The End (of our frustrations) and The Beginning (of our simple life)

Over three months have passed since our last entry, which happened to be the day before we bid adieu to city life. We are finally settling in to country life after dealing with numerous issues that Indy should have remedied. (It's probably best that I waited until now to post this last entry to let my fury subside.) Indy finally completed our driveway a week after we moved, and all our attempts to get him to pick up this monstrous pile of junk beside our house were futile. We finally hired a company ourselves to handle it. Best money we've spent so far...other than on the yard, which we also had to handle on our own. We had countless rocks covering our yard that had to be removed before seed could be sown or sod could be laid. Luckily, our neighbor (come on, you know Noel's already befriended them all) gave Noel the name of a guy (whose name ironically was Guy, ha!), who had a machine called a rock hound, basically a rock scavenging machine. We had a new yard by the time he was finished. Oh, between that and the empty space that was once the trash pile I didn't think I could be any happier until we discovered grass. Noel and Dad sewed grass seed immediately after Guy finished his work; however, we had been doing some research on sod and found that prices weren't as ridiculous as we thought they would be. We decided to lay some sod in the front and side yards to boost morale around this homestead and, boy, did it! It took all day one Sunday for four of us (Noel, Dad, Mom, and myself -- although at seven and a half months pregnant this girl took several more breaks than the majority) to lay ten palates of sod (each palate covers 450 square feet). You want to talk about being sore for days. Wow! The sod, however, quickly met Ruthie's approval, and the seed is coming up nicely to blend in where the sod stops. (You see we certainly couldn't have sodded the whole yard, and even if we wanted to, I seriously doubt we could coax our two helpers into taking on the challenge again.)

Our frustrations spanned much wider than just with Indy. We have also had bank issues. We still do not have a mortgage, because the bank and Quicken Loans do not see any need for speed in such a process. We have already locked in a rate once and lost it, and the process will restart in only a few days. We have also dealt with a post-construction appraisal that fell short of the pre-construction appraisal. (How that is possible, I have no idea. I have fought tooth and nail with the bank and the loan company about that appraisal but to no avail. The appraisal is an issue because it affects how much of our construction loan can be rolled over into a mortgage. Needless to say, we got screwed over yet again. We are now going to have to carry a two mortgages. What fun!) I digress. Hopefully, we'll have a mortgage by the end of October.

Frustrations aside, the whole process was totally worth it. We have the house of our dreams and a much quieter life (until we welcome our little Isaac or Lydia in another month, anyway) with Sox and Marley...oh, I mean Ruthie. We are glad we did it, and in hindsight, we'd do it again (but we'd rather not). 

The grass makes it look like a real house!

Noel's view from our hammock (that he wasted the day away in...said all he needed was his house, his dog, and his hammock...work is overrated...I agree).

Many, many thanks for all the support from our family and friends in this process. We hope that somewhere in this process someone may have taken away something helpful. We now have a wealth of knowledge, though now probably very useless to us, about this whole housebuilding/dealing with your contractor/banking process. You live and you learn. Then, you get mad as hell and take matters into your own hands. 

We outta here! ....almost.

Our home is move-in ready (by the skin of our contractor's teeth, I do believe), but as Indy said, we may be done but we're not done. After we move, we will make a list of all that needs to be 'fixed.' Everything will get remedied; then, I believe (ehh...hope) that we will close on our mortgage, and this endless stream of bills with be no more.

As you know, we have installed a geothermal system in our house and insulated the entire house in foam. We have a very tight house. There benefits and downfalls to this. Benefit: less air leak from the interior to the exterior (thus lower energy costs). Downfall: less air leak from the interior to the exterior (ironic, I know). You see a house has to 'breathe,' and I talked about this earlier on in my great blogging adventure. In order to avoid 'sick house syndrome,' and, yes, there is such a creature. We have had Stroop's install an ERV system, or an energy recovery ventilation system, to help avoid this problem. This ERV system will let the house 'breathe' by exchanging stale internal air for fresh external air a set percentage of a 24-hour period. Currently, our ERV is set at 30%. Translated, this means that the ERV will exchange air for 30% of the time during a 24-hour period (a little less than 8 hours a day). The ERV technician was at our house the other day installing the system under the house, and he drew a diagram of house the contraption worked and took me under the house to show me how to change the setting (or percentage of exchange if necessary). Oh, that sweet smell of fresh air. Ahhh.

