I'm building a house.

Well sort of. I'm actually paying someone else to build it...and it's a townhouse. Ok, fine, it's a stacked townhouse. But whatever...my wife and I have been in our apartment for 6 years and it was time to find a real place of our own.

 

After about 2 months of looking at "previously appreciated" townhouses we found a new townhouse community that we really liked. Sure it's adding about 20 miles of traffic to my commute but we can't wait.

 

So, here is the floorplan. The pics shows two floorplans, the grayed out portion is the house below us, we're on top:

 

http://www.centexhomes.com/builderimages/UnitedStates_193/Virginia_61/NorthernVirginia_21599/TheTownesatVillagePlaceCondominiums_46025/Orchid_358448/orchid_fp_1.gifhttp://www.centexhomes.com/builderimages/UnitedStates_193/Virginia_61/NorthernVirginia_21599/TheTownesatVillagePlaceCondominiums_46025/Orchid_358448/orchid_fp_2.gif

 

http://www.centexhomes.com/builderimages/UnitedStates_193/Virginia_61/NorthernVirginia_21599/TheTownesatVillagePlaceCondominiums_46025/Orchid_358448/ORCHID_FP_3.GIFhttp://www.centexhomes.com/builderimages/UnitedStates_193/Virginia_61/NorthernVirginia_21599/TheTownesatVillagePlaceCondominiums_46025/Orchid_358448/ORCHID_FP_4.GIF

 

Here are pics of the model home. We are ona reversed floorplan so our actual home will be mirrored.

 

I'm keeping a blog of the progress and all the pics are stored on my flickr account.

 

We bought the townhouse on April 4th and had to wait about a month for them to sell 3 more units, they would not start construction until 60% of the building was sold. They began construction on the 28th, this past Saturday I was onsite taking pics of the footers.

 

Here is the lot for the whole building, taken from the back.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2412/2540245164_ed722d47b9_b.jpg

 

A close up of the back footer.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3011/2539424813_dfc9d226f0_b.jpg

 

Back-right corner.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2011/2540245920_a012811155_b.jpg

 

Here is the stoop.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3082/2539427783_cb1a4d2144_b.jpg

 

So we're all jazzed. It was awesome getting to pick out all the stuff in the house and we got some really cool stuff.

 

I'll keep this thread updated as progress is made.

Edited June 2, 2008 by Lyssa

OMG That house is gonna be awesome. When do we move in?

stacked townhouse? thats kinda neat! grats man, and goodluck

I'm really a fan of the attached Dining Room/Living Room, sometimes even kitchen -- really opens the space up. Roomy!

Love the deck, and the arched windows are a very sexy touch.

 

Looks very nice!! Congrats to you and the lady; keep us posted! =)

 

-Steve

Edited June 2, 2008 by Demetricus

Grats man! look at the Southern red dirt! Welcome to being an FP home owner XD

dude you should have gone into Photoshop and mirrored all the model pics, i can't think in mirror form. i like the setup, the optional fireplace doesn't look that awesome though it breaks the room up funky.

dude you should have gone into Photoshop and mirrored all the model pics, i can't think in mirror form. i like the setup, the optional fireplace doesn't look that awesome though it breaks the room up funky.

 

lol, I happen to be torrenting PS at work right now...but it was to make a new sig. And yes, the fireplace sucks. We didn't get one. We have a fireplace in our apartment now and we have never used it. We had a limited budget for our upgrades and there were a few things that we wanted a lot more than something we'll never use.

Your house looks really dirty atm.

our fireplace in our apartment just makes the living room setup a nightmare. I want to change it but nothing else works.

Gratz man. That house looks awesome.

I really like your nook Lyssa.

im so confused... so many stairs

Yea, on the first floor is my front door with a few stairs down to the long hallway and my garage. Otherwise it's 30 steps up to our main level, which is the 3rd floor of the building.

Yea thats literally a 4 level home, you have so many rooms! Which are you gonna plant your self in for WoW time?

I really like your nook Lyssa.

I'd hit it

Yea thats literally a 4 level home, you have so many rooms! Which are you gonna plant your self in for WoW time?

 

Bedroom 2 is going to be my nerdery. If/when we have a kid I'll move my desk down to the family room.

Wow, that's a lotta clay!

 

WTB some to mix into the sand on my ball diamond...

Gratz father on the house.....I cant wait to get one of mine own

We took some more photos this Sunday. They have installed the water pipes!

 

120, that's our lot!

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3086/2562647560_6ea7ef956e_o.jpg

 

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3097/2561821953_a0a156af67_o.jpg

 

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3169/2562649112_8c3a111f07_o.jpg

 

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3117/2561822887_5e57244f51_o.jpg

 

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3057/2562648464_8b9d5e6d3f_o.jpg

 

We were supposed to get a call last Thursday to schedule our pre-construction meeting but it didn't happen, we should be getting that call today but we'll see. They are supposed to be pouring the foundatin/slab on Wednesday as long as the weather holds out which means that framing should begin sometime next week!

Edited June 9, 2008 by Lyssa

Here is a pic of the final plan for our development and the adjoining town center with 120+ shops, grocery store and hotel. The town center is projected to be completed within 3 years.

 

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3128/2562651536_4e60b79aba_o.jpg

 

They also turned on the fountain.

 

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3172/2561825077_77f3044e29_o.jpg

Edited June 9, 2008 by Lyssa

Lookin good man! Keep the pictures comin!

120 shops in that place, and not one Chipotle. What a shame.

120 shops in that place, and not one Chipotle. What a shame.

 

Well, they haven't even started clearing the land for that town center. They said 3 years and I'm skeptical, but we'll see. And believe me...I don't normally pray but if there is anything worth praying for it's a chipotle will be within walking distance of my house!

We went down to the site today and the foundation has been poured. They've also put in, what I'm guessing, is the vapor barrier for the garage floor with the rebar.

 

View from the back street, looking into our garage:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3096/2581531335_3356981f24.jpg

 

View from the front yard, stoop in front:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3020/2582358088_7b5d178374.jpg

 

Garage floor:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3149/2582359424_55571e45b1.jpg

 

I haven't updated in week or so, a bunch of stuff has happened. It looks like I have to split my posts up, too many pictures.

 

6/19

We had our pre-construction meeting this morning and met with the site building manager. We went over expectations for dates, our options and other stuff. Since we were there last weekend they have poured the garage floor and put these concrete things in with holes for running the low voltage wire between the buildings. Some of the steel i-beams were delivered today while we were there and the wood is arriving tomorrow.

 

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3049/2593538755_bd38150e52.jpg

 

 

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3168/2594377390_4689f542e0.jpg

 

Turns out that not only do we have our own waterline for incoming water but we have our own drainage so we don't share it with the unit below us. The drainage was something I was concerned about after reading another thread here.