I would consider annoyances - nice-to-have things Ryan could have done but does not do unless you negotiate them in up front. Some experience can be very valuable here. They are mostly small things. For instance, installing wall-mounted door stops on interior doors, completing the drywall and insulation in the garage, or insulating the unfinished space in the home design. No complaints - but it would have been nice if ... Just saying.

In any case, the house was spic and span and ready for us when we got there. It just looked so nice and new. Here's some photos:

24 April - The Final Walk Through

24 April - The Final Walkthrough (new home orientation)

The meeting was with our project manager, Jason, who was well prepared and had the house well prepared as well.

We first had a discussion about the process between now and settlement, which is in a couple of days, and we talked about what happens after settlement. We then signed a couple of documents acknowledging that we discussed these things.

Ryan now puts virtually all of their information on a thumb drive rather than give you a large binder full of information. Jason also pointed to http://myryanhome.com/ for help reviewing general information and contacting Ryan when there's a problem.

One of the processes concerns punch items not corrected by settlement. During the walk through a list is prepared of open items that Ryan acknowledges need to be addressed. I expect many of the items will be addressed before we settle in a few days, but some will not. For instance, the knobs on our kitchen cabinets are misplaced and require new cabinet doors. Jason said he'd order new doors and have them installed when they arrive in a few weeks. In any case, the key is to have a list of items both sides agree on before settlement occurs.

After the discussion we walked through the house from top to bottom and then the outside, adding items to the list. Then we reviewed the list one more time before leaving. The process took about two hours. We thought it would be quicker, but ...  It was very very helpful.

So now we do the punch items and we get ready for settlement in a couple days. We love the place! A couple pics:

10 April - Finishing Touches

10 April

The momentum continues. Just when you thought it was done, there seems to be more happening. We noticed:

• Garage Door Opener
• Landscaping
• Front Door Painted
• Trim on cabinets

We are exactly two weeks from our pre-home demonstration. There are a number of small things - creaky floor, nicked trim, flaws in drywalling, poorly installed outdoor trim, cabinets mis-aligned, etc. that need some attention. I understand Ryan has a "Punch Team" that will deal with all of those things and get the house ready for turnover. We'll be watching to see how this process proceeds, as it's certainly a key to client satisfaction when the home is delivered.

On Wednesday this week we are having a home inspection performed. Seems kind of silly, but enough people have suggested it that we thought we should do it, considering the money we're investing. Also considering the negative feedback a few unhappy buyers have left on various websites concerning follow-up after their home was delivered and the transaction closed. Better to get things on the table early. At this moment trust is high. I have nothing but great feedback for the Ryan Team. 

We're really excited and getting ready for moving in. It's time to order services!

Regarding the issue with our bathroom tile, it has not been addressed satisfactorily. There was clearly fault in the tiling contractor but also we missed the issue when reviewing the documents, so the blame is shared. However, the tiling contractor, TAC, appears to be unwilling to assume any responsibility. This is too bad. However, it's not over yet so I still want to give them the benefit of the doubt and the chance to make things right.

In the end, the home is a little small, but it's got some real character. It certainly needs some people living in it to bring it to life. Nice as it is, it's kind of sterile and dormant - just waiting for a spark of life. 

Couple photos:

 

As for the inside, we love it, but it's still kind of a mess. Nothing really photo-worthy. I'll post as soon as it's cleaned up a bit!

5 April - The Final Stretch

5 April

Well, our home is almost completed. The closing is scheduled for 27 April. It still seems far off, but the house is looking almost ready. After a few weeks of slow and steady progress, it seems to have taken a quantum leap and all of a sudden things are done.

Floors, cabinets, appliances, sinks, toilets, lights, stonework, backsplash, fireplace - all are looking great. After 6 months of anticipating what things will really look like, it's so exciting to see what they actually look like.

I'll post more pics when I get out there and take some. But for now:

The inside is covered with protective plastic, so there's not much to look at right now. But there here's a few, starting with Laurie's favorite feature - the utility sink.

They put in the backsplash tiles, which looks great. It's interested that the gray glass tiles we selected look darker in these photos than we expected. The floors are a fairly dark gray, so the two (floor and backsplash) should to well together as a nice contrast for the white cabinets. The granite countertops look fantastic as well. The granite was thick-cut and looks very sturdy. Also, we got three pendant light connections, but we will be installing the pendant lights ourselves.  I think those will really complete the look of the kitchen.

March 27 - Misc Tasks

March 28

The pace seems to have slowed a bit, but things are clearly happening on the property.

1. They poured the cement for the sidewalk. (great but the steps are not very wide)
2. They installed the metal accent roof (looks great!)
3. Electrical, plumbing - significant progress
4. Granite countertops installed (they look so awesome!)
5. Installed the glasswork around the master BR shower (nice).

