Boxing Day Bonanza!!

So this year, because of the new house, I actually braved the Boxing Day madness and went shopping for electronics...all I can say is WOW!! I got out of bed at about 5:30 am..puttered around the house because I was still recovering from Christmas dinner, and then my sister and I set out, despite freezing rain, to the Merivale strip for Futureshop and Best Buy deals. The place was PACKED and I couldn't believe that THAT many people were out despite the time and weather...but then again, I thought, I'm currently one of those people so I can't exactly judge now can I?? Lol...

All in all, despite barely being able to keep myself upright and awake while standing in the line, I managed to get some good deals so overall I'm happy.

My new TV is 46" of TV goodness from Samsung. I cannot WAIT to watch Mike Fisher close ups on this screen with those beautiful blue eyes, dark hair and manly goodness as he plays for the Sens...even though he's marrying Carrie I-am-not-worthy Underwood...but that's neither here nor there...(Jealousy??  What's that?? lol!)

Now that that little tangent is complete, I also managed to buy a surround sound system for, again when I'm watching the man that is supposed to be MY husband, as well as the great action movies that I plan to be indulging in once I move. I totally plan on having at least one LOTR marathon day as well as the Godfather trilogy..maybe even the Matrix....you know it's a good theatre system when you're already imagining the movies and shows that you're going to watch once it's all set up!!! EPIC BATTLES AND AWESOME DEATH SCENES IN HD, HERE I COME!!

Again...pulling myself back to this version of reality..here is my sound system, also by Samsung, with a blue-ray system, 4 tall-boy speakers, one larger speaker and a sub-woofer:

I also got a Panasonic Microwave for a good price...and those 3 purchases basically completed my electronics list, since I am not sure what I will be doing for my computer equipment. ONE MORE GROUP OFF MY LIST! YIPPEEEE!!! I also went to Homesense and bought two mirrors that will go perfectly in my main and master bathrooms thus completing the set up for those rooms as well.

It's kinda cool to finally see more checked items on the list than things that are still outstanding, and with only 121 (but who's counting??) days to go, I'm starting to climb that peak into the excitement zone all over again. I have not been to see the house site in a while, as the last handful of times have yielded no change, but I'm hoping that very VERY soon in the new year, all that will change.

Next...Furniture...Oy veh! Stay tuned!!

Awesome Appliances!!

I went to the Brick today and chose my appliances. I'm pretty sure that I'll keep these choices, but I still have some time to change my mind just in case.

And without further ado.......... my appliances!! lol...

This is my LG Dishwasher. I liked this one because it was a nice clean front with the integrated controls at the top of the dishwasher. The handles also match my range as well, which is good because they are different brands and it all worked out for the best. One of the nicest features I found on this one is that the steam from the cycle doesn't vent to the outside but to an inside vent, where it condenses and goes down the drain. That is supposed to be good for areas with hardwood because it doesn't affect the humidity. Since my house is all open concept as well, I wanted a really quiet dishwasher and I've heard that this one is one of the quietest out there so I'm quite happy!

This is my Kitchenaid Gas Range. I really liked the clean lines on this stove, and that the controls of this range are at the front. I'm so clumsy that I thought controls at the front were a good idea so I don't accidentally set myself on fire or something..lol. It is a slide-in so it'll be really nice to have it look 'integrated' into the counters. A bonus is that this range has a warming drawer which I think is a nice lil' feature, and Kitchenaids make very good gas ranges so I'm happy to know I have a quality product. Plus..it's just plain purrrrrrty! lol...

And last but not least, this is my new Samsung Fridge. I had originally wanted an LG fridge, but I was convinced of this one because it actually fits the height and width of my fridge space perfectly and it's counter-depth, which was something I was looking for, but didn't think I would be able to find.  It's a good sized, stainless steel fridge with a bottom-mount freezer pull-out, and the finish resists fingerprints fairly well (I actually touched it all over a million times to test this!) so it'll look clean for a while yet.  I also like the clean lines of the fridge- the handle is a groove on the side- and the cool digitial readout at the bottom of the fridge is nice too. AND most importantly, it's big enough to hold MY meat, which let's face it, is the MOST important criterium of all! lol..

