HOME in time for the holidays...

First of all, sorry for the delay in posting the "final" pics. We were able to move in the first weekend in November.

Merry Christmas!!

1.) Front view. Eventually we'll paint the front porch but there was question as to whether it should be painted or stained.
2.) Kitchen view number one. The pocket door on the left goes to the mudroom .

3.) Kitchen view two. We can see the Charlotte skyline through the window on the right. It's pretty neat.

4.) Here's the den and Christmas tree!!

5.) Dining room. The window goes to the back yard.

6.) Powder room

7.) Master bedroom view one.

8.) Master view two...

9.) Stairs

10.) Bedroom two

11.) Bedroom 2 again. Really good view of downtown from windows up here.

12.) Bedroom three

14.) Upstairs bath

15.) Upstairs bath again

16.) Bedroom 4 - affectionately call the "man room"

17). encore on the "man room," in case you didn't get enough

"Darn Close"

So, I think that's the first line that Matt and I exchange when we walk into the house. It's certainly not untrue, but we've been saying it for a LONG time.

Last week we passed our plumbing and electrical inspections. We had a little trouble with mechanical, but we're giving it another shot on Wednesday. Our final structural inspection is scheduled for Thursday. If we have learned a thing during this process, we know that those dates could change...

My parents have come to help, and Mom came again without Dad. Matt's parents are here now helping! Courtney is invaluable!

Here are the latest in photos...

1.) This is the stairway (obviously) The light, handrail and carpet are new since the last post.

2.) Here's a view of the man room. We've started moving stuff in, but have been instructed to stop until we get our final inspection.

3.) Here's a view of the upstairs bath.

4.) Here's the front bedroom.

5.) And the powder room

6.) Master bedroom

7.) Master bath.

8.) Master bath again. The mirror fit by an act of God. It's something I picked up off the shelf, but it turned out okay.

Maybe we'll be living there a week from now... Fingers crossed!

Is it really OCTOBER??

When this project started on April Fool's Day... baseball season had not yet begun and here we are 162 games later. We never predicted that the Braves would make the playoffs or that we wouldn't be home by now, but such is life. We were practically certain that we would be moving on the hottest day of the year. It is cold in Charlotte.

So, it's been a while between posts and it's because we've been REALLY busy with wrapping things up! Also, we've been having a great time climbing in and out of the house through the windows.

The floors were finished last week, which meant that we couldn't get into the house to paint unless we came in through the windows. This wasn't too bad on the first floor, but to paint up stairs, we had to climb a ladder that was propped up on the front porch roof. This was perilous to say the least. Also, it is important to note that the floors took an extra day to dry due to rain, which made ladder climbing interesting!

It feels like we're so close, but there is still a lot of work to be done. Here are a few snap shots of the state of the state...

We're hoping to move some stuff in this weekend, but time will tell.

1.) Here's a shot of the great room. The floors have been finished. They look great and smell terrible. The ceiling fan is where the living area will be and the chandelier will be over the dining room table. I think that my favorite thing about this room so far is the ceiling color.

2.) Here's a shot of the kitchen. Faucet is installed, but water doesn't come out yet. Hole is where dishwasher will be. Back splash is in and grouted and there are counters that we love!

3.) Another shot of the kitchen. Shows that fridge is there and plugged in, but power isn't on yet. Note, world's smallest microwave. Don't let the trim kit fool you!

4.) This is the tub surround in the upstairs bath. It's looking good. It's white subway style tiles all the way to the ceiling and the accent is very slender travertine and glass tiles. Maybe a little hip for my usual taste, but it's fun.

Hopefully, I'll have more to post later this week. The next big thing is that the carpet is being installed on Thursday. Stay tuned.

BUSY!

I've fallen off of the band wagon as it relates to "blogging." We've been so busy. Painting is consuming our lives. We're soooo close though. These pictures are out of date, but better than nothing.

We're kicked out until Friday because the floors are being finished and I'm a painting machine. Matt's becoming a professional bachelor party attendee. I'll get a paint brush in his hand one of these days.

Here are some shots of things that we've done lately. I will try to post again over the weekend. I can't make any promises. Luckily, my sister has been a huge help and mom and dad are coming this weekend to help.

1.) Here's the den looking into the kitchen. Noteworthy items... fridge and pendant lights.


2.) Main room... I painted the ceiling and look a fan!

3.) Front porch columns and lights...

Where did the gray house go?

So, it's been a long road, but we're finally on the home stretch. We're talking about a move in date of October 1st. Time will tell, but we're pretty close. These pictures were taken before we worked all weekend, so I'll update again later this week with the latest. For now, here's what we have.

1.) Kitchen cabinets. Here's the "pantry." The hole is for the microwave.

2.) Here's the vanity in the master bath.

3.) View of the kitchen overall.

4.) Outside view, painted over the gray primer!

This week, we're hoping for all of the exposed wood where the house meets roof to be covered. The electrician is back on the scene. The template for the counters has been done and we might have countertops toward the end of the week. We'll be painting again this weekend.

Getting closer...

Here are some shots of the latest progress...

We can't wait to move in!


1.) Our bathroom. Tile has been laid.
2.) Cabinets arrived. Installation is going on today and tomorrow.

3.) They've installed interior doors.

4.) Upstairs bath. Floor has been tiled.

5.) Main room. Look at hardwood floors. Kitchen is on right. There is a little paint around the door, but just a first coat. Thanks to Court for her help!

6.) Hardwood detail on stairs.

No Longer Advertising for LOWES

So, as the title indicates we've almost covered all of the Lowes house wrap. If you notice I said we, and that wasn't a coincidence. Matt and I spent all of last weekend hanging siding. It was hard work and it feels good to have accomplished something like that.

Some other things that have happened this week is the completion of drywall hanging. They've taped, mudded and skimmed. They are priming as we speak. Also, the HVAC units were placed and connected. The electrical service was attached to the house. Also, the kitchen cabinets were delivered. They are in boxes all over the house.

Here's what is to come in the next week...

Floors are installed
tile is installed in bathrooms and laundry
kitchen cabinets are placed

And now for the PHOTOS....

1.) Here's the AC.



2.) The closest I'll have to a pet Kitty. This is our neighbor's kitty, Pumpkin. I'm not usually into cats, but she's really a neat.

3.) Here's the front of the house

4.) Side view...

5.) Back view. See electrical service?

6.) Looking into kitchen

7.) Stairs

LONG overdue

So, it's been a while to say the least... Here it is in a nut shell.

• Insulation was installed, the rooms started to take shape
• The roof was finished being shingled
• Drywall has all been hung.
• We've ordered kitchen cabinets and they'll be here toward the end of the month
• We've ordered appliances, they'll be here around the same time as the appliances.
• They've started on siding
• We're going to spend this weekend helping out any way that we can.

We've realized that we're finally making progress! It's getting exciting.

Here are the next steps:

• Drywall will need to be taped, mudded and primed
• Doors get installed
• Frames around windows get installed
• Flooring gets installed...

1) Here's a detailed shot of the roofing.
2.) Back view of roof.
3.) Siding has started to be hung.
4.) View from stairs in back of house looking toward front. Kitchen is on left. The front door has been installed for a while now.
5.) View from kitchen over island. Can see where the built ins will be. The doorway to the right of that leads to a hall that goes to the master suite, half bath and front hall closet.
6.) View from front. Kitchen on right.
7.) Master bedroom.
8.) Man cave.
9.) Front bedroom upstairs