It’s really going to happen.

We’re really going to build a house. We’ve been dreaming and planning this house for months. It’s taken a long time to get to here; but — we’ve signed a contract with our builder and we’ve applied for the construction loan. There’s been a soil test to determine the strength of our soil. (Check out this article if you’re curious about soil testing.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Making a House a Home

We spent months working on the floor plans and trying to agree about little things that help make a house a home. If you read my post Champagne Taste on a Beer Budget; you may remember the sticker shock we went through as we began the process. Well, after choosing the probable price range of items like faucets, bathtubs, flooring and windows, we find ourselves just a little over budget. The good news is that the price we have now will be the price we pay unless we add or change something. So far, the only possible addition might be an upgrade to our slide in range.

We’ve tried hard to stay within our price range and to not be too extravagant. True, our home will cost a little more because it is a custom home. I think the additional cost will be worth it because our home will be exactly what we want. It will represent our “wish” lists and our “no way” lists. Our builder worked hard to stay within our price range and he has been very patient with us as we try to decide what we really want. Our builder usually builds homes much, much more expensive than ours; however, that doesn’t mean that he has taken any shortcuts. Our home will have custom cabinets, crown molding and high ceilings. I can’t wait for it to all come together.

Beyond the Basics in Just a Few Areas

The Garages

There are a couple of areas where we’ve decided to splurge a little.  The first and perhaps the most important splurge isn’t a true splurge.  Our home will have not one, not two, not three but four garages.  Yes, four (or two double garages).  It will appear to be an extravagant addition to our home.  What most people won’t know is that we used the money we planned to spend on a workshop/garage for my husband to build the additional garages.  The property owner’s association has specific rules about detached buildings.  It turns out that adding an additional double garage is much less expensive than building a detached workshop/garage.  So it looks like we’ll have his and her garages.  His garage will be for the fun things like car restoration and workshop type stuff.  My garage will be for storage and to park our cars.  It’s a win-win for us both.

The Back splash

One area that I hope to make spectacular is the kitchen back splash. Because of the open floor plan, the back splash will be seen from the front door; as well as, the back door. The front of the house will be a wall of windows; so you could actually see the kitchen back splash from the porch. I think that it’s very important for the back splash to be a focal point for that part of the house. The cabinets are going to be painted a light grey, the island will be dark grey and the walls will be either grey and aqua. I really love this turquoise back splash; but I’m worried that I might get tired of it in a few years.

My next favorite subway tile is either of these Carrara marble subway tiles.

I really want to add a pattern behind the range. This is my favorite in either turquoise or grey.

I also like this pattern.

We’ve allowed enough in our budget to be able to have a wonderful back splash. It’s just a matter of deciding what I really want. Which one do you like the best?

The Fireplace

The gas fireplace is another area that we hope to make a beautiful focal point. Originally, I wanted a stone fireplace with the stone going all the way to the top of the ceiling. After looking at hundreds of photos, we finally decided to go with a feature wood mantle around the fireplace. It will be custom built unless I can find a vintage one that would fit into our space and plans. (If you live close to Texas and have a vintage mantle you no longer want — please let me know.) I wish finding the perfect mantle was as easy as Chip and Joanna make it look on HGTV’s Fixer Upper.

Here are some pictures that are close to what we want.

The Kitchen Island

The last area for a small change is the kitchen island. We decided to make it just a little bigger. I hope the island will be a big gathering area for our family and want it to be big enough to eat casual meals, make cookies and even play games. Here are some of my ideas for the island.

What’s on  your wish list for your dream home?  What would you splurge on if you could build your dream home? If you’ve recently built a home, what were your splurges? Is there anything you wish you’d done differently?

You can read about the beginning of our building journey here.