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.)

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). 

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.

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.

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. 

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.