Check out my new blog: http://lifeinsuzhouchina.blogspot.com
I will update this blog with my travels around China in early September, 2014.
Friday, August 29, 2014
Thursday, December 26, 2013
Sold!
Wow, it has been over two months since I sold my house but I have been so busy. I didn't have anytime to post this. My new life is outside of the United States, and I love my new job and the carefree life of living in an apartment.
So, I owned my house for about 18 months and this is what I have to say:
Overall, I think the desire to own a house is deeply rooted inside us somehow. I am very much a home body. I love to stay at home. With that said, my house was beautiful, but I could see it needing a lot of work over the course of my lifetime and I wasn't sure I wanted to be the person to do that. I think if you are super wealthy, or if you have a family, ownership takes on new meaning; but for me, I prefer to rent. Renting allows a whole lot more freedom to move when you're ready, you get to move more often to try different neighborhoods/cities/regions/countries (LOL). People say it is more expensive, but I'm not sure that's true. I suppose it probably is more expensive per square foot, but since houses are usually larger than apartments, I think renting is overall less expensive.
I'm not sure I would buy again to be honest. It all depends, but if I did buy again, I think I would buy a super cheap fixer upper. I couldn't imagine building a new home again unless I won the lottery. Building a new home was an adventure, it was fun, but overall, I think there is more value in older homes, than newer.
New homes also have the issue of neighborhood, my neighbors were really nice, but to be honest, it just wasn't the right 'fit'. Really take your time to make sure you like the type of area you are moving into. I moved into a nice, quiet, suburban area, and part of me really yearned for that bucolic quiet. But, a smaller part than I thought...I now live in a city of twelve million people near Shanghai, China (which has twenty-six million people) and I really like living in a larger city.
So, everyone asks about the quality of Ryan Homes. Well, there is truth to the complaints, the quality is fair, but I think we all want more than a 'fair' house, we want our castle. I realized I would have to settle on renting someone else's castle. If you like the model, and can easily afford the house, Ryan homes are fine. Go for it, but if you desire to be practical, buy an existing home on the cheap and fix it up. Or, save some serious dough and rent!
I don't see why I would continue to update this blog since I no longer own the house. But, please check out my new blog: www.lifeinsuzhouchina.blogspot.com
Life continues...
Cheers!
So, I owned my house for about 18 months and this is what I have to say:
Overall, I think the desire to own a house is deeply rooted inside us somehow. I am very much a home body. I love to stay at home. With that said, my house was beautiful, but I could see it needing a lot of work over the course of my lifetime and I wasn't sure I wanted to be the person to do that. I think if you are super wealthy, or if you have a family, ownership takes on new meaning; but for me, I prefer to rent. Renting allows a whole lot more freedom to move when you're ready, you get to move more often to try different neighborhoods/cities/regions/countries (LOL). People say it is more expensive, but I'm not sure that's true. I suppose it probably is more expensive per square foot, but since houses are usually larger than apartments, I think renting is overall less expensive.
I'm not sure I would buy again to be honest. It all depends, but if I did buy again, I think I would buy a super cheap fixer upper. I couldn't imagine building a new home again unless I won the lottery. Building a new home was an adventure, it was fun, but overall, I think there is more value in older homes, than newer.
New homes also have the issue of neighborhood, my neighbors were really nice, but to be honest, it just wasn't the right 'fit'. Really take your time to make sure you like the type of area you are moving into. I moved into a nice, quiet, suburban area, and part of me really yearned for that bucolic quiet. But, a smaller part than I thought...I now live in a city of twelve million people near Shanghai, China (which has twenty-six million people) and I really like living in a larger city.
So, everyone asks about the quality of Ryan Homes. Well, there is truth to the complaints, the quality is fair, but I think we all want more than a 'fair' house, we want our castle. I realized I would have to settle on renting someone else's castle. If you like the model, and can easily afford the house, Ryan homes are fine. Go for it, but if you desire to be practical, buy an existing home on the cheap and fix it up. Or, save some serious dough and rent!
I don't see why I would continue to update this blog since I no longer own the house. But, please check out my new blog: www.lifeinsuzhouchina.blogspot.com
Life continues...
Cheers!
Monday, April 8, 2013
One Year Drywall Work Complete
The drywall repair man stopped by today to fix those nail 'pops' and small tears in drywall throughout my house. He spent a good portion of the day in the house, fixing all the little things I noticed, plus he was a little more picky than I was and repaired quite a few more things. Overall the work seems nice. He even gave me some extra wall paint because his matched my walls better than the wall paint I had.
A lot of Ryan Homes owners in my area complain about nail pops and cracks in their drywall. You can read about this in blogs too. Again, I think this all goes back to the fact that Ryan Homes is a 'value' builder; they strive to find a balance between cost and quality. Of course, as consumers, we want our products to be near perfect and we don't understand why things are the way they are. I could have easily spent twice as much money having a custom builder build this same house. The wood framing might have been a little better, I might have a few less floor squeaks, and the finish quality, the trim, cabinetry, carpeting would have all been better. But the house would cost twice as much, it wouldn't have fit into my budget. Overall, I'm still very happy with my house, it isn't perfect, the floors do squeak, but I know they can fixed.
So, just over one year into my house and I still think it's great. One last thing, there are times I'm annoyed when things go wrong with the house, but overall Ryan Homes customer service has been very good. No complaints, they really do seem to stand behind their houses.
A lot of Ryan Homes owners in my area complain about nail pops and cracks in their drywall. You can read about this in blogs too. Again, I think this all goes back to the fact that Ryan Homes is a 'value' builder; they strive to find a balance between cost and quality. Of course, as consumers, we want our products to be near perfect and we don't understand why things are the way they are. I could have easily spent twice as much money having a custom builder build this same house. The wood framing might have been a little better, I might have a few less floor squeaks, and the finish quality, the trim, cabinetry, carpeting would have all been better. But the house would cost twice as much, it wouldn't have fit into my budget. Overall, I'm still very happy with my house, it isn't perfect, the floors do squeak, but I know they can fixed.
