This is all for our house:
You'll also notice that there's a lot of lumber there for a fairly modest home. Much more than I'd anticipated.
Here's Laurie!
Tuesday, January 31, 2017
The Lumber Arrives - 28 January
I know I'm getting a little carried away. But the lumber arrived and it's fascinating to see just the modular Ryan Homes approach to home framing in action. There are very few loose or standalone pieces of lumber. Almost everything is pre-assembled into either a triangular or rectangular unit. Given all the angles and options in our home, it will be quite the jigsaw puzzle to assemble everything.
This is all for our house:
You'll also notice that there's a lot of lumber there for a fairly modest home. Much more than I'd anticipated.
Here's Laurie!
This is all for our house:
You'll also notice that there's a lot of lumber there for a fairly modest home. Much more than I'd anticipated.
Here's Laurie!
Friday, January 27, 2017
The Underground Plumbing - January 22-27
January 27
This week saw some small delays due to rain on Monday and Tuesday that made the ground exceedingly muddy and heavy.
After the dry out, the underground plumbing - sewers, water piping, and underground drainage was laid and the first "fill-in" of dirt around the foundation was started.
The splotches in the dirt inside the basement are footer pads for the cement slab to sit on.
It's amazing how small things look at this stage. But they also look exciting!
Here's a view of the dirt getting filled in:
Next week will see the laying of the concrete slab in the basement. After that, it's go for framing!
This week saw some small delays due to rain on Monday and Tuesday that made the ground exceedingly muddy and heavy.
After the dry out, the underground plumbing - sewers, water piping, and underground drainage was laid and the first "fill-in" of dirt around the foundation was started.
The splotches in the dirt inside the basement are footer pads for the cement slab to sit on.
It's amazing how small things look at this stage. But they also look exciting!
Here's a view of the dirt getting filled in:
Next week will see the laying of the concrete slab in the basement. After that, it's go for framing!
Friday, January 20, 2017
The Waterproofing - 20 Jan
20 January 2017
I know I'm writing a lot, but hey, I'm excited. They waterproofed the foundation walls today. Here's a photo.
You can see how they waterproof slightly below the anticipated grading lines, so the waterproofing tar is hidden once the grading is completed.
Next week will be a slower week. They plan to put in the exterior/interior drainage system and route the water and sewer pipes that go below the concrete slab.
I know I'm writing a lot, but hey, I'm excited. They waterproofed the foundation walls today. Here's a photo.
You can see how they waterproof slightly below the anticipated grading lines, so the waterproofing tar is hidden once the grading is completed.
Next week will be a slower week. They plan to put in the exterior/interior drainage system and route the water and sewer pipes that go below the concrete slab.
Thursday, January 19, 2017
The Foundation - 17, 18, 19 January
17, 18, 19 January 2017
Things seem to be happening very quickly. Without wasting any time after placing the footers, the Ryan team placed the cement forms in one day, poured the foundation in the next, and removed the forms the next. Here's the pictures:
It's amazing how quickly this plot of dirt is being transformed into a home. Of course, the weather has been very cooperative. But my sense is that we are in a process.
While they were putting up the concrete forms, we had a meeting with our project manager to go over things one last time. He was extremely helpful and informative. As an engineer myself (electrical), I really enjoy understanding the process and considerations that go into building a modern, energy efficient home. The experience so far has really been fun!
Next comes waterproofing the walls and installing an exterior drainage system. Interestingly, the drains one the outside of the walls are routed to the sump pump inside the home. I thought this was a little strange and risky (in power outages, or if the pump fails). Just another reason to select a home lot that has good natural drainage. Our lot has some drainage, as it slopes downward towards both the front and back, but the slope is very slight - only a few feet either way to the property line. Still it's better than nothing, so I'm not worried about drainage at this point. Another thing we didn't consider when selecting the lot. But I think we are ok.
By the way if anyone wants to visit in person, we are lot 58 on Haybine Lane in the Willowsford Greens.
Things seem to be happening very quickly. Without wasting any time after placing the footers, the Ryan team placed the cement forms in one day, poured the foundation in the next, and removed the forms the next. Here's the pictures:
It's amazing how quickly this plot of dirt is being transformed into a home. Of course, the weather has been very cooperative. But my sense is that we are in a process.
While they were putting up the concrete forms, we had a meeting with our project manager to go over things one last time. He was extremely helpful and informative. As an engineer myself (electrical), I really enjoy understanding the process and considerations that go into building a modern, energy efficient home. The experience so far has really been fun!
Next comes waterproofing the walls and installing an exterior drainage system. Interestingly, the drains one the outside of the walls are routed to the sump pump inside the home. I thought this was a little strange and risky (in power outages, or if the pump fails). Just another reason to select a home lot that has good natural drainage. Our lot has some drainage, as it slopes downward towards both the front and back, but the slope is very slight - only a few feet either way to the property line. Still it's better than nothing, so I'm not worried about drainage at this point. Another thing we didn't consider when selecting the lot. But I think we are ok.
