Option C it is!

Last week we met with our architect and a builder that he recommended to get some "super ballpark pricing" on our favorite plan- Option C. The numbers came back- and if we "mind our p's and q's" as the builder said, we will probably only go slightly over budget. Although going slightly over budget is never the goal, we had to look back at what that original budget bought us. In the beginning, the budget assumption was made on a 1900 sq.ft. final product (based on the early discussions we had with a builder before we bought the house). Option C is over 2600 sq.ft., so really- even over budget is still less per square foot that we originally intended on spending. In addition, we can't overlook the fact that Option C would give us the house of our dreams- and not a "make it work" house! Seems like a pretty easy decision to go over budget.

Now the question is- how over budget will we have to go to get what we want?! Our primary goal is to get the bones of the house right and to have a nice looking exterior. We have the next 15 years to figure out the rest!

Option D Exterior Views

Here are the exterior views for Option D. Not bad, but we like C better :) We are meeting with the architect and a builder today to get super ballpark pricing on both options C and D. I guess we'll know this week which one we are going to move forward with!

Option D Floor Plan

Today we got Option D floor plans that keep the master in the same location. Honestly, we were kind of hoping we wouldn't like it so our decision would be easier- BUT, we like it. It incorporates a lot of what we wanted while keeping the price tag within range. We still prefer Option C, but we are going to go forward with the super ballpark pricing phase to see how much more money C would actually be.

Option C Exterior

Last week our architect provided us with exterior views for Option C. It's looking good!

Option C

Here is the Option C floor plans that incorporates a lot of what we want AND moves the master bedroom. We'll probably get a floor plan next week that shows what we could do without moving the master, but of course we love the idea of moving it if we can afford it!

Option C is great because I feel like it solves the problem of connecting the back yard to the front yard. That kitchen would be awesome! I could easily be cooking dinner while keeping an eye on the kids playing in the backyard. I also like the idea of a second floor washer/dryer. Could be very convenient as the kids get older!  Cross your fingers it isn't too far out of our ballpark!

Obsession: Entryways

After pondering the Option A floor plans while we were in Las Vegas, we were ready to regroup with our architect to discuss what we loved and what we'd change. We had an awesome meeting last night and discussed some really fun ideas. Paul (our architect) already had an Option B prepared which had some beautiful features (hello gorgeous kitchen island!) Both A and B has the entirely new master suite in the back of the house which we love, but will cost big $$. The tentative plan is to come up with an alternate A/B floor plan that incorporates what we discussed last night, and an Option C plan that keeps the master where it is now but adds in as much of our wish list as possible. Unfortunately the most logical design plan that will be the best for the long run is an option the moves the master, but we'll have to see if we want to spend that kind of money. After we have the two new floor plans I think we will get very very very preliminary estimates to see what the general cost difference would be between the two. If it is a marginal difference, then it will be a no-brainer for us! If it's a big cost difference, then I'm sure there will be lots of late night discussions in our future :)

That discussion aside, we're starting to discover that our main entrance to the house will probably be the front door. The house has a long driveway that opens up a bit in the back. Because of impervious cover rules (which I'll discuss in a future post!) it looks like we are going to take out a good chunk of concrete and replace it with grass. We'll essentially be giving up the ability to use the garage as a "garage" by grassing in the concrete in front of it, but as it stands now it isn't really a viable garage anyway. One day down the road we'll probably turn it into a studio or pool table room or something, but for now it's just a space for storage. (Side note- the current location of the garage is against code but it is grandfathered in. If we were to renovate it into a real, usable garage for cars we would have to move it to the proper location, thus giving up three feet of the yard. Anyway, another topic for another phase of renovations haha.)

Having decided that our main entrance to the house will in fact be the front of the house, having a "mudroom" or backpack storage area in the back of the house won't really be a good use of space. Instead I'm hoping we can utilize space by the front door for back packs, jackets, purses etc. I'm hoping we can create something beautiful, even if it will be a landing area for all of the kid's junk! Here are some ideas:

First Sketches!

Holy cow, first off- our architect rocks! It hasn't even been two weeks, and we are already looking at full blown sketches of what our house can become! We are still digesting all of the ideas, but so far we are pretty impressed. We are going away to Las Vegas this weekend and while we're there we are going to ponder all of the ideas and then meet with our architect next week to proceed. This first plan might be a bit out of our budget, but how cool is it to get to see what our house can become?!

Here is the current floor plan (open the image in a new window if you want to zoom in):

Option A Floor Plan (yippeee- our first "after" floor plan!) 

To help us visualize the new versus the old, our architect included a composite plan:

We never thought of totally reconfiguring the kitchen, or moving the master (while keeping the master bathroom, which we love) so we are thrilled with the "out of the box" thinking. Eric was also pretty worried about the size of the front living room in the "before" so I know he's excited about the idea of making it bigger. All in all, an excellent start.

And here's a super cool bonus that we weren't expecting- exterior renderings, given the Option A floor plans! Feast your eyes on what could be our new house (most likely in the same pale blue it is right now):