So, just over one year into my house and I still think it's great. One last thing, there are times I'm annoyed when things go wrong with the house, but overall Ryan Homes customer service has been very good. No complaints, they really do seem to stand behind their houses.
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Still winter, but spring is in the air
It's been about a month since Ryan Homes stopped by to complete the 10 month inspection. Everything went well. They fixed the bad floor joist, the creaks and squeaks in the floors, and agreed to come out in late spring or early summer to repair the concrete porch which is scaling.
I still have a month or so to go before the drywall service so no word on that yet, but my neighbor said he was happy with the workmanship at his house. So nearly a year has passed, I love the house. It does have a fair amount of floor creaks/squeaks but so did the model home. Overall I think the house is representative of the model in terms of quality, and while I want a house built like a fortress, I am very happy with my house.
I still have a month or so to go before the drywall service so no word on that yet, but my neighbor said he was happy with the workmanship at his house. So nearly a year has passed, I love the house. It does have a fair amount of floor creaks/squeaks but so did the model home. Overall I think the house is representative of the model in terms of quality, and while I want a house built like a fortress, I am very happy with my house.
Saturday, January 5, 2013
Monday, December 31, 2012
10 Month Review Next Week
I have my 10 month review next week and actually I have a lot of things for Ryan Homes to work on. Most of the work deals with squeaky, loose floors that move as I walk over them. As of now,there aren't any electrical or plumbing issues that I know of. I did just notice a large bulge in my siding so a nail must have popped out. I will update in a few weeks after I have some time to live in the house and see how the repairs go. Check in then...
I'm posting some pictures of the house so you can get a sense of room sizes. The Sorrento plan has generous sized bedrooms and closets, the only real drawback is the small living room and the total lack of an entry space. I know in the past I spoke about choosing a Sorrento over a Sienna. As long as the Sienna is in your budget, I would definitely recommend that floor plan, the large open entry and mud room may seem trivial, but as you live in the house (especially if you always have guests over) the added space is a great thing to have. If you do build a Sorrento, learn from my mistake: do not put carpet in the living room, put solid surface flooring on the entire first floor. You can add an area rug in the middle of the living room to have a soft feel under your feet while watching TV.
I'm posting some pictures of the house so you can get a sense of room sizes. The Sorrento plan has generous sized bedrooms and closets, the only real drawback is the small living room and the total lack of an entry space. I know in the past I spoke about choosing a Sorrento over a Sienna. As long as the Sienna is in your budget, I would definitely recommend that floor plan, the large open entry and mud room may seem trivial, but as you live in the house (especially if you always have guests over) the added space is a great thing to have. If you do build a Sorrento, learn from my mistake: do not put carpet in the living room, put solid surface flooring on the entire first floor. You can add an area rug in the middle of the living room to have a soft feel under your feet while watching TV.
I still love the navy blue door!
I think this room should be painted a light grey, time will tell...
I really love the kitchen, simple, clean, functional.
I'm so glad I didn't put the second sink in, now I have space on the counter top. I really love the grey paint in this room.
Guest bedroom, no wall color yet, maybe I'll get to painting before I move out...
I really love the large kitchen, it gives me a 'morning room' area to sit and enjoy coffee, or put up a Christmas tree.
Living room and entry from kitchen.
I love my washer/dryer. If I stay in my house, I will eventually put a counter top over the machines, install more shelving, and of course paint!
Sunday, October 7, 2012
Sebo, a great way to keep your new home clean
I am not the type of person who has the always have the very best of anything, but I really like to have things that work well. My old vacuum cleaner was pretty inexpensive and I've taken great care of it, but you can sort of smell the dust after vacuuming so I decided after I saved some money I would invest in a good quality vacuum cleaner. I spent about two months researching and testing different models and in the end I eliminated some popular brands such as Dyson, Kirby, Rainbow, Electrolux, and all the less expensive brands. I ended up considering Sebo and Miele, both German made vacuum cleaners. I was really leaning toward the Sebo line because I had used them before and I know they work well. I ended up getting a Sebo Felix and it is really amazing! Not cheap, but as long as it lasts 8-10 years it is well worth the money. The house smells clean after vacuuming and wow does it do an amazing job cleaning my white carpets. You can see the difference in the carpet after vacuuming it, it is noticeably cleaner. If you're in the market for a new vacuum, check out Sebo!
(Thank you google images for the picture, I didn't have time to take my own.)
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Ryan Homes Quality
So there are a lot of websites and blogs that bash Ryan Homes. I spent a lot of time researching Ryan Homes in the Buffalo market before I signed on the dotted line and I was fairly confident I would get a decent house. Six months of living in this house has confirmed that I have a 'decent' house, but I can see where a lot of the complaints come from.
Ryan Homes has great floor plans. I think that, combined with a really attractive price for new construction draws a lot of traffic into their models. They have a good business model to make a great profit, which makes investors happy. But I'm not sure they build the kind of house I believe we should be investing our hard earned money into. The house is decent, don't get me wrong; but the framing is so so, the materials are so so, the land development is so so, the HOA is problematic, the soft floors are problematic, the windows are so so, the finish work is so so, and the list goes on and on. I can't think of anything about this house, or the building experience that was exceptional (except for nice employees). So a mediocre house for a more than mediocre price. If I had to do it again, I would buy an existing house that was made of better stock and fix that house up to meet my needs. Unless you absolutely cannot go without a specific Ryan Homes floor plan, I strongly encourage you to look at a better quality existing house for a lower price point (figuring you will want to spend a lot of money updating the house). I know I could have found a great little cape cod in a quaint neighborhood without all the fuss of the HOA for at least 20K less. Perhaps I would have needed to initially go without all the updates to keep the house in my budget, or perhaps I would have a higher monthly payment due to splurging on all the updates at once. Either way, I would have a house with a whole lot of character that I knew was structurally sound. I hope this house will prove to be sound, but with all the little cracks in the foundation walls, the crack in my garage pad, and the hollow sound I get when I walk across the slabs, in addition to all the soft floors, squeaky floors, and drywall issues and I'm not sure just where this house is going at the moment.
