Friday, November 18, 2011
Laminate Countertop Preview
This is the new countertop we picked, to replace the granite...Basalt Slate.
After looking online I am hopeful it will turn out like this....
Definitely something I can live with!
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Fee. Waived!
If you dont have a good sales rep your experience with Ryan is going to suck. Point blank. Our sales rep is awesome.
Ryan was trying to charge us a $500 fee to change our countertops - since we have already entered the construction phase - and after an hour conversation with our rep last night I came to work and received an email from her stating that the fee has been waived! I feel like I won the battle!
Im glad they have decided to work with us on this fee because double standards totally suck and Ryan is known for them. "Hey were going to push back delivery of your home until January - but were not extending your last day for changes..." How does that even make sense?
Ryan was trying to charge us a $500 fee to change our countertops - since we have already entered the construction phase - and after an hour conversation with our rep last night I came to work and received an email from her stating that the fee has been waived! I feel like I won the battle!
Im glad they have decided to work with us on this fee because double standards totally suck and Ryan is known for them. "Hey were going to push back delivery of your home until January - but were not extending your last day for changes..." How does that even make sense?
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
....changing our selections...again.
So, last night we went to lowes - we needed to get a bundle of shingles to repair the roof on our current house before we sell. Anyways, we walk through the kitchen displays and I see about 25 different corian countertops and at least 25 quartz and granite options. This gets me thinking.
Were paying alot to upgrade to Granite countertops in the Rosecliff. And we were only able to pick from about 6 choices...which sucks. I literally found about 4 different options that I loved in lowes that were not even known to me during the ryan homes selection process. So after some in depth discussion, Shawn and I have decided to just downgrade to the countertops (laminate) that are included with the price of the home - then next year do a custom kitchen. Backsplash / countertops ... maybe some tile art between the stove and the microwave...plus we can then lower the island at that time - and make a bigger countertop in that area and make it all one level instead of having a raised bar. The money we are saving by not taking the granite upgrade we will set aside to start the custom kitchen.
Ryan has some nice selections, but my lord the options are endless when you get out and look around...so I think were making the right choice, and I also think that we will get the money back out of the new kitchen we put in...since it will be unlike any other kitchen in that townhouse development.
Did anyone else out there do something along these lines?
If so, are you happy with how things turned out?
Were paying alot to upgrade to Granite countertops in the Rosecliff. And we were only able to pick from about 6 choices...which sucks. I literally found about 4 different options that I loved in lowes that were not even known to me during the ryan homes selection process. So after some in depth discussion, Shawn and I have decided to just downgrade to the countertops (laminate) that are included with the price of the home - then next year do a custom kitchen. Backsplash / countertops ... maybe some tile art between the stove and the microwave...plus we can then lower the island at that time - and make a bigger countertop in that area and make it all one level instead of having a raised bar. The money we are saving by not taking the granite upgrade we will set aside to start the custom kitchen.
Ryan has some nice selections, but my lord the options are endless when you get out and look around...so I think were making the right choice, and I also think that we will get the money back out of the new kitchen we put in...since it will be unlike any other kitchen in that townhouse development.
Did anyone else out there do something along these lines?
If so, are you happy with how things turned out?
Monday, November 14, 2011
Friendly Gossip is Highly Recommended
The framing is well underway! We visited the site this Sunday - with my parents - and took a few photos. We actually walked all thru the house and all thru our neighbor's houses as well. A few of them got the fireplaces - but heres what really gets me, one of them got a SLIDING GLASS DOOR out the back in lieu of the regular man door. This wasnt even an option for us - and it would have been nice because our back yard will be relatively level to the door...we expect to have one or two steps. Now, the unit with the sliding glass didnt have the small 2' wall that is there if you get the room extension - so it may not be an option with the 2' extension...
Anyways, after nebbing a bit we were walking out and met another neighbor in the unit across the street, her name is Lucy and she is wonderful. We got to talking about options and she was saying that her neighbor didnt get a pantry in the kitchen, instead she opted for additional counter space and a top and bottom cabinet - another person living in her row actually lowered their kitchen island to all one level. I had wanted to do this pretty badly and they told me it was not an option because of the electrical for the garabage disposal - very disappointing! I love to cook, so having the island all the same height would help when Im rolling out dough or making cookies...she also said her neighbor paid a boat load to get this customized into a level island - now take us for example, we got a 2 foot extension on the garage, so shawns truck would fit. No one else even heard of that option (because we created it).
Lucy also said that she hired an outside company to come in and install her garage door opener, saving her $250 instead of allowing Ryan to do it. She also recommended on getting a laundry tub in the garage, this is an extra, costing $400 - however they supply the tub and do all of the plumbing - which is not a bad price. I didnt get the laundry tub but the more I think about it the more I want to change my mind, I mean where can you fill a bucket to was the floor or where can you wash your greased up dirty hands? In my new kitchen sink...I think not.
Basically what im trying to say is anything is possible - just ask and be persistant! Dont just choose from the option list, open your mind. If you want to change the floor plan a little bit or add a cabinet or a sink, odds are Ryan Homes will accommodate it. DONT BE AFRAID TO ASK all they can do is say no.
That being said, here are a few photos of the progress on our Rosecliff...
This is the front of our house, my mom is in the corner trying to pick up her dog.
