[PatandBob]

We have an appointment with the design center in a few weeks. We are building a Begonia.

For those who have done this before ... any advice, tips, or suggestions to help make the process smoother would be much appreciated. How long did it take to pick everything out? Any thing you'd do differently now that you've been through it?

Thanks!

[skyguy79]

Originally Posted by PatandBob

We have an appointment with the design center in a few weeks. We are building a Begonia.

For those who have done this before ... any advice, tips, or suggestions to help make the process smoother would be much appreciated. How long did it take to pick everything out? Any thing you'd do differently now that you've been through it?

Thanks!

Sweet Rosie Begonia!!! I sure hope you have the best of luck with your new home. We bought pre-owned and can't offer advice, but I have no doubt you'll get a lot of good advice from the other good people on TOTV!

[Kelsie52]

Originally Posted by PatandBob

We have an appointment with the design center in a few weeks. We are building a Begonia.

For those who have done this before ... any advice, tips, or suggestions to help make the process smoother would be much appreciated. How long did it take to pick everything out? Any thing you'd do differently now that you've been through it?

Thanks!

We have a Begonia --moved in last OCT --we love it !!

If the lot size allows I suggest to make all stretches you can --we stretched the garage/ the guest bathroom side of the home forward 3feet and 2 feet to the side---the little extra room makes a difference !!

We also decided not to have the posts in the living room/dinning room area
it is strictly a personal taste choice --many people love it -

Your rep --(if he/she) is good they will help you through the process --and show you the options that make sense for you !!

We found The kitchen cabinets set the tone --once we decided on those everything else fell into place

good luck!!

[texasfal]

We built in 2002 and they gave us 8 hours to design the entire house. Hopefully things are different now. Things I would have done differently . . I would definitely have stretched the bedrooms and the lanai. At the time it was $1000 a foot to stretch them and we were a penny wise and a lb foolish. Also, you cannot have too many electrical outlets. We only have 3 in the living room and we have to run extension cords. Likewise with phone jacks. We thought we would need only 3 - kitchen, living room and bedroom. Since then, at our cost, we've added one to the guest room and the den. Also, ask if you can not have popcorn ceilings. They are cheap, ugly and horrible to try to remove. The builders like them because they cover up mistakes and use less paint, but don't get them. Otherwise try to enjoy the experience. I was numb when it was over.

[ceegeo]

Originally Posted by PatandBob

We have an appointment with the design center in a few weeks. We are building a Begonia.

For those who have done this before ... any advice, tips, or suggestions to help make the process smoother would be much appreciated. How long did it take to pick everything out? Any thing you'd do differently now that you've been through it?

Thanks!

Pat & Bob,
Congratulations! You will love it.
We closed on our Begonia 2 weeks ago and love it. The Design Center will take about 3 hours +/-. When you make your choices they put it all in writing and you come back 2 days later to review it then sign. No more changes allowed.
Here is what we did and are very glad of it. Stucco exterior. Stretched the garage 4 feet to the side this is probably the most important thing we did. Also brought the driveway straight out from the golf cart garage to the street. This way if you have a car or 2 on your diveway you can back straight out. Roman shower (love it) and no posts in the dining/living area. Felt they took up way too much space and limit how you can place you furniture. All tile except carpet only in bedrooms. Lanai doors open all the way back into the wall. One thing I wish we could of done but the lot size did not allow it was to stretch the lanai out 2 feet. It is very narrow 8' 8" and our square table with 4 chairs makes it very tight to get around it. Also guest bath and bedroom are very small but my husband said, "we don't want the company getting too comfortable". So we make do. Kids are here now and have no complaints about it.
One funny mistake we did was hang a very large mirror on the entry wall on the guest room sides. Husband put the drywall anchors in and all was well the mirror looks very nice. Two days later we tried to close the pocket door......he screwed one anchor into the pocket door.....duh! Door would not close/move. We laughed and will now have a great story to tell about moving in. The pocket door is free now but with a hole in it and the mirror is still on the wall. Husband worked it all out.
Have a fun time an please enjoy the journey.
Cecelia

[LindaManson]

we bought new/pre-built so not much help with the Begonia. BUT....One of the things we have talked about doing for 5 years is put more outlets in the GARAGE!! there are two in the ceiling with the garage doors, one on the outside wall and another for the golf cart. Our washer/dryer is out their (best thing in the world for me) so there are outlets for each of those. BUT none anywhere else. I have had to run extension cords across the ceiling to get a cord where I want it. I would put at LEAST 2 on each wall, so much less expensive to do it while building.

