Drywall is almost done

They have all the drywall up, taped and the first coat of mud on it.  It really looks like a house inside now and you can really get a feel for how it flows.  Very exciting!

Garage

Great room, Zach is standing in doorway to kitchen

Great room looking, doorway to master next to fireplace.

Looking back toward entry and dining room

Entry with doorway to study on right

Kitchen looking toward breakfast nook

Kitchen looking toward great room

Study

Master looking toward sitting area

Tub in master

Bonus room... to be finished later.  There won't be much to do through.

Brick if finished, starting drywall

Today they finished up the brick and it looks amazing.  The drywall was delivered today and the guys that are going to do the drywall were there where when I stopped by after work.  They were putting drywall in each room.  I asked them if they had been told not to finish the bonus room and they said they hadn't.  I let them know the bonus room wasn't supposed to be finished.  I'm glad that they put in the duct work and the insulation but I'd just have to tear up the drywall if they accidentally put it in order to run all the electrical I need in there.

It's very had to get a clear shot of the entire house at once because there is a big blue port-a-potty in the front yard!

Hopefully there will be drywall pictures tomorrow.

Stone is done, brick not far behind

They've finished the stone over the front entry and it look great!  There is just a little bit of the brick left on one side of the front and along the garage.  The house is really turning out better than I ever expected! 

The builder's assistant emailed today and said they'd forgotton to "kick a brick out".  I had requested that they bump out a brick here and there but apparently the brick guys didn't get that information.  She said he felt bad so he wasn't going t o charge me for my upgraded garage doors.  Frankly, I'd forgotten about that request on the brick but I don't mind saving the $530 on the garage doors.  Yeah!

More brick and stone

The brick is coming along, they have almost half of it done.  They also started the stone over the entry and will finish it tomorrow.  The front door has been installed.  They stone guys said it took them over 6 hours to get it in there... I have no idea why.  They also put the shake shingles on the garage dormer.

As for the HVAC ductwork and the insulation that was mistakenly put in the bonus room... the builder found out it was going to cost more than he bargained for so he decide to leave it in there and said they would plug it so all I have to do when I finish the bonus room is open it.  He said I could have the insulation for his cost which is $275.  Sweet... 

Yesterday, just getting started on the rock.

Today, almost finished.  They still have to go back and to the "grout" lines between the stone.  It looks black around the stone because of the membrane underneath.

Brick is almost done on left front and side.

That little electrical outlet is what the builder calls a Xmas light outlet.  There is another one on the other side of the house.  Great idea.

Bay window off the master bedroom in back.

I guess the rock guys had a little camp fire to keep warm today.

Hardie board shakes on the dormer.  Low maintenance... I like that.

The front door...

Finally bricks and now a dilemma

They started bricking the house yesterday. I was really worried how it was going to look but I can tell it is going to be just perfect!  Doesn't look like they did anymore today though because of the rain.  I also noticed the front door finally came in and is boxed up in the garage waiting to be installed. 

Now for the dilemma.  The builder isn't supposed to finish out the upstairs bonus room because I knew it was silly for him to charge me as much for the square footage upstairs as the downstairs (you only have to build the roof once, right?).  So I had him build the staircase and do the special floor joists and floor required for the bonus room because I knew that would be harder to do later and the rest wouldn't be too big a deal.  So I noticed that the HVAC guys ran ductwork to the bonus room and the insulation people installed insulation in there.  So... I sent him an email to remind him that they weren't supposed to finish the bonus room because I didn't want him trying to charge me for it.  So his assistant writes me back that "yes, they did that by mistake and would be removing it unless I wanted to pay extra for it".  So yes, he'd actually pay for his guys to come back and remove it and throw it in the dumpster.  I told her I'd consider it depending on the price... his prices for upgrades have not been cheap so far.  It will be interesting to see what he comes back with.

Some pictures inside and out...

Since it's the weekend I was able to get over to the house when there was better light to take some photos.  I think they are hopefully going to start working on the brick and stone soon because the stone there were several pallets of morter mix in the garage now as well as lots of scaffolding.  Although I was told they couldn't because they are still waiting on the door... so we'll see.

Here's a view into the kitchen while standing in the breakfast nook.  Finally got the bar height lowered

And here's the breakfast nook.

Looking at the windows to the back yard from the master suite.

Here's a view from the entry looking across the greatroom.  The arched doorway is the opening to the kitchen.

Closer view.

Here's standing in the greatroom looking back toward the entry.  Zach is standing by the doorway to the dining room.  The other doorway farthest away is the study.

Garage area... hot water heater and storage closet under the stairs.

Here's looking into the back yard toward the house behind us.

Looking at the back of the house.  Breakfast nook on the left of the covered deck area.

Stairs going up to the bonus room over the garage.

Here is the infamous front door that we've been waiting on forever.

This is a picture of what it will look like except mine will have the half round window on the top.