I bought this set a while ago, but it's a Samsung front-load washer and dryer set. The set came with the pedestals, which is really beneficial because it brings the whole set up to full height so I don't have to bend down to do my laundry. I had originally wanted a silver set that I saw of the same set, but then I saw an episode of Sarah's house with this beautifully sunny, and inviting laundry room so I decided that the white ones can suit me just fine! lol

SO! Those are currently my appliances which I think will be very nice in the house. AND the best part was, yet again, I came in UNDER my original budget....WHOOOO HOOOOO!!! I don't know how it keeps happening, but I LOVE it!! Now I can focus on paying everything off...oy! lol...

Mirror Image

I went shopping (again) this weekend, and bought a new mirror this weekend that I am very excited about!! I can't wait to hang it up in my foyer. It kind of looks like this one here, but the border panels are more offset so it looks like a prism with more refraction. It's beautiful!!
WHOO HOO!!

Good News

One of my neighbours took this pic for me today and it looks like the backlot is filled AND they've started to put in the pipes as well. This is a great sign! I'm hoping framing will start next week...

More News...

I received my official notice of delay today from Mattamy. My new closing date is April 29. At least it was what I was expecting so no shock there. Hopefully it stays that way and I don't get delayed again...that's my plan! (I think I hear God laughing! lol...)

On the actual house front though, I hear that my lot has been backfilled so I'm hoping that means that framing should be taking place in the VERY near future. Winter is quickly dawning on us so if they're going to be on track, I think they'll start framing sooner than later.

FINGERS CROSSED!!

Mattamy U Review.

So I had my Mattamy U tonight and I must say I had a lot of FUN! I got to meet plenty of my neighbours from the buildinghomes.ca website, and it's great because everyone seemed really cool. Also the Mattamy presentation was pretty informative and gave us a nice idea of what to expect and the process and a breakdown of some of the events that will be coming up during the coming months. They also provided a handbook 'reference guide' which I made notes galore in. All in all, well done Mattamy!

They did say that they are trying to get the framing and windows in before winter so maybe there will be some crazy work done in the next few weeks..here's hoping!!!

Foundation Updates

This is the latest picture of my foundation. I was actually mistaken at the first foundation post because of a misplaced form, but now that everything has been taken down, I can see much clearer. I've labelled the few places that I can kinda make out with this new foundation and the foundation had been insulated! Here's hoping that they start framing soon enough.

Mattamy U is this Wednesday so I'm hoping that they'll specify when they intend to start and just what we can expect from this whole process.

Going Back to Uni...Kinda..

I officially got my Mattamy University invite today! YAAAAAAAY!! Mattamy University is this program that Mattamy has where you have a chance to meet your builders and your neighbours and get information about your home and the building process. It'll be kinda cool because some of my neighbours and I have already been in contact through buildinghomes.ca so it'll be nice to put faces to the names. I like THIS kind of university..two hours instead of four years and the final is great!! I'll take it! lol..

The session is set for Wed, November 18 from 7-9pm ...knowing Mattamy's reputation, I wonder if it'll be delayed. HA HA HA! :)

Foundations and University

My foundation are in!! Well.......at least the forms are now in, and I think the foundation has actually been poured, but I wasn't getting any closer because there was so much mud! I'm also pretty sure of the placement of the garage and front porch which I labelled on the picture. This is super exciting!! It's great that I'm finally able to SEE what's been in my mind's eye for a year and a half! YAAAAAAAAAY!!!!

On another good note, I got an e-mail about Mattamy U last week saying that I should be able to get an invite sometime this week. I'll finally be able to meet a lot of my neighbours, and actually feel like this building process underway!! Closing date here I come!!

