Team EvoAZ

Yesterday was our design center appointment. The one where you walk through the beautiful showroom and drool over everything you think you can’t have. We were so excited, yet nervous. You hear horror stories of going to the design center and going WAY over budget so that fear takes over! We were also super excited to be able to pick all of our colors for our very own house..the place where Munch will grow up, go to school, play with her friends, and have sleepover parties!

The appointment started out choosing electrical options. We were pretty discouraged at first because they kept naming off options of things we didn’t even think about, but needed. It seemed to eat up our budget real quick. I was thinking “wouldn’t it be better to put this at the end so you can choose your pretty stuff first!??” But then there probably wouldn’t be any money left!

Once we started getting into the kitchen and bathroom options it got more fun! We thought we had it all figured out until we started debating over granite styles, whether to do granite throughout the bathrooms too and what floors to choose. Did you know there are SEVERAL styles of wood plank tile and TONS of grout choices?! It’s like going to the eye doctor and they are like “Camera one? Camera two?” We ended up with some options that REALLY worked with our style. At the end though, we did have to sit down and decide on wants vs. needs since we did end up over our budget. We ended up choosing a beautiful backsplash and blinds over upgrading all the bathroom fixtures throughout since you can change that out yourself later easily.

Here are our final choices! We also did one of those awesome black granite composite sinks. I can’t WAIT to see it all together!

It’s important when choosing home options to think about what is easy to change out later and what will be the best investment. In my experience… Kitchen’s, Bathrooms, and Flooring sell homes. Fixtures can be easily changed out after closing and purchased at a lower price than the builder offers. For example, we priced sink faucets at Lowe’s the day before our appointment. The same faucet was $200 at Lowes vs. $500 through the builder. You also have to think about whether you want to finance an option for 30 years or just pay for it up front and do it yourself after you close.

If you’re looking to do a new build yourself and would like FREE representation from me, the #NewBuildNinja, contact me at [email protected]! We’ll also hook you up with this sweet deal we have going on now if you close on a New Build with our team!

Stay tuned…next up is our Pre-Construction meeting! Getting close to breaking ground!

-JD aka #NewBuildNinja

So here we were… all ready to sign the contract for our new build home. Then, I went to browse models for our popular MOMnationAZ Home Tour. I was stopped dead in my tracks. Like IN LOVE with one of the plans on our Mom group home tour list. Then it hit me, there are BIG life decisions at stake! I called Chris after and said “Babe, you’re probably going to kill me, but…there’s another house!” We went back later and Chris said “There’s no dilemma, I think we found our house!”

This ended up setting off a few days of back and forth, pro’s and con’s of both houses, comparing price points, payments, etc. Finally….we decided on the new love and signed the contract a few days ago! I felt like we were cheating on the first house, but both had their pro’s and con’s.

It’s so emotional to think that this is where Munch will grow up, make friends and go to school. We couldn’t be more excited!

Our lot is off to the left with a nice park across the street!  This section will be all single story homes.

We went to check out the progress on the models yesterday. It was so much fun to see the progress and they are looking like actual homes now. It’s so cool to see a neighborhood from the very start.

We stopped by our lot for a photo op and Munch made us some eggs in the new kitchen (for pretend of course)! Then she went to hang in the neighbors house for a bit! HAHA. I don’t know how they will feel in 9 months about her just walking right in. Hopefully they will be cool!

After a birthday party this weekend we stopped by our same builder to check out what the standard features look like and OMG. We’re so excited not to have to spend an arm and a leg on upgrades on top of the base price. And that blue door!!! So excited!

We should be signing the new build purchase contract in about a week! I will update with how that goes. A lot of people sign on new builds with no agent to represent them. Think about it though. The sales person there works for the builder and is looking out for their interests. It’s a really good idea to have someone who knows the contract and can negotiate and advocate for you on your side!

-JD-

MOMnationAZ had a fabulous day touring gorgeous model homes to get some DIY ideas for their homes! These are just a few of our favorite features.

 

APRON SINK

The kitchen sink is now often an architectural focal point. Today, concrete, stone and especially copper options are available, as upscale interpretations of the classic porcelain or fireclay model, adding a variety to enliven and differentiate today’s kitchen. The traditional farmhouse sink is generally a lot deeper than modern stainless steel under mount or top-mount sinks. More useful for washing large pots, big baking sheets and oven trays, and even barbecue grills — items you would generally struggle to wash in a typical sink.

Apron sinks can be purchased as low as $250!!

http://www.nativetrails.net/

GEOMETRIC BACKSPLASH

Backsplashes have double roles, practical reasons being splashes, spills, and cooking related incidents. It also allows to get creative with fun designs and colors.

