Today my husband and I have been married six years so naturally I fall back to talking to him about my home plans. He is so gracious to constantly listen to my dreams and ramblings; I know I talk a bit too much about my home dreams but I know all the hoping and planning will be worth it in the end.
As you can see, my blog underwent a minor transformation today and this is thanks to the brief conversation Thomas and I had this morning about my wishes for a Connor Home. I told him how much I really do think an investment like this would be worth it but I know the layout is a small source of contention. We would have the opportunity to make some changes as long as we don't go with their smallest options but I can discuss this all with you later on my new page, The Family Home. Right now, my two year is desiring me to go outside and play with her so she can watch her dad mow the lawn. Yes, exciting lives we have here. Haha.
Anyways, brief description of what might be our new options. We will work on having our first home in Gilbert in the next few years and that home will most likely be in the Morrison Ranch development. Our family home (and what I would like to be our second purchase) will be the Connor Homes option and we're considering their Living Barns or Carriage style homes possibly with a detached garage (we'll be exploring it all a bit more after we get our catalog mailed to us) and the third one, our dream home, will be several more years down the road but I'll already start sharing some ideas I have for all three as my schedule allows.
I know I keep you forever busy but I dream (as I talk) in tangents so bear with me. It will be a great journey in the years to come.
-Cheryl
p.s. I'll also try and get some pics of us up here too since we've already been on this journey awhile together. Have a great weekend everyone.
Saturday, June 23, 2012
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Constantly Searching for "The One"
Yes, let's bring my indecisiveness back to the forefront of my existence. I have found a company that could potentially be the one to build my dream home. Honestly, I only see two things standing in my way: my budget and my husband. I know we are nowhere near where I want to be with our dream home budget and I don't mind if that means more labor on my part; the likely course of action would be to purchase the land first, pay it off, and then work on building the home. The thing I cannot change is my husband. Not that I want to change him but I have some serious work to getting him on board with this potentially meeting our my needs and wants for a home.
My husband is (and always will be) the practical one of us in the relationship. He looks at cost and efficiency while I look at the prettier matters like exterior architecture, paint colors, and design features like cup pulls and Restoration Hardware light fixtures (certainly something I want to share with you all, but I think my love of light fixtures probably deserves its own post).
I find, more and more each day, that I really just want ONE home; we have considered buying a starter home and later renting it out (and possibly, two or three down the road) but I find my heart always goes back to just having one home. I know I want to relax at the end of the day; I don't know if I want to be bothered by a tenant's leaking pipes, faulty dryer, kids who draw on walls with Sharpie marker (thankfully, mine has never done so but the scene from "Gilmore Girls" where Gigi draws on the wood floors in Lorelai's house comes to mind).
Anyways, I want to feel giddy each time I walk into or look at my home. I want to smile when people compliment me on my home for how well-built it is; I want to know my home didn't require extensive amounts of materials going into landfills (these house are factory built so less on-site waste); I want to know that my home is built specifically for our needs now and in the future; and lastly, I want to live on a decent size plot of land where my neighbors' arguments aren't so easily heard. I don't like listening to other people's squabbles and even less so, loud arguments that I should not be privy to regardless of the situation.
Before I keep babbling on, let me introduce to you the company that has sparked my interest: Connor Homes. This Vermont based company makes new homes with historical details and ships the parts to your lot (whether it's here in the States or around the world). This company has several floor plans available but can also customize a design for you and based off their designs, I know we'd be able to do some of the work ourselves, which would not be possible if we went through a large developer home builder that handles all aspects of the home project because of liability and deadline issues (and I'm sure, the fact that they would lose money if we did things ourselves).
I am already so excited about this option that I ordered their catalog (less than $20) so I can check them out further. Hopefully, this small financial investment can give my husband a better sense of the company and down the road we can visit the company in person to determine whether this is a viable option for us. Wish us luck!
My husband is (and always will be) the practical one of us in the relationship. He looks at cost and efficiency while I look at the prettier matters like exterior architecture, paint colors, and design features like cup pulls and Restoration Hardware light fixtures (certainly something I want to share with you all, but I think my love of light fixtures probably deserves its own post).
I find, more and more each day, that I really just want ONE home; we have considered buying a starter home and later renting it out (and possibly, two or three down the road) but I find my heart always goes back to just having one home. I know I want to relax at the end of the day; I don't know if I want to be bothered by a tenant's leaking pipes, faulty dryer, kids who draw on walls with Sharpie marker (thankfully, mine has never done so but the scene from "Gilmore Girls" where Gigi draws on the wood floors in Lorelai's house comes to mind).
