Still framing...

Although the framing is continuing, it still seems very slow. We are hoping to make up time once framing is complete and we can have different subs working at the same time, but in the interim, we've been slowed down significantly by the holiday weekend and sporadic rain (including the remains of Hermine yesterday). While work on the house has been progressing, we've turned our attention to selecting a front door and cabinetry.

We are spec'd for a fiberglass door, but I'm a strong believer in making the entry welcoming (this also is why we'll have a nicely sized front patio), so we're going with a wood door. Of course, it will exceed the budgeted amount.

For the cabinetry, we're looking at a few different suppliers, one of whom is a former installer. While the installer can see the different possibilities in the kitchen and bathrooms, he's not very forthcoming with design suggestions. The result so far has been fairly boring, IMHO. Last Saturday, we happened by a kitchen design center and talked with the owner. He seems to have a good handle on what we're looking for, so he's working on a plan and estimate for our bathrooms and kitchen. Hopefully his designs will be more inspired. This, too, will exceed the budget, but even the installer's estimate exceeded the builder's budget.

Thankfully, Patrick and I came into this knowing that we would blow the budget in certain areas. We've spent many, many hours and lots of money renovating our last two houses and upgrading builder-grade materials, so we came into this determined to make it the way we want it from the start. We've agreed that at some point we'll put an end to construction and finish the remainder ourselves so we don't end up with a mortgage that makes us uncomfortable. That likely means I'll be painting the entire interior and Patrick will be building cabinetry for the laundry room. It may also mean that the basement is only roughed for now. We've discussed these possibilities with our contractor so he's aware that we may pull the plug before completion. The good news in all this is that Patrick and I enjoy home improvement projects, so we're not upset by the possibility of finishing it ourselves. Besides, we'll be able to enjoy the house from Day One instead of looking to future changes and wishing we'd done things differently.