Seduced by new construction

Pawnee

Cheyenne

We looked at eight houses this morning. Both girls in tow. Lots of fun. And now I'm more ambivalent than ever.

Both of the above houses were on our list of homes to view. I didn't really think I'd like a house under construction. Most of the time we have walked through a house being built, it has just been framework. Leo can tell me where's the master suite, where's the kitchen, etc., but I might as well be looking at a blueprint for all I understand.

These houses are both almost finished though. On the outside, they look vaguely similar. Once I walked into the second one, I realized they were virtually the same house, same floorplan, with a few alterations. I love both of them. The second one has a few more advantages, a little more space, but is about $5000 more. They are also both on the extreme end of what we could probably afford.

(I'm going to refer to the both as one, unless I'm referring to a difference; then I'll refer to the names above).

Those are the street names given above. Despite the similar ring of the street names, they are not in the same subdivision. Two different realty/construction groups, but they are (more or less) custom homes. Someone from both groups picked the same floor plan and built it. The house has four bedrooms, PLUS a huge bonus room. The bonus room? Not your typical squeezed in room over the garage. It's double the size of any of the other bedrooms. I see all my plans coming to fruition when I see that bonus room. Here's how it goes:

Leo and I get the master suite (duh). The new baby gets a room of its own (eventually; it will sleep with us for quite a while). Aislinn and Audrey share the bonus room (or, if this baby is another girl, more likely Aislinn and the baby, and Audrey would get her own room as the oldest). And the other two bedrooms are offices for Leo and me.

I haven't even mentioned the huge basement. Of course, since it's new construction, it's not finished yet. I'm a patient woman. The living area is bright and airy. The kitchen cabinets are (I think) cherry. Cheyenne has an actual pantry, but Pawnee's skimpy "cupboard" pantry could be added to with shelving in the laundry room.

It's a thin chance. The price is so high, and since it's new construction, Leo's commission, already low in this crazy town, would be even lower.

We also have three (maybe four) more houses to look at tomorrow morning. The thought makes me want to vomit in a way that morning sickness does not. I feel like I've found "the one"; why should I look anymore? But I know it could be worth it if we find something even better.

I'm not counting on it. I'm trying to keep an open mind, but the thought, the possibility, of being the original family in a house, the one to first put our mark on it, our heritage...there's something cool about that I had not ever thought of before.