House Pictures

Well, we've been in the house for almost a month now...a busy time with decorating, shopping, installing, assembling, and out-of-town visitors! It's been quite fun! Here are some pictures for you curious people...more pictures to come when other rooms become complete!

Almost!!!!

I made it through the walk-throughs and we're approaching the final countdown (6 days 'til closing!) I was able to snap a few pictures of downstairs on the way out.

Sod

They're putting in sod...

Landscaping

They are putting in the shrubs...looks better already!

Exterior Finishing Touches

Getting close! They've finished the front door, added the railings, and added our lightpost. Sod and landscaping should be next!

Cul-de-sac landscaping

They are working on beautifying our cul-de-sac...here is a picture of our house, as well as our neighbor's house will the landscaped cul-de-sac...

Interiors

Here are a couple recent interior shots...(hmmm....how were these taken inside with that lock on the door?)

Things are moving forward with a closing date of September 21 on our Chesapeake home and an October 10 closing on our new home...can't wait 'til this is over with and we are settled into our new abode!!!!!

Under Contract!!

You'll notice that nice little sign hanging at the bottom that says "Under Contract"! Yes, folks, we're preparing to close on our Chesapeake house, just a couple weeks before our new house should be ready.

Shutters and Doors

Well, folks, looks like we've got our shutters and doors on. The front door still needs some work (it's supposed to be black to match the shutters), but they still have the kick plate to put on and maybe the door will be painted. Otherwise, it's looking nice...who's that sneaking in the door????

Garage Doors

Most of the work lately has been indoors, with wiring and drywall being completed. The lastest outdoor update is the addition of the garage doors.

No more pink

The house is now sided...with the shutters probably coming next...

Cornices

A few architectural details have been added in preparation of siding the front...cornices, sunbursts, etc. Vinyl siding is currently going on the sides, so hopefully the front will be complete soon as well.

Siding on the side

Curt drove by and saw that they're beginning to put up the siding (as they are working on the drywall inside)...

Pre-Drywall Walk-Thru

We had our first walk-thru with the builder and the audio contractor this morning. They will be starting the drywall next week already! Everything looked great, here are some pictures...

The grand entrance...no, the ladder will not be permanent (this isn't little house on the prairie)

The family room - my favorite room of this model!!

The family room from the kitchen area. That's the back door to the future deck.

The master bedroom

The master bath

It's Pink!

Here is this week's progress on the house...it's now pink!!!

Looks like they're working on the plumbing as well. Also, the cul-de-sac and road (Timber Ridge Court) is getting new blacktop as well.

Looks like we're ready for windows

They're still busy making quick progress on the structure of our house. The paper is up on the roof, and it looks like they're getting ready to install the windows and doors already.

Framed!

Wow!!! Look at this...this all happened in one week! Two stories are already framed and you can start to envision how the house will look in the lot. Can't wait to see what it looks like next week!

On a different note, we have a couple potential leads on selling our house, so things are looking hopeful!

Foundation is In

Went for a leisurely summer drive this afternoon to Carrollton and saw the newly built brick foundation and steps. Can't wait to watch the structure go up!

Meeting with Construction Supervisor

We had our first meeting with the Construction Supervisor who will oversee all the construction and sub-contractors. They've started digging in the layout of the foundation so we could see how the house will be positioned on the lot. You can see Curt examining things here closely. We'll have a nice wooded backyard, as you can see. Nice change from Chesapeake...

The new sign is in our front yard

Well, they've installed the semi-permanent (hopefully not TOO permanent!) wooden For Sale sign in our yard.

On the "new house" front, word on the street is that they've started to dig in preparation of laying the foundation...new pictures to come soon!

House is on the Market !!

Well, everybody, our existing house is now on the market. Our "For Sale" sign is staked in our front lawn and the lockbox is on the doorknob...

If anyone's interested in a lovely home in Chesapeake, just shoot me an email at art@jenniferlycke.com and I'll contact my realtor!! 3 bedrooms plus loft for home office, rec room, or optional 4th bedroom, 2.5 baths. Nice floors, hot tub, and great fenced-in yard!

Foundation Next Week

We've been informed that the builders are going to be putting in the foundation next week. Typically it takes 140 days from putting in the foundation, so we are looking at mid-to-late October for the completion of the house. Let's hope for a quiet hurricane season this year!!!!

Time to start looking for temporary housing, as the selling market is probably stronger now than it will be in the Fall. If anyone knows of an apartment or house being rented on a monthly or weekly basis at a reasonable cost, somewhere in the Newport News/Hampton/Smithfield/Suffolk region, please let us know! Reliable Internet access is a must, so I can continue my web design business during the interim. Thanks!!!
~Jen

Breaking Ground

Well, we are finally breaking ground!!! 3 months late, but better late than never, I suppose. Let's just hope that interest rates stay low to make the delay financially pay off. Here are pictures of the first signs of progress on our new lot. Due to some issues with the builder and the architectural review board of Eagle Harbor, we were able to upgrade to a wooded cul-de-sac lot. Let's just hope my allergy and affinity to mosquito bites can be easily managed with a little Skin-So-Soft. Go Avon.













This is the view of our lot from the neighbor's lot (yes, we peeked into the windows of our future neighbors). The house next door is still up for sale.