I have been hinting for what feels like years that we were building a new home but due to a seemingly never ending list of setbacks our home building project was delayed time and time again. Finally, I have an update post for you all.
We officially broke ground on our new house in spring of this year, and since then it has been an absolute whirlwind of activity. The basement was dug, the walls went up and now even the roof has shingles on it. From experience however, this is the part of the build where progress seems to slow down and things seem to look the same for weeks on end while necessities such as plumbing, venting and electricity are slowly snaked through the walls. With windows delayed yet another month, now seemed like a good time to sit down and document our experience thus far with our home build.
Our messy, muddy lot right before digging began.
Let’s start this blog series off with a little Q&A!
Is this your dream house?
Part of me wants to call this house the dream house, but I have reservations using that word. In my mind, the dream home is the forever house that you will grow old in and keep until you die. To be honest, I can’t quite comprehend finding a house design that I could continue to love for a lifetime. Having moved close to 20 times in my life, I can’t say I’ve ever felt extremely attached the physical walls of a particular home. So instead of calling it the dream house, I’m going to call it the dream(y) house.
Why are you moving?
We moved into our current home as two people, and since then our family has grown to include our two adorable little girls. What we wanted in a floor plan 6 years ago has definitely changed as did our design aesthetic. The location for our new home is also much more suited to our lifestyle. It’s closer to family and to work. There are also many other young families in the neighbourhood and basic things like sidewalks and playgrounds nearby for our kids to enjoy.
The current state of our home
Who is building your home?
This home, has been completely designed and contracted by myself and my husband. Every single detail, from creating the floor plan to choosing the finishes has been decided by us. Some of the smallest details most people likely have never even noticed in their homes have been agonized over for hours. Details such as where the dryer should vent, the exact height of the wall sconces and which way a door should swing have been heartily debated.
Although, we are building our own home that doesn’t mean I have been showing up to the job site with nails and a hammer. Instead, my husband has been managing the build and hiring professional trades to do the physical building of the house such as framing, plumbing and electricity. Luckily we have had great support in the process from my parents who have been building homes since before I was born. My dad has spent hours adjusting our floor plans in CAD until every detail was perfect and my mom has an amazing design eye helping me wherever I’m unsure about my design choices.
When will your house be finished?
With covid delays still being a thing, we don’t have a set date yet for our move. I am personally hoping our move will be scheduled well before Christmas so I will have time to properly decorate for the holidays. That being said, while the house will likely be move-in ready by the end of the year it likely won’t be “finished” until some time later. I have planned quite a few ambitious design projects such as mouldings, wallpaper and other decor finishes that we will tackle once we move in. Also, with a winter move-in likely, we won’t be able to properly landscape until next year.
The girls checking out Emilia’s new bedroom
What are you most excited about in the new house?
There are soooo many things I am excited about in the new house. Having an office again will definitely be near the top of the list. My new closet is literally a dream with 23 feet of hanging space and the bathroom is seriously such an upgrade from our current space. We are planning a big soaking tub, a walk in shower, two sinks and a separate toilet room. I can’t wait to get ready in that room! Lastly we are adding a conservatory to the back of the house that I am insanely excited about. I love growing flowers so I am looking forward to use that space to begin growing flowers earlier to make use of our short Canadian growing season. Also, it will be the perfect spot to sip coffee in the morning while enjoying the sunrise or stargazing at night.
Well, that about wraps up my first blog post in this series. I’m so excited to finally share this process with you all! If you have any questions or anything in particular you’d like me to write about in this process let me know in the comments below!