Anyways, I want to feel giddy each time I walk into or look at my home. I want to smile when people compliment me on my home for how well-built it is; I want to know my home didn't require extensive amounts of materials going into landfills (these house are factory built so less on-site waste); I want to know that my home is built specifically for our needs now and in the future; and lastly, I want to live on a decent size plot of land where my neighbors' arguments aren't so easily heard. I don't like listening to other people's squabbles and even less so, loud arguments that I should not be privy to regardless of the situation.
Before I keep babbling on, let me introduce to you the company that has sparked my interest: Connor Homes. This Vermont based company makes new homes with historical details and ships the parts to your lot (whether it's here in the States or around the world). This company has several floor plans available but can also customize a design for you and based off their designs, I know we'd be able to do some of the work ourselves, which would not be possible if we went through a large developer home builder that handles all aspects of the home project because of liability and deadline issues (and I'm sure, the fact that they would lose money if we did things ourselves).
I am already so excited about this option that I ordered their catalog (less than $20) so I can check them out further. Hopefully, this small financial investment can give my husband a better sense of the company and down the road we can visit the company in person to determine whether this is a viable option for us. Wish us luck!
Monday, June 4, 2012
Down and Personal
Let's just say post graduating college the job hunting really does suck. I've applied for 16 positions (off the top of my head) since late December and have gotten back nine "you're not good enough for us" responses and one position I declined because after I learned of some negative press about them, it was too much for me to want to work for that particular company.
Anyways, in the meantime of still being unemployed, I've had the opportunity to house hunt online A LOT and I've actually narrowed down a respectable development in Gilbert, Arizona called Morrison Ranch that I think will suit us nicely. It has tree lined streets, decent size lots, nice architectural exterior details, and is located in a good part of town.
I know I've been bouncing around ideas on where to live but I think I am ready to start focusing in on this area.
It is now almost a month out for our move down to Arizona and I am eager to get used to the change of pace for us. It is timed nicely too since this part of Wyoming gets flooded with tourists in the summer and all our favorite restaurants will be packed during the weekends.
I did want to share a blog with you that I found recently called Young House Love at http://www.younghouselove.com/ that is absolutely wonderful for inspiration. Now, we obviously don't want an old house for ourselves but I love the idea of taking the bones of a house and transforming it (in our case, from what will most likely be builder grade) into something really special.
I'll also be keeping ideas from This Old House (the show and the magazine) plus things from HGTV designers tucked away in my design notebook and my Pinterest account at http://pinterest.com/everydaydesigns/. It's nothing spectacular but it will give you a better sense of how I want to design the interior space of a home and the fun quirky things that make me 'me'.
Anyways, in the meantime of still being unemployed, I've had the opportunity to house hunt online A LOT and I've actually narrowed down a respectable development in Gilbert, Arizona called Morrison Ranch that I think will suit us nicely. It has tree lined streets, decent size lots, nice architectural exterior details, and is located in a good part of town.
I know I've been bouncing around ideas on where to live but I think I am ready to start focusing in on this area.
It is now almost a month out for our move down to Arizona and I am eager to get used to the change of pace for us. It is timed nicely too since this part of Wyoming gets flooded with tourists in the summer and all our favorite restaurants will be packed during the weekends.
I did want to share a blog with you that I found recently called Young House Love at http://www.younghouselove.com/ that is absolutely wonderful for inspiration. Now, we obviously don't want an old house for ourselves but I love the idea of taking the bones of a house and transforming it (in our case, from what will most likely be builder grade) into something really special.
I'll also be keeping ideas from This Old House (the show and the magazine) plus things from HGTV designers tucked away in my design notebook and my Pinterest account at http://pinterest.com/everydaydesigns/. It's nothing spectacular but it will give you a better sense of how I want to design the interior space of a home and the fun quirky things that make me 'me'.
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
What's Your Style?
Mine is a mix of American Eclectic and Euro Eclectic. I know that kind of makes me sound like Emily Henderson from "Secrets from A Stylist"but it's nice to know that the book I picked up from the library today, Ethan Allen Style: Create the Look You Love, was easy enough to shift through to determine what I look for in my furniture and the overall vibe I want my home to have.
