Day 157: Four Days Til Closing!

This is the last week (or few days) before I close on Friday. Hopefully things will start rolling at the house. There are a couple of major things that need done still, like my kitchen! I look forward to seeing that punch list knocked out. Four days til closing!

Day 156: Five Days Til Closing!

Still haven't seen anyone working on the house since early last week when the counters went in. Not sure if everything will be done before I close.

 



 

 

 

Day 155: Six Days Til Closing!

Morning shade on the front porch. That will be lovely for my plants. Six days til closing!

 

 

Day 154: Seven Days Til Closing!

Yesterday I went thru the house and made some notes for Raymond of things that need attention in the home. Seems like a lot to do before closing.  Still no backsplash. 

7 days! One week from today I close!

Day 153: Eight Days Til Closing!

 Last day of week 22. Closing is coming fast. Little things are still left to be done. I haven't seen anyone working on the house since the countertops went in.

 

 

 

 

 

Day 152: Nine Days Til Closing!

Today the countertops were installed. I chose the Eco by Cosentino tops in Polar Cap. They look wonderful! The plastic wrap was still on them until the backsplash gets installed tomorrow. I peeled back a corner tho so I could see them. Pretty! The white looks super clean and gives a nice bright contrast into the room. I'm thrilled with them!
 

Nine days til closing!

 

 

More Quality Products KB Used In My Home

A while back I blogged about some of the quality brands that KB Home was using in building my home. Here are a few more:


Emser Tile - an industry leading designer, marketer, and producer of the world’s finest tile & natural stone, porcelain, ceramic, metal, glass, quarry, & more! I opted for tile in my wet areas because of its durability and beauty. With my bathroom very simple (solid white marble countertops and surrounds along with espresso cabinets), I wanted my floors to have some character. These "Titan" tiles give my rooms a nice neutral look.

Shaw Flooring - is the world's largest carpet manufacturer with a reputation for offering strong and attractive flooring. When I was picking out my wood and carpet flooring, I could only see the website pictures and a sample at the Design Studio. I really had no idea what it would look like once it was installed in my home. Now that it's installed, I absolutely love it! It warms the rooms in a way that tile floors just cant do.

My wood flooring is called Nightsong Hickory and they are 8" wide planks. Yes, 8" wide! The dark tones go well with my espresso cabinets.

 

My carpeting is a multi-colored shag like carpet in "Thistle".
 

Sherwin-Williams - Founded in 1866, it is the largest producer of paints and coatings in the United States. Their paints were used on the interior and exterior of my home. I have no doubt they will stand up to the busy life of my family.


Whirlpool - the world's leading global manufacturer and marketer of major home appliances. When it comes to appliances, I don't buy brands Im unfamiliar with, so Im very pleased KB Home offers Whirlpool, too.

 

Moen - the #1 faucet brand in North America, Moen has been around for 75 years, offering a diverse selection of thoughtfully designed kitchen and bath faucets, showerheads, accessories. They look amazing and work flawlessly.

Seagull Lighting - the industry's most expansive line of Energy Star qualified lighting fixtures and ceiling fans featuring decorative lighting designed with today's consumer in mind and catering to modern tastes and home fashions.

Kwikset - manufactures and markets a complete line of door locks and door hardware including door knobs, door levers, deadbolts, handlesets, pocket door hardware and electronic keyless entry locks for residential and light commercial applications. Millions of families have relied on Kwikset for security and peace of mind.

 

 

 

Carrier - the world leader in heating and air-conditioning with proven innovation of new products and services that improve global comfort and efficiency. I know this unit is built to stand up to the hot Texas heat for years to come.

 

 

 

 

 

Rheem -  is the industry leader for total heating, cooling and water heating solutions. In fact, Rheem is the only brand with product offerings covering residential and commercial heating, cooling, conventional storage-style water heaters, tankless water heaters, solar water heating systems, replacement parts and accessories for all categories.

Day 151: Ten Days Til Closing!

Ohh! The excitement is growing!  Let the countdown begin! 10 days til closing!

 

 

Day 150: Blessings

Seems God is dropping several things in my lap lately. So far, all have been blessings so I'm rolling with it.  They're reminders that God is good!

The girls are super excited about getting close to the finish line.  11 days til closing!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day 149: Looking Good

The house is looking really good on the outside. I have a couple of things to bring up to Raymond, but overall it's coming along nicely.

 

Here's our first pic with the garage door painted.

 

 

 

 

Day 148: Beginning of Week 22

Today we stopped by and the house was all locked up, like yesterday, so I called Chance and he happened to be in the neighborhood. He popped over and opened the house for me so we could take a peek.

 

While we were waiting, we met our new neighbors, the ones who are building right next to us in this picture. We got to meet one half of them anyway, the mom and one 11-year old daughter. We chatted while the kids immediately tore off, playing and getting to know one another. Looks like that will be someone fun for the girls to play with.

 

 

 

 

Day 147: Two Weeks Til Closing!

Today marks the end of Week 21. Two weeks from today I close! Woohoo! It's finally down to that time where Im starting to feel a little nervous. The house is 98% done and the excitement is growing. I absolutely cannot wait to get the keys and take my kids HOME!

I've started shopping for a few key items I'll need to purchase right away--a refrigerator, washer and dryer and wood blinds. Oy! Thankfully I have a great source for Whirlpool appliances and have found another source for the wood blinds. Now, I've got to measure all 25 of those windows.

Day 146: Trees!

Oh! The trees were planted today. They're Magnolias! They are absolutely gorgeous!  I couldn't be more pleased. Also the shutters were added, the front was painted--columns, trim and garage door. It's looking really good.

