the misadventures of sarah and dennis

Mattamy New Release

nospam@example.com (Sarah) — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 23:02:11 -0700

So I've been looking at houses again. We're not planning to move or anything, but I like to see how our neighbourhood is progressing. Anyway, Mattamy is apparently on Phase 6. Crazy. The townhomes have gone up in price again. Our model is now listed at $257,990. That's $33K more than what we purchased at (base price). Apparently they'll be building in this area for a few more years. I've signed up to get notification on the new phases. Eeee.. I can't wait for 3/4 more years and off to our final house we'll go (I hope). Dennis seems to think that we're moving once we have at least two kids in this house.. hmm.... interesting.

Wallpaper I Wanted. And Wallpaper I Got.

nospam@example.com (Sarah) — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 10:04:00 -0700

Okay, today was looonnnnggg.

I knew I wanted to tackle the wallpaper that I've been talking so much about in our dining room. The problem was, I've never wallpapered before, but like usual, the Internet proved to be helpful (sort of).

I was following this guide: http://www.diynetwork.com/how-to/how-to-apply-wallpaper/index.html

One thing that took me by surprise was this:

Prime the walls with a high-quality oil-based primer. Primer is especially necessary for new walls because untreated drywall will quickly absorb moisture from the wallpaper adhesive.

Not really reading the latter part of that quote, off to Home Depot Barrhaven I went. I asked the paint expert about priming the walls. Apparently that's a no no and the builders priming and painting would suffice.

First of all I purchased the wallpaper months before we moved in. I tried to explain to the lady that I'd need 3 rolls, but she insisted that 2 would suffice. Well it didn't matter anyway, there were only two left in the store. But, sure enough, when I'm ready to install, I do the math and I'm missing one strip. So it wouldn't be a big deal if all I have to do is buy one more roll. With wallpaper, it doesn't really work like that. Each roll has a lot number associated with it. So you need to match the lot number so that each roll is guaranteed to match. I had been checking Home Depot to see if they would restock, but they hadn't. The HD employee was supposed to call me and let me know when they got more rolls in. Yeap, no call.

Anyway, so here we are 5 months later and I need about 7 more feet. I call Kanata Home Depot and they are crazy busy, so I left a message. Sure enough, 2 hours pass, no call and I'm going to start to run out of light. I took my chances and decided to just visit the big HD again (but this time in Kanata) and hoped they had 3 rolls. I was in luck! But I also had to talk to a few people since my receipt was so old The wallpaper woman remembered me and gave Customer Service a call. Finally, I would be able to start wallpapering.

The one thing about me though is, I didn't want to have travelled to Kanata just to get wallpaper. So naturally I had to go shopping at Costco and do some groceries. Good thing though, I decided it was time to put up the television, so I picked up a wall mount. We'll get to that in another post...

So after reading and rereading the online guide, we were ready to wallpaper. We couldn't decide whether to do the bulk head or not. For now we're going to leave.

We figured since the wallpaper was going up, we might as well install the chandelier. Mind you that's a story in itself, but while at home depot I had to get them to cut down one of the pieces that came with the chandelier since it wouldn't install properly. The man at HD wasn't very happy. :S

What I wasn't happy with was the fact I had to hang each and every one of the crystals. Now that was a lot of effort and pain. But we ended up happy with the result.

Check out the pictures from our wallpaper / chandelier adventure. However, that table is just temporary.

All Fired Up

nospam@example.com (Sarah) — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 22:37:31 -0700

Soooo... we mentioned a long time ago that we'd want to either remove the mantle and replace with a shelf. However, plans changed because we realized the mantle got really hot when the fireplace was on for an extended period of time. Our other option was to paint it. We were sure what colour, but it was either black or white. We decided to try white first. And I think we're going to stop there. Take a look at the before and after pictures and tell us what you think.

Before

After

The Great Room Progress

nospam@example.com (Sarah) — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 21:55:23 -0700

So it's a little plain right now. I ended up finding some great deals on pillows at Bouclair. I knew I wanted to have purple accents in this room, but I wasn't willing to pay $25/pillow. Anyway, I lucked out and the next week I walked in there, all the pillows I wanted were half price. Not bad...

Anyway, so the current focus right now is supposed to be the Great Room and Kitchen, but I find myself purchasing things for other rooms right now. :S At this rate, we're never going to finish one room. Hopefully, we'll be able to find some great deals during boxing day (week).

Only 5 more days till Christmas!