One Foot(ing) forward, 7 (weeks) back..

So I just received a call from Mattamy. Even though they seemed to be going along smoothly, and I was all excited about the footings, they have managed to DRAG me (with some kicking and screaming I might add) from my cloud nine experience and DROP KICK me back down to earth by telling me that I am now delayed 7 weeks. Can't really say I'm surprised really. I've heard more stories about new homes being delayed than on time, but *sigh* that's FORTY-NINE more days to my countdown!! I was down to 135 and now I just hopped ,skipped, and LEAPED my way back up to 184!! ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY FOUR people!!! Boo HISS!!!

This is like a sad real life game of snakes and ladders where it's ALL ladders and NO snakes!! lol..

Looking on the positive sides though!

First- this gives me more time to save up. Always a bonus.

Second- The delay means that I most likely won't have to move in winter which , let's be honest, I wasn't exactly jumping-for-joy-feeling-the-holy-ghost-spirit-shoutin' HALLELUJAH excited about.

and Third- the new closing date is right around 2 weeks before my birthday meaning if all goes well (Knocking on Wood!!), I might get one HELL of a birthday present!!

Yes...keeping with the halloween spirit, this may be a blessing in disguise, but doesn't mean I can't grumble just a little bit in the meantime. :)

My Lot Has Solid Footings!

This is a new picture of my lot taken by my wonderful neighbour again. They poured the concrete last week and I'm hoping that there will be some serious work on the foundation and framing in the next short time period. Supposedly, foundations do not take that long to pour and they usually try to do foundations before the winter frost really starts to set in so hopefully, I will have some progress pictures to be sharing in rapid succession. I'm not sure how keen I'm going to be to be out there when it's -30 in the winter, but I'm enjoying this (warm) ride for as long as it lasts!! whoo hoo!!!

I HAVE FOOTINGS!!

This is the footing layout for my house. I'm lot 5-9 in the bottom corner and this picture was taken by my wonderful next door neighbour in lot 5-8. As far as I've heard, since this picture was taken, the actual footings have been poured which sounds like foundations may be poured very soon- maybe even in the next week!! This is very exciting!!! If it didn't feel real before, it certainly does now. Let the construction begin!!!

Bad News..Good News

Ok so bad news first and get it outta the way...

So I was all excited on the weekend to go check out what was available in the new release from Fairwinds, but when I got there and checked the homes, none of them were village homes so I didn't get a chance to see if my house had gone up and by how much. NUTS!! Guess I just have to wait until next time, because I know that they at least have plans for a new release..I just have no idea when! :)

BUT onto the GOOD news...

I officially have footings!!!! Well....at least the pre-footing footings. :)

One of my fantabulous new neighbours informed me via the building homes website (one of the best resources I have had during this eternity of a wait!) that they are starting to form the wooden molds for the footings in our area and block 4 as well as some of block 5 (mine included) have been laid out. Ha zaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!! Hopefully, I will be able to do a picture drive- by this week and add to the slow, but growing picture diary of my humble abode.

3 CHEERS FOR FOUNDATION!!!!

(I won't actually do the cheers but you get the jist! lol)

New Release

There is a new release happening tomorrow in Fairwinds!! I'm excited because that means there should be an increase in the home prices, which means I would finally make some money on my house! WHOO HOO!!! Not sure what the price will be yet, but I've seen about 213k-219k in Half Moon Bay, and I know that there is a early occupancy available for 229, 900. I might swing by tonight out of pure curiousity and see what's up. Hopefully, I'll have another post tomorrow saying I've made some ridiculous amount of money on the house AND that they are going to devote a lot of man power to the building and be back on track...

Ahhh wishful thinking! lol..

They're late...They're late...for a very important date!