And honestly, it's making me feel a whole lot better about some of my previous thoughts about home decor because I was thinking they didn't really mesh well together. Apparently not at all! I am just a mish mashing kind of person and here, thank you Ethan Allen, was something reaffirming how I felt about my home. And not so oddly enough, there were clear styles that I just haven't liked for years...hello Caribbean vibrant colors (same goes for Southwestern bright colors) or the Swedish Country look. I love white but there's a fine line for me; one, I have a kid and a husband and at some point again after we own a home, a dog. Not just a dog but one that's going to be barreling around the house chasing my kid and being egged on by my husband. Not what you want in a home that's mostly light and white. Did I also mention that I'm not a big fan of toile?! Sure it looks nice but I don't want to be getting ready for bed or sitting down at my dining room table and getting caught up in all the pastoral scenes on my furniture. I think it's far too distracting.
I know our home has always has a bit more of a masculine vibe with feminine touches. We both favor medium to dark colored wood floors, wrought iron, speakeasy doors, claw floor tubs, and ornately carved furniture even if it's not handmade. We both like the idea of a sleigh bed and black and white checkered marble floors for the Master Bath.
If you saw the home idea book I've been working on, you'd think I already bought a home. There's so much stuff in there; it's a shame I don't already have a home. I can tell you our home, when finished, is going to be very detail oriented. I couldn't embrace a purely Modern or Zen home design; it's too bland for me. I need something to catch my eye everywhere I go but I do want a sufficient amount of natural light if at all possible. I know I am kind of limited by my budget and the home builder designs down in Arizona but a girl can dream, right?
I am going to still stick with my vision of earth toned paint colors. I think there's just so much of those details already in the furniture and fabrics in our home that it's what we find most pleasing. Browns, blues, greens, and maybe some yellows will be our primary color choices and maybe choose real pops of color for accessories. I want Avery's room to be a nice muted gray though. I think that would provide the right sophisticated palette for the other planned colors of her room (white, pink, and green).
Our room is the wildcard right now. I would love to make it a bit more lavish than the rest of the home since it will be our private retreat at the end of the day. I know that might sound a bit weird but right now our room is nothing like a retreat. It's small and boxy and located right next to Avery's room so we hear her crying and yelling ALL THE TIME. No, I want split bedrooms thank you very much. I always think it's funny when parents talk about wanting their kids right next to them (for safety or coddling reasons) and I'm on the opposite spectrum. My kid sees enough of me during the day at night I need some peace and quiet away from her. Plus at some point, she'll grow up and when she comes back to visit it will be good for her to have her own private space as well.
I don't think I mentioned last time but I did find out about a new housing development going up in Queen Creek. I have to wait for the details to be released but it's worth looking into; it will have homes from 1,200 sq ft to 5,400sq ft, some with 3 car garages, 13 floor plan options, and 39 elevation options. The neurotic house hunter in me is going crazy. I love house browsing even if it's something I have to do online for now.
And honestly, it's making me feel a whole lot better about some of my previous thoughts about home decor because I was thinking they didn't really mesh well together. Apparently not at all! I am just a mish mashing kind of person and here, thank you Ethan Allen, was something reaffirming how I felt about my home. And not so oddly enough, there were clear styles that I just haven't liked for years...hello Caribbean vibrant colors (same goes for Southwestern bright colors) or the Swedish Country look. I love white but there's a fine line for me; one, I have a kid and a husband and at some point again after we own a home, a dog. Not just a dog but one that's going to be barreling around the house chasing my kid and being egged on by my husband. Not what you want in a home that's mostly light and white. Did I also mention that I'm not a big fan of toile?! Sure it looks nice but I don't want to be getting ready for bed or sitting down at my dining room table and getting caught up in all the pastoral scenes on my furniture. I think it's far too distracting.
I know our home has always has a bit more of a masculine vibe with feminine touches. We both favor medium to dark colored wood floors, wrought iron, speakeasy doors, claw floor tubs, and ornately carved furniture even if it's not handmade. We both like the idea of a sleigh bed and black and white checkered marble floors for the Master Bath.
If you saw the home idea book I've been working on, you'd think I already bought a home. There's so much stuff in there; it's a shame I don't already have a home. I can tell you our home, when finished, is going to be very detail oriented. I couldn't embrace a purely Modern or Zen home design; it's too bland for me. I need something to catch my eye everywhere I go but I do want a sufficient amount of natural light if at all possible. I know I am kind of limited by my budget and the home builder designs down in Arizona but a girl can dream, right?
