We went over the location of all the outlets and switches. Talked about the hose bib locations. Hose bibs, I have lived in a few houses, and I have never seen a hose bib inside of the garage. I'm sure there are houses out there with them in the garage, but I have never seen it. I was disappointed that I wasn't able to place hose bib on the others outside opposite wall. It has something to do with the construction of the home and how the plumbing is routed. So I chose to have the hose bib placed in the garage as close to garage door as possible.
Another question I had is if I can have the GFCI outdoor outlets (front porch and rear entrance) tied to the same switch that controls the porch light. The PM wasn't sure and acted as if no one ever asked about it. Being a GFCI, he wasn't sure how electrical codes address it but will see if it can be done. The SR said that it was a good idea. I'm thinking ahead to Christmas, as I like to decorate and thought it would be great to be able to put all those lights on a switch.
We are scheduled to break ground next Thursday on the 28th. Currently, everything is ready to go except they are still waiting for permits to be finalized.
We also walked the property, discussed the easements and also how the property will be graded. I like the location. I think the property is a great size for someone that doesn't like a lot of yard work. There is a storm drainage that runs in between our property and a neighboring property which has created an easement. If we were to build a fence and the drainage system needed to be repaired for some reason, we could potentially lose a section of the fencing during the repair. So that will need further discussion with the wife once we are in. Here are more pics of the lot and the lot plan.
We also walked the property, discussed the easements and also how the property will be graded. I like the location. I think the property is a great size for someone that doesn't like a lot of yard work. There is a storm drainage that runs in between our property and a neighboring property which has created an easement. If we were to build a fence and the drainage system needed to be repaired for some reason, we could potentially lose a section of the fencing during the repair. So that will need further discussion with the wife once we are in. Here are more pics of the lot and the lot plan.
I had a concern after our meeting. One concern is that the PM didn't seem to have the same sense of urgency in regards to having our home move-in ready by April. Recall that we are relocating from North Carolina back to our hometown due to work. We chose to build with Ryan Homes because we could get all the features we wanted, in a new home, but also very close if not less than some pre-existing homes in the market. We were told about the quick start and what was needed to get the construction started ASAP. We did everything Ryan Homes needed, including our financing and down payment. Our initial start date given was FEBRUARY. I quickly reminded our SR about the quick start and that we have given Ryan Homes everything needed and that February doesn't sound like the quick start we were told about. They were able to move to next week, even though there was a possibility of break ground this week.
So during the meeting, I was noticing that a move-in date of April was not really being addressed by the PM and our SR. I made mention that a move-in date of April is what we really need but I was also trying to state it in a way that didn't seem to aggressive or demanding. In hindsight, I should have addressed our concern upfront instead of stewing on it for a week after the fact.
I called our SR yesterday and tried to explain why were feeling that the April move in date didn't seem like a priority to our PM. All I will say is that the conversation wasn't taken well by the SR and the conversation ended with me basically feeling like if I don't ever talk with her again, that's okay. Even though that's not how I really felt. I felt disappointed more than anything. I wasn't trying to point fingers or blame anyone, all my wife and I wanted was to be reassured that everyone in the chain of construction understood that April is a priority.
A few minutes later I got a call from our PM and we have a very good conversation and I explained to him why we chose Ryan Homes, why April is important to us, and why we felt or perceived that maybe that information wasn't relayed to him, our PM, clearly. I don't think anyone was trying NOT to tell our PM, I just wasn't getting the vibe that April being our move-in date was a clear priority for our PM. He assured me that he fully understands and feels extremely confident that we will be able to take possession in April. It was a very good and professional conversation.
I called our SR yesterday and tried to explain why were feeling that the April move in date didn't seem like a priority to our PM. All I will say is that the conversation wasn't taken well by the SR and the conversation ended with me basically feeling like if I don't ever talk with her again, that's okay. Even though that's not how I really felt. I felt disappointed more than anything. I wasn't trying to point fingers or blame anyone, all my wife and I wanted was to be reassured that everyone in the chain of construction understood that April is a priority.
A few minutes later I got a call from our PM and we have a very good conversation and I explained to him why we chose Ryan Homes, why April is important to us, and why we felt or perceived that maybe that information wasn't relayed to him, our PM, clearly. I don't think anyone was trying NOT to tell our PM, I just wasn't getting the vibe that April being our move-in date was a clear priority for our PM. He assured me that he fully understands and feels extremely confident that we will be able to take possession in April. It was a very good and professional conversation.
As for our SR, I think it is a big misunderstanding of where we are coming from. We have committed a down payment and financing to build a very nice home. If my wife and I have a concern, we have the right to address the concern. We don't need our SR taking things too personally and feeling hurt because we have a concern. I thought I might get a call yesterday towards the evening but did not. Perhaps today. I really like our SR. She has done a great job to date. Yesterday, perhaps I caught her off guard or something personal may have been going on in her life.