Parade Ready

It's official!  The parade flags are up!  Come see the gorgeous work by Randy Rempel and a large group of fabulous subcontractors.  We're so thrilled with how everything turned out! 

Certificate of Occupancy

We received our Certificate of Occupancy last Friday.  There are a few minor things we are waiting on, but the house looks great.  The black door is in.  The light fixtures are in.  The house is getting cleaned up for the Parade of Homes, which starts Saturday, June 2.  You should come see it! 

Kitchen and Bath

The last of the counter tops have arrived.  The back splash has been grouted. Looks great!
 

I love this deck and patio!!

I've been packing up our glasses and wondering why we have so many martini and margarita glasses.  I guess we now have a reason to dust them off and put them to use! We're going to have a fun outdoor entertainment area when all is done!   

 

Sod, seed and trees!

The Iowa City Landscaping crew worked hard to prepare the dirt and lay the sod.  They put together plant beds and filled them with colorful plants.  They also planted a red bud tree in the front of the house and an oak (not pictured) to the right.  It looks ready to move in!  

 

You'll also see house numbers on the front porch overhang if you look closely!  I can't wait to see our actual front door!

No parking!

I drove by the house this morning to meet with Andy from Iowa City Landscaping and had trouble finding a parking spot! Two landscape trucks were there with materials.  The Slager Appliance delivery truck was in the driveway.  Several other trucks and vehicles were parked around the culdesac.  It's a busy day at the house.  The landscaping is going in today and tomorrow.  The deck stairway and railing are almost done. Soon our exterior will have a finished feel! After discussing plant bed placement, I peeked inside.  The back splash is in! The appliances are in! The plumber worked hard over the weekend to get in the sinks, faucets and toilets. I can't stand the excitement!!

Good stuff

Today I found a tiled shower:

 tile around the fireplace:

 counter tops in the bathrooms and kitchen:

 

 light fixtures in the great room, bathrooms and exterior:

  

 

The rest of the light fixtures are at the house.  I've peeked in the boxes and can't wait to see them up!  The thermostats for our heating/cooling unit are in.  The deck railing and stairway are under construction.  I see evidence that our appliances probably will be arriving shortly. 

Peace of Mind

One difficult aspect of building when you have small children is visiting the site.  If you have children who are good listeners, it won't be a problem.  If your children are strong-willed and have selective hearing, it's not fun.  At long last, one of the most important pieces in the house has been installed.  I no longer have to panic because my children want to run to their rooms while I'm looking at another part of the house.  The second floor railing overlooking the stairway is in! 

Of course, there is trouble still to be found and they will find it. 

A great time to build!

The counter tops are arriving on Thursday!! The fixtures will follow soon thereafter.  We're nearing the end of the build.  We've got about 30% of our current house boxed up to avoid a mad rush in June.  We've booked our movers.  We've locked interest rates on our mortgage loan and have set the closing date.  I can't believe that rates are still so low.  What a great time to build! 

Trim Work

The trim work continues.  All the trim is taped up and ready to paint white.  The tiles for the fireplace surround arrived at the house.  I imagine the counter tops will be ready soon.    

The big photo of the week is the stairway.  We're still waiting for the railing and balusters, but it looks so nice!