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Written on September 26, 2006 by Nicole

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Decisions, Decisions, Decisions

Last week, I mentioned that we are building a new house. We’ve never done this before, so it’s been (and will continue to be) a real learning experience for me. And, what I’ve learned this past week, is once you sign those papers, things move fast. It’s been the week of Decisions, Decisions, Decisions!

Let me remind you that they haven’t even poured the foundation yet, but this week, I had to pick out carpet! And, it didn’t end there. Do you know what color your tile grout is? Well, when you build a house you know, because that’s a Decision.

We were alloted 4 hours of the “decorators” time to help us make our numerous selections–everything from the tile and the tile grout, to the light fixtures, countertops, stain color and even switch plate color. About 10 minutes into the 4 hour “decorator” meeting, we discovered that, for the most part, the decorator was really the “order taker.” At one point when we asked her, “Which of these two would you pick?” Her reply was, “Gosh, you are really putting me on the spot.” Okay then, we’ll just make all the Decisions!

Luckily, I knew what I wanted (for the most part) going into the meeting. And, if you are planning to build a home anytime soon, you need to know what you want too. Here’s some advice:

  • Go into your meeting with the “decorator” very prepared: I spent about 5 hours going through carpet, tile and paint samples prior to the official selection meeting. That was extremely helpful.
  • Visit model homes: I drove all over town and visited model homes by my builder as well as other builders homes to get ideas and see the latest trends.
  • Pick up some decorating magazines: Mark pages that have things you like. Sometimes one thing, like a great fireplace or a beautiful wall color can inspire an entire room.
  • Make a new home kit: I already have a ton of paperwork on our new home. Everything from contact copies to floor plans to design selections. It’s really helpful to be organized. I carry my folder and notepad with me everywhere I go. I collect samples of things I like, take pictures with my digital camera and keep track of questions and open issues.

I still need to finalize my hardwood floor and kitchen cabinet stain color. This “Decision” has me dreaming about hardwood floors.

I need help fellow SharpMoms! Enter your comments and tell me what stain color I should pick!!

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