I am going to still stick with my vision of earth toned paint colors. I think there's just so much of those details already in the furniture and fabrics in our home that it's what we find most pleasing. Browns, blues, greens, and maybe some yellows will be our primary color choices and maybe choose real pops of color for accessories. I want Avery's room to be a nice muted gray though. I think that would provide the right sophisticated palette for the other planned colors of her room (white, pink, and green).
Our room is the wildcard right now. I would love to make it a bit more lavish than the rest of the home since it will be our private retreat at the end of the day. I know that might sound a bit weird but right now our room is nothing like a retreat. It's small and boxy and located right next to Avery's room so we hear her crying and yelling ALL THE TIME. No, I want split bedrooms thank you very much. I always think it's funny when parents talk about wanting their kids right next to them (for safety or coddling reasons) and I'm on the opposite spectrum. My kid sees enough of me during the day at night I need some peace and quiet away from her. Plus at some point, she'll grow up and when she comes back to visit it will be good for her to have her own private space as well.
I don't think I mentioned last time but I did find out about a new housing development going up in Queen Creek. I have to wait for the details to be released but it's worth looking into; it will have homes from 1,200 sq ft to 5,400sq ft, some with 3 car garages, 13 floor plan options, and 39 elevation options. The neurotic house hunter in me is going crazy. I love house browsing even if it's something I have to do online for now.
Monday, April 16, 2012
Did I Mention I'm Indecisive?
Oh this is going to be a long journey for us; I hope you don't mind the wait. And I do apologize for not writing on my blog sooner. I have been busy finishing up my dual Bachelor's degrees. I was studying criminal justice and social science and will graduate May 5th. Whoa! About damn time. I freaking hated the school that I went too and whenever I do decide to pursue my Master's degree, it will not be through the school I got my Bachelor's degrees through; it has been such a chaotic mess completing my last year and it's way too much to get into on this blog. So....back to the good stuff.
Let me update you. We have expanded our search parameters YET AGAIN. I have just spent so much time thinking and thinking about how little we'll get for our money in the city of Chandler that it might be worth expanding our search to the Queen Creek area. Now no real decisions have been made because I still have to find the right balance for our lives.
I am still making it a priority to increase our distance away from sex offenders (Arizona's sex offender registry can be purchased online for $25 and I do think it's a worthy investment for any future home buyer) and our daughter's schooling. It's amazing just how much more offerings there are down in Arizona. I have never known that school districts could give so many opportunities to their students.
As it stands, Chandler and Queen Creek are a top two contenders and it's kind of an interesting mix because they are so different. For this reason, I have created two separate binders detailing the aspects of each place to figure out what suits us the best. I have narrowed things down to overall community lifestyle, schools, homes (reviewing what homes are currently in our price range), crime statistics, and miscellaneous (because I'm sure I'll find out more things the further I dig).
Obviously, our home hunter efforts are contingent on getting me employed once I'm down in Arizona full time but my goal is to buy a home between 2 to 4 years from now. I do not wait very well (hence all the mental purchases you've seen on this blog). I could mentally buy a home every couple of months if I had to to hold me over. I hope you don't mind.
I know this journey always gets a bit harder for me each time I hear of someone else I know that's my age buying a home. It's like where did you get your pot of gold from?! I catch myself not knowing how to embrace their good fortune and wonder where they got the money to buy a home. I know I'll qualify for a VA loan when the time comes but seriously, it annoys me having to wait.
Hopefully though, the wait is well worth the effort.
p.s. Can you see me in a house like this one? I love the architecture.
Let me update you. We have expanded our search parameters YET AGAIN. I have just spent so much time thinking and thinking about how little we'll get for our money in the city of Chandler that it might be worth expanding our search to the Queen Creek area. Now no real decisions have been made because I still have to find the right balance for our lives.
I am still making it a priority to increase our distance away from sex offenders (Arizona's sex offender registry can be purchased online for $25 and I do think it's a worthy investment for any future home buyer) and our daughter's schooling. It's amazing just how much more offerings there are down in Arizona. I have never known that school districts could give so many opportunities to their students.
As it stands, Chandler and Queen Creek are a top two contenders and it's kind of an interesting mix because they are so different. For this reason, I have created two separate binders detailing the aspects of each place to figure out what suits us the best. I have narrowed things down to overall community lifestyle, schools, homes (reviewing what homes are currently in our price range), crime statistics, and miscellaneous (because I'm sure I'll find out more things the further I dig).
Obviously, our home hunter efforts are contingent on getting me employed once I'm down in Arizona full time but my goal is to buy a home between 2 to 4 years from now. I do not wait very well (hence all the mental purchases you've seen on this blog). I could mentally buy a home every couple of months if I had to to hold me over. I hope you don't mind.