Quite a bit of work was done yesterday at the house, because as of Sunday evening (two days ago, mind you), there was no running water in the house. Let there be water! And, golly gee, we got water yesterday. And our refrigerator is hooked up. We also got to welcome back our washer and dryer that my brubby has so kindly kept operational for us. Shelving was installed (wood in the pantry and wire everywhere else). The front porch steps are supposedly complete as well. I would imagine the yard is still a muddy mess because of the current monsoon season, but eventually, Indy is going to pick up the rocks that litter the yard (with some machine he's rented) and bring in topsoil. Hopefully, they have removed the clutter in the garage or at least sorted through it. The leftover electrical supplies have been returned to the Southern Electric for credit. (Note: Always, always make sure that any extras get returned for credit. These credits certainly add up! We returned unused tile and grout to Lowe's a couple of days ago and that yielded a significant return in our wallets.) Once Builders Supply picks up the remaining lumber and other products, our house/garage/yard will start looking less like a construction zone and more like a home (surrounded by a sea of dirt or mud, of course).


Today, we hope Indy's cohorts can get our driveway in working order. They are to install two more culverts, smooth it out, and lay more gravel. The rain/muddy condition is the limiting factor.


 Tonight, we are moving clothes and Soxy down to Lynchburg. Soxy will actually be spending a few days at his grandmommy and granddaddy's house because there may still be workers going in and out of the our house. Poor Soxy's stress level would be off the charts. 


As I type this entry, I am surrounded by boxes and stuff that still needs to be thrown into boxes. We have cleaned bathrooms, emptied cabinets, vacuumed floors, changed addresses, called utility companies, and have eaten out or had sandwiches for the past two weeks. This will be the fourteenth time I have moved since moving out of my parent's house after high school. (I'm certain Noel's number rivals mine.) Moving is certainly a familiar nuisance, but a necessary one nonetheless. Last night, we were saying how we can't believe we have reached this point. This journey didn't start with purchasing land, nor saving up money, nor getting married. This journey started much, much sooner than that. In the words of Ty Pennington...Welcome Home White Family, Welcome Home!


We will keep you updated on the post-move progress (once we regain Internet access...I am turning the cable box in right after I complete this entry) because Hannah and Noel's great adventure isn't over until the mortgage broker sings. I also want to thank, in advance, the 'movers' who are volunteering their time and muskels to help us: Larry, Matt, Mom, Daddy, Jamie, Eli, Riley, Rosa Lee, Marianne, and Emma. We appreciate it!

Parting shot: Happy Anniversary to my bestest friend in the whole, wide world. (You are such a lucky dude!)

T minus 7 days and counting

We are one week until move day, people! And, I must say that my semi-vocalized frustration had quite the impact on our contractor, apparently. (I say semi-vocalized because I didn't have to vocalize much before he realized that I wanted him to get on the ball and get this house move-in ready.) After our phone conversation last Thursday, Noel and I drove up to the homestead that day and, there were ten (yes, ten!) cars parked up there 'getting shit done!' You couldn't wipe a smile off my face with and eraser. The framers were back and had finished our screened-in porch (minus the screen). The flooring dudes had finished tiling our shower and were in the process of grouting tile. Jose and his compadres were completing our interior bamboo steps, and while we were there, the stone masons appeared and got to work on our front porch steps.

Oh, now we can sit out on the porch and sip our mimosas!

So Soxy won't fall.

These gorgeous steps are really made from a grass. I really hope I don't run into a panda bear one day munching on our stairsteps. Pretty awesome!

The improv HGTV crew -- post mailbox installation.

Since last Thursday (aka the GSD day), the balusters have been put into place and the handrails stained on the staircase and overlook. The final round of painting was completed today. Carpet has been installed in our master bedroom. The hot water heater has been placed under the house. The plumber has been hard at work installing fixtures in our bathtubs and shower. A few of the contractor's men (if I knew your names I would thank you, but I do not) routed the gutter downspouts into the ground with corrugated plastic pipes to irrigate the yard while directing water away from the house. They also backfilled much of the area around the garage with dirt from one of the massive dirt piles that was created when the footers were dug. The electrician has installed the under-cabinet lighting, raised the pendant lights, and installed dimmer switches. Today, he was in the process of installing our speakers, TV mounts, and rope lighting. This is his last day on the job at our house, and we truly appreciate the work he has done. (Thank you, Jon!) The dishwasher would have been installed today if the cabinet people (ahh, the headache reappears) had actually made the slot large enough for a standard size dishwasher, but they did not (surprise, surprise). Alas, they must return to correct their mistake, but their return did not occur today (and we were ensured by them that it would).

