We're grown ups, we have a house!

We closed on our house April 24th, and I am finally getting the pictures up!  I was pretty stressed getting the house put together and decorating all the rooms, but it finally has all come together.  Our house isn't huge by any means, I've just never had anything more to decorate than a bedroom and family room, haha!

So I know I talked about a few of our bumps along the house buying road, but now I can finally say it was all worth it!  The main fiasco was obviously the brick.  Sean couldn't care less (shocker) but I was ready to walk.  I think the part the made me the most mad was that no one believed me.  I knew from the minute they laid the first few bricks up that it wasn't right.  I mean seriously, I had looked long and hard at each individual brick sample, and gone up and down the streets looking at all the houses more times than I would like to say, so I think I knew what our brick was supposed to look like.  Sean didn't believe me, the realtor, the construction manager, the Highland leasing agent, and even our friends that I took over!  I was beginning to question if I was crazy myself. 

What ended up happening, (basically because I was raising hell) was we all had a meeting at our house about four weeks before we were supposed to close.  Our realtor, the construction manager, the leasing agent, Sean and I, and the Vice President of Highland homes!  It was a little awkward when we all arrived, because we were just all standing outside of the house making small talk.  Then finally the VP of Highland, Hunter said, "Okay, let's talk about this brick.  It's obviously different."  SERIOUSLY?!!!  This was the first time that anyone had ever agreed with me!  I literally could have hugged him I was so happy/surprised to have someone finally acknowledge that I wasn't crazy/losing my mind.

I had warned Sean on the car ride over to the meeting that I was going to be kind of a biotch.  I told him that I was really unhappy with all of this mess, and that I wasn't going to be afraid to show it.  I told him that I wasn't going to completely embarrass him, but he might not want to be affiliated with me.  

They had done some research and concluded that the error came the brick manufacturer.  The manufacturer had changed the color of the brick, but not the name.  Who does that?   So on paper, they had in fact ordered the correct brick.  But obviously (to only Hunter and myself) the color was different.

 At the meeting Hunter assured us that Highland was going to take responsibility for the error, and hopefully make it up to us somehow.  (The exact thought that went through my mind was CHA-CHING!)  He told us that if we REALLY hated the brick, they would remove it and we could pick another brick of our choice.  They were hesitant on doing that though, he could not guarantee the repercussions that would come from replacing the brick.  Landscaping would have to be redone, most of the windows would have to be replaced, and it was basically going to be a huge mess.

The entire time we were discussing things we could do to correct the erroneous brick, I was just sitting there with my arms folded looking annoyed.   Everyone was suggesting options and I wasn't really saying much.  Hunter interrupted everyone and said to me, "So I can tell that you're not pleased."  I explained that I was definitely not pleased.  I said that if I didn't want to pick out my own brick we would have bought a pre-owned home, which would have been a lot easier, and a lot less money.  I said that we had heard from so many people what a great company Highland was, and that I was honestly a little disappointed.  No one really said anything for a few seconds and then Hunter said that he would do everything in his power to make things right.  He apologized profusely, and he made it clear he was going to help us resolve this problem.  Everyone, including our realtor, said they had never had this happen before, so we were  all going through this process together. 

Hunter said that he wanted us to really love our home, and so if the issue was the look of the outside or curb appeal, we could add stone to the home and/or around the flower beds.  So Sean and I looked at some homes with stone and similar brick colors, and neither of us really liked the look.

Attempt #2.  Possible upgrades to the interior.  Hunter told us to make a "wish list" of some of the things we would like to have upgraded, things that we might have done if money wasn't a factor.  Please.  I invented wish lists.  And believe me, I went to town!  I made the list knowing we weren't going to get everything we were asking for, so maybe if we just got some of the things it wouldn't seem like I was asking for TOO MUCH.  They came back with some of the things I had asked for, free; garage door openers, blinds throughout the  home, wood floors in the entry and dining room, and that was it?!  I was really disappointed that was all they came back with.  We were negotiating through our realtor, so it was a lot of back and forth.  I let them know that I was not happy at all with what they had come back with.  Their "mistake" wasn't just the wrong carpet, or wrong color paint, this was THE BRICK ON OUR HOUSE!  Every day I would drive up and say, "ugh...look at that ugly brick." (By the way I don't think it's ugly at all)  It was a huge error on their part, and that I really thought they would have done more to right their wrong doings.  Totally worked.