We still have no resolution on the tiling SNAFU. I'm a little worried they are thinking it will just go away. The Ryan folks have been understanding but no resolution after a week.

I continue to see items that are fine as is, but if given the option, I would have upgraded. I wish Ryan made some of these upgrades available at the beginning of the buying process. They would have made more money and we would be even happier. However, we knew this would be the case when we purchased, so no regrets or complaints - just suggestions for the future.

The front porch pillars, the floors/carpets, and the final landscaping are the only major items remaining. We've noticed a few issues and our project manager, Jason and his assistant Jeff, has been terrific and responsive. It's great to work with a team that has experience and integrity.



Some photos!

March 18 - Tilework Surprise

March 18 - Tilework Surprise

This Saturday we went by the house, which is looking great. Saturdays are clearly workdays for many different crews, including drywallers, painters, cabinet installers, electrical component installers, and masons.

The more we see the more I realize how many moving parts there are in a home like this. Just when it looks like things are almost done, it seems there is something new going on that I didn't think of.

Anyway, one of the things that was getting installed over the weekend is the tiling in the bathrooms. Lets start with the master. We got some awesome slate tile for the floor in the master, with a granite countertop and white subway tile for the spa-tub and two person shower. We also got a tiled floor on the shower rather than a plastic (ish) one piece floor.  I have to say it really looks awesome! The design of the bathroom was a little non-specific when we selected the upgrade option, but now I'm really glad we got it!

The other three full baths had a surprise for us. As I mentioned in an earlier post, Ryan didn't offer any options where we could get a shower instead of a tub in any of the other baths, so they all have the same layout - sink, tub, toilet. We selected the exact same tile/cabinet for each. We chose a coffee-colored cabinet, with a standard white, one piece top, and a sand-colored 12x12 tile floor. So far so good, that's exactly what we got. However, for the batch tile, we thought we selected a brown 12x12 tile with a multi-colored brown horizontal accent strip about 18 inches below the top of the tile.

However, what we saw was 6x6 white tiles with the multi-colored brown accent strip. The combination looks kind of, well, ugly. Here's a photo:

So, we went back to our spec sheet and, sure enough, the sheet specified exactly what we saw. Of course, we were pretty surprised at this, since it's not what we thought we specified. We know that we should have caught it when we inspected the sheet. The problem is that the spec sheet has so many details and acronyms, it was really hard to notice the mistake.

At this point, we've notified the builder about the issue, and they've notified the interior design contractor about the issue. We're not sure what is going to happen next. However, I have to say that the Ryan team has been very responsive in jumping on the situation. I'll update this post when we have a resolution.

March 9-15 - Siding, Cabinets, Trim, Interior Paint, Porch

March 15 - Lots Happening!

We were away for a few days and came home to find the drywall completed, a primer coat of paint, a second coat of paint, stairway railings, wall trim, kitchen cabinets, and even the siding all completed or partially underway. I'm sure there's plenty more to do, but it's definitely starting to feel like it's almost done.

I'm not sure how others experience this phase, but for me, every time something new is started, I find my self being very happy with our decisions during the original specification stage. Little things, like the balusters on the stairs and the oak finish on the stairs just look so great when you see them installed. Of course big things, like the great room extension, the morning room, and the bonus room are awesome as well. However, I'd have to say the most significant option we selected on this model is the alternate kitchen layout. By moving the pantry into the side hallway, a lot of extra room is created in the kitchen - for additional counter space and cabinets. Also, the master bedroom is larger, as is the laundry room and the arrival center, which includes a coat closet. If I could only get one major option, that would be it.

Here's some photos. More to come soon!

The Winterbrook is an interesting model. It feels much bigger on the inside than it looks on the outside. The layout certainly has a lot to do with it. I think the design makes great use of interior space to achieve that effect. The interior hallways don't take up much space, and with the open design, the dining room, foyer, and stairways blend together to for a larger space than any of them would be by themselves. The great room/kitchen/dining area/morning room combination is also a killer in that it's not boxy and provides some definition to each area while also sharing floorspace to create a feeling of a large space. We walked into a few of the Somerset View models, which are larger and more expensive, and the contrast is kind of striking. The SV has a large rectangular area for the kitchen/dining/great room, and it doesn't achieve the same effect. From the outside, the Winterbrook looks noticeably smaller than the SV models (of the 5 houses under construction right now, 4 are SV models). However, the full front porch elevation, which isn't finished yet, will go a long way to making the house looks plenty large and attractive.   I'd recommend making sure you look at a Winterbrook before making a decision. We're really glad we go it!