THE DOWNSIDE OF NEW CONSTRUCTION:
One serious downside of new construction is the low quality of the materials used. Modern wood may meet code requirements, but it is softer than older wood and the structure pays the price for this somehow. Modern siding is simply put cheap, low quality. Modern vinyl windows are nothing to write home about either. Overall, while I still love this house for it's efficient floorplan, I really have to say I regret my decision to build new. I just don't think it is the 'value' it should be. The quality just isn't good enough to justify the price.
THE DOWNSIDE OF OWNING A HOME:
So many Americans are absolutley sure owning a home is a great investment and a great idea. I can say with certainty that unless you have children and need to settle down in a certain area, owning a home is not a neccesity, and it certainly is not an investment. Homes cost way too much money to be worth the investment. It would be far better to rent a modest, cheap apartment and put the rest of the money in savings or some type of investment to earn interest.
THE VERDICT:
As I said, if I had to do it over again and I still chose to buy a house (which I wouldn't) I would buy an existing house for a lower price and update that house. Of course you can make the decision for yourself, and you can experience the poor quality of craftsmanship, the poor materials, and all the delights of building new yourself. Some people seem to love it (I'm not sure why, I have better things to do with my time than fix something that should have been done right to begin with).
Ryan Homes has great floor plans. I think that, combined with a really attractive price for new construction draws a lot of traffic into their models. They have a good business model to make a great profit, which makes investors happy. But I'm not sure they build the kind of house I believe we should be investing our hard earned money into. The house is decent, don't get me wrong; but the framing is so so, the materials are so so, the land development is so so, the HOA is problematic, the soft floors are problematic, the windows are so so, the finish work is so so, and the list goes on and on. I can't think of anything about this house, or the building experience that was exceptional (except for nice employees). So a mediocre house for a more than mediocre price. If I had to do it again, I would buy an existing house that was made of better stock and fix that house up to meet my needs. Unless you absolutely cannot go without a specific Ryan Homes floor plan, I strongly encourage you to look at a better quality existing house for a lower price point (figuring you will want to spend a lot of money updating the house). I know I could have found a great little cape cod in a quaint neighborhood without all the fuss of the HOA for at least 20K less. Perhaps I would have needed to initially go without all the updates to keep the house in my budget, or perhaps I would have a higher monthly payment due to splurging on all the updates at once. Either way, I would have a house with a whole lot of character that I knew was structurally sound. I hope this house will prove to be sound, but with all the little cracks in the foundation walls, the crack in my garage pad, and the hollow sound I get when I walk across the slabs, in addition to all the soft floors, squeaky floors, and drywall issues and I'm not sure just where this house is going at the moment.
THE DOWNSIDE OF NEW CONSTRUCTION:
One serious downside of new construction is the low quality of the materials used. Modern wood may meet code requirements, but it is softer than older wood and the structure pays the price for this somehow. Modern siding is simply put cheap, low quality. Modern vinyl windows are nothing to write home about either. Overall, while I still love this house for it's efficient floorplan, I really have to say I regret my decision to build new. I just don't think it is the 'value' it should be. The quality just isn't good enough to justify the price.
THE DOWNSIDE OF OWNING A HOME:
So many Americans are absolutley sure owning a home is a great investment and a great idea. I can say with certainty that unless you have children and need to settle down in a certain area, owning a home is not a neccesity, and it certainly is not an investment. Homes cost way too much money to be worth the investment. It would be far better to rent a modest, cheap apartment and put the rest of the money in savings or some type of investment to earn interest.
THE VERDICT:
As I said, if I had to do it over again and I still chose to buy a house (which I wouldn't) I would buy an existing house for a lower price and update that house. Of course you can make the decision for yourself, and you can experience the poor quality of craftsmanship, the poor materials, and all the delights of building new yourself. Some people seem to love it (I'm not sure why, I have better things to do with my time than fix something that should have been done right to begin with).
Monday, August 13, 2012
Fixing bouncy floors...
I'm in the process of assessing how to fix my bouncy floors. My house is not about to fall down, but Ryan Homes builds to code and this usually means floors will have more vibration, spring, bounce, deflection, acceleration, whatever you want to call it. My words: the floor moves when people walk and I would like to eliminate as much of the deflection as possible. So now I need to figure out how to fix it. Tom Silva from 'This Old House' suggested a method that adds a 2X4 flange to the underside of the floor joists. Has anyone tried this? Does it help? I've also read about a product from Luxor Corp. out of Vancouver, BC called IBS 2000. Essentially a type of retrofit cross bracing system that is designed to absorb a lot of the deflection and eliminate much of the acceleration and vibration in the floor. Ironically Ryan Homes has used this product in the Capital District in the past. Again, can anyone offer any opinion of this product? It isn't too expensive, but I hate to throw money away. I don't mind paying to fix my floors, but whatever method is used, it better work. If you have any experience fixing bouncy floors, drop me a line. Thanks.
Bouncy floors and other odd defects...
O.K. so before I go into my blog let me say this: I hope I don't become one of those people who HATE their Ryan Home! Now let me say this: I still love my house....BUT:
Does anyone else feel their floors are too bouncy? Did I miss some memo that you need to install all hardwood and tile flooring to have the nice, stiff floors found in the models? Am I crazy to want a floor that doesn't float when my guests walk across it?
Squeaks: I hate all the rattles and squeaks I hear as I walk across the floors of my 6 month 5 day old house. I'm also begining to feel the 'distance' I've read PMs create after the deal is closed. I've been asking my PM for a piece of wood for well over a month and for quite a while he was 'going to drop it off on my porch'- WAITING OVER A MONTH! I'm still waiting to be able to close my bedroom door at night and have a very seriously cracking floor joist repaired.
You should see the cracks and tears in my drywall, it is hideous! It is embarassing to invite my friends over to the house. I don't want them to see the cracks and tears and then think to themselves 'What an idiot he was to build that house'. I know R.H. says they will fix the drywall after a year, but this is ridiculous. Maybe I will post a few pictures for you to see. [Full discolsure: Ryan Homes does communicate to buyers that it is common to have drywall related cracks and tears. I just seem to have more than most of my neighbors experienced.]
