Building Old Salt Farm: Month Two Update

You guys!  I can’t believe another month of building has passed!  It’s going by more quickly than I thought it would, for which I’m grateful.  I have a feeling that when school gets out, and we’re not so crazy busy, that the time might go a little slower, but for now it’s flying by.  Today I’m sharing what’s been going the past month, how much progress has been made, and what it looks like now!

So much happened in month two of building Old Salt Farm! It looks like a real house now, and I can actually imagine us living there.  It’s also been a whirlwind making some of the final decisions, and I really only have paint and brick left to select.  Now it’s time to sit back and watch all of those selections come to fruition…and cross my fingers and hope I did okay! It’s kind of nerve wracking, actually, to make all of these choices that are in a tiny form, after trying to imagine them fill the walls and floors of your home.  I do love it, but there is a little bit of prayer involved toward the end!

Here’s the month broken down week-by-week…

Week 5:  

-Finished up the framing, then added the roof and shingles

-Wrapped the outside of the house

Since our house is going to be white, and the wrapping is white, if I squinted my eyes, I could almost imagine what it would look like when it’s finished!

-Started the plumbing

Once the framing was finished and the roof was on, it started to take shape quickly, and it started to feel a lot more real!

This is the family room—I’m in love with the cathedral ceiling!

These stairs are right in the middle of the house, and the family room is right behind me in this picture.  They will be painted open riser stairs, with white fronts and wood treads.  It’s very open, and will give provide lots of natural light throughout the house.

When the framing was finished, the walls went up, and everyone was excited to go into their respective rooms and imagine themselves there!

Week 6: 

-Plumbing finished

We were pretty involved in the process this week–and out at the house a couple of times. The plumbing for the entire house went in in just a couple of days, and we needed to be there for a  couple of decisions, including the master shower.

-Electrical walk-through

After plumbing was finished, we had our electrical walkthrough, which takes several hours.  Basically, you walk through every room in the entire house, garage, porches, and exterior with the electrical, and decide where you want every light switch, outlet, and ceiling lighting placement.  To be honest, it’s kind of stressful!  I can choose cabinets and countertops all day long, but trying to make a decision about where I want all the plugs is a whole different thing!

-Electrical work complete

The electrical work was finished in just a few days, and I was impressed it was so fast!  I had a few minor heart attacks, and had to go out on an emergency trip to the house (which is 45 minutes away from where we are now…not a quick trip…) to change my mind about an outlet in the family room!

-Cabinet & Flooring Measurements

I had already chosen my cabinets, but they don’t get ordered until the framing and plumbing is done, and they can come in and get in exact measurement of the space. They don’t rely on just the plans for this–because it can vary by just a little, but still enough to make a difference.  The same goes for the flooring–they measured my spaces for hardwood, tile, and carpet.

Once the flooring measurements were finished, I went back to the flooring store to make my final decisions.  Seriously…carpet about did me in.  I don’t know why it was so hard for me to decide, but I was there for awhile.  I also and a toddler with me that I tried to bribe with candy and Netflix on my phone so I could think about it for more than two seconds in a row, but I wasn’t super successful.  Finally, I just had to choose one, so I’m really hoping I like it when it is installed!  Cross your fingers for me!

Week 7: 

-Insulation

Caroline was SO excited to discover that she had a “pinky” house when she saw all the insulation in.  I didn’t have the heart to tell her it wasn’t going to last very long!

-Start drywall

They brought out stacks and stacks of drywall, and toward the end of the week, started putting it up.  It made the most difference of almost anything…it looks like a real house!

Week 8: 

-Drywall up! The mudding and taping still need to be done…that starts next week.

-Siding started

-Lighting selections

Oh.my.goodness.  This was absolutely exhausting.  I spent 7 hours in two days at the lighting store, poring over catalog after catalog, trying to find things I liked, and that would fit the look I was going for.  I discovered that NO ONE had ever come in and asked about barn lighting, and very few wanted black fixtures.  This area is pretty traditional overall, and I definitely don’t fit the mold, which I am totally okay with, but it’s a pain when you can’t find anything you like.  We have a lighting allowance that’s built into the cost of the house, and anything I order through the vendor goes against that allowance.  Because I had such a hard time finding what I liked at a good price (I found a lot of stuff online to compare), I ended up deciding to take a credit for the lighting, and order most of it myself. That does come with a risk—it’s now my responsibility to make sure it gets there on time, is in good repair, and provide all the lightbulbs.  If it goes through the vendor, they do all of that.  However, it’s going to totally be worth it.  I’m saving a on of money (lighting is EXPENSIVE), and I can get something I love. I’m still not finished, but I think I’ve got most of it nailed down.  I think I’ve looked at every farmhouse lighting fixture ever made in the last week!  I’ve got a list of favorites I’ll be sharing soon!

Now…on to month three!

Share and save for later!