plans, planning, and preparation...

The big project right now with the house is getting all of the pricing together so we're ready to start on the loan process. It's amazing all of the choices and people/companies we have been dealing with. I've watched This Old House, helped my dad with stuff around the farm, but I didn't truly realize all of the little details we'd need to think about to build our house. Jon has been great about all the little details-knowing what we need and also making sure to get prices from several places to compare. For the most part this is Jon's turn to pick stuff out...I really don't know enough to make alot of these choices... to me wood is wood, but to Jon it's trusses and Sips panels, ect. Here's a fact I just learned there's different types of joists ( I thought there was one type).

Back when we were first starting the house planning...Jon and I made a deal he got to pick most of the structural stuff and I get to decide on the pretty stuff. I think I got the better end of this deal. I even got him to agree to painting the laundry area pink!

Something that I've been an thinking about for quite awhile is my tree. Jon thinks I'm worried about things too far in advance. I see it as something to look forward to. I had this idea...with some input from Lisa , to paint (insert Lisa paint and I play with her kids) a tree on the wall in the stairwell. I then want to hang family pictures on it.

32775 657th Ave

Our land now has a 911 address. It is:

32775 657th Ave.
Maxwell, IA 50161

No, we don't have a mailbox there yet, but it will be ready for the next round of Christmas cards...

We are getting our pricing together. Some things are fairly easy and quick. Others, not so much. It's getting there though.

Just the other day, we asked some friends of ours to join us for supper. They happen to be architects, and we wanted their opinion on the current floor plan. We felt complimented that their major comments were on the size and swing of some of the doors. We asked their opinion on the stairwell, and it seemed like all four of us contributed to the answer.

OK, time for bed, it's been a productive night on the house planning after 8pm.

Driveway pictures

As promised in the first posting here are some pictures of our land and driveway going in. It's exciting to me to actually get to see progress.
This first picture is looking out from the Southwest corner , from this view, it looks rather large. Our land goes to the treeline. I'm sure once we get the house on it, all of a sudden it won't seem so big. I can't wait for that day!


This next picture is from the Southeast corner of the property. Again the tree line marks the North edge of our property, and the gravel road is the East edge. I've noticed it's really fun to say "our property"!





Yay!! The driveway going in!!!! Jon had a fun time putting the culvert in for the driveway. It was a chilly Thanksgiving morning. My ability to stand and watch didn't last very long. It gets pretty boring standing around doing nothing especially when you're cold. Which is why there is no picture of a covered culvert or a semi-complete driveway.

Christmas

Leading up to Christmas whenever Jon asked what I wanted, I always responded "our house". This caused a bit of frustration. On Christmas Eve as we were about to open our gifts to each other, I noticed my gifts were in four identical wrapped boxes, with a jewelry box on top. I opened the jewelry box first. Maybe it's just me but the first thing I did was to look at the inside of the top to see where it was from. I was a bit confused as it listed a store in Ft. Madison....While I'm doing this Jon is waiting for a reaction. I finally looked into the box and instead of jewelry there was a rather large key. I made a comment somewhere along the lines of "What's this the key to our house?" Little did I know inside of the four matching boxes were the outside doorknobs to our future home. Leave it to Jon to get me the key to our house for Christmas. He did a great job of picking them out. They were the exact ones I had been picturing in my head.

One of my other favorite gifts this year came from my brother, Andrew. Before Christmas when my brothers asked what we wanted I told them, money towards things for our house. I learned this Christmas that Andrew is great at following directions....if it means it's easier for him and he can be silly about it. As we were opening gifts at my parents Andrew hands me a folded piece of paper. Inside is written " to Jon and Michele, good for the 3rd step of the stairs. Andrew" -I think the 3rd step might have to be something cool...like stone....

The start

With the start of the new year, we are starting to get more serious about our future house. We officially transferred the land, just over an acre, from my grandfather's farm in November.

On Thanksgiving and the following weekend the driveway started. Michele and I put the culvert in the ditch and held it in place with some dirt using a skid loader borrowed from a neighbor. (photos coming soon...) Then my dad and grandpa added more dirt to it over the next few days.

Just before Christmas, the Central Iowa Rural Water Association installed a new pit for the rural water. Someday soon we'll have an official address to go along with our driveway.

We've been working on the floor plans for a while now, and have even started to get some pricing for our budget.

We hope to be ready to start digging the hole for the basement as soon as the weather allows this Spring, and be done in time to move in before Thanksgiving.