Modular home or Frame home?
We were first posed with the decision of the type of home to build on a half acre lot nestled within the beautiful McElrath Allotment. It thrilled us to envision a brand new home embedded within the wooded scenery.
Our first home-building journey led us on a search for a modular home. We had progressed significantly into the process of selecting a beautiful modular product, but the realization of some notable pitfalls of modular ownership became apparent in the loan-seeking process. Modular homes, many times, do not hold their value over time, and this became a reality for us were we to follow through with owning a modular home. Therefore, we scrapped the idea of going modular.
Should we buy an existing home?
It seemed like the idea of building a new home was extinguished after we scrapped the idea of going modular. It made us wonder, "What homes are for sale in the area?"
We became active looking at homes-for-sale in the area, studying the product/value relationship of the homes we toured as well as functionality, style, neighborhood, and other features. In the end, it served us educationally. We really wanted to build a new home within McElrath! Nothing could get in the way of our dream.
What about some of the new-home-building companies in the area?
We had visited some new construction company websites as well as the office of a local home builder. There had not been any "spark" from that visit...
...until one day came along and RL said to Cindy, "Honey, let's stop in at Wayne Homes to see what kind of houses they have." There was a lot of "spark." We told our story. We told our journey. We spoke of our experiences. They listened. They approached it with a "can do" attitude. We began our relationship with Wayne Homes that very day.
Preparation, preparation, preparation! If you've seen the movie Jumanji, you watched how a curious individual innocently began playing a board game, only to find out he became stuck in a terrorizing game of evasion in order to get out with his life. This is nearly what it felt like getting all the preparations completed in order to dig the basement!
There was lot combing, lien removal, permit securing, document approvals, surveying projects, contractor seeking, meetings, phone calls - and just the moment you think all the hoops have been jumped through is the same moment you find out there are still several pieces missing from a completed puzzle. It was a long arduous process, but finally - after relentlessly tackling every issue, we finally picked up the phone to hear our builder provide the date for the digging of the basement. We hooped and hollared, high fived, fist pumped, and jumped up and down the day we saw the preliminary hole on our ground! Yes! This is real now! Up went the Wayne Homes sign, and right next to it, we placed our Jesus is the Reason for the Season sign!
As Elder Sanders would say, "Step by step." It's really a joy now watching the process proceed through all the necessary steps. Like an artist has a vision of the finished work and puts the paint strokes on the canvas, the Wayne Home craftspeople each contribute their portion to the overall final product.
Whatever way you view it - it is a wonderful thing to behold when you see a house go up. Being "insiders," RL and Cindy get to be privy to what's going on in the background (inspector checks, rough plumbing, additional electrical options, waterproofing, how the doors will swing, etc, etc, etc, etc.), giving us a deeper perspective than if we were standing on the sidelines. Either way, out of seemingly nothing, a single family home is now on the scene.
Sequence is everything to the builder. We have the location - that's not what the builder is concerned about. Their concern is proper construction sequence.
It's been an educational experience for us. While it might seem strange to us that the framed house and rough floors are completed before the basement floor is concreted, we've come to see why it is sequenced that way. Our field manager insists on A+ work, not just A work; siding has to come after concrete or one might see a contoured "lip" result when wet concrete dries against the house. Rough plumbing and electric must occur before cabinetry. Not only has the building process proved interesting/educational, but we've gained an appreciation for the methods our builder has employed as far as sequence and selection of craftspeople. Not to mention, our builder keeps us in the loop every step of the way.
On our way and setting our sights. Our builder has set a date of October 25th to turn over our house keys. "When is move-in date?" is a question we often are asked.
While we enjoy the building process, we're also geared up for our move from 6758 to 6682. We have been packing and ensuring we will have the necessary things to make our new home immediately operational. It's been fun deciding on appliances and furnishings. It's been a joy envisioning landscaping and decking projects, as well as other future house augmentations.
Surprises, Surprises! It has been an adventure seeing the new developments as they occur. As soon as siding goes up, then drywall is delivered. After the drywall is covering the walls, soon it has been painted with primer. Doors, trim, and cabinetry become a reality, while subflooring is getting acclimated inside the house. We have truly enjoyed seeing the progression and installation of all the various pieces of the puzzle which become a finished house. Our builder said we are moving faster than expected, and we can expect to close on our new home before the end of September. Looks like we will be moving in the first week of October!
The hurricanes came and then.....
Just as we were gearing up for the big move, the hurricane storm damage called utility workers to the south. We had just one item more to complete - the sewer and water tap-in. And we needed a utility person there to ensure the power pole structures were not an obstruction and were not prone to collapse. We had to wait. And wait we did, for an entire month before the utility person could come out. Because of this, we had to postpone our Open House.
Enjoy the videos and pictures of our new home project!
Click here for a link to our gallery page!
Photo used under Creative Commons from State Farm