Husband’s wish list…

There are only a few things that my husband truly want, but those things cost big bucks. He wants a 58 inch or bigger plasma TV, surround sound speakers, and his own play room. The last item is easy to do, but the other two will have to wait.

It's crazy that we have a 4 bedroom house, but there’s still not enough room for us.I want an office and a gym and he wants a game/entertainment room. Since his brother and the wife will be living with us we only have 2 rooms left to do as we please. For now, he’s going to get the bigger room and I’ll have to settle for the smaller one. We will probably put our old sectional, media center, and TV in there for now. I’m trying to figure how I will fit my treadmill and office stuff into one little space.

Growing up, it was easy for our family of 12 to live in a 4 bedroom house so it's possible. I guess I'm just being a spoiled brat. I was never one to share as a child. I’m considering putting my treadmill in the garage, but in the summer time it will be too hot and during the winter it will be too cold. What to do?

Tip: Compromise is the key to a happy marriage.

Portable outdoor sinks…

Well, as you know I’m planning on having an outdoor cooking space. The only logical and convenient thing to have is an outdoor sink. I’m not installing a full sink with the bells and whistles, but I’m thinking about purchasing something that is portable and can be stowed away when not in use. So I found these really cool sinks. They can be attached to your water hose and you can move them any where you like. I'm leaning more toward the third one. More space to clean pots and pans. There's a cool video clip about it. I'll try to see if I can post it.






Like I mentioned before my projects will be continous with no expected time frame. I'm not rich, but somehow my wish list is growing at an enormous speed. I will buy each item only when I have the funds. My husband and I have come up with a realistic monthly allowance to use specifically for our house. I have tons of ideas and I'm glad that I can share them with you all.

Tip: Pay with cash when you can. It's very easy to incurred a mountain of debt during this phase of your life.

Walkway is done...

This friday when I stopped by my house I was esctatic that the walkway was done. After about two minutes of analyzing the work, my perfectionist eye started picking out all the things that was wrong or what I thought was wrong. I called my husband immediately demanding that he talk to the landscaper ASAP.

When I got home I took out the design that I had given him and realized that it was exactly what I had asked him to do. I automatically jumped to the wrong conclusion and was not thinking clearly because of all the mishaps. I went back later and the walkway is actually very nice. It will look better when the lawn is complete.

I can't find my USB plug so I'm unable to download any pictures. By the way, our final walkthrough has been confirmed and will be on August 28th. YIPEE!!!

Tip: Don't assume the worst without checking out the facts.

Washer & Dryer...

We've been shopping around for a set of washer and dryer and I have my mind set on a pair of front load Whirlpool Duet washer and dryer. They are just adorable and will go so well in my laundry room. So far Sears has the best deal, but we finally got our Costco membership the other day and they have a pair for a sweet price. Aren't they lovely?



Tip: Craiglist, also a good place to find used items. I found a set of last year's Whirlpool model for $750. They even came with the stands too! Too bad they were sold already.

Outdoor space inspiration...

Did I mention that I have a small backyard? Well I do and I kind of hate it, but I don't too. I hate it because I love to entertain and my space seems too small. I love it because less lawn work. I hate all insects and creepy crawlies. At first I wanted a garden, but I'm too scared of insects, so that's out of the question. I want a cute small backyard and these are my inspirations:







Tip: With creativity and imagination you can turn a small backyard into an oasis.

Appliances must match...

We got the stainless steel package, so now I’m on the hunt for a stainless steel Whirlpool fridge. Do I really have to get a Whirlpool? Does it have to be stainless? YES, because all my appliances are whirlpool and it would just look tacky to get something else. The only thing is that Whirlpool is so expensive. I’ve looked everywhere, but so far the best deal I’ve found is at this appliance outlet store. So far these are our selections:

Whirlpool GC5NHAXS $2,399
This one from the outlet store is only $1,559. I’m regretting not getting it because I know it's probably gone by now. I really don’t want to spend a lot, but it’s hard to find a cheap stainless steel fridge. I'm still debating if I should just buy one right now or wait until my house is finish. Besides I'm counting on the price going down.





Whirlpool GF6NFEXT $2,099
This one is nice too and less expensive, but right now I don't want to spend more than $900-1500.















I'm also thinking of getting something like this to. I like the black because my
stove and dishwasher also has the black accent.
Whirlpool GS6NVEXS $1,800



They also have this new stainless steel looking stuff call "Satina", but it's a little bit darker than stainless. My only concern about going with this is that the appliances might not match. The plus side to the Satina is that it's smudge proof and easier to maintain.




Tip: Most stores these days do price matching, so never pay asking price unless you have to. It's tedious, but with the internet you can view online weekly ad to compare prices. Something I also learned is that paying cash gives you an upper hand in negotiating prices.

Outdoor patio furniture...

I've been looking for deals on patio furniture, but for some reason all the patio stuff was marked down back in June through the beginning of July. Unfortunately, I missed the sale, so I'm just going to wait until next year. I don't want to pay full price for anything unless I have to.

With my house nearing completion, I’ve been going out of my mind trying to figure out what I’m going to do with my back yard. I want an outdoor cooking area because I refuse to let anyone cook indoor unless they are boiling water. I don’t want any odor on my new furniture and I just don’t like my house smelling like food.