When designing a more neutral kitchen the backsplash becomes a focal feature for the entire room. A geometric design generally keeps the simplicity while adding to the kitchen. Also note that backsplashes don’t necessarily have to stick out or be bold, they can blend with the feel of the kitchen bringing texture to it like Subway tiles for example.

These can also be used in a powder room floor, which is cool too!

Here are some cool options! https://www.wayfair.com/Backsplash-Tile-C1807337.html

ROCK WALL AND TEXTURE

Our FAVORITE!!

This truly is bringing accent walls to the next level adding all incredible textures

Wood is fairly cheap and easy to install if you have a great handy man!

http://www.stikwood.com is an amazing website with stick adhesive for textured walls!

There is also glass cloth, burlap cloth and then there is air stone.

According to AirStone the only tools you’ll need are a hacksaw for cutting and a putty knife for smearing the adhesive. It takes about ten boxes and three tubs of adhesive to complete a wall, which is 11.5 ft wide and 8 feet tall. Estimated at about $650 to do a whole wall. Also, AirStone is only sold at Lowes.

GRAY CABINETS

GRAY IS THE NEW WHITE!

There are many shades of grey (possibly even 50)!

You can go super contemporary with lighter greys and also go dark grey to compliment a more rustic traditional feel in a home.

Because it’s a big decision, people are also opting for white AND grey cabinets or just doing an island.

Check out this amazing step by step write up on how to do this yourself. http://theturquoisehome.com/the-average-diy-girls-guide-to-painting-cabinets/

ere is an amazing DIY gray cabinet transformation that one of our Mama’s in our group did!

How do you truly get a perfect finish? The key to getting a smooth finish was thin coats of paint to avoid drips/streaks, and lightly sanding in between coats with a super fine grit sandpaper (most are even marked as “in between coats” in the hardware store).  It requires patience, which runs in short supply around here, but the end result is worth it. Gray cabinets also show less fingerprints from little ones! MOM WIN!

 

FREE STANDING TUBS

Spaciousness! All of that area around and beneath the tub makes the room look airy and larger than it is. Adding a tub with a claw foot is nostalgic. It can give a fun dash of vintage style to this bathroom.

You can add claw feet to an actual free standing tub to bring that vintage style. http://www.classicclawfoottubs.com/claw-feet–ball-and-claw.html

There are endless shapes and sizes and designs unlike your standard bathtub.

 

WAINSCOTING

Use trim to create your own wainscoting yourself! Check out this DIY!

https://www.lowes.com/projects/build-and-remodel/install-decorative-moulding/project

BASEBOARDS

Tall baseboards can add a subtle, but huge impression when sprucing up your home!

http://www.creeklinehouse.com/2014/01/beautiful-diy-baseboards-and-moldings.html

This link shows you how to make your current baseboards taller on a budget!

http://www.theidearoom.net/how-to-diy-taller-baseboards-with-existing/

 

We can’t wait for the next Home Design Caravan! Check out MOMnationAZ.com for a list of upcoming events!

So we bought some dirt…Just kidding!

Lot 217 on 1/7/17. It was fate!

We are so excited for our decision to build a brand new home where Alex “Munch” will grow up and make lasting memories! It all started when I attended a Realtor preview event to view this awesome concept of homes where they all face the big grassy areas. The thought of Munch being able to play out front and not in the street piqued my interest. I HAD to check them out. When they told me there was a FOUR car garage option at an affordable price point, I said sign me up!! I didn’t realize until they released pricing just how amazingly affordable this was.

I kept in contact with the VP of the Project and anxiously awaited news on the floor plans and pricing. Once they started building the models, we HAD to go check them out. Even though they aren’t finished just yet, we got a great feel for them and were AMAZED by the extensive list of standard features like granite countertops, upgraded cabinets, LED lighting throughout, gorgeous cabinet hardware and SO much more…

As we waited for the builder to release their first set of lots, we pondered over the floor plans for what seemed like FOREVER! The night before we went to put down a lot reservation we debated on 3 different plans and then finally decided on a totally different one. Then, you won’t believe this, we changed our minds AGAIN! Thank goodness for being a Realtor myself because I would be lost otherwise…So we started with Lot 221 and then had a genius idea to switch to a corner lot and a 3 car garage. <3! So 217 it was!

Munch has already claimed it as HER house and is super excited to be sandwiched between both awesome parks! The model homes should be done soon so we can’t wait to see the vision come to life!!

Stay tuned to the next phase in our process. Until then, I need to know. Who prefers the Spanish style and who likes the Craftsman because WE CAN’T decide!!

-Jen Duncan a.k.a. JD!