Great Expectations!

Hi everyone,

I hope you all are having a great time building and settling into your homes. We just completed our 30 day inspection and in typical Ryan Home fashion, we had a great experience.  Below is a list of our quick fixes:

1. Fireplace screen needs to be replaced, there is a small rip.
2. Ordered new parts for our range, a scratch and a few nicks on the grates.
3. Carpet needs to be stretched in transition areas--hallway bath, top of steps and in the family room.
4. Trim around the front door needs to be sanded and repainted.
5. Hot water in Master bedroom needs to be adjusted and a tile needs some grout.
6. A few nail pops on the stairwell and a nick on one of our balusters needs to be fixed.

So, as you can see we have minor things to fix and we couldn't be happier with the craftsmanship and work done on our home.  Our PM, Matt and Chris are always timely and ready to fix or answer our needs. 

On another note, there is something else that we've been building besides our house.  We're having a baby!  We're over the moon and tickled pink--with the news that we're having a GIRL!  So, my Parisian themed guest room will be turned into a Parisian themed nursery.  Our daughter's room (gotta get used to saying that phrase) will be our first project and priority. I'm so elated to start the process.  Below, please find a picture of the lamp that inspired the room--gotta love HomeGoods!

Also, I found a great piece of furniture from Macy's.  Our furniture will look like the piece below, put the color is a mettalic grey.  Once it arrives, I will take a pic of the completed room.


Well, happy building everyone and enjoy the day too!

A few pictures

Just a few pictures of what we have done with the house so far. I will have more to come with other rooms soon.

Happy Building...

The Kitchen

Morning Room

Pantry solution...Thanks to The Container Store. 

Showing off our Roman Shades by Blinds to Go.

Side view of our Costco Headboard

Espresso Colored Wooden Blind by Blinds to Go.

Some New Building Tips

Hi everyone,

Since my husband and I are the first to move into our community, I wanted to give some tips on things to ask prior to moving in. Here's a list below:

1. Cable: Ensure that the cable wires are placed underground. Although our house was cable ready in the inside, it seems as if the builder and the cable company did not communicate to prior too and the wire were not placed underground.  Although we had a temporary wire above our lawn for a few days, it was difficult to see the cable company rip up our nice hyrdo-seed yard to place the wires underground.  So, make sure before you move, the wires are secured underground first.

2. Phone:  If you're going with a carrier like Verizon, you will also need to make sure the wires are placed underground.  Similar to the cable experience...not a fun time.

3.  Water Company:  We also had a problem getting an account with the water company.  Hopefully, it won't be a problem for our neighbors moving forward because we've already established residence, but just make sure you put the water company on high priority because it tooks us at least 5 days to get the account and service going.

4. Microwave Installation:  Check with your PM to make sure that no structure exist behind your hooded fan.  Apparently we had a 2X4 piece of wood behind our cabinet that we did not know existed. When the microwave installer came, he removed the wood because he said it was pointless and would prevent the microwave from being placed correctly. Well, what we have is a microwave that does not vent correctly.  So, thankfully our PM is going to fix this, but to save you a step, ask before you get the appliance installed.

5.  Trash Pick-Up and Recycling:  We still do not have trash or recycle service. I have called the township, the sanitation department, and the builder! So, i would say get on this fast. I am still waiting, but thankfully, our PM allowed us to put our trash and boxes in the dumpster. That's all I have for now...I hope this list is helpful with your transition.

Happy Building...

Weathering The Storm

Hi everyone!

Well, as smooth as our building process and our closing went, our move was quite the contrary.  We were scheduled to move on Tuesday, October 30 and then came Hurricane Sandy!  The planner that I am, I rescheduled our move for Wednesday, October 31 thinking that Hurricane Sandy would not be a big storm. Well, on Monday, October 29, our power went out at 6:30PM and my husband and I realized that our move would probably be an issue.  

The next day, I contacted our movers and our apartment complex to see if we could change our move to Thursday, November 1.  Both obliged and Patrick and I were set to do the last bit of packing during the daylight hours and luckily my sister-in-law still had power and we bunked there for 2 nights. After waiting in line for 2 hours and 45 minutes to get gas, Patrick and I were feigning to get into our new home, which thankfully had power and no damage from the storm.  

On Thursday, we patiently waited for our movers to show up and after waiting for 3 hours, I finally was able to reach the moving manager.  Of course their phone lines were out and cell phone service was impossible too.  The moving company wanted to change our move to Friday, November 2nd, but Patrick and I could not wait another second, yet alone another day.  We needed to move pronto! Another dilemma for us was our apartment that was still without  power. This meant our movers could not use the elevator! Thankfully, we lived on the first floor, but it was still no small feat to see these guys move all our furniture in the dark with the aid of flashlights.  So, after a 90 minute drive to our new home, the movers unloaded the truck and left to drive 90 minutes back at the midnight hour--yes, they did not finish until 12AM!

Although Patrick and I are exhausted from packing, to unpacking, to coordinating….we're so thankful to be in our new home and feel so blessed to have the luxuries like TV, power, and heat.  We still have friends and family who are without these things. We see the destruction of our state and realize that childhood memories of walking the boardwalk may be a thing of the past. It is sad.  So, we will continue to pray, give support and resources to the victims of the storm.  Meanwhile, we're taking our time unpacking--it is just too much to do!  I hope that all of you are enjoying your building process.  I will post pictures in the next few weeks. 

Happy Building...