So I got a letter from Mattamy yesterday, detailing that, although a hold that was recently proposed by a local city councillor on our development area due to flooding concerns was not approved ( This has been a long standing, well documented issue in Kanata for a while now), they are still behind schedule and I can expect a likely delay on my closing date. BOO HISS!!!!!!

Though in the back of my head, I always had a feeling that they were going to delay me even though they made a big point of telling me that they were 6 weeks ahead. In fact, I think I would have been MORE surprised if they were actually on time with my closing. At least this falls in line with what I've always heard a new home-building experience was like. No word on how long I'll be delayed though, but looking on the bright side: this gives me more time to SAVE!!! =D

My World is Flat! Yahoo!!!

I went by my house site yesterday, hoping to find that they have been doing a lot of work on the area and I was not disappointed!! They've finally filled in the streets so you're not walking in a bunch of holes with unsteady gravel, and they've flattened out the roads and the general area plots to get ready for the real construction to begin. I took a few pictures to be a homebuilding diary... for the next 5 months, 1 week and 3 days....but who's counting?! lol...

This is the first view when you get to the construction site......

This is a shot of the future park to the immediate left when you start to enter the construction area...

This is a shot of the entire block from the crossing street. The area has been all prepped for footings and foundation pouring! Ha ZAAAAAAAA!!

This is a shot of the Village Homes where from where I think my plot is going to be...I have no idea for sure, but I figure this is the general idea..lol.

This is a shot from where I 'think' my house is, down the street towards where there are already homes completed. This is definitely a before picture!! lol..

Well that is the update for now...hopefully, I'll have better and more exciting pictures soon!!!

Let There Be Light (Fixtures)!!

Canadian Tire has been having a sale on Light fixtures for the past week, so I've now chosen and picked up all the fixtures for my bathrooms. The mental images of my bathrooms are pretty much complete now. And of course, as with everything else I've done house related, I wanted to share!

So without further ado................

This is the fixture for the powder room. It should go well with the other brushed nickel fixtures I have planned.

This is the fixture for the guest bathroom. It should go PERFECTLY with the browns and bronzes that I have planned for this bathroom.
This is the fixture for the Master Bath. At first, I wanted each bathroom to have a completely different light, but I liked this style so much that I just made my bathroom have 4 lights instead of the 3. I'm really glad I did!

Well that's everything for now. Nice to know that I have at least some of the rooms complete. Now I have to worry about furniture and appliances. Although, I got an awesome deal on a Samsung Washer and Dryer set so that's off the list, PLUS a deep-freezer for all the BBQ meat I intend to have on my wee deck soon enough. YAY house!!! :D

Range Hood

I got a great deal on a range hood today! Checked it out yesterday at Costco and then actually picked it up this afternoon. It's a nice and simple stainless steel range hood that should fit perfectly in my kitchen, PLUS in doing my research I've seen rangehoods in stainless steel range from about $500-$1000 and I got that for a fraction of the price!! It's ALL about the deals!! lol..

Anywho, here is my new range hood...

I also went to the house site today and they were digging up a storm. I saw that they were also doing some burying of the large concrete posts so they are moving along quite well. I'll have to try to take a closer look this weekend because every time I go, they are still working and I can't get close enough for a good shot with the camera. I'm sure these will be just the first of MANY trips to the site before the house is finished...lol

Speaking of closing..today marks 5 months, 3 weeks and 2 days until closing day..or 174 days..however you want to slice it..lol! WHOO HOO!!

SO close............kinda

Today marks exactly 6 months till closing! I can't believe that almost a year has passed already since I bought and I'm two-thirds of the way there already. WHOO HOO!!

This sucks...and I LOVE IT!!!

Hello all!!

Well, I've recently gone on another spending binge BUT I did manage to get A LOT of things checked off my list which is a great feeling. I made a shopping trip down to Watertown, New York for Labour day sales and found LOTS of really nice bathroom and home accessories at Target, TJ Maxx, JCPenny and so on. I may have spent more money than I anticipated but it was all worth it!

