We will not be in our new home for Christmas.

I won’t lie, I was very disappointed. I thought we’d be in by mid-December but it’s not going to happen.

Visions of garland with loops of ribbon dancing down my staircase, Christmas trees all decked out in their holiday finery and big, festive wreaths on every door were swirling through my mind.

It will all be there to decorate next season, right?

Below is how the house looks right now. The outside is painted (Pure White by Sherwin Williams). And I have to admit that I’m in love!

Below is a view from the back/side of the house – behind the garage.

On a brighter note, our pool is being installed.

Looks like our pool will be completed before the house is done. I’ll be taking care of a pool before we ever move in. Too bad it’s wintertime!

Our Original New Home Timeline

Our new-build started on December 7, 2020. At the time, we were told it would take around six months to complete. That would have us in the house by end of May or the beginning of June. Then the rains came. It seemed to rain every day for two months.

Then we had a projected timeline of being in the house by September. Then by Thanksgiving. Now, we don’t even talk about it.

Why Has It Taken So Long?

The framing took a long time because of the rain. Then there’s Covid, backorders, no crew, half crew, and the list goes on and on.

Throughout this ordeal, I’ve only had two breakdowns. What I consider a breakdown is when I break down into tears over something that should have been done right in the first place!!!!

Then I pray, pull myself together, and repeat my mantra, “All is well!”

What About Our General Contractor?

Our general contractor is a very nice man but he was not our first choice. Our first choice had at least a two-year waiting list. That’s why we wanted him. He’s the best.

Our contractor moved two and a half hours away during the midst of our build and started taking care of his elderly parents 4 days a week.

I think it’s admirable that he’s taking care of his parents. I really do.

Because of this, he’s not able to stay on top of things as he should. He does have a guy that’s over the framing crew assisting him but it’s just not the same.

I recently wrote a post about what to look for when hiring a general contractor.

I’m a very organized person and I’ve had to take the lead in this project way too many times because someone (our contractor) dropped the ball.

Building In Difficult Times – All Is Well

It may sound like I’m complaining or venting or whatever. Not really. I’m made peace with it all (for today at least) because I prayed over this house long before they broke ground.

I know everyone is doing what they think is best. All of the crews want to be done with this house as much as we do.

And I know the world is going through so much and in the grand scheme of things, this super long build is very small compared to what some people are going through.

So why did I write all of this? To let you know that building a house can be very stressful but building in this climate takes that stress level and multiplies it a thousand times.

So What’s Left To Do?

Flooring

Right now, the white oak hardwood floors are being installed. The downstairs and the bonus room are almost done. The upstairs should be done soon. Then the floors will be sanded and stained.

Tile

We have the tile picked out and as soon as the tile guy can begin, we’re good to go. We will have tile in four bathrooms and a laundry room. Once all the cabinets and countertops are in, the backsplash for the laundry room, kitchen, and butler’s pantry will be done.

Once the flooring is down, the painters will come back and put the final coat of paint on the inside.

Cabinets & Countertops

Most of the kitchen cabinets are in. We have the vanities for the two half baths and the upstairs bathroom. Cabinets have not been installed in the laundry room, master bath, and butler’s pantry. The island in the kitchen has not been installed.

Once the cabinets are in, the countertops can be installed.

HVAC, Plumbing, Gas & Septic Tank

The end is in sight for the plumber, gas people, HVAV, and Septic guy to do their thing.

Free Standing Tub (Master) and Toilets

This shouldn’t take long at all.

Kitchen Appliances

All appliances are in except for my cooktop. January 4th will be a year since I ordered the cooktop.

Exterior Pillars, Columns & Awnings

The pillars for the exterior columns on the front porch were not done correctly so that has to be fixed by the brick mason, and columns installed. The awnings above the exterior windows will be installed at the end.

Driveway & Landscaping

We are paying for the driveway and landscaping out-of-pocket so the driveway will be the last thing we do once we know there won’t be any more heavy equipment coming and going up the driveway.

As you can see, we still have several things to get done. I guess custom homes do take a long time to build.

You can also follow our house-building journey on Instagram!

P.S. I’ll be adding a “Shop My Home” page to this site soon!

What I’m Loving In December!

Below are a few of my favorite things. Just click the pic to shop straight from this post!

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