Cracking concrete anyone? I have four cracks in my basement foundation as well as a large crack in my garage floor. My neighbor down the street has the same crack in his garage floor too. This is in addition to the expected cracks in the expansion joints. How many of us are so lucky to possess these cracks? I'm curious...
Windows that don't want to lock closed? My PM made a point to ask me to 'lock' my windows closed everytime I close them. Well, I try to do this, but some of them just don't want to click into place. At this point I'm well aware of 'builder grade' materials and to be honest, I think many of them suck.
Bubbling siding? Now, thankfully I don't have this issue, but many, many homes in my community do and I think it looks horrible. Who would want to buy a house in a community full of houses that have bad siding?
I'm curious, what sort of odd defects does your Ryan Home have? Drop me a line and let me know.
Does anyone else feel their floors are too bouncy? Did I miss some memo that you need to install all hardwood and tile flooring to have the nice, stiff floors found in the models? Am I crazy to want a floor that doesn't float when my guests walk across it?
Squeaks: I hate all the rattles and squeaks I hear as I walk across the floors of my 6 month 5 day old house. I'm also begining to feel the 'distance' I've read PMs create after the deal is closed. I've been asking my PM for a piece of wood for well over a month and for quite a while he was 'going to drop it off on my porch'- WAITING OVER A MONTH! I'm still waiting to be able to close my bedroom door at night and have a very seriously cracking floor joist repaired.
You should see the cracks and tears in my drywall, it is hideous! It is embarassing to invite my friends over to the house. I don't want them to see the cracks and tears and then think to themselves 'What an idiot he was to build that house'. I know R.H. says they will fix the drywall after a year, but this is ridiculous. Maybe I will post a few pictures for you to see. [Full discolsure: Ryan Homes does communicate to buyers that it is common to have drywall related cracks and tears. I just seem to have more than most of my neighbors experienced.]
Cracking concrete anyone? I have four cracks in my basement foundation as well as a large crack in my garage floor. My neighbor down the street has the same crack in his garage floor too. This is in addition to the expected cracks in the expansion joints. How many of us are so lucky to possess these cracks? I'm curious...
Windows that don't want to lock closed? My PM made a point to ask me to 'lock' my windows closed everytime I close them. Well, I try to do this, but some of them just don't want to click into place. At this point I'm well aware of 'builder grade' materials and to be honest, I think many of them suck.
Bubbling siding? Now, thankfully I don't have this issue, but many, many homes in my community do and I think it looks horrible. Who would want to buy a house in a community full of houses that have bad siding?
I'm curious, what sort of odd defects does your Ryan Home have? Drop me a line and let me know.
Monday, July 23, 2012
Making friends with my HOA
Yesterday I spent several hours re-reading through my HOA documents in an attempt to better familiarize myself with all the different aspects of the organization. I have filed the paperwork needed for my landscaping, patio, and rear steps as well as for future landscaping. Hopefully the board will approve my plans. I still feel annoyed that the houses that have fans/ac units in their front windows need to move them; and if for some reason a neighbor complains that my barbacue is annoying them I'm going to tell them where to go. But since I live in a community with an HOA, I need to make the best of it.
Friday, July 20, 2012
HOA, friend or foe?
I live in a Planned Development Area (PDA). There is a homeowners association that assesses a monthly fee and can wield a certain amount of muscle over my house. In general I like the idea of the Home Owners Association (HOA), but there are some issues. For example my HOA recently sent everyone in my development a nice thick packet highligthing updates and changes to our original agreement. I have never had a chance to run for the board, nor did I have a chance to vote on the changes but I'm expected to accept the changes.
I don't agree with a lot of the new rules (no AC units on the front of house, getting permission before planting any shrubs/plants, unable to change a flat tire in my driveway, etc.) My concern is that the association is being too vague in the wording of rules. Vague wording can turn into messy legal battles which can cost us, the homeowners who front the HOA's budget, a lot of money. For example, each house has at least 2 outside hose bibs. The HOA states that we must not water our lawn for more than one hour per day. If I only have one hose and therefore only use one hose bib at a time (instead of 2, 3, or more) do I get to water my lawn for more time? (I'm not using more water, I'm just using less water per hour). Isn't the idea behind the rule to conserve water? The lack of clarity is beging a laywer to get involved and I don't want to be paying a share of future legal expenses because my board can't figure out how to properly word a contract. Another example: the rules of 'obnoxious' odors and sounds. As written now, if I cook anything a neighbor finds 'obnoxious' I must cease my cooking/noise making. The neighbor doesn't have to close their window, or suck it up. What is the legal meaning of obnoxious? I don't know, but I know it is a subjective word that can have any number of meanings. Hence the legal issues my HOA is delving into. If you're considering buying a house in a community with an HOA, please, think about it first. HOA's can be nice in some ways, but they can also be very annoying, and can create massive legal issues that the homeowners are ultimatley responsible for.
I don't agree with a lot of the new rules (no AC units on the front of house, getting permission before planting any shrubs/plants, unable to change a flat tire in my driveway, etc.) My concern is that the association is being too vague in the wording of rules. Vague wording can turn into messy legal battles which can cost us, the homeowners who front the HOA's budget, a lot of money. For example, each house has at least 2 outside hose bibs. The HOA states that we must not water our lawn for more than one hour per day. If I only have one hose and therefore only use one hose bib at a time (instead of 2, 3, or more) do I get to water my lawn for more time? (I'm not using more water, I'm just using less water per hour). Isn't the idea behind the rule to conserve water? The lack of clarity is beging a laywer to get involved and I don't want to be paying a share of future legal expenses because my board can't figure out how to properly word a contract. Another example: the rules of 'obnoxious' odors and sounds. As written now, if I cook anything a neighbor finds 'obnoxious' I must cease my cooking/noise making. The neighbor doesn't have to close their window, or suck it up. What is the legal meaning of obnoxious? I don't know, but I know it is a subjective word that can have any number of meanings. Hence the legal issues my HOA is delving into. If you're considering buying a house in a community with an HOA, please, think about it first. HOA's can be nice in some ways, but they can also be very annoying, and can create massive legal issues that the homeowners are ultimatley responsible for.
Suggestions for your Ryan Home
Ok. After nearly 5 months since moving into my house, I've decided it is time to make some suggestions.