They came back with free; beautiful hard wood floors throughout the kitchen, formal dining room, hallways, extended entry, and the entrance to the back patio!  The garage door openers and blinds still, and an amazing stainless steel french door refrigerator WITH the water and ice dispenser!  When we were considering buying one it was over $2000, and it made me a little sick thinking about spending that much money on just one appliance.  I was completely shocked and definitely pleased with everything they were giving us!  Did I mention that the house was completely finished, and that they had to rip up all the carpet and tile that was already placed?  When it was all said and done they "estimated" (which isn't really their cost-it would have been our cost if we purchased it from them) all the upgrades that we had gotten to be over $13,000.  OH. MY. GOSH.  Seriously, we are so blessed. 

I was completely blown away.  You better believe I wrote Hunter a really nice thank you note.  He totally didn't have to give us that much.  He even gave us one more free upgrade (keep reading).  We love our home so much, and it has been one crazy experience!  Enjoy the tour, sorry for the pic overload.

Welcome to our front door!

 I love our flower pots!

Inside the front door...

The view from the front entrance.  Do you like our pretty hardwood floors?  That I finagled for free...

Our hall console table

Our art nook. (This is one of our engagement photos that I've been wanting to blow up for years!  Neither of us are really "snow" people, but I love the mountains in the background...and yes we were freezing that day.)

  When you walk in the front door, our formal dining room is off to the right.  I am in love with the dining room and kitchen nook tables!  They're probably my favorite furnishings we've purchased. :)

These doors lead into the kitchen.  The doors you can see on the left is our pantry, and our laundry room is on the right.

Originally the pantry was less than half this size, and the art nook was actually an opening in the wall for a built in desk.  We decided to upgrade to the extended pantry, and we are SO glad we did.

So our laundry room is a little small, but I don't even care because I LOVE our washer and dryer.  We've been lucky enough to have them furnished in all of our apartments, so these beauties are our first washer and dryer, and I love them! (Yes, I just realized there is actual laundry in them)

If you keep walking you head into our pretty kitchen!  Off to the right is the kitchen nook, and you can see the rest!  The gorgeous hardwood floors start from the extended entry, formal dining room, and into the kitchen and hallways.  I should have been a negotiator, what am I doing cleaning teeth?

Our little kitchen nook.

My favorite part of the tables and chairs.<3 it.

The right side of kitchen, stove, microwave, etc.

Kitchen sink area overlooking the family room.

Left side of sink, the last of the cabinets, next to the fridge.

Apparentely we have a lot of stuff on our fridge already...but don't you think it's still a nice looking FREE fridge?  My favorite part is the ice/water dispenser.  I've never had a fridge like that, and I've always wanted one!

Another pic before I cluttered it up...

 Our family room! View from the kitchen if you keep walking through the house...This room, the master suite, and study are the first ones we painted.  I didn't realize I was going to be so indecisive picking out all the colors.  It's our first house, I had/have no idea what I'm doing!  Right Sarah?! :)

If you keep walking through, this is the wall on your right...the larger of the two.  We are still sporting our old couches, and I really don't mind them.  Sean HATES them, he really wants a sectional...but I don't really think they look that bad.  We'll see...

Fireplace/TV, the focal point of the room. 

If you keep going you'll hit the door to the covered patio/back yard.  I'm not in love with these drapes, they turned out a little 'shinier' than expected...so they might not be a keeper.   