And as if my shopping trip wasn't enough, the good times just kept on rollin!

For the longest time, I've been trying to figure out what vaccuum to buy because of my berber carpets. I'd heard a lot about the Dyson brand, but with pricetags of $500+ and my budget of about $200 maybe $300 if I'm pushing it, I had come to accept that Dyson would be out of my league and I just wanted to find a good vaccuum I could be happy with.

So yesterday, on a fluke, I went on a jaunt to Future Shop to get some quotes on appliances. Basically dreaming about the kind of appliances I want, and confirming reality regarding the kind of appliances I can afford.... when, while drooling over a dishwasher, I glanced a for sale sign near the vaccuums. I didn't pay much attention until I saw the name WITH the sale sign...Dyson. As I moved closer... I swear that I heard angels..but I didn't dare to celebrate just yet. Then I saw it. One of the Dysons, which was nice, compact, light, had the cyclone technology, beater brush control, and the ball axis- just generally PERFECT for my home- was on sale...AT ALMOST $200 OFF!! AND there were only TWO left.

So what did I do???

Well, after I finished pinching myself to see if it was a dream, and then finished my little happy song and jig, I yoinked that Dyson right off the shelf and purchased it before anyone could realise their mistake and my good fortune. SO! I now have my desired vaccuum BRAND NEW at almost HALF price!!

Everyone, meet my new DC24..Dicey for short. =D lol..

Happiness and Joy people!! Never have I said 'Well that sucks!!' and been so happy about it!!! I felt like that IKEA commercial where the woman looks at her bill and starts a run/walk while yelling 'START THE CARRRRRRRR!!!!'.... except I couldn't do that because I was the one driving..but still...lovely (and comedic) moment!! lol...

Countdown!!

There are 196 days until I get my home!! WAAAAHOOO!!

Excited about dirt..WHO KNEW?!

These are pics of my current lot area. The first pic is of where the townhouses across the street should be. The second pic and third pics are where my block of village homes should be. This seems to be all they've done so far, but hopefully by November, my pictures will be a lot more exciting. Either way, I've never been so happy to take pictures of dirt or sewers in my life! lol...

More Shopping!!

So I went to HomeSense today and fell in love with this cabinet!! So I bought it because I've promised myself that I will only spend money on things that I LOVE! So...this is going to be my new cabinet for my master bathroom. I also bought a few knick knacks along the way including $7 for a set of 4 martini glasses. YAY ME!! I keep getting excited over littlest house stuff...but it's MY house stuff..lol.

My kitchen

This is an idea of what my kitchen cabinets will look like. This is actually a picture of the Brentland model in Kanata, and then after I chose my cabinets, I realized they were the same ones. I guess the gentle powers of model home persuasion are stronger than I thought!! In any case, I think it looks very nice and I'm even happier seeing it on a grand scale now.

Waiting....and SHOPPING!!

So I had a bit of a shopping spree yesterday and among my purchases was this folding shelf from Pier 1. It'll be great for parties and such because space might be a little limitied so people.... say hello to my new fold-out bar (the little one..not the big one...don't judge me...lol!!!)
lol..I find it amusing that I do not have my house, I do not have a sofa, I do not have appliances....BUT I have somewhere to stash my alcohol!! Guess MY priorities are straight! =D

I also went to Linen Chest where they were having a really good deal on glasses. An 18-pc set for 10 bucks!! So I scooped up two of those in a jiffy and of course, I can't go to Linen chest without a stop at Ikea a.k.a Blue and Yellow Heaven. I found a lot of things there that I liked, which is something that always happens. I got some plate sets that were a pretty good deal, and a few little odds and ends for my bathrooms. I also got this TV stand that I wanted priced out to give me a better idea of what I'll be spending once closing comes along. This feels good spending money on house things! And I figure since it's actually for the house and not some kind of personal blow out, I'm not ruining my budget cause this was my plan all along. Buy the small things bit by bit during the waiting period so that once I move in, it's not a lot of money all at once...yes...that was and is the plan...I also want to say that denial is a very POWERFUL thing...lol!!