*The base carpeting in the Buffalo market is 'Shaw Baseline' carpet. It is a fairly inexpensive carpet but if you're willing to vacuum several times per week, and you're willing to upgrade the pad under the carpet, it is fine. A very soft carpet that will crush quickly if you don't regularly vacuum. Word of caution, this carpet does not come with any stain resistance, have your carpets professionally stain treated before moving in.
*If you're thinking about vinyl flooring, think twice: I love the ease of washing vinyl, but it kind of 'floats' on the sub floor similar to laminate. If you have the money purchase solid wood flooring or tile. Only use vinyl if there is absolutely no money in your budget for wood/tile.
*Cable/Telephone/Outlet options: Really sit down and firm up exactly where each outlet will be. I'm not unhappy with my outlet locations but I would change things up if I had to do it over again. My suggestion: put a cable/Internet connection in every bedroom, the kitchen, and every living area you have in your model. It isn't expensive to add electrical outlets, splurge, spend the few extra dollars in advance and save hundreds of dollars in the future.
*Optional windows/garage door: Sometimes the optional windows in model homes look great, but they also take away wall space where you may want to put bookcases, or art, or whatever. Don't assume every optional window is essential. That said, there are many optional side windows that serve two purposes: 1) they add cross ventilation/light 2) they allow the siding on the sides of the house to look better and have less 'wrinkels' in it. Ditto the optional walk-through side garage door. It really helps prevent that excessive bowing/warping/wrinkling some new houses have on side walls that have no windows.
*Cabinet upgrades: If you really want those expensive, slightly better quality cabinets go for it! Don't feel ashamed about spending the money. Better spent know than latter. With that said, if you don't find the perfect, and I mean perfect, cabinet as an option, don't waste your money buying a upgrade cabinet that you really don't love. I wanted a natural stained wood in my house and Ryan Homes only offered the standard oak in that color. No I didn't really want the standard oak, but I didn't love anything else they offered. The one option I liked was the full-overlay 'Rushmore' white cabinets with butterscotch glaze. But for $3,500 I thought the better of it. I can paint my cabinets off-white and add my own butterscotch glaze for a whole lot less.
*Counter tops/appliance upgrades: my advice, save your money, get your use out of what Ryan Homes offers you (standard) and when it is used up, then spend your money on upgrading to marble, granite, or stainless steel. Builders typically charge the full cost for upgrades meaning you're buying the standard product and paying full price for the upgrade too. Builders pocket the extra money and you help add a large margin of profit for them. Why waste your money? Also, if your property taxes are based on sales price, you're permanently adding an annual cost for each upgrade. So if you spend $25,000 dollars upgrading flooring to the very best (and builders rarely give you the very best product no matter what) you're always going to pay for that upgrade, even after it is worn out and you pay to have it replaced. It is a permanent part of your tax assessment. If you go with the standard product and replace it in a few years, it is a tax free 'investment'.
*Upgrades to invest in: walk-in shower instead of tub, extra bathroom, special elevation you absolutley love, bonus room, anything structural that will be more expensive to change out latter. Carpet, flooring, countertops, appliances and lighting fixtures can all be changed out easily. Don't spend too much money on these options as you can use what Ryan gives you and save your money (without paying interest and property taxes) to invest at a latter date.
*The base carpeting in the Buffalo market is 'Shaw Baseline' carpet. It is a fairly inexpensive carpet but if you're willing to vacuum several times per week, and you're willing to upgrade the pad under the carpet, it is fine. A very soft carpet that will crush quickly if you don't regularly vacuum. Word of caution, this carpet does not come with any stain resistance, have your carpets professionally stain treated before moving in.
*If you're thinking about vinyl flooring, think twice: I love the ease of washing vinyl, but it kind of 'floats' on the sub floor similar to laminate. If you have the money purchase solid wood flooring or tile. Only use vinyl if there is absolutely no money in your budget for wood/tile.
*Cable/Telephone/Outlet options: Really sit down and firm up exactly where each outlet will be. I'm not unhappy with my outlet locations but I would change things up if I had to do it over again. My suggestion: put a cable/Internet connection in every bedroom, the kitchen, and every living area you have in your model. It isn't expensive to add electrical outlets, splurge, spend the few extra dollars in advance and save hundreds of dollars in the future.
*Optional windows/garage door: Sometimes the optional windows in model homes look great, but they also take away wall space where you may want to put bookcases, or art, or whatever. Don't assume every optional window is essential. That said, there are many optional side windows that serve two purposes: 1) they add cross ventilation/light 2) they allow the siding on the sides of the house to look better and have less 'wrinkels' in it. Ditto the optional walk-through side garage door. It really helps prevent that excessive bowing/warping/wrinkling some new houses have on side walls that have no windows.
*Cabinet upgrades: If you really want those expensive, slightly better quality cabinets go for it! Don't feel ashamed about spending the money. Better spent know than latter. With that said, if you don't find the perfect, and I mean perfect, cabinet as an option, don't waste your money buying a upgrade cabinet that you really don't love. I wanted a natural stained wood in my house and Ryan Homes only offered the standard oak in that color. No I didn't really want the standard oak, but I didn't love anything else they offered. The one option I liked was the full-overlay 'Rushmore' white cabinets with butterscotch glaze. But for $3,500 I thought the better of it. I can paint my cabinets off-white and add my own butterscotch glaze for a whole lot less.
*Counter tops/appliance upgrades: my advice, save your money, get your use out of what Ryan Homes offers you (standard) and when it is used up, then spend your money on upgrading to marble, granite, or stainless steel. Builders typically charge the full cost for upgrades meaning you're buying the standard product and paying full price for the upgrade too. Builders pocket the extra money and you help add a large margin of profit for them. Why waste your money? Also, if your property taxes are based on sales price, you're permanently adding an annual cost for each upgrade. So if you spend $25,000 dollars upgrading flooring to the very best (and builders rarely give you the very best product no matter what) you're always going to pay for that upgrade, even after it is worn out and you pay to have it replaced. It is a permanent part of your tax assessment. If you go with the standard product and replace it in a few years, it is a tax free 'investment'.