 So the covered patio was definitely not a deal breaker while searching for our first home, but it was always something on my wish list!  I'm so happy with it!  I was searching for a while for patio furniture that I really liked.  I never really considered myself a "red person", but I kept coming back to this set.  I loved the way it turned out.  It's not the biggest thing in the world, but there ARE only two of us.  At least for now...

 Sean LOVES our grill.  We've actually used it a lot more than I thought we would.  The whole time we've lived in apartments we've always wanted one, but because we always have moved so often it didn't really make sense.  I think we both would agree it was worth the wait!

Putting the patio to good use...

I'm just a little excited about my flower pots too...

Relaxation....it's calling your name.

Overlooking the patio is the BEST PART of the house, our master suite.  This is what sold us in the model.  I love, love, love it.

Our sitting area.  Still undecided on the chairs...they might be replaced too.  Another thumbs down from Sean, boo...

I really like the legs on the little table too...

 When I was working out the final details for all of our free stuff, I told the VP of Highland to not put blinds on the bay windows in the master bedroom, because we were definitely going to be putting plantation shutters in immediately, so it would have been a waste.  When he sent me the final papers to sign for everything he said at the end, "...and I know we hadn't previously discussed it, but given some more light to the situation we've decided to include free plantation shutters in the master for you also." Whhhhhat?!!!!  I didn't even ask for them, we were completely shocked and obviously thrilled.  It would have been close to $1500 just for those three windows.  Seriously, we are so blessed.

Our bed/new bedding!  I know it may not look like much.  But I had been on the hunt for a new duvet cover for quite some time.  I ended up finding it at Pottery Barn, which usually is a little out of the budget.  I had searched for so long, and was so in love with this cover I didn't even care.  I came home with numerous Pottery Barn bags and Sean looked scared.  He asked me what I had bought.  I told him that I finally found a new duvet cover and that I really really liked it.  He asked me how much I spent, and I told him there was no way I was going to tell him.  He said, "really Becky, how much was it?"  I said, "I'm seriously too embarrassed, I don't even want to talk about it." He just laughed and said ok.  Thank you God for sending me an easy going husband.  I still haven't told him how much it was to this day...and I probably never will.  I'm a little appalled myself.

Do you think I have enough pillows?  It's a problem...I know.

Sean finally got a flat screen for the bedroom...and his own dresser.

The TV is conveniently aimed at the bed and Sean's sitting area so he can have a seat while I get ready.

Going into the master bath...(sorry I feel like this is dragging on, but I was given specific instructions to take pictures of everything!)

Double sinks...it may have saved our marriage. :)

Soaking tub!

I love my little sitting area portion of the vanity.  I use it every day!

Sean's side (notice the fan is on that side)

My side.  And yes, I know you're wondering, that IS the new Oral B Triumph Smartseries 5000.  What can I say?  My crest rep loves me, I got it for free. :)

 Relax. Refresh. Renew...my thoughts exactly.

Our stand up shower.  It is a little tight with both of us in there.  More motivation to slim down?

The toilet closet.

So clearly I went with the "bathtub" theme for decorating the bathrooms.  Sean was a hater once again, but I like it. Thoughts?   P.s. I love all the extra storage.  Clearly a woman designed this home.  (A woman actually does design Highland/horizon homes)

THE.BEST.PART.

Of course my clothes are length/color coordinated.

 And about once every two weeks I have to fix Sean's clothes too...

I may or may not have asked Sean to take this picture...It's the first time in our entire marraige where we have been able to fit ALL of our clothes together.  I don't even have to rotate them out of storage bins seasonally.  That's reason enough to buy a house. :)

Sean joked that I was in love with this closet...he may be right. 

If you go back through the family room, on the other side of the house are the rest of the bedrooms.  They finally got our fireplace right. :)

I think it turned out nicely...

The hallway from the entrance to the study/guest bedrooms.

 View from kitchen into study.

Sean in the office.

Of course he HAD to have another TV in there.

