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| Home Depot Gift Card |
I never imagined this blog would bring so much excitement! I have learned so much and will continue to learn as we share more. I want to personally thank each of you for following our journey and sharing your experiences by hosting the fist of many giveaways! This giveaway is for a $50 Home Depot gift card (or eGift card) for one lucky reader to be used for your new or existing home. I played with so many ideas of what to have as the first giveaway, and although I have some grand ideas, since we spend soooooo much time at Home Depot, I figured what not just keep it simple, yet useful!
To enter for your chance to win, tell me:
One valuable thing you have learned about the building process, or one thing you may do differently next time you buy or build a home <--- that should be interesting!
One valuable thing I learned was to document every single thing! Because I read horror stories before starting this blog, we documented everything, took tons of pictures, and even recorded videos. Documenting will save time and headaches!
Giveaway Details
The giveaway will run from September 6, 2015 - September 26, 2015 (the "Giveaway Period"). Enter by replying with an appropriate comment below during the Giveaway Period. One (1) winner will be selected at random on or about September 27, 2015, and will be contacted via email for confirmation and delivery options. Comment as often as you like, but only one (1) entry per day during the Giveaway Period will be entered to win.
Thank you again for hanging tough with us as we went from house to home. I appreciate you all and because of YOU, I can say starting this blog was an absolute success.
Best of luck!
xoxo
*No purchase necessary to enter or win. This giveaway is open to US residents only. You must be 18 years or older to enter. Spam accounts are not eligible for this giveaway. Once the winner has been contacted and verified, the winner will be announced in a future post. USPS mailing or email addresses will not be stored or shared with anyone and will be solely used to communicate with the winner and delivery of gift card. This giveaway is not sponsored or affiliated with Home Depot.
I learned that there will ALWAYS be delays in the construction process and that you need to keep your cool.
ReplyDeletemami2jcn at gmail dot com
The next time we buy I will be sure to NOT listen to the real estate agent, and not buy a home without a finished back yard. Thank you for the wonderful giveaway.
ReplyDeleteErin
ErinLoves2Run at gmail dot com
I have learned to budget better before we start building. I have lived in an unfinished house for 10 years now. Slowly things are getting finished, but wow! This year has been productive so far, my son has a room with painted walls and I have nice wood walls downstairs this year.
ReplyDeleteI have learned to budget better before we start building. I have lived in an unfinished house for 10 years now. Slowly things are getting finished, but wow! This year has been productive so far, my son has a room with painted walls and I have nice wood walls downstairs this year.
ReplyDeleteI've learned to always plan out before starting any project. Thanks for the giveaway! DamianMom at yahoo dot com
ReplyDeleteIf you are on a budget, go to garage sales and keep an eye on the facebook groups. I have gotten some great deals on peoples leftover flooring and tiles. :)
ReplyDeleteI have learned to save on some and splurge on others during the building process.
ReplyDeleteDon't be afraid to ask family and friends for help. Building is a big job and can get overwhelming.
ReplyDeleteThe next time I build a home, I will make sure to drop in more often unannounced to make sure everything is being done the way I want.
ReplyDeleteKellywcu8888ATgmailDOTcom
Be involved from the very beginning.
ReplyDeleteStop by your home everyday and know what should be happening.
Ask many questions, who cares if you think its dumb question.
Get every bump out your can afford, (you really can't put in a bay window later and what the cost of Ryan is offering)
ASK your PM and SR for special items, (pendant light placement or extra granite hangover) you wont know unless you ask.
Don't assume the builder know what they are doing, they are super busy and things will get overlooked, make sure doing the process you see ...for example.....all the light rough ins are there, sidewalk to framed to your liking before they pour.
FIND OUT WHO YOUR SUBCONTRACTORS are and contact them directly with any questions, sometimes you will get good answers from them instead of waiting for your PM.
Sorry, I am unable to say just one thing............its impossible, I tried to touch on key house experience changing points.
Good luck ya'll
Try to get the best deals for your supplies, go to lumber discounters and garage sales.
ReplyDeleteI purchased our house recently first time home buyer, I would have did some things differently I would have suggested that the original homeowner remove the trees in the back yard we had seven pines two were hit by lightning and we had to have them cut down. I would have also asked that homeowner did some additional repairs minor things but had them done so we didn't have to worry about it.
ReplyDeleteLooks like Brenda is ...in it to win it, I just read, drawing will be by random. I thought it was content. Opps :(
ReplyDeletePick your ELEVATION carefully, when you pick your elevation not only is it the outside appearance, its the extra room and lack there of, inside your home, an elevation can give you a large entrance or a tiny one! So look both inside and out! SO MANY PEOPLE DONT KNOW THIS, and they don't tell you.