Oh yes, and Mattamy is scheduled to come out here this week and fix up some issues in our home. We haven't heard from them since our meeting, not sure if they were supposed to call us on Friday to remind us, and tell us which rooms to clear out . Oh well, I guess we'll see tomorrow.

Our Kitchen Progress

nospam@example.com (Sarah) — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 20:56:11 -0700

So it's not quite complete. Honestly, we haven't put everything away yet because we don't know where we want everything to go. I can't wait till everything is done though. We still need to backsplash, paint, figure out a window treatment solution for the patio door and install one more light fixture, then hopefully we'll then be done.

I think we decided we actually like our countertops, so that's why we're going to go ahead with the backsplash. As for the sink and faucet. Not sure yet. I def. think the faucet needs to go at some point, but it's not a priority.

We've been putting up painters tape to remind us of what needs to go on our 30 day list. Each day the roll gets a little shorter. :S

On another note, we have officially vacated the apartment today. Happy and sad at the same time. I swear we heard Green Day's Good Riddance (Time of Your Life) playing as we closed the door.

Dishwasher Disaster

nospam@example.com (Sarah) — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 22:43:31 -0700

So we finally had the last of our appliances installed today. Sucks for us to find out our dishwasher has a leak in it. Dennis stepped in a puddle on the hardwood floor. So part of the floor is ruined. Someone's gotta pay for it though. Whether it's GE or Corbeil, I don't care, just get it fixed.

Not sure if we're supposed to run the dehumidifer up in the kitchen, but we figured it may be a good idea to. We'll see how the floor is in the morning.

Off to bed.

We're In!

nospam@example.com (Sarah) — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 21:10:06 -0700

Okay, we've been in for a while now. But we have been slowly moving all our stuff to the new place. Unfortunately it's almost two full weeks and the appliances are all installed yet. Thanks for our wonderful friends and neighbours, we were able to get the stove, fridge, and washer and dryer in. I finally found the time to call the appliance installer, so we're going to have our dishwasher and OTR microwave in by the end of the week. Eeeks. It's been like 3 months without a microwave. All I can say is.. wow. I'm surprised we were even able to do that.

I can't wait till we're all unpacked. Then we can finally invite our friends and neighbours over and Parrrrty!

Okay, time to finish unpacking the kitchen so there's at least some room for the installer.

By the way. I love the house. I was nervous at first, but I'm so happy and thankful that we're in here.

Today is the Day

nospam@example.com (Sarah) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 15:17:00 -0700

That's right, it's closing day. And we're still waiting for the call. It sucks because I'm home sick and can't even do anything but lay here. Sucks for Dennis, he'll be doing the majority of the work tonight. I was hoping it would be a lot more exciting, but I can't seem to get there yet.

Pre-Delivery Inspection

nospam@example.com (Sarah) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:49:05 -0700

So we're only two days away now. Our Pre-Delivery Inspection happened yesterday. If you don't know what that is...

The PDI represents one of your first opportunities to view your new home in its completed state. Your builder’s representative will guide you or your designate* through a comprehensive inspection and show you how to operate the systems in your home, such as ventilation, plumbing and heating.

During the PDI, you or your designate should identify any damaged, incomplete or missing items as well as anything which is not operating properly. You should ensure that your builder’s representative records these conditions on the PDI Form to verify that they existed prior to occupancy. If you or your designate cannot assess something because it has not yet been installed or completed, have this noted on the PDI Form as well.

At the PDI you or your designate will be asked to sign the PDI Form, a Certificate of Completion and Possession (CCP), as well as Confirmation of Receipt of the Homeowner Information Package form (if you have not already signed this form). The CCP also marks the official date of possession, which establishes when your warranty coverage begins.

- Tarion Website

So it went well. The house is almost complete, just a few touch ups here and there. The builder's representative, Mark, was a really good guy. Honestly, we've had such a pleasant experience with Mattamy thus far, well, besides our delay, but in essence, everything has gone really well. I'll blog more about that later...

Today we'll be signing the papers at the lawyers. I'm usually very excited. But we're soooo sick right now. It's my birthday tomorrow, and we're pretty much stuck at home. On top of that, we aren't even done packing. Sigh. Such an anti-climactic week.

