Thanks for all the great comments.. We are really happy with everything.. It was a very positive building experience and we would recommend our builders to anyone.. My wife is now only driving about 50 miles per day, she has been driving about 100 miles/day for the past 2.5 yrs..
The view is what really sold us on the lot.. and it was enough land to justify buying a tractor.. lol
"Why did you go with a pier and beam foundation? Is that normal in your area or was there another reason?"
Im not sure what a pier and beam foundation is.. But if you mean the footers and metal supports, that is just what the building plans called for.. We bought the plans online and they were very, very detailed and specific.
"The black cabinets are something that I've never seen before. Is it just the island? The ones behind it look like natural maple. Any more pictures of them?"
The black cabinet is one HUGE island - it has the storage, sink, dishwasher and eating space for 4 stools.... It is cherry that is blackened and then distressed.. the other cabinets are a glazed maple (really looks painted with a carmel glaze rubbed over it).. The counter tops are Silestone (man made similar to granite), which was suppose to be thicker than what was installed, but it was too late to replace it when we caught it and we got a discount on the price.. Ill try to get some close up pics posted..
We got lucky on the tiled bathroom.. My in-laws are pretty much handicapped and wanted a nice sturdy shower for when they visit and they offered to pay for the upgrade...
But we went with the crawl space instead of a basement because we didnt need the storage space and didnt want to spend the extra money (been told it was between $6 to 10K more). We also wanted the house as low in the ground as we could get it incase it needs to be easily accessed by wheelchair (again older parents) etc. The upstairs is about 1200 ft of potential game room that is being used for storage (the upstairs floor is insulated as an exterior wall). We also have the 3 car garage for storage..
Ill keep the puppy (and tractor when it is bought) pictures updated as time goes on..
For those interested.. Snicker is a Goldendoodle.. A golden retriever / standard poodle hybrid (fancy term for mixed breed).. The goldendoodles are not as popular as the labradoodle (labrador/poodle mix), and the labradoodle is the dog used in the "monopoly - here and now" version.. The 'Doodles are popular because the poodle brings low shedding/hypoallergenic for people with allergies.. Snicker will end up being about 60 to 70 pounds when grown and should have long legs and the wavy/curly hair.. Luckily he has the golden face, some have the longer poodle snout.. If you do a google search on golden or labradoodles you will find some grown pictures..
Brian
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