Where did we leave off from the last update We Have Land ? We were getting rid of clutter and waiting to make the final floor plan with our contractor…
We ended up with four floor plan drafts before we were ready to start getting bids. The first draft was our version of the floor plan given to us by the contractor. We moved stairs, changed room sizes, put in content we would like to have such as a butler’s pantry, a walk-in closet connected to the laundry room, and an additional garage in the basement.
Draft two came back from the engineer. She took in our requests and arranged the plan so it would be structurally sound and pleasing to the eye. After reviewing her changes we understood why things had to be done a certain way, but would no longer work for us. We gave up a few things on the wishlist. We no longer needed the connecting master closet to the laundry room and the butler pantry was shrunk down to be a standard walk-in pantry with a counter and a few cabinets. The draft also came back without the additional garage we added to the basement and we did not understand why. After making the changes on draft two and adding the basement garage back on we sent it back to the engineer.
Draft three came back with the changes we had made but the garage in the basement was gone again. We met with our contractor to discuss the plan. In that meeting we explained the reason for the garage in the basement and he told us he would take the information to the engineer. We also worked on window placements and the exterior design we were picturing.
Draft four came back and the basement garage was there!! There were a few things in the fourth draft that either I did not see in previous drafts or she added them assuming this was the final draft so the details were in. Some of those details were not necessary for us. It actually would help cut costs without these details. They were scratched out and he sent the fourth draft off for construction bids. This is where we are now. Waiting for the bids to come back so we can pick a company to break ground.
I should mention that we can not break ground until the Spring. We originally thought we would start building at the end of 2023, but it was explained to us that it cost more to build in the winter because the ground starts to freeze. In order to pour a foundation in the winter they have to add calcium to the concrete and heat the water. Both of which cost extra money, so we wait.
I thought it would be fun to share the Pinterest board I saved design ideas to. Some of the pins were an idea based off the first draft, but too much has changed now for it to be possible. Other ideas were things I liked but then found something better. There are pins I am still interested in. There are pins for the paint color, and I also have decor ideas that caught my eye while scrolling.
While drafts are being drawn and bids are being calculated, we have decided to complete projects room by room in our current home. Once all the wall touch ups are painted and white trim is freshened up in the room we take a photo for our portfolio. I then pack up any decor we plan to take to our next home and post all other decor, furniture, or misc items we will not need for sell. We started this in November 2023. We skipped December because of all the holiday chaos and then picked back up in January 2024. So far we have completed the master bedroom, living room, and dining room.
I do have a Shop Our Home page here on the blog if you see something you like. However, our home has been decorated for years so some items may no longer be available.
