I haven't told anyone, but my wife and I are building a home. Things have gone super fast, but our closing is scheduled for June 20th... which is 15 business days away.. and 21 calandar days away.
Our house has all the electrical, heating, cooling, plumbing done.
At this point the following has NOT been accomplished:
- sheet rock and mud/taping - insulation - popcorn ceilings - wood floors, cabinets, railings, staining - inside painting - installation of toilets and sinks - electrical wall plates and switches installed - electrical box finished up - painting the interior of the house - paintint the exterior of the house - driveway poured - cleanup of misc debris inside house - installation of permanant doors on house - installation of lighting fixtures - installation of carpeting inside - installation of bathroom tile
Does all this sound reasonable in the amount of time I mentioned?
BTW: Not to mention our warranty walkthrough is scheduled for the 18th.. so shave two days off that... plus the mortgage company is going to want an inspector in there to make sure everthing is peachy and ready for closing.
[ 29 May 2002: Message edited by: J.R. Mayer ]
Posted by mhayman (Member # 146) on :
Well if everything was worked on constantly for the next three weeks then all of those things could be finished. However, knowing the process of homebuilding, I can say it's pretty certain that it won't all be done in time. But there is a bright side - the work doesn't have to be totally finished for you to move in. Just make sure the doors are in, the plumbing is in and working, and all of the other things that you would need to live day to day. You can live there while the tile goes in, the carpeting, exterior painting, cleanup. Unfortunately, this is how it usually happens. Best fo luck though and congratulations on your new home!
Posted by J.R. Mayer (Member # 713) on :
Well... the builder has "never missed a closing".. so who knows.. he says its all under control and will be finished. We'll see.
Thanks for the reply.. if anyone else has an opinion.. shoot it my way.
Posted by HTWLSS (Member # 117) on :
Congrats!!!!
If they really bust their humps, those items could get finished, but don't set yourself up for disappointment. Give it a couple of extra weeks to save some anxiety.
My advice is: Don't move in until absolutely everything is in, even if it delays closing a week or two. If you move in with a bunch of little things unfinished, you'll get comfortable and put it off and it'll never get done. Trust me, I'm speaking from experience. We've lived in our house for 7 years with no base moulding and 5 years without inside trim around our new front window and sliding glass door.
Posted by J.R. Mayer (Member # 713) on :
Well that problem is solved by the fact that the mortgage company wont allow us to CLOSE without all items being completed.
Also, we have to close by June 25th in order to get our locked interest rate.
Wish us luck
Posted by poSSum (Member # 119) on :
Tight but doable. Keep the pressure on the builder ... deliver donuts to the tradesmen to let them know you appreciate their effort Posted by OBSSD (Member # 1258) on :
One of the guys at work had a house built last year and I remember he was a bit nervous about a month before the scheduled closing date. At a month away, they were about where yours is now but they pretty much finished it in 3 weeks. It's amazing how fast those crews can work.
Posted by HTWLSS (Member # 117) on :
Yes, what PoSSum said about the donuts is true. When our garage was being framed, I brought lunch to the crew every day, or BBQ'd for them. It gave me the chance to check in on things and make sure they had a good meal in them so they'd have the energy to complete the day. I also had a fridge stocked with bottled water, soda pop, fresh fruit and other various snack items on hand. They really appreciated it and in return, did a very nice job because they got to know us because we were on the jobsite for an hour a day. You don't want to be there too much and look like you're checking up on them, but by allowing them to get to know you and providing some food to show you care about them, too, they'll do a more conscientious job.
Posted by DaddySS (Member # 848) on :
Well first of all congratulations. You don't mention the garage so I will assume you finished that first! The items you have listed could be done in two weeks but it will take a crew of guys working very hard to get it done.
Best of luck.
Posted by J.R. Mayer (Member # 713) on :
Thanks for all the replies.. Since all the main labor is done.. the rest is different companies. I would imagine some of them can work at the same time.. etc.. so I guess I shouldnt worry so much.. Thanks for the support guys.. we are just nervous Posted by Harry P (Member # 533) on :
Nervous? You're normal, that's all. Of course, getting the punchlist done is dependant on the quality of the crews doing the work. Actually, for developers around suburban Philadelphia, your list is quite doable in the timeframe given. Just as much as you want your mortgage taken out on time, the developer wants his cash without delay as well. Some other good points were raised herein... food & drink to the workers goes a long way for quality and meeting the schedule.
Congrats and enjoy... it will be *almost* as exciting as bringing home the SS.
[ 29 May 2002: Message edited by: Harry P ]
Posted by DanA_F99_1977 (Member # 118) on :
Good luck. Any pics?? It should be done. As long as there are enough people and they are well coordinated you should be fine. I agree with Teri and Art as well. I ALWAYS take good care of the workers!! They notice and they WANT to do a good job for you.
I am very happy for the both of you!
Posted by Jim Mac (Member # 113) on :
Just out of curiousity, were there any financial incentives/penalties written into the contract for meeting/missing the completion date?
Posted by Voiceguy (Member # 844) on :
Question: is the builder a national company or local. Our home is a KBHome and they were super about getting everything done on time and then coming back after the move to do touchups and other little stuff like that. Customer service is really important to them, at least it appeared so in our area. I also got to know the customer service rep well and that helped.
Posted by JeffY (Member # 120) on :
I may be pessimistic but I'd say at least 2 months for total completion from where you are now. What about weather problems, material problems. I assume you've picked out all the carpeting, paint colors, tile, cabinets, etc.
Posted by Doug Harden, Pres CICC (Member # 326) on :
quote:Originally posted by JeffY: I may be pessimistic but I'd say at least 2 months for total completion from where you are now. What about weather problems, material problems. I assume you've picked out all the carpeting, paint colors, tile, cabinets, etc.
Ditto.......
Doug Harden Project Mgr. Miller Perdue Architects (my day job)
Posted by J.R. Mayer (Member # 713) on :
Well the good news is the house got entirely insulated and sheetrocked in 1 day.. ROCK AND ROLL. He is having the cabinet and hardwood people in this weekend and laid out his schedule.. he said aside from the sod in the front yard.. he is positive its gonna be done by the end up the week of June 10-14... sod will depend on weather.
I will let you all know.. thanks for your comments and input.. its nice to hear it.
The items you have listed could be done in two weeks but it will take a crew of guys working very hard to get it done.
