To Go Or Not To Go?

[Feralpeg]

I'm having a hard time making a decision. I would appreciate your thoughts. As you probably know (and are getting tired or hearing), I'm building a home in the Orlando area. We will be moving in June. The builder has called and given me updates on the progress of my home, but the curiosity is killing me. At this point, there wouldn't be that much to see. By the end of April, however, they should be into the finishing work. I'd really like to fly down and check things out. My sister is also building a home one block from mine. She thinks it would be a waste of money to fly down in April when the houses are supposed to be complete by the first of June. On top of the money issue, DD would have a fit if I went without her. She would have to miss school. She is 15 and it is really difficult to catch up when she misses.

This is probably hard for most of you to understand, but my sister thinks that she should have a say in the majority of things that happen in my life. She is my older sister (by 3 years). Don't get me wrong, I love my sister. We are very close and love doing things together. She is just a little over protective. She is much more frugal than I tend to be. Neither one of us is married and our parents died when we were in our early twenties. She seems to have taken over that responsiblity. Sometimes, especially where DD is concerned, I have to tell her to back off. I don't like to make waves with her, but I also think I should decide how to spend my own money!

Am I just being silly? Would you want to see what was happening before closing?

 

[Beauty]

Yep I would definatly want to see. What if there are minor things you would like changed? You don't want to wait until closing and if you go earlier it won't be that big of a deal to make the changes. I say go! I know I would.

 

[geffric]

Yes, I would want to see what is happening..

plus builders many times do not deliver houses on time and it would be a help to you to visit and see the progress and make suggestions. If it was me, I would go down to view the progress.

So you could let sister watch DD and fly down ..or drive down with DD for a long weekend..or when is your spring break?? Maybe that is a time to visit and not have to take DD out of school??

 

[Rajah]

Yep, no question, if I had the $$ I'd go take a look. Even without Disney being there as a draw.

 

[dianeschlicht]

Another vote for going to check. With all the problems we have had on our log home, I would DEFINATELY check on things!

 

[Allie322]

I would definitely go down. When my parents built their home in FL, they each went down once to check on things. Plus, many times unexpected things come up and even though your contractor will contact you via telephone, it's nice to be able to see things for yourself.
As for your DD, maybe you could work it around a long weekend or a school vacation.
I also have an older sister and I know it can be tough sometimes. But ultimately, this is your house and your money, and you need to do what's best for you.
Good luck.

 

[tlgoblue]

Absolutely! Go check things out. That is too much $$ to be shelling out to not know how things are progressing. I would emphasize this especially if your home is being built by a large builder. Too many things get lost in the shuffle, i.e. a vaulted ceiling is suddenly flat, French doors become sliding doors, an island in the kitchen becomes a peninsula. Thesesthings all happened in the construction of one of my homes, and I visited EVERY DAY! Please go. And have a great time if all is well!

Keep the Faith!
Tracy

 

[Pembo]

Another YES vote. Go and see what is happening with your house.

 

[AboutTheMouse]

I agree with all of the above - you should go. My father built a home outside of Orlando a couple of years ago. He went down there at least once every 2 months. You wouldn't believe the things that he found -- cabinets weren't the correct ones, wiring was not as planned, walls were not level. These were things that would be very difficult to get the builder to fix once the entire house is supposed to be "complete". Better to fix it when the construction is underway, rather than hold up closing IMO.

 

[KathyTX]

I would go.

Our builder poured our slab wrong, which would have made our dining room smaller than planned. I visited the site and noticed it before framing started, and they were able to correct it. Also, I took lots of photos during the framing stages. Those photos have proven helpful a number of times. You never know when you'll want to know what's behind a wall for plumbing or electrical purposes...

If you have a chance to take a look at your new home now, I would absolutely do it, and have LOTS of film on hand.