Our New House Update #5

Yes, it's been another month since my last house update, and what a crazy busy month it has been!  We've gotten a lot accomplished, although it may be hard to tell from the pictures (or lack thereof) this time around, but we're still on pace to be completed by the end of August / beginning of September!  (Right, Nate?????) 

First, our plumbing, electric and mechanical "rough ins" are in place.  On our part, this has included the fun tasks of deciding where we want electrical outlets, recessed lighting and light switches; finalizing where our toilets/showers/sinks will be and what kind of shower heads we want (just wait until you see our master shower(s)!); and determining the optimal place to house our HVAC and other mechanical systems so as to minimize the amount of ceiling duct work.

In the process, we have lost our office on the first floor which I had told Nate I wanted for myself (hello craft room!) but really intended to turn into a home office for him.  Trust me when I say my husband needs a dedicated room at home to run his business, and I need to be able to shut that door and not see what it looks like... Though it will now be a mechanical room, all is not lost - more room has just been freed up in the garage for his mancave...a place I think I'll only step foot into to retrieve my beach cruise and maybe the baby stroller (but I think I plan to keep that in my car at all times to avoid any cross contamination with Nate's orgnaized chaos).  Dad T - this also means there will be more space in your garage, too!  When should we expect the tool delivery?!  :)

Our rough ins are currently being inspected (and re-inspected) by the Ocean City inspectors.  They are, in my opinion, the worst (!!!).  And another prime example that Ocean City is still run by a small "old boys network"...  We are just small fish.

We're ready to start sheet rocking...any day now...as soon as we pass said inspections!  Fingers crossed!

One of the most exciting moments for me this month was when Nate installed our 16' sliding glass door that basically spans 2/3 of the entire second floor (the front of the house)!!

First, because this door has been something Nate has talked about since before we started building.  It was a MAJOR investment for us (16 feet of hurricane proof glass does not come cheap, my friends!).  And it is something that will really make our house stand out from the rest in Ocean City - which is something Nate takes great pride in doing.  I have learned that Nate is an idea guy - if someone else is doing it, he not only doesn't want to...he wants to do the exact opposite!  This makes me so proud of how much of an artisan he really is!  And I'm continually amazed at his execution of his vision.

And second, because Nate actually installed the door by himself.  How cool will it be when we're sitting in our finished living room and looking out at the bay across the street through our massive glass windows?!  (Or if it suddenly won't open, how fun will it be to bust his balls?)  Nate has spent so much time and energy managing the construction of our house and I know how much he enjoys when he gets to be the one who gets to swing the hammer! 

If you can believe it, we still haven't ordered our kitchen cabinets!!  Although we have (finally!) selected one that we both are happy with.  We're waiting to get our final kitchen layout back (and quote on how much these cabinets will cost) hopefully by the end of the day.

Finally, our house is currently going through a major face lift!  Last week while we were on vacation, the siding crew was busy transforming our exterior into my dream gray and white beach house!

right side

left side



front

I'm so anxious for them to finish the front of the house, and will definitely share a picture or two one she has her whole face one.  (Yes, our house is a girl, and our baby is a boy!)

We have a lot of visitors in town next week - Nate's brother and his wife, Nate's parents (who have seen the house quite a few times already) and my younger siblings Patrick and Emily will all be making an appearance in Ocean City during the holiday week.  I am so excited to show them our progress!

Until next time...

P.S. Sorry for the lack of pictures.  I promise more next time!