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Mrs. Groovy and I never built a house before. Naturally, we’re excited. Hello ten-foot ceilings. Hello farmhouse sink. Hello barrier-free shower.
But we’re also nervous. We don’t know jack-squat about residential construction. And over the course of the next ten months or so, we’re going to give a total stranger roughly $200K to build our dream home. What could possibly go wrong?
Given the above circumstances, we thought it might be beneficial to chronicle the trials and tribulations of building a house. First, we’re sure there are several groovy freedomists out there who have gone through this before, and we wouldn’t mind benefiting from their wisdom. This series should provide a nice forum for that. Second, we don’t suppose that we’re going to be the last novices to ever build a house. This series, then, will hopefully be a nice resource for some future home-builder one day.
Okay, let the games begin.
On December 13, 2017, the land upon which Groovy Ranch will be built officially became ours. The cost of that land, and the fights that accompanied the purchase of that land, are chronicled below.
Costs to Date
As of 1/1/2018, Groovy Ranch has cost $35,211.57. Here is the breakdown of that cost.
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| 3.3 acres in Louisburg, North Carolina | $34,000.00 |
| Mailing earnest money overnight to our realtors | $25.45 |
| Soil test to make sure land is suitable for a septic system | $500.00 |
| Closing costs | $586.12 |
| A gift card to a local restaurant for our realtors | $100.00 |
| Total | $35,211.57 |
Fights to Date
As of 1/1/2018, Mrs. Groovy and I have had two fights over Groovy Ranch. Here they are.
1. We had a fight over when it would be appropriate to give our realtors the gift card we purchased for them. I said at the closing. Mrs. Groovy said that that might be unethical or gauche and wanted to mail the gift card to their home. I prevailed, but only because my sister took my side when Mrs. Groovy asked her about it.
2. We had a fight over how many stories the Groovy Ranch should have. I said two. Mrs. Groovy said one. Mrs. Groovy prevailed. [Mrs. Groovy here. I thought I wanted two stories and YOU wanted one. Hmm…we better re-think this. Isn’t it cheaper to build two stories anyway? But then—do we want to climb stairs when we get older? Decisions, decisions. I see more arguments in our not-too-distant future.]
Next Update
In two weeks, Mrs. Groovy and I will be meeting with a draftsperson/designer. If his fees are reasonable, and he appears competent, we will hire him to create the drawings for Groovy Ranch. Our job prior to meeting him is to know exactly what our notion of a dream home is. And the good news is that we’re about 90% of the way there. [Mrs. Groovy here, again. Did you see my comment above? 90%? I think not.] Next week, we’ll share with you the wants and needs we have for Groovy Ranch. Peace.
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