Jeff's New House Journal
May 17, 2003

After a break of several weeks, plus a car accident, it was finally time to go back to Brentwood and then the design center. The whole family came along -- even Jackson. The weather was hot (mid-80's), the hills brown, and the strawberries ripe for the picking.

I think we finally made some decisions about what options to get. One thing for sure: I'm glad I didn't get the golf course lot, as I'd have no money leftover to upgrade.

Here is the standard cabinet, plus the tile and carpet of choice. Ignore the stuff under the X, I'm not getting that.

Here is the house on lot 1 -- again. The walls are in so it's looking more complete. This is what my house will be like, except the owner really upgraded the heck out of it. Granite counters, fancy cabinets, built-in speakers, and even the $16,000 landscaping package. Wow.

This is the house on lot 8, which is just framed. They've moved the fireplace over toward the kitchen -- this is the new location. I think I'm going to skip on the fireplace. It's gas-only, and I'm already spending enough money on other stuff.

Here's my almost-final upgrade list:

• Tile in entry/family room/kitchen
• Upgrade from vinyl to tile in bathrooms, laundry room
• Carpet/pad upgrade
• Window coverings in all rooms. Dark brown in most rooms, faux plantation shutters in office, vertical blinds for sliding door in kitchen
• Clear glass for shower
• Minor kitchen upgrades: range splash + better dishwasher + variable speed exhaust hood
• Basic structured wiring package (no Ethernet)
• Recessed lighting in office plus maybe master bedroom
• Regular ceiling lamp for bedroom 3
• Rear landscaping

It's really amazing how quickly you can spend money in the design center. I have a meeting with them on May 30 to make my upgrades official.

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