Photos of yard now that we have grass!!

View from front porch.

Leaking Soffit update

Customer Care has been great to work with resolving the leaking soffit when it rains. The problem has been identified and a course of action determined for the repair. Was nothing major and should be able to be corrected easily.

Updates and rain problems

We have been moved in for 8 and a half months now. Got through a cold nasty winter ok. Basement wall has a few cracks in it now and so does floor. All cracks at this time are very thin and while disappointing to see, they are not unexpected. As long as they don't keep growing in width then it is normal. The upgrade to 2x6 walls with R19 insulation was worth absolutely every penny. If you are building a new house soon, be SURE to do it! You will get your money back in just a few years with energy savings.

We are now in the rainy season and I have discovered a troubling problem. When it rains, I get water pouring through one of my soffits - which should NEVER happen. I am reporting it to Wayne Homes today to see when they can get someone out to check this before my fascia board or roof decking starts to rot (depending on what is causing this). The video shows the problem.

Day 110 - downspout drain trenches

So we are officially moved in now. There are still a few items from our punch list that needs addressed but nothing that prevented us from closing and moving in. Today, our excavator began trenching for the drain lines that will carry rain from the downspouts out and away from the house. Doing this is completely on us. Wayne Homes does not include anything beyond simply putting the downspouts on the house. This was clearly stated up front - I am just clarifying for anyone reading that you will be responsible for getting this done. I'm sure you can work with WH's excavator for additional cost but we have our own guy.

Day 106 - August 30th ... And we're in!

From the time time carpeting was installed, it took 1 week to get our walk through to make the punch list of items needing addressed. It then took 1 week to begin working on the punch list so that's why there haven't been any updates in a while. As of last last Friday, we were given the keys and went through our official closing.

Labor day weekend was spent moving. The heat was miserable but we made very good progress. Still tying up loose ends at our old condo but we're almost done moving the non essentials that were left behind. Thanks to friends and family that pitched in Saturday to help move the bulk of it!

7,000 Views and counting!

Our blog has now had over 7,000 page views to !!!
We know our friends and family only account for pageviews in the hundreds. So to everyone else out there that has been tuning in, I hope you have found this blog informative. We are getting close to completion and our walkthrough with our Field Manager is tomorrow. We are making the punch list of things that we would like to see repaired or touched up. There are some minor things that need addressed and a couple larger issues. I will wait to see what Wayne Homes will agree to as far as what I think should be done before posting details.

We've had a lot of hiccups along the way so far but construction is prone to such things. I have not always been pleased at how some things were or were not addressed when I brought them up. Other things I've been quite satisfied with. But as the house stands currently, things are looking pretty good. Most things I wasn't willing to fix myself have been addressed. And the enormous amount of hours I've poured into the house with help from friends and family have made our house truly unique.

It is certainly a mark in the plus column to Wayne Homes that they do have flexibility with letting home owners do some of the work themselves. That is as it should be since this our build project and our house and not theirs. But I know some other builders are not as willing to work with the homeowner. The fact we put in our own arches and stair post/rail/ spindles/ faucets/ light fixtures etc. have made our home a 1 of a kind.

So when we officially get the keys in the near future, I will post my final thoughts on the entire process from start to finish and what I think of Wayne Homes as our builder. If our blog can help anyone considering building with them make up their minds either way, then we are happy to have been of help. Anyone can post comments on this blog so feel free to ask any questions and I'll do my best to answer based on our experience.

Thanks again to everyone that has been viewing our experience building our house. Now if all of you would show up with a bag of grass seed mid September, I can get my yard seeded.
Please?!?

Pictures as promised.

Here are some pics of recent work.

 Foyer from Great room.

 Kitchen Island with raised eat ledge.

 Appliances in. Microwave needs installed over stove.

 Main bath vanity.

 Master vanities (Jack and Jill configuration)

 Finished stairs shot from basement up.

 From top down.