April Update

Well its been almost a month since I last posted. Since the last post,
I've signed off on all colors, and picked my lighting. I was given a $1000 lighting allowance. Mental note.. $1000 will pretty much buy 1 chandelier and half a dining light. Get this bumped to at least 2. I'm fortunate to have put in a ton of recessed lighting, but I'm still going over-budget. Living Lighting is supplying the hardware. Talk to Jen or Margaret (the owner), very knowledgable staff. To date, this has been the hardest decision to make. Depending on your taste, literally hundreds of options. I stuck to modern, contemporary. Another tip: it can take as long as 4-6 weeks to receive ordered fixtures, so give yourself ample time before closing to select lighting.
On to the pics:

Mar 03 - Yep, its a lot.

Mar 18 - I own a hole in the earth.

Profound.

Mar 21 - Casing for Foundation

Mar 26 - Foundation Complete.

Mar 26 - Main Sub-Floor.

Under Way

Apr 02 - Framing Continues

Apr 10 - Trusses installed

And there's the update. Contact me if you'd like to see other angles.

I must have close to 100mb of pics to date. Until next time...

An Options Renaissance

The bigger the purchase, the more options potential. Its a fact.
I've been talking to a few more people regarding options and they've come up with an addendum to this list. When all the options have been defined, its best to put it in a spreadsheet, to make more sense. I'll do that in an upcoming. I've broken these down into two categories considerations, and Upgrades. On to the lists,

Considerations:

• Lighting - This is critical to "get right". Take the time and get the placement right.
• Placement of bath-room rough-in
• Tankless water heater
• If there's a room above the garage door, insist on spray-foam insulation and inspect it going into the flooring
• Wiring for sound
• Wiring for network
• Patch panel in the basement for network/router intstall
• Cable/satellite wire
• Insulated windows - when in doubt ask if the windows are insulated.

Upgrades:

• rough-in for wet bar
• rough-in gas lines for: fireplace, dryer, bbq
• If you're insulating the garage door, make sure the garage is insulated.
• Light switches, add 3 and 4-way switches for extra convenience in all rooms

At the onset of building a new home, I thought, the price is the price, but after having looked at all possible options, I stand by one of my previous posts: allocate 10-$15000 for post-purchase upgrades. Sure, you can do some later, but anything structural you'll want to get thrown in during build.

Extras, Extras!

I met with the interior designer Klaudia for the second time. At the previous meeting I had left her with a list of upgrades I wanted priced out. From all of these I selected those which I most wanted, mainly extra recessed lights and kitchen cupboards. One thing I think should be noted, and anyone purchasing new should include in their deal: rough-in in the basement for another washroom. I can't stress enough how expensive this would be after the fact. Its just a small thing, but think about the issues you'll have later on using a jackhammer, along with all the dust. You can't put a price on convenience, especially when its relatively cheap. Besides, I don't play the cat-calling construction worker as well I play the raging, bitter, consumer.I'm currently arguing the cost of having the rough-in with the builder, given its shown in all plans that I've been given. Come on, Covington, throw it in.

All told, before the appliances, I've spent a total of $5000 on upgrades outside of the original deal. I declined another $6000.

Another lesson learned. Confirm EVERYTHING. I'll say it again for those who didn't get the point. Confirm ALL upgrades. There are STILL things I'm forgetting to remember even with the plans staring me in the face. Fortunately, Klaudia (the interior designer) has been helping me through the process (and the weather hasn't allowed the builder to break ground yet). Another great resource is having someone who's built with the builder before, or, as I'm so lucky to have, other consumers going through the process with me. Think of them as your check and balance.
Set aside at least two days off work to really focus on your upgrades and give yourself three or four days in between each meeting with the builder to let it all soak in.

Financial Management

A piece of advice...
When building a new house, allocate at least 10 to $15,000 to upgrades. I went to Covington Group's interior designer today, Klaudia Przywara. She has a great eye for color and an understanding of customer requirements.
I walked through the final plans with her, from exterior to interior, room by room. It might seem like a daunting task, but that's the price you pay for building. As she explained each room, it was evident that certain upgrade options were not mentioned when purchasing the home. I think this isn't different with any builder/realtor. I felt like I was pimpin' my pad today. Take note, these upgrades are not included in the inital house price. Be mindful of these sorts of things when pricing a newer home out.
Here are the upgrades discussed today during my meeting.