*Upgrades to invest in: walk-in shower instead of tub, extra bathroom, special elevation you absolutley love, bonus room, anything structural that will be more expensive to change out latter. Carpet, flooring, countertops, appliances and lighting fixtures can all be changed out easily. Don't spend too much money on these options as you can use what Ryan gives you and save your money (without paying interest and property taxes) to invest at a latter date.
Friday, July 13, 2012
Mood Lighting...
If you've been reading my blog you know that I opted to not install the optional island in the middle of the kitchen. The reason is this: the area in the middle of the kitchen is more than large enough to accomodate a dining table, which opens up the dining area to become a sort of 'morning room'. When I was building the house I had the idea that this might work, but I wasn't sure so I didn't have the electrician move the lighting to the center of the kitchen area (to be centered above the table). Well, I moved the lights myself and I really do like the results, a nice kitchen with dining table and a morning room to have coffee.
Sunday, July 8, 2012
New Home vs. Existing Home: The Dilemma
I love old houses. I also love existing neighborhoods with their charm, landscaping, and very nice houses. I can't afford to buy a house in most of those charming, great areas. So my options were to buy a 30, 40, 50, 60, 100 year old fixer upper and sink a good deal of money into it. In some modest areas I looked at 100 year old houses that were small, had asbestos, needed massive repairs and were in the 90k range. Crazy to think that these weren't even really acceptable areas to live in. The houses easily needed 30k worth of repairs to make the houses viable to live in, and I could have easily 'invested' 40-50k to make the houses suitable. Is it a good idea to invest 140k into an area that isn't that great to begin with? Then there were the nice, but declining areas where 60 year old cape cod's were selling for the 90s through low 100s and they too needed at least 10-15k worth of repair work, paint, carpet/refinish floors, etc. My issue here was the fact that the area was in decline, and I couldn't see getting the money back in the next 3-10 years. Option three: buy a total wreck in an 'up and coming' part of the city for about 35-40k and invest 60-70 thousand into the house to make it something nice. Sounds great, but if I need to leave Dodge in the next few years, who's going to come in and pay me for my 95-110k 'investment'? So option four: purchase a new house suddenly seemed good.
My honest opinion: If you can afford to buy in the great, existing neighborhood DO IT! Really great neighborhoods seem to maintain their value over time, they have wonderful houses, owners tend to invest in keeping their houses maintained (part of what makes it a great area), they tend to have solid schools, libraries, services. If you can afford it, why not enjoy that life?
If you can't afford the great area but you really have to live in a house with 'character' then go for it. Enjoy the repairs, and learn to do them yourself so you have more satisfaction in owning your house. In many ways, I wish I had chosen this option.
Then there is the new construction option. I love my house. The floor plan is great, and I like the area a lot. But new houses are not built the same as old houses. In some ways new houses are better (energy efficiency, open floor plans, modern technology built in) but in many ways the quality of materials used is just bad (lower quality lumber, minimal trim/detail work). MDF trim can look nice, but it can also be problematic. Just because those cabinets look great doesn't mean they won't fall apart the moment they get wet. Further, old houses have had time to settle; new houses will settle as you live in them and it is unnerving to see your brand new house crack, and settle around you.
I was truly surprised by all the work I've needed to do with my new house. I have cracks in my concrete, drywall pulling away as the wood framing dries, squeaky floors, some bad floor joists (all but one has been repaired), and all sorts of quirks. I guess my point is that just because it's new doesn't mean it's perfect, nor lacking in quirkery.
So in the end, if you want new, build new. If you like old, go for old. But please don't think that either is going to be easy, nor will it be without serious issues/problems/quirks. One more thing: MONEY. I really underestimated just how much money I would spend on my house! Appliances, rakes, shovels, dirt, flowers, plants, shrubs, patio bricks, furniture, storage shelves, paint, caulk, tools: all this 'stuff' adds up to thousands of dollars of money I somehow new to save for, but I didn't really grasp just how much money I would need to spend in the months after my purchase. I love my house, but it is NOT a financial investment, it is a personal investment. A very expensive investment of time, effort and money. Please don't make the mistake of thinking owning a house is cheaper than renting: there is no way owning a house is less expensive than renting. You may get more square footage for your dollar by owning versus renting, but renting requires far less outlay of cash, and costs less on a monthly basis. Renting is easier (good landlords do the work for you and they deserve to make some money in the process). Renting is less expensive, and renting can be a very smart choice. Personally I'm still unsure if I made the right choice for me in buying a house, but in the end, I love my house and I'm happy I've gone through the process. How long I own my house is another matter as I have a feeling I'd prefer to be a renter than an owner.
Ryan Homes Quality: the good, the bad, and...
There are a lot of blogs taking you the reader through the process of building a Ryan Home. If you search you will find some good, some bad, and some just ridiculous (complaints about uneven [small] gaps under a counter top, etc.) If you search the web you will also find massive complaints about the company. My opinion is that Ryan Homes builds a fair product for a fair price. I have no illusion that after 10 years Ryan Homes is responsible for a bad toilet seal, or that they are responsible for lax building codes in your community. They build a house up to code, but rarely above code. They didn't lie to me, they didn't deceive me. My house is very similar in quality to the model house I viewed.
Modern construction materials aren't always as good as what you will find in an older house. But modern houses are more energy efficient, and they tend to have better floor plans. Yin-yang, give-and-take, you get the idea? There are pros and cons of old and new homes. You have to decide which is best for you, Ryan Homes can't do that for you. If you're unsure, visit as many of their models as you can, spend time in them. Take your shoes off, walk around, feel the walls, inspect the corners, the small details. Spend enough time in them to look beyond the great interior decorating and get to know the basic design, materials and construction quality. I feel my house is basically well built to modern specifications. It isn't perfect, but it is good. I didn't pay a fortune for my house, in fact it cost me less than quite a few of the older houses nearby -once new Ryan Homes, or other value builder homes- that haven't all been updated over the years. Those houses may have better lumber, but it is now old lumber that has had time to dry out, rot, and be stressed. I can see how the houses have settled, and I have landscaping, but I also have the need to insulate and replace old building systems that are at the end of their lifespan (windows, roof, furnace, etc.). As you know, I decided to buy new. You need to way the pros and cons of all your options and make the best decision for yourself. Ryan Homes will build you a good house, if that's what is right for you. Good luck!
