The NIGHTMARE that is General Electric

When you buy a RH you have to take whatever kitchen appliances they include with the build. Here in NE Ohio they include GE appliances. We decided to upgrade the dishwasher, stove, and microwave and then we bought a GE fridge so the stainless would match. The appliances look great but that's about it. 

Note: this post is more of a rant because I dislike GE but there is a helpful tip in the event you have a similar problem when building with RHs. 

The Fridge

Our fridge kept shutting off and the only way it would turn back on was to hit the breaker. It happened once so we didn't think much of it and then it happened again only this time, hitting the breaker didn't help. We called GE and the repairman said that the fan didn't work and that this was a common problem on our model.  I'm so glad the sales person at Lowes told us that before we bought it!

Anyway, we lost all of our food and if something like that happens, you need to call GE's insurance company for a refund.  As a 'courtesy' they will give you $100 for lost food.  Gee, thanks.

Now onto the bigger problem - the dishwasher.

The Dishwasher

The upgraded dishwasher failed.  Big time.  We noticed that there was some water leaking out the side of the door so we stopped running it and called GE.  What we came to realize was, the water also leaked underneath the appliance and ruined about 30 sq feet of our hardood floor.

We called Ryan Homes and to their credit the service manager called back  right away. He said we needed to determine if this was a part failure or an install failure.  If it had been an install problem, RHs would have taken care of everything but if it was a part failure, it would be our headache to deal with.  The GE repairman said it was a part failure so we would need to file a claim with the GE insurance company.  After about a month, the floor did get repaired but what a PITA.  GE brings terrible appliances to life.

The bad part ...

The ruined floor ...

The floor has been replaced and the food in the fridge is nice and cool so all is well.  Next time we buy appliances, I think we will consider a different brand.  Any suggestions?

Landscaping before and after

We closed on our house in April and we decided to wait until September to have lawn and landscaping installed. RH's didn't even finish the final grade until August so the timing worked out. Our yard was full of rocks and construction debris s it took our landscaping company some time to remove all of that mess. Here is the before and after ...

The lovely before shot ...

The much nicer after shot ...

Morning Room Steps

A minor annoyance of building with Ryan Homes (at least here in NE Ohio) is they don't like to add steps to the morning room.  And unless you are planning to add a patio or a deck right when you move in, this could be an inconvenience.

Our final grade, lawn, and landscaping were just completed (pictures coming soon) so we are planning on putting in a patio in the spring.  So we had a choice, walk the dog out the front door several times a day or put in temporary steps and let the dog out back on a lead.  We opted for the latter.

This weekend I installed temporary steps and unless my craftsmanship was really lousy, should provide a good solution until the spring.  A quick trip to Home Depot for the pre-made stair stringers and treads got me started.  That along with a little bit of time watching YouTube videos made this a pretty easy project.

One last note - I realize I should probably have a railing, but that exceeds my skill level.  My wife, child and dog will just have to careful, I guess.

Before

After

Sump pump backup

For those who have a sump pump, Ryan Homes strongly suggests you have a backup battery installed. Why?  Well, if the power goes out, the sump pump won't work and your basement might take on water. Or something like that. 

I heard that the sump pump failed to work in my neighbors house and his basement filled up with water so I decided to bite the bullet and have it done.  

Here is the picture of the completed work ... I have no clue how this works, I just hope it does. 

A few improvements ...

We had a backsplash installed last week along with under cabinet lighting. We also followed the advice of our PM and bought a dehumidifier. We are also going to have a sump pump backup installed. We heard that 2 of our neighbors already had their basements flood due to sump pump failure so we think this a good idea. 

The new driveway is awesome and we just love the trash in the yard!

Last week our new driveway and sidewalk were poured and it looks great. We are so thankful to have this done and next up is the final grade. We will not have a lawn installed until the fall so that should give us enough time to clean up the trash left on our lawn. I'm not saying that the crew that poured the driveway left the trash but the trash showed up the same day as the driveway. 

This next one is my favorite. The pretty green color on the Newport cigarette pack looks nice with our tan house. 

Thoughts on the foyer light and that really awesome flat wall paint!

Our house is great and our PM did a great job with the build.  I do not have any real complaints so if anyone from Ryan Homes is reading this - please take this as "improvement feedback".

The Wall Paint

Anyone who has built a RH will tell you that they use a flat, off-white paint on the walls that will get scuff marks if you look at them wrong.  Did you hit the wall with a box when moving in? Did the dog rub against the wall?  Scuff marks galore.  Don't bother trying to clean them off - just cover the scuff mark with some more paint.

Would it really be that big of a deal for RH's to use a wall paint that wasn't so cheap? Could it at least be an option to buy a better grade of paint?  I know they will sell you a different color flat paint, but I don't think it is a better grade.

I'm guessing RH's uses this paint for 2 reasons - 1. It is cheap; 2. Flat paint hides the flaws.

The paint color is fine but the grade of paint is FLAT awful.  Pun intended. 

Foyer Light

We love the light fixture, but how the heck am I going to change the bulbs?  Maybe they can change all of them at our 10 month check up.  Anyone buiding a RH's with a high foyer may want to see if they have any other options available - or perhaps they can throw in a ladder.

Basement pictures and a few other shots ...

We closed on our house today and picked up our keys.  The only things we are waiting on are our driveway and some exterior painting.  

Here are the pictures of our basement and a few other shots including the laundry room - not that the LR is exciting, but if you are building a Dunkirk it is now on the second floor and I'm not sure RHs has any pictures of that online. 

Sharpshooter Home Inspection

I just wanted to thank our home inspector Matt Adams from Sharpshooter Home Inspection.  Matt took his time inspecting our home at the pre-drywall and final inspection stages. While our PM really did a great job, it never hurts to have a second set of eyes looking things over. 

Each of the reports provided by Sharpshooter were sent within hours of the inspection and came with pictures and a simple list of any issues he thought needed attention. I really can't say enough good things about Matt and Sharpshooter. 

If you are in NE Ohio and need a home inspector, give them a call. 

http://www.sharpshooterinspections.com

Final walk-through and private home inspection

Today was our final walk-through and we also had part II of our private home inspection.  The final walk-through was a lot of fun and very informative.  Our PM, Mike took time to show us the paperwork that goes along with our house (warranties, important numbers, etc) and he talked to us about maintanence items we need to take care of - sealing the grout, concrete, etc.

Once that was done we took a tour of the house and snapped a lot of pictures.  We ended the appointment with part II of our private home inspection and I just received the report.  There were a few, very minor items our inspector found and I suspect Ryan Homes will be able to take care of them before we move in.

Here are the pictures of the finished product, but there are no exterior pictures as that is still a work in progress.  Due to the cold NE Ohio weather, we will not have a driveway or sidewalk until the end of May and some exterior painting will have to wait as well.  The lawn and landscaping will not be installed until August or September.

We failed to take pictures of our finished basement but it looks great.

Dining room - I think the light fixture is about 6" too low

Mud room

If you are building a Dunkirk, RH's can install hardwood stairs

Upstairs guest bathroom

The home stretch!

Just over a week until our final walk through and they are down to the final touches. The appliances are in, the lights have been installed and they put the columns on the front porch. Next week they are cleaning the house, painting, installing the temporary driveway and working in grading the lawn. 

Elevation K brochure drawing ...

Real life Elevation K ... Nailed it

The exterior is coming together

The porch has a metal roof and the concrete has been poured. It looks like they still need to paint the exterior trim but because of the cold temps, they may have to wait until after we close. 

Saying goodbye to our first house ...

A few pics of the house we called home for 10 years. Great house and great memories!