Note: I’m spending several months acting as a buyer of a new Cardel home at Blackstone in Kanata, going through all the steps a buyer would, except actually spending the money to buy it or moving into it. I get to choose the model, lot, features and finishes. The home is the latest inventory home Cardel is building and the hope is that my choices will result in a quick sale once it’s ready. Here’s the latest in my journey.
I was a bit surprised by my reaction to seeing something concrete (other than the actual concrete) of “my” home.
Excitement, anticipation, ownership. Kinda weird since I will not move into this home when it’s ready. But I feel very much like an impatient buyer eager to see what the physical structure of everything I’ve been imagining in 2D will look like.
July 9: First floor is already complete and Jennifer at the Blackstone sales office sent along a progress photo.
Some things I didn’t expect:
- How much space there is between my house and the neighbours. Even though choosing the largest lot and the narrowest home was a primary move to maximize the elbow room, it was a pleasant surprise.
- The garage seems tiny. I know it’s supposed to be a double, but I’m having trouble picturing how two cars will fit in the space. Time will tell.
- Framers move fast. My husband and I drove by July 4 to see if there was any change from two days earlier, when I saw the lot being backfilled, and the first floor and a couple of walls were already up. Five days after that, they had progressed to the second floor.
July 11: Just two days later, the second floor is up. Another photo courtesy of Jennifer.
And not a surprise: My husband’s reaction to the oriented strand board (OSB) sheathing. An architectural technologist, he’s familiar with building techniques and codes and has always preferred plywood.
But many builders use OSB because there is a cost savings over plywood and it’s “particularly suitable for load-bearing applications,” says Cardel’s Ottawa president, Greg Graham. “The most common uses are as sheathing in walls, flooring, and roof decking.”
Speaking of roofs, it looks likes that’s next up, and very soon.
Are you buying a new home? Share your experience with me at amurray@ottawacitizen.com or 613-596-3709.
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