Landscaping

The landscaping is finished except for the hydroseeding of the lawn.  That will wait until the end of March or first of April depending on the weather.  So, when you see dirt in these photos pretend it is grass!

Here is the front of the house.  My lot line follows the right edge of the mulch; so, the grass will go into the circular area by the steps.

This is the left side of the back of the lot.  It is not that wide; so, it is just a path and mulch with plantings.

This is the right side and back of the lot.  The stick you see in the foreground is a Turkish fig tree.  The other 2 in the foreground are a plum and pear.  Six blueberry bushes are behind the raised beds, and I will plant asparagus there also.  Herbs are also planted behind the retaining wall.

This is the back side of the house with the water feature.  Once the grass is established, I believe it will be a show stopper!  The Harmony Gardens guys did a superior job!

People Have Been Asking

Several friends have asked how I like my new home.  (It's no longer a house but a home.)

From the first night, it felt like home.  The layout, flow, and livability of my new home is perfect for me.  Everything is "right sized".  No area or room is too big or too small.  You may work a floor plan on paper and think it is OK but then question things when construction starts, but this worked out perfectly and I would not change a thing.

One of the "little pleasures" I truly enjoy every morning is the shower.  It is larger than the Merlin home shower, and Redwood Glass did a perfect job with the design of the glass wall and door. The hardware they used matches all the metal in the house perfectly.

The landscape work continues.  Ron believes they will have it finished before the end of next week except for hydroseeding the yard.  It is going to be dramatic when finished.  Pictures of that to follow at the appropriate time.

Door Bell

Several months ago I had a special door bell made for the house.  It has been in storage and now is hung.  When gonged, it is fairly loud.  Hopefully, it will not disturb the neighbors too much!

Here is a picture of it installed.

And a close up showing the detail of the pine cone and pine needles.

I was going for the Northwest look, and believe that this is it!

Day #169 - D Day Plus 3!

I would have liked to have posted this a few days ago, but I had cancelled the Internet at my rental and service was not installed at the new home right away.  So, here is the update.

First of all, I moved in on January 25, 3 days ago, and the house fits me comfortably.  The spaces all work and flow well for the size of the house.

The energy audit was conducted the day before I moved in.  There are 5 phases of rating, 1 being the worst and 5 the best.  Only houses using solar get a 5.  I was shooting for a 3 but working to get a 4, and we did.  The house is officially a Phase 4 Energy Trust of Oregon home.   Now, we will see how low the energy bills are!  One good sign is that the house is very comfortable with the geo-thermal heating set at 65.  And the air coming out of the unit is much warmer than a conventional electric heat pump.

I was not quite happy with the furniture arrangement in the living and dining areas, and Cris from Gates Furniture came and helped me with that yesterday.  In 10 minutes she had things sorted out, and things flow well now.

There are still things to be done.  The landscapers are working hard to finish, and I will probably find things that need a small tweak here and there.  And I am buried in boxes!  I did get the living/dining areas, kitchen and master bedroom emptied of boxes, and that was an accomplishment!  The next room to tackle is the office!

And I must say that I am glad I chose Valerian Homes as the contractor.  I don't think any other builder could have done better.  And there was not one second of pain or heartburn though the whole building process.  From start to finish it took 166 days.

This is not the end of this blog, but there will be a "time out" until the landscaping is all in and the grass has sprouted.  So, check back in 2 or 3 months!

Day #160 - Darned Close!

I was in Las Vegas for a week; so, I was anxious to see the progress that has occurred.  The exterior paint is almost complete with just a couple of small areas that need finished.

Lots has happened in the interior.  All the door hardware is installed, the back splash is in the kitchen but needs grouted.  I picked that out today, and it will be finished Monday.  This photo did not turn out all that well unfortunately.  It looks much better!

The kitchen is coming together.  The cabinets and pantry are finished and in place.  The range will be installed after the grout is finished.  The range hood is awesome!  Commercial grade.

(Yes, I should have moved the box and my coffee cup!)  The LED tape lighting under the cabinets is fantastic!

All the faucets are installed in the kitchen, baths, and utility room, and the geothermal heating/cooling system is operational.  The thermostat was set at 65 degrees, and the house seemed very toasty.  This system should be wonderful!

Talking with Alan, he said the final inspection and energy test by the Energy Trust of Oregon are both scheduled for Tuesday, and I am to get the keys Thursday!  The moving van is scheduled for Friday! Talk about excited!

Day # 150 - The Office

The office is now finished except for carpeting.  Jim Grant installed the built in display case.  The case will be used for some of those special treasures that I would like to set out.

MWM installed the Formica counter tops on the work surfaces that Russ Harrop built.  The Formica is lighter so that small objects don't "hide" on the work surfaces.

MWM also installed all the counter tops in the bathrooms and utility room.  They are about 2/3 finished with the kitchen.  Their fabrication and installation is excellent, and I am well pleased with their work as well as Jim Grant's.  MWM should be finished tomorrow.

Day #148 - Appliances

I haven't updated for 9 days as what was going on was mostly inside painting and sealing the wood trim and doors.  Appliances were delivered today, and the microwave and refrigerator were installed.

The refrigerator is a Kitchenaid that is 42 inches wide but only cabinet depth.

Painting will continue inside tomorrow then counter tops are scheduled for Wednesday.  We are targeting January 24 as the move in date.