Tuesday, July 10, 2018

House Update #1,000,000

Ok, so maybe I'm exaggerating a bit with the title.. but that's how it feels.

And, my the title for my last update was a little misleading as well. A race is defined as a competition to see who/what is fastest. That is definitely not the case to finishing our house. We have been racing to get all of our loose ends tied up, but not our builder. They have done these things over the past month: flooring, tile backsplashes, and trim. They just installed our heat pump and mini-splits yesterday. Mind you, the trim was done last Monday, and the painting was supposed to be done that week as well. We are still waiting for:
  • Painting.
  • Cabinet finish work (like crown molding)
  • Electrical--lighting and outlets.
  • Plumbing--fixtures, toilets, and shower door.
  • HVAC--water heater, vents, kick plates for vents under cabinets.
  • Misc--Shelves, mirrors, and "punch list" items.

We were given a "worst case scenario" completion date of July 31st, but we will be lucky to have our house done by then. We just gave our property management company an official move-out date of July 31st, but I feel like we will have to rescind that date. It's just that getting ONE THING completed a week doesn't cut it when you're trying to get the house done. 

Anyways, we've had to make a couple of concessions to get the house done in a timely manner, but now I'm questioning if we should have done that or not because our house is not being worked on in a timely manner. Example: they installed the subway tile in the wrong design in the master bath, and I didn't hate it, so we took a discount instead of having them re-do the design. Also, the door to the garage opens out instead of in, and now the tile floor doesn't meet the threshold to the door. So, do we ask for them to re-do the door and trim, or do we just fix the tile floor that was installed according to false directions? 

             Wrong design                                                                                   Right design 

Flooring gap by the garage door

I am just sooooooooo done with this. I am not sleeping well because of the stress and the heat. I wanted to have the heat pump for air conditioning in my new house prior to the summer heat, but that's not happening. I am a very angry person when it's too hot and I can't sleep. 

Hopefully next time you check this I will be a nicer person.

Cabinets on cabinets on cabinets

Our project: kitchen island tile backsplash

 Basketweave subway tile backsplash in kitchen

 Kids bathroom. Big vanity, tiny sink.

Another one of our projects: kitchen desk. Pro tip: don't install wall cabinets yourself unless you're a pro.

Update: Curious about our progress? Click on this link to see all of our home building updates, or check out my Instagram account for continuous updates.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

So after all this (or in the middle of all this), would you recommend Lexar as a builder? We are looking at them in Boise ID, because they offer one of a very few floorplans that will fit in the tiny lot we have to build on. But if our current house sells first, or during the build process, it's very likely we'll be living in an RV until construction is complete. So.... speed to completion is vital.

Other reviews I have seen elsewhere- at least for the Spokane group - have been positive. I don't see a lot of good feedback re: their Treasure Valley efforts, so I'm wondering if it would be better just to find different plans and a different builder.

-ptw

Shewi128 said...

Unknown..

I don't know what your other options are, but I believe that you may have a similar experience with ANY builder. We are building in the Seattle/Tacoma area, where there are not enough laborers for how many houses are being built.. so it's taking a long time for ANY builder to finish a house. Each Lexar franchise has different standard features, so that's something to check out. Our standard features are nice and definitely upgrades from Hiline and Adair. One person we know met with both Adair and Lexar, and decided to go with Lexar because they would save thousands of dollars on upgrades. The house is nice, the finishes are nice, and they supposedly stand behind their work. I believe the house is worth it, but I also believe it's pretty much one of the most stressful things I've been through in my entire life. Would I choose Lexar again knowing what I do now? Maybe.

New home blog coming soon

I have received a lot of questions via email about how the home is holding up for the past 2.5 years. I plan to do a detailed update on our ...