We're all covered up!

nospam@example.com (Sarah) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 17:14:40 -0700

So, I just purchased the last of the blinds today. We did purchase blinds for the windows beside the fireplace last week from Canadian Tire (mind you they were pre-cut) and we're going to hold off on purchasing them for the other windows since there wasn't a sale. Well.. there was a sale, and still is a sale till Tuesday at Bouclair. It is currently 40% off for custom cut faux wood blinds. It's funny because everyone I know so far on our street have the exact same blinds.

Anywho, we will however, be able to also cover up our bathrooms since there was another sale going on at Linen Chest at the Pinecrest Mall for the past few days. The sale ends on Sunday though. I actually only went there for pillows, but I came out with so much more. Everything in the store is 20% off. You also get a free gift if you spend over $100 (I think). We don't have salad serving utensils, so it was good for us. Actually, we don't even have a salad bowl, so that may not work too well for us.

I'm having a hell of a time looking for a Shower Curtain sized for a shower stall. Everything is 72"x72" which fits the bathtub well. Anyway, if anyone see anything, please let me know. I've seen some in white and ivory at Bed, Bath and Beyond, but either than that... nothing.

Only 2 more days till the PDI and 5 more days till we move in. Oh wait, 4 more days till my birthday. Eeee.... So excited!

4 MORE DAYS!

nospam@example.com (Sarah) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:22:21 -0700

To the PDI that is. It's 7 days till we get possession. Eeeks. So I think I decided to start counting down to the PDI instead, so when that's over, it's only 3 days till closing. I'm still sooo excited that my stomach is churning.

So the one thing I frequently like to do is check the Mattamy Homes website and check the prices of the townhomes. Well, more specifically, our model. Great news! Our model is now up to $249,990! I know we haven't moved in yet, but I'm excited when I think what it will be in 5-7 years when/if we decide to move. But on the other hand, if we want to move to a single home, the cost of those homes are going to be sooo much more than what we could have bought if we purchased now. Ugh.. Oh well, there's nothing we can do about that.

So I've been packing for the past 2 months, and Dennis started helping yesterday. He just realized that we have ALOT to do. But to tell you the truth, I rather pack myself. I'm sort of a pack rat, so naturally he thinks that most of it is junk, and he just wants to throw everything out. Which to me is obviously annoying... Well hopefully we can get most of it done this weekend because there's not many days left!

I started the listing/packing the things we MUST bring the first night, but it appears to get longer and longer each day.. It has stuff on it like toiletries, pillows, blankets, air mattress, clothing for the next day, etc. Oh yes, cleaning supplies and our bird

We have one major thing left to do which is to sign for our appliances this weekend. There is also a sale at the Linen Chest, so I think we're going to get new pillows for the house. FYI everything is an additional 20% off this weekend (starting today). They also have door prizes every hour and a free gift with any purchase over $100 or more (while quantities last).

Okay I must end this post now.. Grey's Anatomy is on.

10 Days till Closing

nospam@example.com (Sarah) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 17:54:15 -0700

It's killing me to know that in 1 week and 3 days we'll officially be in our house. I CAN'T WAIT! My stomach is churning and I'm excited, but a little bit nervous at the same time. Are we ready to be homeowners? Will we have enough money to sustain our current way of life? I guess it's a little too late for me to be asking those questions now. Actually, we have no choice, but to BE READY. Ready for whatever home ownership throws at us.

I think I failed to blog about all the progress last week. So many things happened around the same time, I guess I was too excited to even mention anything. So it started with the mortgage fiasco, which, with the help from Randy Little and his connections, we were able to secure a Plan B with Sandra Tisiot from Mortgage Architects. She told me that everything should eventually fall into place and we probably won't need the Plan B, but it was getting closer to the date, so it was better off we do it now, than be scrambling at the last minute. The bank did pull through though, and we ended up signing on the dotted line 8 am Friday morning. Mind you, they forgot some papers we had to sign, so we went back again Saturday afternoon. Which ended up being okay since we wanted to visit the house and pick up some boxes from a friend that already lives in HMB.

So we thought Friday morning was already great, but as soon as Dennis got into work, it got even better. He was hired on full time starting June 2010 with IBM. So he'll have a month after he's done school to just relax. We're thinking on going on our first real vacation during that time. Maybe we'll even get engaged (*hint hint). Not that I have any say on when that's going to happen, but hey, a girl can try!

Saturday, like I said, we went to sign the papers, pick up some boxes and visit the house. Finally the doors were unlocked. Well, I got a message from our neighbour who lives across the street who mentioned it was wide open on the Friday evening (btw, big thanks for shutting the door). And mind you, it's great that the Mattamy keeps the doors locked, but I guess I just don't want them to be locked when I want to go in the house. :S Yes, I know, it doesn't work like that.