I know this journey always gets a bit harder for me each time I hear of someone else I know that's my age buying a home. It's like where did you get your pot of gold from?! I catch myself not knowing how to embrace their good fortune and wonder where they got the money to buy a home. I know I'll qualify for a VA loan when the time comes but seriously, it annoys me having to wait.
Hopefully though, the wait is well worth the effort.
p.s. Can you see me in a house like this one? I love the architecture.
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Our Home...Someday
Tada! Here's our "home". What do you think? Obviously, this is at the blank slate stage but we plan on buying a builder grade home anyway and will do updating later on to make it more affordable. The home isn't that big. It's the 1,729 sq ft home I was telling you about previously.
I like the fact that you come in and see the living room but the rest of the house isn't visible from the front door. I think the privacy would be worth having especially for those days that we order pizza. Right now the home we live in has a view of our living room and dining space, which functions more as the baby's play area but still....it's wide open for anyone and his or her mother to see. And let's just be honest, with a young child my home is often cluttered and I'm embarrassed for others to see it.
This home will definitely be on the front of my mind for purchase in 2014. I am TIRED of waiting to buy a home even though I know money is keeping us from having a home right now. I think we have to take the next two years very seriously if we are going to accomplish my plan of home ownership in 2014.
As well, I wanted to show you my plans for updating the place. It's nothing major but some changes that would allow the home to suit our family better.
We would extend the shower and reduce the size of the walk-in-closet. To compensate for the loss in closet space we would build a European wardrobe in the Master bedroom with a shoe pull-out cabinet. In our daughter's room, we would build a wall length desk with storage underneath for toys, books, and clothes. The laundry space would be extended into the hall closet so we could have a long desk, stack the washer and dryer, and build wall storage. In the guest room, we have contemplated putting in a Murphy bed to accommodate guests or it could always become a baby's room later on if we decide to have a second child. Everything else in the house would pretty much remain the same. (We would put some sort of storage in the garage as well...don't let me forget.) It would be my husband's version of a "man cave". Haha.
Over the next few weeks (or months), I will try and include photos of the things I want for each room. I have spent a lot of time contemplating what my dream house would be and it helps to compile images to see how it all fits together.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
One Day a Homeowner...
We are less than half a year away from moving down to Arizona and I am beyond excited. Many things remain unsettled but we have discussed the likelihood that we will have a home built for us when the time is right. There are two floor plans offered within our price range that meets our space requirements and our lifestyle. The first one has the kitchen, dining nook and living room all on one side with the three bedrooms, two full baths, laundry space, and two car garage on the other. It's a single story just over 1,600sq ft and we love the fact that garage does not face the street. While the second home also separates the house much like the first the dining nook and living room are separated by the kitchen which has an excellent island in the L shaped kitchen that the first did not. This plan also allows for an expansion of the laundry space (which would eat up a small closet) as a build option. This house is just over 1,700sq ft and unfortunately has a garage that faces the street.
We are still (financially) two years away from making home ownership a reality. If I can get my career started rather quickly after our move, I see us following this timeline very well and perhaps making a purchase sooner.
I did want to let you all know too that I have invested a significant amount of time researching our prime home location. I created a binder with crime statistics (including sex offender registry), school district information, and community amenities. I want to make sure when we buy a home we will be quite satisfied with our purchase. My husband thought it was a bit overdone; I, on the other hand, would encourage everyone to spend a good month or two investigating some important issues (especially when they relate to one's lifestyle) when it comes to purchasing a home. I want our home to be a good investment for years to come and I would recommend any home buyer consider the pros and cons of a house for the long haul since you never know how long you might live there (especially in this economy).
We are still (financially) two years away from making home ownership a reality. If I can get my career started rather quickly after our move, I see us following this timeline very well and perhaps making a purchase sooner.
I did want to let you all know too that I have invested a significant amount of time researching our prime home location. I created a binder with crime statistics (including sex offender registry), school district information, and community amenities. I want to make sure when we buy a home we will be quite satisfied with our purchase. My husband thought it was a bit overdone; I, on the other hand, would encourage everyone to spend a good month or two investigating some important issues (especially when they relate to one's lifestyle) when it comes to purchasing a home. I want our home to be a good investment for years to come and I would recommend any home buyer consider the pros and cons of a house for the long haul since you never know how long you might live there (especially in this economy).
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