So far I already bought a nice grill and all I need now is an outdoor stove. I originally bought the grill for $300, but it went on sale the following week. Of course I took it back and got difference. I love saving $$!! My husband on the other hand thinks I'm crazy.




We have a very small covered patio so I would like to increase our outdoor living space by buying a gazebo. I’m not sure if I want to get a custom built gazebo or just buy the following:

Sean Conway Tiverton 2007 Gazebo, this one is beautiful, but I'll have to see if my small backyard will fit it. If I get this one, I'll have to buy the dining set to match. Which already has my husband in a panic mode.


Chesapeake Gazebo, this one is gorgeous and would go perfectly with my patio set. The price is another issue $4,000. This one is more than what I'm willing to spend, but love at first is hard to let go.


I love this bench! I would love to get something like this for my front yard, so I can chill while my husband do yard work.


Tip: Bargain shop when you can, but sometimes it best not to sacrifice on quality.

Landscape Design...

Apparently there’s been some confusion between the builder and the landscaper. We originally wanted a curve walkway, but like I said in the last post, we don't want our moving to be delayed. Instead they are going to fix it so that it will look like this:
We are getting 2 Crape Myrtle trees in this color to put on each side of the house. The original idea was to get 2 Flowering Pear trees, but after seeing this beautiful tree, we changed our mind. The trees cost about the same except that we want this red color, which will cost us a little bit extra. It’s so worth it because I just love this bold color against a green lawn.
This is the Flowering Pear Tree. It's very beautiful too, but I'd rather have the Crape Myrtle. What do you think?

These are the shrubs we are getting:

Society Garlic, this is a pretty shrub. It was between this one or the Lily of Niles.

Wheeler’s Dwarf, this is such a cute shrub.

Azaleas Southern Indica, the flower is beautiful.















Tip: Curb appeal will bring value to your home and you'll smile everytime you pull into your drive way. Take some time to check out the local nursery and do some research before selecting your trees and shrubs.

Concrete walkway...

Oh no! We didn't notice this until we came back from our MN trip. Prior to us leaving, we met up with the landscaper to discuss the front yard lanscape. We briefly told them what we wanted and they assured us that we had plenty of time to turn in our trees/shrubs selection form along with our design. NOT!!!

They went behind our back and screwed up again. We originally wanted a curve walkway from our door to the curb. I'm sure we can probably get them to come and remove the concrete and re-do it to our preference, but we won't. We are ready to move in and do not want anymore delay.

Tip: Be patient, be understanding, and write your builder or agent if there is a problem. Effective communication is the way to get a situation resolved!

Wrong cabinets...

These cabinets are beautiful, but they clearly were not the ones we selected from the design center. The ones we picked out was a redish cherry not a brown cherry. Once we found out that the wrong cabinets was put in, we got in touch with the builder right away.

They of course told us that the cabinets were the ones we selected and basically dismissed our concerns. It didn't bother me as much, but my husband was furious. He wanted what he paid for. We called them so many times and left a ton of messages. They were slow in returning our calls which only aggravate us more.

This wasn't the first time that they screwed up. The only thing to do was go behind their back, do a little investigating, and get in touch with the design center. To our delight and their dismay, the cabinets were the wrong ones. Eat your words! We are awaiting the arrival of our cabinets.

Tip: Follow your instincts, follow up with the builder, and don't give in too easily. Remember that this is a huge investment and you deserve the best.

Patching up the dry walls...

Once the dry walls are up, the walls have to be patched before the paint can go on. Here are pictures:






Tip: If your rates are locked, make sure to get a final good faith estimate prior to close of escrow. This way, you won't be suprise if there are additional costs.

Finally the stucco is up...

Now that the stucco is up, we are closer to our finish date. August 28th is the date that our house should be finish. We are thrilled! It's time to start looking at furnitures, decorations, and of course time to start packing.







Tip: Have a yard sale to help make your packing easier. Like the saying goes, "Kill two birds with one stone". Get rid of your unwanted treasures, so that there is less to pack.

Prepping for the stucco...

Our sales person advised us that once the stucco is up, the house will be close to ready. It's hard to believe this, but she's right! Although it seems like there is so much left to do, most of the stuff remaining will probably take less than a day or 2 to complete.









Tip: Don't be shy! Check with your agent and builder to make sure everything is going as planned. A great agent will work for their commission.

Dry walls pictures cont...

The dry walls are up and and the next step is the paint. Everything is falling into place and the wait is excruciating. I want to see my cabinets and the granite counter top.














Tip: Buying a house is expensive. If you like to save money on decoration pieces, hit up the flea market and yard sales to find deals. DIY projects adds a personal touch while saving you some bucks!

Ready for the dry walls...

Here are pictures of the dry walls already in the house and waiting to be put up. Dry walls up- check, patch the walls- check, and then paint. Everything is coming together. The garage is also done too. We are very excited and can't wait!









Tip: Time to start thinking about decorating schemes and colors. It's never too early to start.

Insulations are going in...

I'm so shocked at how little insulation is used or is this normal? Do you believe that this will keep the cold out? Once the insulation is done then the dry walls are going up. It's unbelievable how homes are built and the materials used.









Tip: If you are like us, moving in the summer is a pain, but keep your eyes open for ceiling fan sales. It's great for your energy bill and helps with the heat!