By the way if anyone wants to visit in person, we are lot 58 on Haybine Lane in the Willowsford Greens.
Tuesday, January 17, 2017
Excavation and Footers - 15-16 January 2017
January 17, 2017
Just visited the home site and saw that excavation was completed and footers were poured. Actually, our project manager, which has already changed once since the December meeting, let us know via email at the end of last week what the status was. This was greatly appreciated.
After a quick look, we realized that the back basement egress stairs were not positioned where we had agreed, and so we called the project manager. He checked, agreed, and moved the footers for the stairs to the correct location. We really appreciated how cooperative and helpful he was in making this happen. One thing I'm noticing about the Ryan project managers is that they they are genuine people who want to give customers the home they think they purchased and they don't mind taking as much time as necessary to talk things through. Well done!
Here's the view!
And another:
So far, I'd give Ryan a 9+ on their delivery. The people make all the difference. It's been great working with all of them so far.
Next comes the foundation. Stay tuned!
Just visited the home site and saw that excavation was completed and footers were poured. Actually, our project manager, which has already changed once since the December meeting, let us know via email at the end of last week what the status was. This was greatly appreciated.
After a quick look, we realized that the back basement egress stairs were not positioned where we had agreed, and so we called the project manager. He checked, agreed, and moved the footers for the stairs to the correct location. We really appreciated how cooperative and helpful he was in making this happen. One thing I'm noticing about the Ryan project managers is that they they are genuine people who want to give customers the home they think they purchased and they don't mind taking as much time as necessary to talk things through. Well done!
Here's the view!
And another:
So far, I'd give Ryan a 9+ on their delivery. The people make all the difference. It's been great working with all of them so far.
Next comes the foundation. Stay tuned!
The Plan Finalization - December 2016
December 2016
Ryan is a machine. Once you are on the conveyor belt, you are on your way and progress just happens. We had a few items we wanted in our model - since the model we purchased based on had them and we didn't realize that the Willowsford version didn't have them. We were told that they weren't approved by the developer (Willowsford, Inc.), and we therefore we had no chances of getting them approved. However, with some effort on Laurie's part to talk to the powers that be at the developer organization, they were ultimately approved. Great koodoes to the Willowsford organization for seriously re-considering!
With this phase completed, we were ready to finalize our plan.
Late in December, we met with our project manager, to go over the finalized plans. There were a few small changes, such as the location of the basement egress stairs, which was agreed upon. If all went well construction would start in January.
Happy Holidays!
Ryan is a machine. Once you are on the conveyor belt, you are on your way and progress just happens. We had a few items we wanted in our model - since the model we purchased based on had them and we didn't realize that the Willowsford version didn't have them. We were told that they weren't approved by the developer (Willowsford, Inc.), and we therefore we had no chances of getting them approved. However, with some effort on Laurie's part to talk to the powers that be at the developer organization, they were ultimately approved. Great koodoes to the Willowsford organization for seriously re-considering!
With this phase completed, we were ready to finalize our plan.
Late in December, we met with our project manager, to go over the finalized plans. There were a few small changes, such as the location of the basement egress stairs, which was agreed upon. If all went well construction would start in January.
Happy Holidays!
Choosing Options - Mid-November, 2016
Mid-November, 2016
We picked all of our options in a single day. It too three meetings but the process is well-established.
Working with Ryan is an interesting experience. It's pretty cookie-cutter, as there are not a lot of options and pretty much no room for non-standard customizations. For instance, there is really no choices other than standard for lighting, knobs, and plumbing fixtures, though you can change the finish of the fixtures from chrome to brushed. There are no cabinet hardware options - you have to use what comes with the cabinets you select.
I suppose this is part of the Ryan business model and they do a good job offering a product that fits their price point. However, you should be aware of this before you buy. If you think you want a lot of customization of look/feel - lights, fixtures, floors, cabinets, etc, then you may want to look at the standard Ryan choices before you buy. There are good choices available for everything, and we are really excited about what we selected, but I expected a whole lot more to choose from. Plus, when there was something that I wanted that wasn't in their list of standard options, there was virtually no flexibility to have it added.
Like I said - very "Cookie-Cutter."
We remain very happy and excited though - even with the limited choices. In the end, we chose a gray theme - with upgrade gray wood floors, white upgrade cabinets, gray oak finish stairs, and a speckle white countertop and gray glass tile backsplash. We got the high end appliances as well. For the master bath we chose a gray slate tile and white subway tile tiling. We were, and remain very very excited about our choices. I can't wait to see them in the house!
We picked all of our options in a single day. It too three meetings but the process is well-established.
Working with Ryan is an interesting experience. It's pretty cookie-cutter, as there are not a lot of options and pretty much no room for non-standard customizations. For instance, there is really no choices other than standard for lighting, knobs, and plumbing fixtures, though you can change the finish of the fixtures from chrome to brushed. There are no cabinet hardware options - you have to use what comes with the cabinets you select.