 

The rest of the house is looking gorgeous. There is still places that need paint touch ups but for the most part, it looks incredible. Two weeks from tomorrow I close!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Inside, the railings have been stained yet I'm not sure if they're done or not? The trim is still primed, waiting for painting. When I took a picture of the railing tonight, I sent it in text to my mom. She pointed out the cross appearing in the sun spot on the railing. A blessing for sure!

 



 

 

 

 

In the kitchen, the little trim was added to the cabinets. They look nice, finished. I can't wait until the countertops and backsplash go on. 

 

 

 

 

 

Day 145: Staining The Railings

Today we walked in to find a worker busily staining the railings. Oh how nice they look! I was pleased to see they had taped down plastic so that they wouldn't get any stain on the carpet.

 

I just love this part, seeing all of the items that I picked out go into making the house look amazing. I am very happy with all of my selections so far.

 

We also discovered that our neighbor's house ( next door) is being framed out today. It's so close! :/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day 144: Prepping The Railings

Today the guys who installed the railings were back, prepping them for staining which they advised would start tomorrow. So, not to be in their way, we opted to just look quickly. The one thing I noticed was that caulking in the bathrooms was getting done, too.

 

Can I just say how much I love this house?!

 

Day 143: Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Erin go bragh!  Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Four Forty-Day Periods

I heard from both Chance and Raymond on Friday and they both said that my new countertops should be going in on the 26th of March (week 21) and that my closing date is projected for Friday, April 4th. I couldn't be happier if that's the closing date because that will be Day 161 in this journey, marking the very end of four full 40-day periods.

Forty days is a significant time period in the bible and its made its presence in the building of my house, too. Not surprising, a time period of 40 (days, weeks, years) is significant in that each is related to a time of testing, probation or being tried either by lesson, virtue or punishment. Also notice each period ends with a time or item of blessing.

Perhaps you caught my posts on Day 41, 81 and 121, all the days after a 40-day period had ended, and a new one beginning. Each part was a whole process in the building of my house. Each period led to something greater, the blessing, if you will.

For the first forty days, all I saw when I drove by my homesite was land, an empty field with a sold sign. During that time, my mortgage loan officer and everyone who works on that side was getting my paperwork in line for final approval. The anticipation was building each day.

Then, the on Day 41 (the beginning of the 2nd forty days), the framework for the slab began. We watched it go from a wood frame to having piles of dirt, pipes installed, sections made and post tensioning rods put in place. Each day was only a little different from the one before. That same 40-day period ended with my slab being poured on Day 81.

With the 3rd forty days, my house started going up-- being framed, the walls insulated and sheet-rocked, siding and roofing was in place, and basically the exterior was all complete. Every day brought something new to see and explore.

Now we're in the 4th forty days, and the fence and yard were installed and the interior is being finished. Everyday is a joy to go by the house and see what's new, and even if nothing is new, it's exciting just being at the house. If only for 5-10 minutes, it's a happy end to the day. It's starting to feel like ours. The girls cant wait to move in and have their first sleepover, they are so proud of their new home and cant wait for their friends to see. As a single mother, it makes me so very happy that I could give this to them to experience. Who knows, perhaps one day they, too, will build a house and share that experience with their own children.

So for Day 161 -- the beginning of the next forty days -- to be my closing date, I would be thrilled! Because in that 40 days, I will officially be a first-time homeowner and will get to move in!

Day 142: Hi House

Nothing new to show today since the house is still locked up. Obviously by now you know we come by regardless and to say "Hi house!"

 

 

 

 

 

Day 141: Perspective

Today we couldn't go inside because yesterday the garage door locked once it was pulled down? So, we opted to see our backyard from a different perspective,  the farthest corner we could.  While I paid a premium for a corner lot, I do believe it was worth it. The yard sure is big!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day 140: Happy Pi Day!

 

 

 

Day 139: Beautiful Things

What a beautiful day! Today we found some pretty things when we went to see the house. For starters, our gorgeous front door now has a beautiful doorknob. All of the other doorknobs were installed, too.

We also were able to see all of the wood flooring. Can I just say how stunning this is?! I love the wide planks. And I really like the coloring where it's darker and lighter. It goes well with my carpet and my cabinetry.

We also noted that all of the lights were on. The meter is on the house. It's official! We have power!  The smoke detectors were chirping. And before we left, I made sure to turn off the lights. I know people walk their dogs out here late at night. I don't want anyone to have reason or inclination to come in.

Also added today were the screens on the windows!

She's really starting to look finished.

Day 138: Oh Wow! Oh Wow! Oh Wow!

"Oh wow! Oh wow! Oh wow!" That was the reoccurring theme of what the girls and I kept saying as we checked out the new house this evening.

Landscaping has begun! We were getting the grass installed and they already have a small flowerbed out front along with two holes for where the trees will placed [tomorrow]. It looks good!

 

 

Thankfully my grass is somewhat green and they even had the sprinklers running in the backyard. Now I just have to make sure it keeps getting watered until I move in.

 

 

 

 

Moving on, oh wow! We saw FLOORING!!! Carpet! Wood! Oh wow!

This is a great color! It's called "Thistle" by Shaw and is an Anso Nylon shag-like multi-tone carpet. Beneath is a memory foam carpet pad.

I love these wood floors! They have wonderful coloring in them that really complements the cabinetry. I couldn't be more pleased with my choice, considering it was made in about 10 minutes at the design studio. It's still being installed, so we couldn't walk on it and it was dirty from the sawdust and footprints, but it still looks amazing! Love it!

This one isn't a great picture, but you get the idea of what it will look like as you look across the room -- the wall color, the trim, the cabinets, the FLOOR!