My honest opinion: If you can afford to buy in the great, existing neighborhood DO IT! Really great neighborhoods seem to maintain their value over time, they have wonderful houses, owners tend to invest in keeping their houses maintained (part of what makes it a great area), they tend to have solid schools, libraries, services. If you can afford it, why not enjoy that life?
If you can't afford the great area but you really have to live in a house with 'character' then go for it. Enjoy the repairs, and learn to do them yourself so you have more satisfaction in owning your house. In many ways, I wish I had chosen this option.
Then there is the new construction option. I love my house. The floor plan is great, and I like the area a lot. But new houses are not built the same as old houses. In some ways new houses are better (energy efficiency, open floor plans, modern technology built in) but in many ways the quality of materials used is just bad (lower quality lumber, minimal trim/detail work). MDF trim can look nice, but it can also be problematic. Just because those cabinets look great doesn't mean they won't fall apart the moment they get wet. Further, old houses have had time to settle; new houses will settle as you live in them and it is unnerving to see your brand new house crack, and settle around you.
I was truly surprised by all the work I've needed to do with my new house. I have cracks in my concrete, drywall pulling away as the wood framing dries, squeaky floors, some bad floor joists (all but one has been repaired), and all sorts of quirks. I guess my point is that just because it's new doesn't mean it's perfect, nor lacking in quirkery.
So in the end, if you want new, build new. If you like old, go for old. But please don't think that either is going to be easy, nor will it be without serious issues/problems/quirks. One more thing: MONEY. I really underestimated just how much money I would spend on my house! Appliances, rakes, shovels, dirt, flowers, plants, shrubs, patio bricks, furniture, storage shelves, paint, caulk, tools: all this 'stuff' adds up to thousands of dollars of money I somehow new to save for, but I didn't really grasp just how much money I would need to spend in the months after my purchase. I love my house, but it is NOT a financial investment, it is a personal investment. A very expensive investment of time, effort and money. Please don't make the mistake of thinking owning a house is cheaper than renting: there is no way owning a house is less expensive than renting. You may get more square footage for your dollar by owning versus renting, but renting requires far less outlay of cash, and costs less on a monthly basis. Renting is easier (good landlords do the work for you and they deserve to make some money in the process). Renting is less expensive, and renting can be a very smart choice. Personally I'm still unsure if I made the right choice for me in buying a house, but in the end, I love my house and I'm happy I've gone through the process. How long I own my house is another matter as I have a feeling I'd prefer to be a renter than an owner.
Ryan Homes Quality: the good, the bad, and...
There are a lot of blogs taking you the reader through the process of building a Ryan Home. If you search you will find some good, some bad, and some just ridiculous (complaints about uneven [small] gaps under a counter top, etc.) If you search the web you will also find massive complaints about the company. My opinion is that Ryan Homes builds a fair product for a fair price. I have no illusion that after 10 years Ryan Homes is responsible for a bad toilet seal, or that they are responsible for lax building codes in your community. They build a house up to code, but rarely above code. They didn't lie to me, they didn't deceive me. My house is very similar in quality to the model house I viewed.
Modern construction materials aren't always as good as what you will find in an older house. But modern houses are more energy efficient, and they tend to have better floor plans. Yin-yang, give-and-take, you get the idea? There are pros and cons of old and new homes. You have to decide which is best for you, Ryan Homes can't do that for you. If you're unsure, visit as many of their models as you can, spend time in them. Take your shoes off, walk around, feel the walls, inspect the corners, the small details. Spend enough time in them to look beyond the great interior decorating and get to know the basic design, materials and construction quality. I feel my house is basically well built to modern specifications. It isn't perfect, but it is good. I didn't pay a fortune for my house, in fact it cost me less than quite a few of the older houses nearby -once new Ryan Homes, or other value builder homes- that haven't all been updated over the years. Those houses may have better lumber, but it is now old lumber that has had time to dry out, rot, and be stressed. I can see how the houses have settled, and I have landscaping, but I also have the need to insulate and replace old building systems that are at the end of their lifespan (windows, roof, furnace, etc.). As you know, I decided to buy new. You need to way the pros and cons of all your options and make the best decision for yourself. Ryan Homes will build you a good house, if that's what is right for you. Good luck!
Another day of work...
Today I built a small patio off my new back steps. I love the simple design! The town/village building inspector came by the other day to inspect a couple things for me and he commented on my 'temporary' stairs. Apparently he felt they were a little too permanent. I told him I wanted them to last two or three years so I could decide what type of permanent deck/patio to build. He shrugged and accepted that they were temporary. This is the problem with wanting to do things right from the beginning.
These really are temporary stairs. I haven't decided whether I want to add a small deck with large patio, or a large deck altogether, or keep the stairs and build a large patio. Until I decide, these are temporary. When I decide, if I need to keep these, I will make sure I get all necessary permits and make any needed improvements.
As with so many of my projects, they are a work-in-progress. I still have to add some wood handrails above the metal risers as well as some wood framing on the sides. Off course I also need to stain/seal the steps in early fall after the pressure treated lumber has had enough time to dry out and acclimate.
Last Friday a contractor was supposed to stop by and help me install a bathroom vanity cabinet under the open space under the counter. Ryan offers a double vanity in my bathroom and I didn't want the second sink and the SR didn't think I could install only the extra cabinet (I latter learned that she was wrong). Well, the contractor never showed so I spent most of today pulling out base trim, cutting vinyl and Luann sub floor, repairing poorly finished drywall, moving the existing bathroom vanity, and finally reinstalling both bathroom vanities and putting the whole thing back together. Wow, what a HUGE project. Not truly for the DIYer, but I had help and we got through it. It looks great. There were some huge, unfortunate obstacles that made this project a nightmare. For instance, the floor in the bathroom slopes a little so instead of shimming the cabinet from the floor, they left the front 'suspended' by screwing the back of the cabinet into the wall. This is fine, but they used three different types of screws and two of them were stripped. Another issue was that they had put the wrong cabinet in during construction and when they replaced it, they tore some of the drywall. This was never correctly repaired but covered over with a piece of wood; even though my new cabinet hides this area, I needed to fix it for my piece of mind. I also had to move the existing cabinet over because it was too close to the wall so I could fit the second cabinet in (this was more of an annoyance as the contractors had no way of knowing I planned on purchasing a matching cabinet and adding it to the empty space under the counter. Finally, the counter was glued to the drywall at the wrong angle so I needed to pull it off and repair the drywall damage. A whole lot of fuss for a 'small' project. Suffice it to say, I love my house, but there is substance to some of that stuff you read about Ryan homes on the web. But let me be clear, this would have been an issue in almost every house I bought, new, existing, Ryan Homes, or another builder.
