Sunday, February 14, 2016

A fun day at a Milan Model!!

So, when we started this whole process, we were pretty much sold by two things:  looking at the floor plans online, and visiting a home for someone in our neighborhood that was getting ready to close.  Meaning that it was someone else's home and we got to walk through it before they closed on it the very next day.

The Milan floor plan is "new" to the Cincinnati area.  So new that Ryan Homes didn't have a model built for it yet.

Yet.

They are in the process of building a Milan out in a development called Fort Scott in Harrison, OH.  It's not too far from where we are building.  We have stalked it once when we heard that it was going to be built there.  It was pretty much foundation and a bit of framing when we went to check it out.

So- today.... we went out to where we are building just to visit our sales rep.  Why? No reason.  We just really like her and enjoy chatting with her.  So, we went out to chat.  We "decided" that it was a good idea that she knew our mortgage application had FINALLY gone into underwriting {and what a hassle that has been}.  Plus, we wanted to find out how the Milan model was coming along.  Without nothing going on for our own home yet, we are just anxious and excited and want to get this whole thing rolling.

Couple of good news things:  We should be hearing about scheduling our pre-construction meeting here in the next couple of weeks!  And, we are still "on schedule" for a closing date in May!  Those are pretty stinkin' awesome things to hear.

And, when we asked about the model, our SR asked if we wanted to go out to see it!!  She called the SR out at that development, and found out that it had its flooring and such being installed, and we should be able to go see it if we wanted.

Well, there was the impending doom of 1-3 inches of snow starting to fall, but we immediately said yes!  I have ZERO..... ZERO photos of the inside of a Milan.  I can probably easily tell you what every single photo looks like of the Milan on the Ryan Homes site as much as I thumb through them online.....

I am so very happy that we went out to look at this in-process model of the Milan! Huge props to our sales rep for thinking of this and getting us over there!! It was great!

 I only had my camera on my phone, but that's okay! I still took tons of photos!  And, I'm gonna share them here for you guys to look at, but also for me to be able to look back on.


The model has the same elevation as our home!
It has a 3 car garage, which we don't have, but we are getting the front porch <3

Family entry-- they are putting in the "arrival center".. I plan on trying to DIY this once we are in our home, and I am pleased that this area is actually bigger than what I remember.  The door to the left there is the powder room and the spot to the right is the entrance into the kitchen.

Entrance to the powder room off of the family entry

Sink and cute lil round mirror in the powder room



Kitchen <3



Kitchen view from the Family Room. Not sure how I feel about whatever that table-thing is at the end of the island, but hey! Not my house.  You can see the morning room from this angle too.

Kitchen view from the morning room.
The door to the left is actually the pantry.  I am a BIT disappointed by the size.  I was hoping for it to be a bit bigger, but hey. I had to find SOMETHING wrong, right??
The door to the right is the entry into the Family Entry, and the garage will be beyond that.
There aren't any garage pictures as this is a model home and those will be offices.


Family Room via the Morning Room.
This was great because we could kind of figure out where our TV will go.
We aren't getting a fireplace.  Not our thing.



Living Room with the standard windows.
I think Jason and I have decided that this is where our TV will go.  Not 100% on this, but it's good to know that this was where we MIGHT want it.  It means furniture decisions will change.  Which could be good ;-)

Morning Room.
The photos on the windows are the floor plans for the build.

Foyer looking from the Family Room to the front door.
This is standing next to the Dining Room
The door on the left is the foyer closet
The opening to the left of the front door is the "office/study"-- or for our home, the living room.
Dining Room.
I love the fixtures that come standard.  They're so pretty.
Office/Study {Living Room for our home}
In our home, we won't have that wall and you'll see both the Dining Room and the Living Room.
I love the open-ness it will bring *not* having the wall there.

From the top of the stairs looking down.
That's the Dining Room you can see below.
Straight ahead is the hall closet, and the Master Bedroom is to the left.  The opening on the right is Bedroom #2
The banisters and white balusters are one of the upgrades we chose.  Our stain will be different, but it's nice seeing the white upgraded balusters.
Hall bathroom.
We didn't up grade anything in this particular bathroom as far as the shower and cabinets are concerned.

Double vanities in the hall bathroom.
This comes standard for our home :-)
We didn't upgrade the cabinetry, as I hope it's something I will be able to DIY later on down the line.

Another shot of the hall bathroom, kinda showing everything.

Laundry Room.
Let's just say I am THRILLED with this space. I love that it's upstairs, and a big space.
Maybe I need to show y'all how small our place is now.
Bedroom #3.
I LOVED walking into these rooms today. SO much more room than what I remembered.

Bedroom #3 Closet.

Loft.
Not sure what the ledge thing is they are building over on the right.
A loft was a deal breaker for us.  We really wanted one, and the Milan has a great loft!

Another loft view.  With this elevation {which is our elevation too}, you get that cute little rounded window, and the little extra space with that window.  I love it so so so much.

Looking across the upstairs.
We are staring in front of the Master Bedroom here, and the door straight ahead is the Laundry Room.
The opening to the left is Bedroom #2

Bedroom #2.
Master Bathroom.
This is looking from the closet into the bathroom.
In this model, they're doing just the stand up shower, no tub.
We upgraded to the full garden tub with shower surround.
We lose the closet you see to the right of the shower, but that's quite alright with all the other closet space we get.

Another view of the Master Bath from the closet.
This is looking straight ahead into the Master Bedroom.

Master Shower

Me standing inside the little closet in the Master Bath.
We upgraded our cabinets in the master bath just like they did in the model here.

Double Vanities in the Master Bath.
Opening just beyond the double vanities is the toilet room.
The opening at the top is one of the master closets.
Master Bedroom.
Looking from the Master Bath

Master Bedroom from the area of the second walk-in closet.
The opening is the Master Bath
And check out all of those doors.
Basement!
I have to ask, but I really hope we get our balusters down here too.
The opening to the right is the optional bathroom.

Basement bathroom.
The hall and opening you can JUST see to the right is the exercise room.

Doors for a walk-out.
LOVE seeing this, as we are going to have a walk out as well.

Basement.
Wet Bar.  Sad we aren't getting one, but glad all at the same time.
The opening there is the entrance into the "Media Room".
I really really really hope we can talk our PM into letting us finish the "media room" and just not have that stinkin' wall that separates the finished basement from the media room.  I hate that that's just not an option.



So, it's not our home. But, it was so stinkin great to be able to walk inside what our home will eventually be one day.  And, now I have photos that I can look back on and dream about.

And, keep your fingers crossed that we actually hear back from the mortgage company and underwriting in this upcoming week. I am so ready to just hear the official "approved" word and concentrate on getting this house built and make it ours!



Friday, February 5, 2016

Instagram Fun!


So, there's not too much going on for us lately that is house related.  I swear I stalk blogs WAY too much and can't wait to finally be starting on our own.


We have been having one helluva time with that lovely mortgage company, NVR.  No worries, I will eventually be telling y'all all about it.  I just don't want to jinx anything on that end.  We did give them ALL of the paperwork they asked us for today, so let's just hope the next week flies!!


In the meantime, I thought I would show you a sign, haha!
This photo was posted on Ryan Homes Instagram account yesterday....

A sheltie!!!






That's a total sign that we definitely went with the right builder and that we SHOULD be building, even with the headaches we have to endure.

So, you guys keep your fingers crossed for our underwriting process, and hopefully we can get this ball rolling!!!

Have a great weekend!!