Standing in the dining room looking into the kitchen, that mandoor will lead to the garage.
the infamous stair case.
My dad insisted on going upstairs, even though I dont think the staircase was completely tied in.
We opted for two sets of windows (no fireplace) and the 15-lite patio door.
Garage.
This is a shot of the back of the house - Im so glad we have a level lot.
This is a view from our upstairs -
And...another shot of the front. you can see our neighbor's second floor framing...this house isnt sold yet - any takers? we are awesome neighbors to have!
Anyways, after nebbing a bit we were walking out and met another neighbor in the unit across the street, her name is Lucy and she is wonderful. We got to talking about options and she was saying that her neighbor didnt get a pantry in the kitchen, instead she opted for additional counter space and a top and bottom cabinet - another person living in her row actually lowered their kitchen island to all one level. I had wanted to do this pretty badly and they told me it was not an option because of the electrical for the garabage disposal - very disappointing! I love to cook, so having the island all the same height would help when Im rolling out dough or making cookies...she also said her neighbor paid a boat load to get this customized into a level island - now take us for example, we got a 2 foot extension on the garage, so shawns truck would fit. No one else even heard of that option (because we created it).
Lucy also said that she hired an outside company to come in and install her garage door opener, saving her $250 instead of allowing Ryan to do it. She also recommended on getting a laundry tub in the garage, this is an extra, costing $400 - however they supply the tub and do all of the plumbing - which is not a bad price. I didnt get the laundry tub but the more I think about it the more I want to change my mind, I mean where can you fill a bucket to was the floor or where can you wash your greased up dirty hands? In my new kitchen sink...I think not.
Basically what im trying to say is anything is possible - just ask and be persistant! Dont just choose from the option list, open your mind. If you want to change the floor plan a little bit or add a cabinet or a sink, odds are Ryan Homes will accommodate it. DONT BE AFRAID TO ASK all they can do is say no.
That being said, here are a few photos of the progress on our Rosecliff...
This is the front of our house, my mom is in the corner trying to pick up her dog.
Friday, November 11, 2011
Bathroom Tile
Remember when I first posted, I said I would try to get a photo of our Bathroom tile and border - well, found one! Our friends Val and Todd just built a Ryan Home and moved in this spring - and they choose the SAME EXACT TILE. They have good taste. Here is a shot - with the adorable Logan (their son).
I love the stacked border.
I love the stacked border.
Friday, November 4, 2011
Moving the Closing Date & Selling our Old House :(
I'm pretty emotionally attached to our current house. We pretty much remodeled the whole place and maybe thats why I feel such an attachment. That, and my parents are attached, since it was a huge project for them as well. So when Shawn brought up the idea of renting our old house I was all about it. Cause then I get to keep it...forever and ever. But after some logical thinking we decided that having a rental property is probably not something were ready to take on...especially when Shawn works out of town a lot.
Thus, we are meeting with a realtor on Monday to discuss a sales price and possibly list our house!
In the meantime, someone is looking at my grandmother's house - so lets just keep our fingers cross that someone buys her home and she can buy ours!!!
That being said, Ive been dealing with the mortgage company about qualifying without the rental income if our current home isnt sold by the closing date on our new house, plus trying to decide who were getting home-owners insurance through (were going to bundle cars and home so were trying to get a really good deal)...plus on top of all of that the Holidays are coming up. Which means were busy anyway....THEN to top it all off - shawn may be getting an offer from his company to relocate 4 HOURS EAST of pittsburgh...which means were screwed out of a deposit on the Rosecliff and were moving. We wont know whats going on until Mid / End of November....love the waiting game. Its so much fun.
Literally I am living off of "comfort-time tea" from Salada...to try to calm myself down.
I just called our Rep to see when they were planning on framing - she said they had hoped that framing would be done by this week - but instead they are just starting the first framing crew on Monday. Which means that our closing date is being pushed to January sometime.
Which, considering all of the above, its better for us in the long run....and I may be able to get my christmas tree up in our old house just one more time before 1. moving into a new home or 2. moving 4 hours east.
Happy Building Everyone & try the tea, it is wonderful!
Thus, we are meeting with a realtor on Monday to discuss a sales price and possibly list our house!
In the meantime, someone is looking at my grandmother's house - so lets just keep our fingers cross that someone buys her home and she can buy ours!!!
That being said, Ive been dealing with the mortgage company about qualifying without the rental income if our current home isnt sold by the closing date on our new house, plus trying to decide who were getting home-owners insurance through (were going to bundle cars and home so were trying to get a really good deal)...plus on top of all of that the Holidays are coming up. Which means were busy anyway....THEN to top it all off - shawn may be getting an offer from his company to relocate 4 HOURS EAST of pittsburgh...which means were screwed out of a deposit on the Rosecliff and were moving. We wont know whats going on until Mid / End of November....love the waiting game. Its so much fun.
Literally I am living off of "comfort-time tea" from Salada...to try to calm myself down.
I just called our Rep to see when they were planning on framing - she said they had hoped that framing would be done by this week - but instead they are just starting the first framing crew on Monday. Which means that our closing date is being pushed to January sometime.
Which, considering all of the above, its better for us in the long run....and I may be able to get my christmas tree up in our old house just one more time before 1. moving into a new home or 2. moving 4 hours east.
Happy Building Everyone & try the tea, it is wonderful!
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