It appears that everything is almost complete. We did find some issues that will need to be addressed, but overall we're happy with our choices.

More photos can be found at photos.dennisandsarah.com

Next year is going to be a big year. I can feel it... But first we just need to get to next week.

My First Cupcake Creation

nospam@example.com (Sarah) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 22:00:36 -0700

Okay, this has nothing to do with the house, well sorta. I'll be doing a lot of this while we're in the new house.

Anyway, I just invented the best thing ever. Well maybe just for me. I've been dreaming about this for awhile, but I took two things that I love:

1) Cupcakes

and

2) Cream Cheese Caramel Apple Dip

and made this..

And they taste even better than I imagined...

But I'll be taking these to my work pot luck tomorrow. I hope they like them...

What's in Store?

nospam@example.com (Sarah) — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 21:49:00 -0700

So there are exactly 18 days till closing and I can't wait!!! We've been by a couple times this week and the doors are locked.. again. Good to know they are locking it, but ugh, does it have to be the times I want to see the house. I was hoping there would be a trade inside working, but no, they were just working on the houses beside ours. I've noticed they had the cabinets in on Wednesday, but I didn't bother taking pictures. But I did take one yesterday.

The cabinets were supplied and installed by Laurysen Kitchens in Stittsville. I can't comment on the job as of yet, but I"ll let you know once we're able to get into the house and see it first hand. From the picture, the cabinets look a lot taller than I imagined, so there is a lot more cupboard space than I had originally thought. Our apartment doesn't have much storage space now, so I'm sure we'll have plenty of room. The only thing that we won't have in our new house is a pantry, but hopefully it won't be an issue.

They have also installed the ugly mantle, that seems a little to large for my liking. I may just ask them to remove it instead. We were thinking of painting the mantle white, but I still think it sits a little too high up the wall. We'll see...

Anyway...

Yesterday was the Mattamy Fall BBQ. Dennis couldn't go, so I brought our friend Nathan with me. They had tons of food and had nicely carved pumpkins for prizes. We didn't stay long enough to even see these prizes given out, it was way too cold for comfort. Mattamy also held a Spooky House Decorating Contest for the community. They actually had prizes for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place. 1st prize was a 42" Panasonic Plasma, 2nd prize was a Wii and 3rd place was a GPS. Not bad... Too bad we didn't close sooner. I would have been all over that. Next competition.. We're sooo in.

Mortgage Disaster

nospam@example.com (Sarah) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 16:23:04 -0700

So I haven't mentioned much about this, but essentially Dennis and I will both be on the mortgage and on the house title. But in order to do that, our names must both be on the purchase agreement. Which after some fiasco a few months ago, we both are. Anyway, the reason why we went through all that trouble to add him to the agreement of purchase and sale earlier was to avoid having to add him to both the mortgage and the title later. You see, you'd think that it wouldn't be an expensive task, but apparently it's about $400 with the lawyer to do that afterward.

So that's the back story, after we got that all sorted out we went to our mortgage specialist to give her all his information so that he can be added to the file. I'm not sure why, but apparently at the time she felt it wasn't necessary for her to open up a new account earlier, but now we're in a situation in which we tried to avoid. The bank's conclusion was that I should close with only me on title and on the mortgage and we'll deal with adding Dennis later. Umm.. what? I swear we went through all that other trouble to avoid this in the first place. The reasoning was that we'd lose our rate if she'd open up a new file with the two of us on it. Apparently it's "impossible" to give us the rate we were promised (3.95%) because the current rate is much higher than that and it would mess things up on their end.

Honestly, I don't think this is our problem. We came to them months ago to add him onto the file, and at that time, the rates were considerably low, so if she were just to open the file at that time, we wouldn't be in this issue. The bank tried to convince me to sign without him, but I declined. She then said it's possible for them to do it, but there just needs to go through some people before it gets approved. She said this weekend it should be ready, but just in case, I did some shopping around. We can't match the 5 year fixed rate we got, what I got quoted was 4.19% but the 4 year fixed is currently listed as 3.54%. I locked in at these rates just in case things fall through. But seriously, we're royally pissed.

On a side note, the cabinets are in, we couldn't really see it because all the doors were locked. The fireplace is hideous and doesn't leave much room for the television, so we're going to ask them to remove the mantle.