Well on the actual house front, my Customer Care Coordinator told me that as it stands now, there are no black or green boxes on my property, which is a big relief because I REALLY didn't want any of those. I don't have a lot of room as it is so I didn't want it marred by a big metal box. I was also told that, as of now my house is still proceeding as scheduled which means construction should be beginning next month!!!!!! After all this time, construction is only mere WEEKS away!! Craziness! OH the excitement! I cannot WAIT! I also managed to virtually meet more of my neighbours and everyone seems so nice and cool! I have a feeling that our block is going to be a kick ass block for sure!

No turning back...

I finalized my design centre choices today and handed over a large sum of money. My choices are now set in stone, I'm still ok with them so I think that's an awesome sign! Now I have to play the waiting game until I actually move in. I've been crunching numbers and every once in a while, I get this mini-panic attack of 'OMG!! Can I actually DO this?!' and then I do my trusty math again and I feel better. lol... I expect the cycle to continue until I get into the house. I just hate the unexpected, especially when there's a lot on the line like this. I need a lot of concrete numbers so I can plan accordingly. It's the unknown factor that's driving me nuts. Alas, I have about 7 months to wait until this whole process is over, which in house years, is not a lot of time. SO CLOSE YET SO FAR!! lol...

On a good note, I found out that my next door neighbour is also a single girl and there's another older single lady down the row as well (ALL MA SINGLE LADIES!! PUT YO' HANDS UP!!) so that brings the count up to 4 in my row alone. Also, it still seems that Mattamy is about 6 weeks ahead so it's an even better chance that I'll actually move into the house on time. YIPPEE!!

My Matrix Lamp!!

Rona was having a sale on Light fixtures this weekend! I originally went to look at a long crystal box type of chandalier but then I found this one instead. It's really cool and the inside has flexible arms that remind me of the matrix sentinel (hence the title). :) I'm quite excited and I think that it'll look perfect in my dining room. Happiness and Joy!

Small Changes..

Well the only small changes I ended up making were to delete the mirrors in all the bathrooms and change the style of my berber carpet. Not too much, but it serves to make my house that much more perfect!

Design Centre Choices

Hello All,

Here we are...this is the moment that we have all been waiting for!

*Drum roll please*

MY DESIGN CHOICES!!!

Granted there may be some changes right now but not any major ones so these are my general colours...

Now the whole house is going to be painted the 'Sandringham' colour. I didn't take a picture of it because you can't get the true colour of it from a picture and a small sample, but it's like a tan/beige colour. Almost like the tone of this blog backgroun actually. Very neutral, with just a hint of colour. As for the vinyl floors, I seem to have forgotten the names of all of them, I only have codes..lol. However, I used the same vinyl, a grey and browny combination, for everywhere but the kitchen which has a deeper grey tone to it.

And by the way, sorry about some of the spaces..I can't seem to get my pictures to behave.

Well let's get the plain stuff out of the way...

This is the standard showerhead for the bathrooms.

















This is the standard faucet for the master bathroom and the powder room.

This is the standard faucet for the main bathroom.

Now onto more of the FUN STUFF....!! These were some of my easy choices...


.















Railings
These are the railings that I upgraded to. I didn't want the rounded colonial style (?) railings that were standard. I find that this one is just sleek and contemporary. I love them! They will be stained to match my hardwood floors.

Flooring
This is the flooring that I chose for the main sections of the house.

- Hardwood: I chose maple 'Vienna' floors in 2 1/4 width, in the living room, dining room and 2nd floor hallway, all placed on a diagonal lay.

- Carpet: I chose the 'Sweet Talk' colour of berber carpet for both the staircases and entire 3rd floor with upgraded underpad. I liked the colour, and then the name just kinda sealed the deal. LOL!



















