Construction Update and The headaches that comes with building a home

Its been a crazy last 1.5 weeks and I haven't had the time to update the blog with all the things that have been going on with the house. I want to start this post discussing what happens when things go wrong or don't necessarily meet your expectation during construction. Last week Thursday we visited the house and we started noticing a few details that just didn't look right or were different from what we saw in the model. Some of these were honestly egregious and others could have been overlooked but became frustrating because they started added up. Usually I'm a stickler about all the small details but even Chris who is usually easy going was extremely upset. 

We ended up calling Jay our SR the following day to explain those concerns. He assured us he would look into the matter which lead to a meeting with Aaron our PM this past Wednesday. We walked through the home and pointed out our concerns and ultimately he agreed to address all of the issues except 1 big one which could not be change. We were fairly annoyed but I have to give Aaron kudos for being patient and hearing us out. We learned the one big exception was not a mistake but was a design change that would have happen regardless. I still think its unacceptable to not communicate those changes and frankly it would have been nice to be compensated for the error. At the end of the day he's really trying to make it right and has been proactive in finding alternative solutions.

If you so happen to go through a little melodrama during your building process, here are some tips to help keep your sanity:

• No matter how frustrating the situation may seem stay calm, you always want to be respectful and give them a chance to make things right
• Keep an open line of communication with your SR ultimately they want you to be happy and our case both our reps have gone over and beyond to keep things smooth
• Forge a good relationship with your SR and PM ultimately if something goes wrong they most likely are the ones who will go to bat for you
• Document your communications via email with your SR, PM or anyone else you deal with during this process. Its easier to back up any future claims if you have a written record of a discussion
• Visit your house often, look at all the details and make sure to point out any concerns if something doesn't look right. The sooner your PM knows about an issue the easier it will be for them to address those problems. 

Okay... Lets get to the fun stuff

So lots of progress on the house since my last post. They have painted the house, we have siding on the back of the house, granite countertops and tile has been installed.

Siding installed in the rear

Fabrique Gris Linen - Basement Entry into Basement Bath

Fabrique Blanc Linen - Powder Room

Fabrique Blanc Linen - Upper Level Bath

Standard 6x6 White Tile - Upper Level Bath

Santino Grigio - Master Bath Floors

Composition White Gesso (no grout yet) - Shower Surround

Box of Mosaic Accent Tile for Master Bath

Mosiac Shower Pan - Does that look brown?

Walls Painted

Granite on Island Installed

Luna Pearl Granite

Walls Painted - Great Room

So let me start with all the positive aspect of the recent updates. Foremost, Im in love with all the tile selections through out the house. The Fabrique Gris Linen porcelain tile at the front and garage entry have exceeding our expectations. I was tempted to choose hardwood in these areas however functionally I know hardwood fairs poorly in these areas due to rain or snow. This tile still captures the same type of sophistication you get with hardwood floors. My favorite tile selection by far is the Santino grigio installed on the master bath floors.

On to the bad... The mosaic tile selections in the master bath shower pan looks horrible. Im not sure if I goofed or did Stonemark make a mistake? The tile I remember choosing was grey, but they appear to be a chocolate brown.

Here is a photo I took at the design center for this selection:

Stonemark Sample

This is what the shower pan looks like now:

Mosiac Tile Installed

So what do you guys think?