Gutter engineering.

After the mounting frustration on Thursday, I typed out lists for the electrician, Indy, and the plumber (although the plumber's list was extremely short). We wanted them to know what we noticed needed to be done. Apparently, they expect lists...like lists. If only I had know that this was kosher earlier in the process, I would have been like Santa...lists for everyone! We, of course, kept a copy of each person's list so we can walk through and around the house and check off what has been completed. Lists give the A-type personality something tangible. Makes me feel a bit more in control of the situation. Not to mention, we always forget to mention things to Indy. To make a list, we analyzed each room as to not miss anything.


Today, Noel met with the closet shelving elf (get it...the shelf elf...ha!) to tell him how we wanted each closet set up. The cleaning ladies are coming tomorrow to rid our house of dust and trash. The area around the house still needs some tending. The burn pile in the back needs to be scooped up and hauled off. The yard needs to be free of rocks and adorned with a fresh coat of topsoil. Backfilling needs to occur around the house. And, we need a screen for that screened-in porch. The driveway, good grief, the driveway needs a couple of culverts installed, needs to be graded, and desperately needs crushed gravel. Of course, as this has kicked into high gear, monsoon season has fallen on Lynchburg. I didn't think I would say this (in a time when we so desperately needed rain), but rain, rain go away come back again when we've moved in and need a lazy, rainy day.


The interior of the house is so much closer to completion than the exterior, but we just need this thing to be livable in seven days. We might just make it. Come on Indy!

Parting shot: The muffin (our wonderful wiggling muffin)

On the twelfth day before moving in my contractor gave to us...no progress!

As I type this blog, Queen's "Under Pressure" is blaring in the background in an attempt to calm down a very frustrating evening and morning. If I was an inanimate object, I would resemble a food canner with that jiggling thing on the top vibrating like mad to let off steam. I know I have used this line before in the blog but I am funneling Frank Costanza yet again..."Serenity now!!"


Here is the timeline people. We have twelve days to get this house done. We are moving from this townhouse in thirteen days, June 29th, mind you. Less than two weeks. What is left? Oh, the porch steps, interior steps, interior balusters and handrail, screened-in porch, staining the concrete, finishing the electrical work, finishing the plumbing work (but, wait, our plumber can't finish his job until the tile boys finish our shower), grouting the tile, cutting an air vent for the dryer, returning and crediting unused supplies, installing carpet, installing an interior door in the garage, caulking around the exterior doors, sanding and restaining the exterior doors, installing doorknobs, patching the hole in the kitchen ceiling, installing our rope lighting and dimmer switches, painting the hallway, giving our closets shelving, installing the hot water heater, refrigerator, and dishwasher, trenching for the plumbing to our garage (then covering it up), filling in around the house site with the dirt they removed to do footers, bringing in topsoil so we can have grass, dumping some more gravel on our driveway, hauling off the junk they have used to junk-up the house site, and cleaning our house of all the dusty remnants. That is all. Twelve days, that's all I'm saying. We are installing our mailbox today, at least we know that will get done. Dad has offered numerous times to finish it for us. Why, oh, why didn't we let him?!


Apparently, this situation is not unique to us. I have heard from numerous people who have built a house (through a contractor) that once the house reaches the point where it looks like it's almost complete all of the workers disappear.


On another note, our plumber has done everything he can do until this point. He has installed our toilets (which we thought were going to be low-flow but that is another story for another day) and faucets. We did have to exchange the faucets we bought for the upstairs bathroom because the extensions on the bottom were not long enough to reach through the granite. This worked out to our benefit because the faucets we exchanged them for were a bit cheaper. 


In the mean time, we have been moving boxes from Murfreesboro to Lynchburg as we can. With each trip we bring another load as we will do today. Our goal is to have only large furniture remaining by the 29th. 


Note this 'installment' (as my poppa calls it) is just a dose of reality. As I mentioned when beginning this blogging adventure, we were going to be brutally honest about our experience. One day we'll look back and laugh...maybe. Ha! Ha!