Pre-Drywall Meeting

Today was our pre drywall meeting.  It took  maybe almost an hour-- I didn't really pay attention to the time we started and finished.  We got to meet a 2nd PM, who actually called us last week to discuss light placement in the family room.  Both PMs walked us through the house and went over various things throughout the house.  We went through each room and they pointed out things and answered any questions we had.  One thing that was very evident throughout the meeting was that these guys are on top of everything.  Case in point:  Less than a week ago we found out there was no light included in the morning room.  Our purchase agreement does not have electrical plans for the morning room in it and we never saw blueprints of the house at our pre construction meeting.  So there really was no way for us to know this, but we probably should have thought to double check sooner in the process.  So for anyone out there who is at the beginning of the process don't be like us and just assume that the $17,000 morning room comes with a light, haha-- it may be different in different models or neighborhoods, but just make sure you ask ahead of time so you don't have to scramble at the last second when it may be too late.  Luckily for us our super late, last minute request to put in a ceiling fan rough in was quickly approved!!  I can't tell you how happy we are to not have to eat dinner in the dark until we can get an electrician out to cut a hole in our brand new house and put in a light!  Anyway, as soon as we walked into the house we immediately noticed they had placed the 4 recessed lights in the family room and they looked great and not only that... they even already had the ceiling fan rough in installed in the morning room.  So impressed and so happy.  

We were told that they will be stocking the drywall and will start to hang it tomorrow!  We did learn by going through the plans with the PMs that our basement did not come with the small window in the basement area under the morning room.  So there is that.  Also learned that having that small room wouldn't help it qualify as a "real" bedroom once its finished because it has to be a full sized window that someone can get out of in an emergency.  So other than the extra daylight it would have offered we aren't missing out on too much.  

Having been there on Saturday we saw all kinds of spray painted "notes" left around the house and we noticed that it all was fixed when we were there today.  Missing studs were replaced, the attic access was moved from bedroom 2 to the master closet just on the other side of it.  (I think its ugly and don't want it to be visible in the bedroom, so hiding it in the closet was perfect!), They had moved back the framing around the master tub that was sticking out too far.  They also had all the insulation put in on the exterior walls, and garage ceiling.  

One thing we learned was that our master bathroom will have a door on the water closet/toilet area.  The model we had been it had a door or had door hinges indicating a door (can't remember) so we assumed we'd have one too but then I read  blog that said the newer versions didn't have doors there.  I was kind of bummed because I liked the idea of not having to always see the toilet when walking through the bathroom, it would be nice to have a door on and to close it up.  Anyway, our PM said there would be a door there and then we noticed on the actual blue prints that sure enough it did include a door.  Sweet.  Its so nice to learn good things about the house that you didn't expect but love that its there! :)

One of those "good things" being square columns!  Okay, so my husband could tell you and would tell you that I've been slightly obsessed since we visited the house last Saturday and saw the neighbor's finished house with square columns.  Then noticed the house next to them with a square column... then noticed the house on the corner that is still in progress... that is also a Milan (elevation C) with a square column... see the trend?  So I pulled out my video of the street that I took on our first visit on October 29th and watched it in slow motion and zoomed in on everyone's columns.... all ROUND!  

The papers we signed in December with our sales agreement say that the column is revised for elevations B, C, and E and that the round columns are switched for square columns.  This made me SO excited but when my husband asked about it at our pre construction meeting the SR and PM told us "No, the're round".  So bummed.  Well, my crazy obsessive "research" (just all the stuff I listed above... plus showing the plans to all my construction brothers and father at a family party this weekend) had me 99% convinced that the revision on our plans was right and we will be getting a square column and not a round one.  So we asked again today at the meeting and they didn't have an answer for us, said it depends on elevation.  Hmmmm... well then we thought to check the plans when we went back in after the meeting was over to take some photos.  They have to go off the plans, which is what they told us, so we needed to see what the plans said.  YES!!!  8" SQUARE column!!  Okay, yes I know I just went on for the longest paragraph ever over a dumb column but I seriously HATE the round columns, they seem very 1990s to me and that is probably because that is when my parent's built their home and they have round columns.  Anyway, I was kind of sad that we didn't have it in our budget to add stone to the front of our house or to do the elevation E which I really wanted.  So if we can just have a square column I can love the look of the front of my house so much better.  Make sense?  Yes, I know I'm crazy.  Anyway, after looking at the plans I am really only 99.9% sure because who knows what column will show up and they'll install?  Fingers crossed!

Now some pictures of my favorite sightings during our meeting today.

This pile of siding was delivered on our front yard when we pulled up!  Such a great sight to see.  I can't wait to see the house w/ siding and shutters on!!  They were almost done with our next door neighbors siding while we were there today, hopefully ours is next!  :)

Love this back walls of windows!

And this "dining room" is such a nice size.  We will put the piano in here and hopefully turn the rest of the space into a library and computer area for our children to do their homework.  We don't want them to have computers/internet access in their bedrooms, so this is a perfect centralized location for that.

Our "flint" siding.  Its gray, but kind of a blue-ish gray.

Loved the cute little stairs they put in the garage.  

Easily our favorite room in the house, wouldn't have wanted this house without this room.

Do you see what I see?  ;)

Loving our future home and the pile of siding in front of it.  You can see some of the neighbor's siding going up back there too.

Love the wide staircase!