• Insulated gargage door
• exterior recessed lights
• fireplace mantle - upgrade to stone
• kitchen cabinets - color and handles
• kitchen counter tops
• kitchen sink under counter
• appliance installation price
• appliance size
• lighting location
• bathroom vanities
• extra electrical outlet locations
• paint color throughout
• microwave with venting hood
• front door handle upgrade
• rough-in for bathroom in basement
• sound proofing ( this wasn't discussed but consider between floors, many people i know who have it swear by it)

The session took about three hours even with the colors pre-selected from the model home as a base. If I can offer some advice; take your time. Do NOT try to decide everything in one sitting. Unless you've been thinking about this since pre-birth, its virtually impossible to think of everything.

To give some advice, as was given to me.. If its not written in the original deal, its an upgrade and you will have to pay extra. Leave the financial buffer, you're going to need it, no matter what you think.

The Details

After having viewed the models available,

It came down to two options;

1) 3br one storey (Perragaux model)

2) 3br two storey. (Riverside model)



I chose the two storey for a number reasons, one was my roomate dennis, who had visited the Riverside model, mentioned that its layout was more interesting and logical than the others. As mentioned by friends, another reason to go with the two storey was resale. The lot is a 40ft frontage with 109ft depth (at the time of this writing)



After having chosen The Riverside, Covington's real estate rep Mike Mcdonald, procured a deal. I won't go into the financials, but i will list the upgrades as stated in the deal:

• Custom Riverside 3 br two storey residence, 2 car garage, Luxury ensuite.
• Ensuite to include neo-angle shower, roman soaker tub, one piece toilet, and Art-Bathe vanity and mirror.
• Kitchen to include door style, colour, hardware, crown molding and valence (same as lot 50 - which is a model home)
• Upgrade to 25 yr shingles
• Rounded gallery corner bead, as applicable throughout
• Upgrade to Orange peel ceilings throughout, except bathrooms
• All lower levels mechanicals to be kept reasonably close together, and building plans for future finishes to be provided to the purchaser.
• Upgrade to 5 1/4" baseboard trim package throughout
• Decora switches as applicable throughout
• Heat lamp in ensuite Bathroom
• Humidifier and fresh air intake
• 7 bell or cable rough in wirings in any combination
• $1000 lighting allowance
• unlimited consultation with Award-winning Design Consultant
• Rough in for central vacuum
• Rental Hot water to be a direct vent type
• Vendor to supply & install interlocking brick driveway and walkway
• Two exterior water bibs
• Rough-in Security
• Garburator in kitchen
• Add central air conditioning
• Front foyer, hallway kitchen, dinette, laundry room and powder room finished in ceramic tile (same as lot 50 garibaldi ave - model home)
• Upgrade to ceramic tile in Main and Ensuite bathroom
• Upgrade to 3/4" birch hardwood in Great Room
• Add wine cooler in kitchen under countertop
• 1 yr free rogers digital and hi-speed internet
• 15 interior/exterior pot light package (includes either 4" 6" or low voltage MR16)
• Bathtub upper main bathroom to be Mirolin soaker tub with skirt and walls to be tiled
• 3 staggered windows in Great Room
• Niche in front foyer
• Upgrade to Arte-Bathe Espresso vanity & mirror in Ensuite in bathroom
• Upgrade to Arte-Bathe faucet and sink in main bathroom and vanity from AYA
• Full height mirror with chrome 'silver' j mold in main bathroom
• Spindles and railing from main to second storey to be similar to lot 50 with Poplar craftsman post and railing and glass panels
• Fireplace with remote to be installed in place of buyers choice
• Garage door opener
• Appliance package
• Valence lighting in kitchen
• 200 Amp electrical service
• Rain shower head and regular shower head in master shower
• Tarion warranty and survey
• Single door as opposed to double garage doors
• Cold cellar

And.. that about covers the upgrades. I'm sure during the build there will be things i haven't thought of and wish I would have added, but at this point, this is what the deal includes.

The adventure begins..

On February 13th 2008, I signed an agreement to purchase Lot 53 of the Uplands Crossings Development in London, Ontario, Canada.

Purchased from the Covington Group in London, Ontario, from a smaller reputable builder, this blog is an account of my experience building my house.