Handles
The first picture is the inside front door handles and the second picture is the ouside front door handle. Kind of antiquey but I can handle it.

(I guess this wasn't really a choice but still.. =) )



















Kitchen

(Sorry, I couldn't get the picture to turn for some reason.)

I had an inspiration kitchen of dark cabinets with gray counters, glass backsplash and tile floors. So far I have half of that, so I chose:

- Cabinets: Salem Birch in Cocoa Control

- Counters: Suede Ash Fiesta

- and the Floors...a vinyl that I currently can't remember the actual name of, are a bit of a gray tone to pick up on the gray in the counter. I'll prob be changing them to tile soon enough but in the meantime, I'm happy. =)

Guest Bath Choices:

I had wanted a warm brown colour for this bathroom. I chose:

- 'Rocky Road' laminate for the counter,

- 'Chocolate Pear' for the cabinets,

- the bathtub tile is 'Olympia Imperial Noce Brown' with the listello border (I didn't take the tile with the insert; it'll just be a solid tile),

and the floor is a brown and gray vinyl that I forgot the name of. :)

Master Bath Choices:

I was looking for a gray, cool, spa like feeling for my ensuite so I chose:

-Olympia Keliker Bronze tile with Listello Border for my bathtub wall tile,

- 'Chocolate pear' Cabinets

- Tatami Matte Countertop

and again, I forgot the name of the vinyl in the bathroom..lol.

Well that's everything so far. I can't believe I made it out of the design centre in one piece! I actually came in UNDER budget by a couple thousand dollars! Of course, I think I over prepared for the worst case scenario, just in case I had to upgrade everything, but the fact that I didn't upgrade so much actually made me really happy!

Anyways, I'll be looking for furniture and such next so I'll keep everyone posted when I find something I actually like. =)

Design Centre Awaits....

Well I went to the Design Centre on Sunday, with my sister in tow, after spending most of the previous week going through design magazines and making a 'design inspiration' binder.

We spent about 3 hours going through the samples and I feel pretty confident about my choices. My appointment is on Thursday, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't excited and nervous all at the same time! I keep looking at the pictures we took, and with each pass, the anxiety seems to get better. YAY ME!!

I decided to go with hardwood and berber through the builder and do the ceramic on my own. It would be the least intrusive before I moved in. I was actually able to stay within a lot of the standards, which is a miracle in itself, because I am one picky girl!! lol..

Well..it is T-2 days now..I'll be sure to post pictures of my choices once everything is done on Thursday. WISH ME LUCK!

In the beginning...

Hello All!

I guess I should have started this blog a while ago, so it could be a true account, but I only decided to do it today. So here's the scoop so far....

I bought my house on October 4, 2008 in the Fairwinds community in Kanata, Ontario, Canada. My house model is called the 'Berryhurst' Village Home.

It's the perfect size for a single girl- 3 level townhouse with about 1300 sq. ft with 2 bedrooms and I upgraded to the optional third floor with 2.5 bathrooms. I chose the house because it was seemed to have all the convienience of being a condo (good size, not a huge amount of upkeep but some outdoor space), but the added bonus of being a freehold!

So far, the experience has been..interesting. Don't get me wrong..I've been plenty excited about the whole process! It's just that it's been draining to go through, even though I know that at the end, I will have my own pretty house to show for it. So for now, I'll try to break this down into a timeline for everyone...

September 2007--

I started seriously looking for a house on my own. I considered the Tartan Java condos, Minto Terrace homes and Urbandale Jazz condos, but then discovered the Mattamy Village homes in Kanata. I liked the idea that it was a freehold since I'm really not comfortable with the uncertainty and cost of condo fees, and the Fairwinds area seemed really nice. I have already lived out there before, so I was used to the distance between Kanata and downtown Ottawa. I looked through all the models from Mattamy and the Berryhurst was the one that suited me the most....open concept, nice flow, full laundry room, good sized kitchen, option for an ensuite, room for a small office without giving up or sharing the second bedroom..the list goes on! So now my mind is made up and I've found a house and had the pre-approval done (IMPORTANT STEP BTW! HELPED ME IMMENSELY!). Only now with all my book reading, number crunching and decision making, I have missed out on the latest release that Mattamy had and have to wait for the next one...phooey!

