I am going to start with a schedule update from the builder. Our goal is to get to an occupancy permit and then move in. Here is the current plan. (Minor updates added July 8 pm)

  • Week of July 6th
    • Interior finishing work (e.g. slats)
    • Civil engineers finalize the septic system layout plan on July 9th
    • Stairs being installed
  • Week of July 13th
    • Interior finishing work
    • Cherrystone installs floating shelves in the game room
    • Counters get installed on Wednesday (July 15)
    • Septic system gets installed
    • Driveway gets paved (pending tests of grounding system)
    • Porch screen and railing gets installed
    • Existing furniture gets picked up for refinishing on July 18
    • Ceiling registers (heating/cooling) installed
    • Shower door installation (July 17)
  • Week of July 20th
    • Leaching field (part of septic system) gets installed
    • Front yard gets landscaped
    • Hardwood flooring gets installed on second floor
  • Week of July 27th
    • Luxury Vinyl Tile flooring gets installed on the first floor
  • Week of August 3rd
    • All appliances get installed
    • The safety systems gets finished
    • The internet and entertainment systems get installed
    • We try to get an occupancy permit
  • Week of August 10th
    • Movers pack us up on August 10
    • Movers drive to new house and unpack on August 11
    • Refinished and new furniture from Cherrystone gets delivered on August 12
    • Nextdoor neighbors at our old place move furniture from their unit into our unit so they can refinish their floors on August 11 or 12.
    • Sale (closing) of our old house on August 15.

The scheduling is tight and things could go wrong. For example, the grounding rods have been added to under the driveway but the electrician does not have the correct meter to test the resistance to ground and we need to verify that we have good grounding before we fill in the driveway and then pave it. But a delay here is only an annoyance, since it is not on the critical path.

Also, I do not know whether we will have trouble getting the occupancy permit. I assume the appliances need to be installed, but not the entertainment system and internet in order to pass inspection. The entertainment system and internet can not be installed until there is no more dust being generated, which mostly means that the floors are all finished (which is the last dusty stage).

Also the move is, as typical, a chain involving our old house. Our old unit is being bought by the son of our nextdoor neighbor. He needs to get the floors redone and have some other work done on our old place, which he needs to be finished by end of August so he can move by month end. But our nextdoor neighbor is also refinishing her floors so she wants to first move all her furniture to our unit so her floors can be redone.

While we have contingencies in place if things slip a week, we are hoping that the schedule holds, because if not, things get a little messy.

Now for some updates and pictures.

I will start with the “slats”. This is a decorative fixture designed by Daphne that is being added to the living room, dining room and front hall. I have posted pictures of the installation progress before, but finally we have about one half of the slats installed. Here is what it looks like in the living room, including a close up showing the details better.

I am somewhat upset that the construction camera was not facing in the correct direction for this work, but I moved it when I was there.

Meanwhile, the slats still have to be added to the dining room and front hall. Here is the ceiling of the dining room showing the backing, which is now waiting for the black fabric and then the slats.

The stairs going to the basement have one coat of polyurethane on them. They will eventually get three coats. Meanwhile, they are starting on installing the stairs to the second floor.

Of course, after the stairs get installed, they still need to add the railings (on both sides on both flights of stairs).

In the master bathroom, they have added the built-in shelves behind the toilet. These will be used for things like toilet paper.

And in the laundry room, they installed the clothes hanger, shown below with a few of the bars lowered. The bars are held against the wall (when not lowered) by a small piece of plastic, which you twist away to free the bar. Three of those small pieces of plastic have already broken so the crew is going to find a better solution.

Outside, the driveway has been dug up so the grounding rods could be installed.

Meanwhile, in the backyard, Daphne continues planting. Here are some winterberry bushes, which have been planted, and which will eventually expand to hide the generator.

That’s all for today. I should have another update this weekend.

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