Above: Original Cabinet (wrong type, wrong height)
Below: Correct cabinet installed with open space under counter
Above: My addition of an inverted copy cabinet (drawers on left side) I will finish the trim this weekend.
Below: Another view
Above: I love my square bathroom window!
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Guests in Town, AC, and patio steps oh my...
Wow what a week. I'm grateful and thankful I have the opportunity to host my brother's family-all four children. But having eight people living in my house for a week is trying to say the least. I haven't seen my poor cat in days; Tigre, are you still alive????? (Yes, he is)
My Central air conditioning will be installed in mid July so I purchased one of those 'portable air conditioners' from Lowe's. It works pretty well, definitely cools the entire first floor, but the partitioned off second floor doesn't cool so well. HINT: if you can't get central air, get two portable AC units, one for the downstairs and one for the second floor, turn off all the first floor and closet heat exchanges and turn the furnace fan on, this way the cooled air is circulated through out the house. It does a fair job on the second floor but it is still too humid up there for my comfort.
I also built stairs for the patio door yesterday. Overall I enjoyed the process, my first set of stairs and it was definitely a DYI job, no need to hire someone to do this. I will post pictures soon.
One more thing: the house next to mine went on the market tonight. I hope I didn't scare my neighbor away. Hopefully whoever purchases the house is very, very, very nice. I want nice neighbors. Please say a prayer.
Hope everyone enjoyed their Independence Day.
My Central air conditioning will be installed in mid July so I purchased one of those 'portable air conditioners' from Lowe's. It works pretty well, definitely cools the entire first floor, but the partitioned off second floor doesn't cool so well. HINT: if you can't get central air, get two portable AC units, one for the downstairs and one for the second floor, turn off all the first floor and closet heat exchanges and turn the furnace fan on, this way the cooled air is circulated through out the house. It does a fair job on the second floor but it is still too humid up there for my comfort.
I also built stairs for the patio door yesterday. Overall I enjoyed the process, my first set of stairs and it was definitely a DYI job, no need to hire someone to do this. I will post pictures soon.
One more thing: the house next to mine went on the market tonight. I hope I didn't scare my neighbor away. Hopefully whoever purchases the house is very, very, very nice. I want nice neighbors. Please say a prayer.
Hope everyone enjoyed their Independence Day.
Monday, June 25, 2012
30 Day Review Fixes Complete
The only update I have to offer now is that Ryan Homes came out to my house recently to make the repairs from my 30 day review. They strengthened the dining room floor to better support my piano, fixed all-but-one of my doors so they close properly, finished painting the front door trim and fixed the squeaky floors. It is so nice to walk on my floor and NOT hear it yelp back at me. Thank you Ryan Homes!
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Finally it's greener on my lawn
Saturday, April 28, 2012
New Pics...
Here are some new pictures of the house. As I sort things out, I will update with the best pictures I can take. I hope you enjoy. One of the things I like best about my house it that for a small house (1400 sq. ft.) it can be arranged in a way that offers plenty of space for a single couple, or small family. Off course there are sacrifices in a small house, cottage like entrance instead of a formal hallway, no formal rooms to speak of; but the efficient design allows most rooms to be as functional as rooms in much more expensive houses.
The small entryway is quaint and cottage like. It would be great to have the much larger entry hall the Sienna model offers, but for all the extra tens of thousands of dollars, it didn't seem worth it. I can deal with cottage cute.
One thing the Sorrento floor plan does offer is a comfortable kitchen/dining area. I went with solid surface flooring in both areas to open up the space and create the sense of one large room (rather than the illusion of two smaller rooms by carpeting the dinette area). I also opted to not add the island. I knew there was enough space in the open kitchen area to put the table and that gives me the dinette area which is the size of a Ryan Homes Morning Room. The best of both worlds on a tight budget. Can you imagine how nice this room could be with great hardwood or tile flooring, upgraded cabinets and granite countertops? If you have a little more money, this room can be amazing. I will have to wait for my budget to allow such things, for now I'm happy with what I have.
Here you can see the living room from the kitchen/morning room area. No, it isn't a large room, though it holds just as much furniture as the great room in the Sienna model, but it is smaller, and it does have that cottage like entrance. Overall, if you have the right furniture, and you aren't a fill-every-inch with something kind of person, there is plenty of space to create a cozy but open feeling.
Overall my thoughts are this: If Ryan homes offers the Sienna in your area for a few thousand more than the Sorrento (I know it is about 10k more in many communities) then go for the larger model. You get an extra car space in the garage, a second floor (instead of first floor) laundry room, and a second bathroom in addition to the large entry hall. But when I bought this house, the difference was 30k and that was too much to pay for what you get. If Ryan homes is offering a great deal on the Sorrento (I bought when they were closing out a street and it was the only house that could fit on the last two lots), then go with the smaller house and use some of the savings to purchase their finished basement package which offers a TON of extra space for a home theater/exercise room, or an amazing family room that is larger than anything you could get with the more expensive Sienna. This is a very efficient, but comfortable package. Why waste the space and heat/AC on hallway space anyway?
Here you can see the living room from the kitchen/morning room area. No, it isn't a large room, though it holds just as much furniture as the great room in the Sienna model, but it is smaller, and it does have that cottage like entrance. Overall, if you have the right furniture, and you aren't a fill-every-inch with something kind of person, there is plenty of space to create a cozy but open feeling.
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