This picture was from my Dad's dental office.  I don't know if you can read it, but it says "Dentist upstairs" which really has a new meaning now. We had it up at his funeral and wake too.  My Mom let me have a lot of stuff from his Chicago and Indiana practice, and this is one of my favorites.  I told Sean the office was the one room he could decorate however he wanted to, and he was sweet enough to suggest putting this up. Love him.

 Sean likes to call this "mega desk".  Who knows...

Hallway into guest bedroom and workout room.

Our cute guest bedroom.  It's not the biggest room in the world, but we still like it.

Oh, the arguments that ensued over this headboard.  Was it worth it? Absolutely. 

When Aunt Marlys came over to see our house, she said that she had the same pictures!  Great minds think alike..

These were the old drapes from our apartment, I can be thrifty...right?!

I'm not really into the "distressed" look, and so when I found this end table I asked this person if they had any more tables that weren't damaged.  He said that's the way they're actually made-I know, people ask me that all the time.  Then I asked, "Well can I still get a discount because it looks damaged?"  He shrugged and said, "Sure, why not."  You never know unless you ask!

Exiting the guest bedroom, going back into the hallway is the linen closet.  Linen closet?!  It's the little things after apartment living that make me happy.

On your right before hitting the workout room is the guest bathroom.  Double sinks in here too?!  Genius.

I like how there is a door for the shower/toilet area.

The paint color is the same as the family room and the workout room.  More bathtubs, I know...

Close ups of the vanity area

I WORK OUT!!!  (Chelse and Rachel, that was for you)

Sean really wanted a heavy bag, and surprisingly...they're pretty cheap.  If we EVER argued (which we clearly never do) this is where you would find me-punching this bag.  So, good thing we never argue.  :)

I may or may not have splurged a little bit on this treadmill, totally worth it though.  I really wish I liked running outside, but I hate to admit that I still get a little scared running in the dark by myself.  Yes, I am 26 years old.  Sad, I know...

When I walk in the spot, this is what I see... Everybody stops....you know the rest...

Back out into the hallway...

If you keep walking down the hallway, the entrance to the garage is on your right.  Thanks for the housewarming gift Paige!  "P" is for Paige, and coincidentally "Packard" too. :)

We have a garage!  Everyone knows what my favorite part of the house is, but this is definitely Sean's favorite.  I will say it is nice not having to search for a parking spot to get into your own house!

The weekend after we moved in, Sean did this epoxy coating on the garage floor.  He was pretty excited about it, and I will say-it looks pretty sweet.





A lot of blood, sweat, tears have gone into the house...literally.  It has been a lot of hard work, and I'm sure there will be plenty more to come.  We debated whether or not to get a house this year, or to just keep saving up.  I'm really glad we did it this year, obviously things may have not worked out the way they did if we had waited.

 I'm not a very good saver (shocker I know) so it's a good thing Sean is.  We have been saving hard core for a really long time.  It was really hard for me to save this much money, and not go and buy other things we may have wanted or needed.  If nothing else, it has been a really good lesson for me that if you work hard enough for something, you can get it.  I think sometimes it's hard to see others get things so easily.  A lot of people just get things handed to them, and sometimes it seems like they don't have to work as hard.  It wasn't an option for us to have our parents co-sign for us on our mortgage, or just give us our closing costs (which can I say is an absurd amount of money?!), or buy us things to furnish or home, or really get any type of that kind of help just given to us.  I feel that sometimes I can become a little bitter about it, but really I am just envious-haha!  It obviously would have been A LOT easier for us to just get everything handed to us.  

But now that it's all said and done I am so grateful that we were able to do it all on our own.  It helped us grow together as a couple SO MUCH.  Sean helped me realize some of the ways that we are so so blessed, and I helped him to realize it's ok to spend a little money sometimes :).  We make a good team.  We can honestly say that this is OUR HOME.  We did it all by ourselves, and we did it together.  I have never seen a house go up from the ground up, and it was such a cool experience.  I love everything about our house, and I honestly feel so grateful for being able to make it a home.  I hope we are here for years to come, and can't wait to see what the future holds for us and our little family.