Our new lot in life

We've been waiting months now for the new section of the neighborhood to open up.  There are still some homes available in the other part, but none that quite suit our wants.  We found out on Friday that they would be opening the new area at 10am Saturday.  So our schedules were rearranged, babysitters were found, and off we went on a new adventure.  We had a map of the new lots and there were I think 5 or 6 that were suitable for building our home on.  We wanted a corner one so that we'd get a bit more light in the windows (the homes are built really close together in this neighborhood).  We arrived early and were surprised to see people already in line.  I counted up the people and if each of them were there alone, which I was sure they were, and if each of them wanted the same type of lot as us, which I was sure they would, then there would be no lot left for us.  I knew I should've camped overnight in a tent!  Of course my worries amounted to nothing.  The people in line were there to buy the much larger lots (which we not-so-secretly lust after) and even now, only the 3 lots have been sold.  So not quite as urgent as we'd imagined, but I'm still glad we went early so I could get all freaked out about it.  I'm all about building up the anticipation.  Our Realtor, whom we love, met us there to walk us through the process, tell us about different options, and calm me down.

So far the news has been good.  We wanted to modify the floorplan from what they showed us (to include a 4th bedroom on the 2nd floor) and they're going to do that for us; there are a couple more modifications we've asked about that we haven't heard back on yet.  I've heard there is kind of a range with these custom home builders--some actually let you customize, and some don't.

The builder has a design center each buyer goes to to select the different options they want.  Jerel's picking the kitchen (since he does the cooking) and I'm picking everything else.  Okay, not really, we'll compromise on everything else.  And I do retain veto power even on the kitchen.  It will be interesting to see which things we each actually care about.  And how our different dream homes (mine is an old farmhouse, Jerel's is a fancy stonework covered Utah-looking house) combine into one.

This home is similar to the one we'd like.  Sadly it's one of the few the builder makes that doesn't have stonework or brickwork on it, and Jerel really loves that.  He actually thinks this home looks Asian, which I completely disagree with.  Regardless, from the appearance of it it's not the one either of us would've chosen.  But when we compared floorplans with our needs (and our budget) this was the obvious choice.  It's basically 4 levels.  Bottom level is the garage; main level is kitchen/living room/dining room/spare bedroom; upstairs is 4 bedrooms & laundry room; "bonus floor" is a big open space for the kids' playroom (which in about 20 years will be happily converted into my sewing room).

Can you even see this at all?  It's the floorplan, sort of.  The garage will be bigger, there will be an extra bedroom, and the master closet won't be quite so ridiculously enormous.

It's been fun talking with family and friends about it.  Jerel tends to be so underdramatic about things that I've had to find other outlets to share my enthusiasm with!  Not that he's not excited, but he doesn't jump up and down like I do.  It'll be good for one of us to keep a head on straight during the process!