Front View Progression
Back View Progression
Selfie Progression
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Since my last post…
Driveway
Exterior Paint + Gutters
Permanent Electrical Tie-In + Appliances
Cowboy Carter
Fence
Finished-Ish
Finished… kind of. I officially wrapped up the final settlement with my builder and came in about $7K under budget. My project manager walked me through a full orientation and handed things off to me and the lender. Just like that…it’s mine!
The builder also used my house as an open house for current and potential customers. It felt really good to share my experience and see others get excited about what’s possible.
I’ve already started hauling over a few pieces of outdoor furniture. Little by little, it’s all starting to feel like home.
What’s next:
- Final paint touchups and grading work
- Install mirrors, shower doors, storm doors
- Hang swing
- Convert construction loan to mortgage
Next Phase:
- Move-In + unpack
- Decorate and put together furniture
- Landscaping
- Begin hosting family and friends
I’m not sure that I’ll post many more updates here. I mainly started this blog as a way to be able to quickly share updates with friends and family during this journey. I am deeply grateful for everyone’s prayers, well wishes and words of encouragement.
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I’m finally back on track with updates. Check out my previous posts to catch up!
- Week of May 25: The Girl with the Purple Door
- Weeks of April 27 – May 18:The Walls are Closing in on Me
- Weeks of April 13 & 20:All Decked Out
- Week of April 6: Let’s Catch Up
Week of June 2: We’re at the beginning of the end. This week, trim outs continued (Trim out = the final stage of adding the finishing touches to a house; basically a lot of folks coming back to finish what they started)!
Milestones:
- Plumbing trim out
- HVAC trim out
- Electrical trim out started
Up Next:
- electrical inspection + set meter to house and get start ups done
- begin painting once the house is lit and temp controlled
- grading work + maybe concrete
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Week of May 25: All of my thoughtfully picked design choices are coming to life. The siding gave the exterior some personality and I’m officially obsessed with the cabinets and counters. Fun fact: the flooring I originally picked was discontinued by the time construction began, so I had to pick new flooring relying on the pixels of the computer screen and the advice of the lovely folks at the America’s Home Place Augusta Office. I’m pretty sure I like these floors better than the ones I originally picked.
Milestones:
- Siding completed
- Cabinets + counters installed
- Trim + interior doors installed + painted
- Flooring installed
Other cool things that happened:
- Being able to pick the exact granite slab that would be cut for my counters
- Supervising my dad and cousin put together my patio furniture!
My purple (technically, Sherwin-Williams Wisteria) door: Another intentional choice. The obvious explanation is that lavendar is one of my favorite colors.
The thoughtful explanation is that a few years ago, I went to Charleston, SC to celebrate my 29th birthday. While there, I bought a print of a girl in a purple dress, standing in front of a house. This picture was a silent reminder, prayer, intention of one day being in my own home. My purple door is the manifestation of a dream fulfilled.
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Weeks of April 27 & May 4: This was one of those “important but not photogenic” phases. After the rough inspection cleared, insulation went in quickly, and passed inspection without any issues.
Weeks of May 11 & 18: My magical powers of walking through the walls ended because the drywall went up! We’re past the wires and wood stage and onto something that looks finished(ish). The space feels more defined, and it’s easier to picture how each room will function. Even the primer made a difference; it toned down the raw construction feel and made everything look cleaner.
Milestones:
- Rough inspection passed
- Insulation installed + passed
- Drywall installed throughout the house
- Walls primed
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Weeks of April 13 & 20:
Knock knock.
Who’s there?
idk but the doors were installed!
The windows and doors made the whole place feel more sealed in, and the rough-ins brought a lot of behind-the-scenes work to life.
The 3 over 1 window design was an intentional choice: 3 is a number of harmony, balance, and wholeness. There’s something steady about it—like things falling into alignment. I wanted that energy built right into the bones of the house, even in the small details.
One of the biggest visual shifts? The front, back, and side decks were completed. It’s already easy to imagine future mornings with coffee or evenings winding down outside. What I’m most looking forward to is my front porch swing…just like at my Grandma’s!Milestones:
- Windows and exterior doors installed
- Plumbing and HVAC rough-ins completed
- Decks installed
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I’ve been a little slow to post, but construction kept rolling, and I’ll be catching up on all the progress over the next few posts.
Week of April 6: The house is starting to take shape. Structure, roof, and plumbing are all underway. It’s starting to look like more than just a worksite.
Milestones
- Shingles installed
- Framing inspection passed
- Sewer tap installed
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Week of March 30: After back-to-back travel, I was home and able to see the crew framing the walls in real time. Seeing actual rooms outlined in wood makes it easier to envision what my daily life will look like.
- Milestone: Framing completed
Looking Ahead
Walking through what will eventually be the living room, kitchen, bedrooms…it’s finally more than a set of drawings and decisions. It’s real, and I was actually here to see it!
Up next: roofing, windows, doors, decks
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Week of March 16: Of course the foundation work would kick off the same week I was traveling for work. My project manager sent a quick text letting me know they were getting started, and just like that, things were officially underway.
Milestone:
- Footers dug and poured
Week of March 23: As I was leaving the house for the aiport to embark on another weeklong trip, the constuction crew was pulling up!
Milestones:
- Block foundation built
- Framing for the floor system completed
Looking Ahead
Even though I wasn’t here to watch the first two weeks of construction unfold, I came home to a site that’s evolving at the blink of an eye!
Up Next: Complete framing -
I moved back home with my parents in June of 2022, after five years of living in Raleigh, NC. It was meant to be temporary—just six months to a year while I saved money and adjusted to a new remote job that required a lot of travel.
The plan was simple: find a home in Georgia, buy it, move on. I even sold my car because I figured I’d get a new one once I settled into my own place.Then my parents bought lot next to their home.
And one day, I joked about building a house there.
And then I joked again. And again.
And before I knew it, I wasn’t joking anymore.
October 2023: By my 33rd birthday, I realized I was actually considering it. What if I did build instead of buy? What if I could create something that was completely mine?
So I made a decision: my 34th birthday gift to myself would be starting the process.
And by October 2025: I’d be celebrating my 35th birthday in my new home.
How It All Came Together
🏡 August 2024
Met with America’s Home Place after accepting a random call from their sales manager and immediately felt like I was in the right place.
📋 September 2024
The AHP General Manager, visited the property to estimate site allowances.
Toured an open house for inspiration.
🙌🏾 October 2024
Had my first floor plan meeting after being delayed by Hurricane Helene and chose the Walton IV.
Celebrated my 34th birthday knowing I was officially building my first home.
💼 November 2024
Finalized finishes and floor plan.
Worked through title issues and appraisals with my bank and closing attorney.
Met my project manager and staked the house.
🍾 December 31, 2024
Closed on my construction loan.
What’s Next?
👷🏾♀️ Foundation pouring begins soon. From here, things start moving fast!
Looking Back & Moving Forward
I thought I’d be buying a house in a different city, not building one next door. I thought I’d be somewhere else, not here. But the more I thought about it, the more it just made sense; the best things in life sometimes happen when you let an idea grow beyond what you originally planned.
What started as a joke is now one of the most exciting and rewarding experiences I’ve ever taken on.This process has felt divinely aligned every step of the way – God is in the details.
I can’t wait to share this journey, from dirt to décor.
Bri's Blueprint: House of Hart 