Anyone Else Getting New Construction for Christmas?

[DVCLiz]

Wish me luck - I'm building a 2 car garage and replacing my sunroom, which was a screened in porch at one time made into a "room" by previous owners, with new construction that is larger and has a half bath and a new laundry room. Something tells me I'm going to hate this project until it is done!!!! The back of my house is torn up, my washer and dryer and freezer are now in my kitchen, and I have no back door - only plywood and insulation. Can't wait to start walking the dog every day!!!!

I hope this is worth it in the springtime, when I can actually do laundry without having to brace the dryer door open with my knee because the "closet" that it's in now is so narrow, when I can wash my hands after coming in the back door and the children can use the bathroom without going into my "nice" guest bath and getting the towels dirty, and when I can park my car inside and not worry about it getting broken into (twice now within a year.) I'm just going to focus on the end product!!!

Who else is building now???

 

[3DisneyBuggs]

I asked Santa for a four bedroom center hall colonia, finished basement, family room, inground pool and gazebo. Sure hope he delivers!

 

[DVCLiz]

I asked Santa for a four bedroom center hall colonia, finished basement, family room, inground pool and gazebo. Sure hope he delivers!

Did Santa actually sign a contract, or is that just wishful thinking????

 

[Galahad]

Our bathroom remodel project kicked off this morning. And so far I'm not impressed. The plumbling contractors showed up 4 hours late and had decidedly fewer than the typical number of teeth in their mouths. This could be a loooonnnnggg project.

 

[DVCLiz]

Our bathroom remodel project kicked off this morning. And so far I'm not impressed. The plumbling contractors showed up 4 hours late and had decidedly fewer than the typical number of teeth in their mouths. This could be a loooonnnnggg project.

I love my regular crew, but I'm already getting to dislike the subs - they NEVER show up on the day they are supposed to, and we've had two delays (now on Day 8 on this project) waiting for plumbers and electricians - and that's just to move some things around so they can finish the DEMOLITION, not any new building yet for a few weeks!!!!

On the other hand, this plumber can be excused for being late on this job, because the last time I called him (to fix a disposal - someone had cleaned the fish tank out and just poured all the little rocks down it - how come THAT made it not work, MOM?) he not only showed up on time, but told me a very juicy story about my ex husband and his new wife - he had been doing some work at their house and asked me if the last name meant we were related... so I had some excellent inside information from that - well worth
the plumbing bill!!!!

What are you doing to your bathroom????

 

[kerrynic78]

Well our new house is supposed to be done by the end of December so we are considering it our Christmas gift

We are renting about 3 blocks from where our house is being built so we are down there everyday checking on things. I think the workers are so sick of seeing us that they are even more excited for it to be done!!!

 

[Galahad]

What are you doing to your bathroom????

It's the bathroom that the kids/guests use. Completely gutting it, down to the studs - new everything - replacing the tub with a shower, a double vanity with a single (with one of those sexy new vessel/waterfall sinks), etc. They say it will be done by Thanksgiving, but i really don't trust them.

 

[DVCLiz]

It's the bathroom that the kids/guests use. Completely gutting it, down to the studs - new everything - replacing the tub with a shower, a double vanity with a single (with one of those sexy new vessel/waterfall sinks), etc. They say it will be done by Thanksgiving, but i really don't trust them.

Sounds wonderful - my new half bath is just going to be a toilet and a pedastal(sp?) sink, a light fixture, a mirror, a toilet paper holder, and a jar of soap!!! Well, and some walls and some trim and a tile floor - oh, and a door, too!!!!

 

[KelNottAt]

I hope we can break ground on our garage expansion this month. We currently have a 2-car garage. We're completely demolishing that and building a mudroom and private entrance between the "main house" and 2 new bays. Then, we're adding a second floor above it all for DH's new home office.

All in all, we're more than tripling the size of the garage from 525 sq ft to 1650 sq ft.

All I want for Christmas is weather warm enough and dry enough to pour the new slabs.

 

[DVCLiz]

I hope we can break ground on our garage expansion this month. We currently have a 2-car garage. We're completely demolishing that and building a mudroom and private entrance between the "main house" and 2 new bays. Then, we're adding a second floor above it all for DH's new home office.

All in all, we're more than tripling the size of the garage from 525 sq ft to 1650 sq ft.

All I want for Christmas is weather warm enough and dry enough to pour the new slabs.

Yep, me too!!! It's been gorgeous here - highs in the high 70s to low 80s every day, and no rain for weeks. So I'm sure as soon as it's most inconvenient, it will turn cold and start to pour. Hope my footings will be dug and poured before then!!!!!!

Your garage sounds fabulous - mine isn't going to be attached to the house, so next project will be figuring out whether to extend a covered walkway out to the garage or just keep umbrellas!!!! But that's a project for a few years from now...

 

[MUFFYCAT]

We are almost finished after 5 months of construction. We tore apart every room on the first floor and build 2 floors above. My DH and I are still sleeping on floor, the girls have their beds in their room. We keep all our daily clothes in big storage boxes. Our only furniture is the couch, loveseat and the computer table.Thankfully it's been warm here, becaue all the fall/winter clothes are still packed away. We still have the first floor bathroom to be gutted and replaced.

 

[Galahad]

OK, so all of you remodeling mavens - here's a question. Is it possible/feasible to put a portion of your basement under your garage? I'm thinking you can't but it's something DW really wants to do. A future remodeling project involves something like KeNottAt's. We have a 3 car garage and we want to demo it, turn it at an angle, and put a bonus room above it. DW would also like to extend the basement in the process, but I can't see how you could put a "slab" on top of a basement.

 

[goofyforlife]

We're building a 300 sf deck with stairs off the back of our house right now....

Hoping it's done for turkey day.......

Santa also had to bring an early present yesterday as our dryer blew up.....

 

[KelNottAt]

OK, so all of you remodeling mavens - here's a question. Is it possible/feasible to put a portion of your basement under your garage? I'm thinking you can't but it's something DW really wants to do. A future remodeling project involves something like KeNottAt's. We have a 3 car garage and we want to demo it, turn it at an angle, and put a bonus room above it. DW would also like to extend the basement in the process, but I can't see how you could put a "slab" on top of a basement.

I don't know the answer, but I'll ask my architect. Please stand by...

 

[KelNottAt]

OK, so all of you remodeling mavens - here's a question. Is it possible/feasible to put a portion of your basement under your garage? I'm thinking you can't but it's something DW really wants to do. A future remodeling project involves something like KeNottAt's. We have a 3 car garage and we want to demo it, turn it at an angle, and put a bonus room above it. DW would also like to extend the basement in the process, but I can't see how you could put a "slab" on top of a basement.

Here's my architect's answer: "It CAN be done. It requires a metal deck, a thicker and more reinforced concrete slab, more excavation, and is fairly costly. In residential settings, it’s typically cost prohibitive (cheaper to build two regular spaces than a garage with basement below, or build an attic over the garage). Hope that helps."

 

[pattyT]

our project!

It is possible but super expensive and intensive!

 

[SplshMtn99]

Boohoo. We must of been bad this year, because Santa was to have brought us our new condo by end of 2005, but all we are getting is more rocks.
(Can I turn the hourglass upside down so it's NOT smiling.)
See pictures in below link.