ALso...The attic solar fans are great, help keep the attic cooler and thus the house and the garage to a certain extent. And the solar ight in rooms without a lot of windows keeps the rooms from feeling like a cave. Our home has a fornt door, and lania doors and no other windows in the Florida style living are. Looked like plenty pf light until we got furniture in. Planning on doing the solar lights in the bathrooms (no windows) and two in the living area. Storm door on the front if you want to leave the big door open for light or to welcome company.

Whew...Didn't realize I have/would/will make so many changes! LOL

[cricket1]

My husband and I just did our building choices in June, so we have pretty current info. We close on a lantana on Aug 16!!! The choices were made very simple with the help of our sales rep. She led us through everything in 3 hours but we were not rushed at all. We found it easy to make a choice and agreed (a miracle, I know) on most everything right off the bat. The biggest thing to remember is that you need to get the footprint of the house right. You can never go back and change that! My recommendation is to make the space as large as you can-stretch and stretch. Then the first choice after that is to pick kitchen cabinets. All the rest of the choices are based on that. Trust The Villages to do it right-they have already paid designers to coordinate everything. It's a lot of fun to go through the process. You just have to remember that in the end, you'll be in The Villages! And isn't that the main thing we all wanted?

[Jim Straz]

Originally Posted by PatandBob

We have an appointment with the design center in a few weeks. We are building a Begonia.

For those who have done this before ... any advice, tips, or suggestions to help make the process smoother would be much appreciated. How long did it take to pick everything out? Any thing you'd do differently now that you've been through it?

Thanks!

Their job is to make you happy, and you're in charge of that outcome, not them. The garage stretch, two feet longer, was $1200. That worked out to $33 Sq ft for mine which is quite reasonable.
Get a price on the rug upgrade to a Berber. Get the model numbers on ALL appliances and ask what the allowance is if you get your own instead.
The gutters were a good price, but ask. Tile upgrade, paint, etc.
It'll be easy and they do it all the time. They walk you through the models and show you the choices right in front of you. You'll be fine; Good luck.

[pzjay]

Originally Posted by Jim Straz

Their job is to make you happy, and you're in charge of that outcome, not them. The garage stretch, two feet longer, was $1200. That worked out to $33 Sq ft for mine which is quite reasonable.
Get a price on the rug upgrade to a Berber. Get the model numbers on ALL appliances and ask what the allowance is if you get your own instead.
The gutters were a good price, but ask. Tile upgrade, paint, etc.
It'll be easy and they do it all the time. They walk you through the models and show you the choices right in front of you. You'll be fine; Good luck.

Hi, Have not done the design center yet (Oct), but have asked about appliances as there were issues with GE earlier. They've changed to Whirlpool, but our agent (10 yrs w/TV) said there are no allowances to get your own. This is all we have to go by. Other posters have purchased the lowest grade and then replaced them on their own after occupancy. Also posters say the appliances have to be in place for TV to get a CO.

Congrats and ENJOY! It will be fun, I'm sure!

[champion6]

Originally Posted by PatandBob

We have an appointment with the design center in a few weeks. We are building a Begonia.

For those who have done this before ... any advice, tips, or suggestions to help make the process smoother would be much appreciated. How long did it take to pick everything out? Any thing you'd do differently now that you've been through it?

Our experience was with a cottage, not a designer, but I think many things apply to both...

1. Stretch - We feel lanai & garage are a must. Bedrooms as you choose.

2. Get basic appliances and upgrade those that are important to you. We ordered the basic kitchen appliances and said no to clothes washer/dryer. About a week after signing the contract, we asked our rep and learned that Del-Air was supplying the appliances. We contacted their local office and worked a deal to exchange/upgrade the refrigerator and ordered the washer/dryer from them. Delivered these items after closing - they can't do it before closing.

3. THE BEST advice from our rep: "You can ask for anything in the Comments section of the Estimator."

The Estimator is the software the reps use to price out your selections. Your requests are reviewed and if they are approved, the price is increased. Then, if you want your approved requests itemized, you request this and it goes back to be itemized - allow another day or so for this.

We requested these and they were approved:
- hayseed walls with white trim
- crown molding on kitchen cabinets
- lazy susan kitchen corner base cabinet
- cable outlet in kitchen
- extra electric outlets in garage
- cable outlet in garage
- move rear hose bib (outside water spigot) from patio to corner of house. We plan to enclose the patio with a birdcage and don't want the hose bib to be inside the birdcage.

Good luck!