I suppose this is part of the Ryan business model and they do a good job offering a product that fits their price point. However, you should be aware of this before you buy. If you think you want a lot of customization of look/feel - lights, fixtures, floors, cabinets, etc, then you may want to look at the standard Ryan choices before you buy. There are good choices available for everything, and we are really excited about what we selected, but I expected a whole lot more to choose from. Plus, when there was something that I wanted that wasn't in their list of standard options, there was virtually no flexibility to have it added.
Like I said - very "Cookie-Cutter."
We remain very happy and excited though - even with the limited choices. In the end, we chose a gray theme - with upgrade gray wood floors, white upgrade cabinets, gray oak finish stairs, and a speckle white countertop and gray glass tile backsplash. We got the high end appliances as well. For the master bath we chose a gray slate tile and white subway tile tiling. We were, and remain very very excited about our choices. I can't wait to see them in the house!
The Purchase - October 2016
October 29 2016
Laurie and I recently purchased a property via Ryan Homes for a Winterbrook single-level model in Willowsford, VA. We looked for information over the web during the early days of decision-making and really didn't find all that much. So, I thought I'd create this blog to document our experience for the benefit of friends and other future home-buyers who are considering a Ryan home.
To start, we found the process of pricing out a lot and model to be very easy. There were ample model and partially constructed homes available to look at to see what we would be purchasing. The Ryan team was friendly, supportive, and patient.We looked at a similar home in a different neighborhood and that was really helpful.
For the neighborhood, we chose to build a home in the Willowsford development (http://www.willowsford.com/) We really loved the standards and spaciousness of the 4,000 acre development, which sports hiking trails, a campground, lots of wooded areas, and even it's own working farm! The amenities - two large pool complexes, a nicely outfitted exercise room, a lake for kayaking and more also really got our attention. We enjoy both road and mountain biking and the proximity to great rides in the country was also a factor.
Our biggest issue was lot size. We wanted to get a home with some space, but many of the lots available for main-level living homes were just too small. We have two awesome dogs and want them to have a back yard to run around in. Ultimately, we found a lot with Ryan that was barely acceptable from a lot size point of view, and had a nice common area in front as well as thick woods behind. So we were in.
Here's the lot:
And here it is with a little snow just before they started building, kinda nice, eh?
For the model, we really liked the Winterbrook for a few reasons, even though it's a little smaller than its big brother, the Somerset View. The great room/kitchen combination, with extension, dinette, and morning room, is large, has great character (not a box), and has plenty of windows. Since we see this as the area where we'll spend 90% of our non-sleeping time, this was important. The second reason is that the extra bedrooms are away from the Master bedroom, the second floor bonus bedroom/loft and full bath are also well separated from the Master, and the basement bedroom/full bath combination is also well separated from the rest of the house. This gives overnight guests plenty of privacy no where they stay. Overall, the Ryan home designs are all a little small, but we decided it would be fine.
Laurie and I recently purchased a property via Ryan Homes for a Winterbrook single-level model in Willowsford, VA. We looked for information over the web during the early days of decision-making and really didn't find all that much. So, I thought I'd create this blog to document our experience for the benefit of friends and other future home-buyers who are considering a Ryan home.
To start, we found the process of pricing out a lot and model to be very easy. There were ample model and partially constructed homes available to look at to see what we would be purchasing. The Ryan team was friendly, supportive, and patient.We looked at a similar home in a different neighborhood and that was really helpful.
For the neighborhood, we chose to build a home in the Willowsford development (http://www.willowsford.com/) We really loved the standards and spaciousness of the 4,000 acre development, which sports hiking trails, a campground, lots of wooded areas, and even it's own working farm! The amenities - two large pool complexes, a nicely outfitted exercise room, a lake for kayaking and more also really got our attention. We enjoy both road and mountain biking and the proximity to great rides in the country was also a factor.
Our biggest issue was lot size. We wanted to get a home with some space, but many of the lots available for main-level living homes were just too small. We have two awesome dogs and want them to have a back yard to run around in. Ultimately, we found a lot with Ryan that was barely acceptable from a lot size point of view, and had a nice common area in front as well as thick woods behind. So we were in.
Here's the lot:
And here it is with a little snow just before they started building, kinda nice, eh?
For the model, we really liked the Winterbrook for a few reasons, even though it's a little smaller than its big brother, the Somerset View. The great room/kitchen combination, with extension, dinette, and morning room, is large, has great character (not a box), and has plenty of windows. Since we see this as the area where we'll spend 90% of our non-sleeping time, this was important. The second reason is that the extra bedrooms are away from the Master bedroom, the second floor bonus bedroom/loft and full bath are also well separated from the Master, and the basement bedroom/full bath combination is also well separated from the rest of the house. This gives overnight guests plenty of privacy no where they stay. Overall, the Ryan home designs are all a little small, but we decided it would be fine.
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