SHop around and get the best prices, don't just settle with the first place you find. There's always a better deal somewhere :)
ReplyDeleteExtend the size of our driveway, what they don't tell you is they only go the width of the garage door. Look around, so many people have asked them to extend past that, and others have not. Look around at the driveways and you will see the ones who did and did not ask. An uh ha moment :)
ReplyDeleteI learned you must be sure to verify contractors, anyone building/renovating/touching your home a home - check licenses, their history, everything, so you don't end up with terrible work that you cannot be compensated for. Also, be there and watch or monitor the work being done, be vigilant.
ReplyDeletejslbrown2009 at aol dot com
I learned that spending the extra money on some upgrades- flooring for example, can be worth it, while other upgrades, like fans and faucets, can be cheaper and easier to do on your own. Definitely stay involved, and expect delays. The email that I check most often is fossil316@aol.com
ReplyDeleteI learned that spending the extra money on some upgrades- flooring for example, can be worth it, while other upgrades, like fans and faucets, can be cheaper and easier to do on your own. Definitely stay involved, and expect delays. The email that I check most often is fossil316@aol.com
ReplyDeleteHave patience, because most home jobs will take longer than expected.
ReplyDeleteAs my dad always says, one day at a time. :)
ReplyDeleteCheck where they are placing your hose bibs. LOL. Truly, they could be placing it right square in the middle of your deck of patio some day, you have to catch this early and they can easily move it. Its these little things later you wish you had!
ReplyDeleteAsk around if any family has experience with building or wiring. Get their advise or better yet, get their help! :)
ReplyDeleteMake sure to plan out the way you walk your sidewalk to be up to your front door, you would think this would be a no brainer but be clear how you would like your sidewalk to bend and turn and if possible, if not, sometimes the path can not be what you imagined. Of course, this involves you being very involved in your process
ReplyDeleteFInd a good landscaper, because when it's all done you want to outside to look as good as the inside. :)
ReplyDeleteMudding, sanding and painting can be tougher than it looks, and it you are painting a shelf, move it away from the wall first ;) lol
ReplyDeleteOffer to showcase your house once its finished to potential buyers. I would offer that up early on to your SR. If they bring ppl through to see your home you get a $50 gift card to allowing them to do so. Oh, and you get $50 EACH time.
ReplyDeleteThat's awesome!
DeleteDon't settle for the person with the best prices to do the job.. You should see the drywall job done in here! I honestly could had done it myself and made it better.
ReplyDeleteStairs can be tricky if you have never done them. I hired someone to help/teach me, so hopefully next time I can do it myself.
ReplyDeleteDid I already say have patients? Well I'll say it again just in case..
ReplyDeleteI have patients, but not the kind you want..........LOL...JK...Patience. We all know what you meant. :)
DeleteI know so many people are super eager to paint, I know those walls are dull and boring. BUT they warn you not to paint and they truly mean it for a reason. WE had sooooooo many nail pops and seams come through by our 10 month, there was so much re painting to do. Now all of this shifting is normal and some people get more shifting than others, BUT IF you paint it yourself, YOU are going to be responsible to the paint the need since RH warns you and advises you to wait until your 10 month inspection. You may not believe it now, and say it wont happen to me, but why take the chance and waste your money on paint, which is super expensive.
ReplyDeleteI would say we learned to get EVERYTHING in writing (whether than be handwritten or email). We ran into problems several times where we were told one thing and then later they were like "we never said that!" Once we started getting everything in writing we were able to take advantage of some of the things they tried to "take back," like when they told us, and wrote down, that we were getting a Trex deck. They later tried to take that back and give us a generic brand composite deck but they couldn't because they wrote "Trex" on our paperwork. That saved us a LOT of money on a superior product!
ReplyDeleteI would have put in more outlets and lighting. It would have been easy before the walls were finished!
ReplyDeleteGet the rough ins in every room. You many think a lamp may be enough, but it not. The ceiling rough ins are definity worth it. I don't have one in our main living room and wish we had.
ReplyDeleteRemember to also enjoy the process, you are lucky enough to be able to afford building a new home, keep that in mind how fortunate you are. :)
ReplyDeleteWOW! These are some awesome helpful tips for new and future homeowners! Thank you ALL so much for making my first giveaway such a success. I look forward to the next (bigger & better) giveaway!
ReplyDeleteThank you again and I will be in contact with the winner tonight. Once confirmed, I will announce the winner in an upcoming post!
xoxo