Architect: check!

So we'll put fencing aside for at least one post. In this house building (eh, pre-house building process), there's always something to do. We're still trying to find the king and all of his horses and men who are going to put this beast together. 


We interviewed another contractor this week. We shall him 'Indy' (Jones, that is). Now, Indy's got a few good things going for him. First, he met us the day I called him. Second, his name has come up several times since we've been asking around for reputable contractors. He's actually building a house across the street from my aunt and uncle. Third, when asked about siding for our new homestead, he introduced us to this thing called Hardie board (also comes in Hardie shake, you know, those awesome New England-style shaker shingles). Indy's cut is only 9% of the original floor plan -- a bit less than Pickle's cut. If the floor plan grows throughout the process, his cut is still 9% of the original plan. In comparison to Pickle, Indy does not seem as financially organized. According to Dummies, we need chemistry with a contractor. Where's a beaker and Bunsen burner when you need one?!


We are meeting with one last contractor on Sunday afternoon. We shall call him 'Fish.' Now, I will admit that ol' Fishy has not made a very good impression on us so far. Why are we still interviewing him you might ask? Well, Fish contacted me and stayed in contact with me before we even bought our land. He really seemed on top of things and willing to help, even gave us the name of a reputable, reasonably priced architect. However, he's now proving to be very elusive, and it has taken me 3 weeks to secure an interview. This is now more or less a courtesy interview, but you never know, he may just blow our socks off.


Good news, though. WE HAVE AN ARCHITECT! On Wednesday, we met with the architect who Fishy recommended and hired him. He is Joel Wingard from Brentwood, and he's not technically an architect. He's an Auburn grad with a background in building. Architects are notorious for drafting ideas that cannot actually be constructed -- an issue that should not arise with this dude. Before we met with him, we made a list of everything we wanted in our house. This makes you think about how you actually live, even down to making an inconspicuous nook for Soxy's litter box. The devil is in the details. Initially, I felt bad because we hired Joel and may not hire his recommender, but I got over it. Noel's tough. It was a no brainer for him.


Check out more about this Hardie board/shake stuff in the side margin.