October 1, 2008--

After a year of scrounging for information like Pavlov's dog, I finally start getting word that the Mattamy release for village homes is confirmed for Saturday, October 4. Colour Me EXCITED! The price at this point is about 187k and I've been told that the increases are usually about 5k per release. Now I just have to wait until the evening of October 3 to get the confirmed details and see exactly what homes are going to be released and where. So I'm flying pretty high at this point and just waiting for my piece of village home pie!

October 3, 2008--

I have plans to go to the sales centre to find out information about the house, but a little birdie tells me to call ahead of time. That's when the bombshells begin...

1- They are only releasing 2- count 'em TWO!!- Berryhursts out of about 20 homes that they have available. Neither of them are the elevation I had wanted (CRAP!)

2- Of those two homes, one couple has already staked a claim and are prepared to spend the night at the sales centre to secure their place in the first-come-first-serve line. (DOUBLE CRAP!!)

3- The price didn't go up 5 k..it didn't even go up 10 k...the price of the home went up SEVENTEEN THOUSAND DOLLARS in the one release...WAAAY over my nicely projected numbers!!! (Awww &^%&!)

So...Now I have a choice.

Do I:

A- wait until I can get the elevation that I had originally wanted even though I don't know when that will be and run the risk of the price increasing yet again, possibly completely out of my range?

OR

B- Buy the house anyways, since it is still my model that I wanted and the only difference is the size of the deck and the placement of a few windows PLUS any increase in the future is now an increased VALUE instead of an increased COST??

You guessed it!!

I decided to buy the house!!!

(OK OK. That was pretty obvious, but I had to do it for the dramatic flair! =D)

SO...Now my plan goes to action. Lucky, a diva is always prepared, because I had already packed up what I needed to sleep over, in case it came to that. So I bundled up and get ready with my sleeping bag, sweaters, blankets, hats..ready to sleep outside. By the time the sales office closed down for the night, I had 4 of my new neighbours bundled up next to me to stave off the fall cold. We joked that it's ironic that before we could be homeowners, we had to sleep outside..but it was all worth it, the next morning when my funky, morning-breathed, tore-down lookin' self woke up, signed on the dotted line, and became a HOMEOWNER!! Though signing those 3 deposit cheques for 5k each hurt my feelings a little and -not gonna lie- brought a few tears to my eyes...lol! Closing date is set for March 11, 2010- a full 18 months away!!

October 2008- May 2009--

Most of this time was spent going to Mattamy showhomes and pestering the staff with questions! lol..We became goooooooooooooood friends after a while! Visited the Design Centre on multiple occasions to wrap my head around the options that were available. Now I'm just waiting to DO something with the house instead of knowing that it's going to be ready in the next year or so.

June 17, 2009--

I finally get my design centre appointment catalogues and book my appt for July 16.
HA ZAAAAAAA!! I am incredibly excited and start jotting down all the things I want...and then start looking at the prices..and then slowly but surely, those things that I HAD to have don't seem so essential anymore. lol... I start doing more number crunching and then map out my come-hell-or-high-water-I'm-sticking-to-it budget...although I do reserve the right to change my mind. =D

SO! That pretty much catches you up to date on the saga that is my homebuying experience. I am currently trying to make decisions for my appointment next Thursday.

WISH ME LUCK!! or better yet, SEND MONEY! =D

...........................................

No. Really. Cash...money orders..travellers cheques..regular cheques...Credit Cards...first borns.. S'all good!!! LOL..

Tune in next time!