<p>I do plan to go to the open house. I need to plan the kitchen/downstairs bath/laundry room area.</p>
<p>Woohoo! Sounds great. I guess we can wait a year for the party :(</p>
<p>Will you be able to get any of the work done before you move in?</p>
<p>We are all taking notes from the outrageous guest request threads so we will be memorable houseguests ;)</p>
<p>^ LOL!</p>
<p>And on CC, we tend to be quick learners… Not to worry, VH, a little (or a lot) red wine, a cupcake or three, and we calm right down.</p>
<p>Thumper, we won’t be able to get any of the work done until we’re in. And actually, that’s fine. I want to get to know the house first before I go ripping out walls. </p>
<p>I’m excited to do the kitchen. DH is excited to do a deck and a hot tub and a patio.</p>
<p>Whoever recommended Houzz, what a great website!!</p>
<p>Make sure you take a lot of before, during, and after pics! So exciting!</p>
<p>I can take lots of photos. It’s figuring out how to get them from my phone into my computer that’s a challenge. :(</p>
<p>Its called the Bluetooth Dongle, you can buy it for about $3-5 on ebay and plug into your usb port, your phone mfg will provide down load software.</p>
<p>MODERATOR’S NOTE: Please remember that links to photos or any other non-authoritative sources are not allowed on CC.</p>
<p>VH how was the open house?</p>
<p>Well, I went and stood in the kitchen for a long time trying to figure out what to do with it. Hire a kitchen designer, is what I concluded. 
</p>
<p>While I was there, a couple with a five-month-old came to look at my house. I left.</p>
<p>Since we haven’t signed a contract, they’re entitled to continue showing it. :mad:</p>
<p>How are the bathrooms? If they need a redo also …. hire a designer or design firm that specializes in kitchens and bathrooms.</p>
<p>Did it feel “right” being in it? Were you placing furniture in your mind???</p>
<p>Yes, I need a kitchen designer. But here’s the thing: With one exception – and of course I don’t remember her name – every kitchen designer I’ve ever run into is really just a salesperson for the cabinets they are selling. I want someone who truly specializes in kitchen design – i.e., the placement of this, that and the other thing – without trying to stuff cabinets down my throat. Frankly, the cabinet is a design detail I can figure out on my own, but the layout is something that needs some expertise.</p>
<p>Yes, abasket, I think it felt “right.” I’ve got the whole family room figured out, and the living room, and the bedrooms. It’s just the kitchen that I need help with.</p>
<p>When are you signing that contract?</p>
<p>The best layout really depends on the way you cook. I don’t think kitchen designers listen enough to their clients about what they do in a kitchen. Someone who bakes pies every weekend, or who cooks regularly for the church supper, has very different needs from one who wants the stove that costs as much as a Volvo, but doesn’t actually do anything but warm up take out dinners. There’s also a big difference in whether two people regularly are cooking or not. Whenever dh and I are in our kitchen we both are always fighting over the same corner.</p>
<p>I really, really, really have to do my own kitchen! :)</p>
<p>I lived in my house for a few years prior to redoing the kitchen. In that time, I could think about the space creatively, and I KNEW what I wanted when the time came. At one point I discussed my ideas with an architect. He had nothing to add, said yep, sounds good. Luckily our contractor was willing to work with me en process, and he took my ideas, embellished them, and the design evolved for this very odd space that has served well. Love that he called me in FL, and said he was not going to reinstall a planned doorway, as we had to look at it together. And that has made the difference. </p>
<p>The point-a good contractor might have the best ideas, if you like his or her prior work, and have a good rapport.</p>
<p>mathmom, I agree. In our current kitchen – which we redid in 1999 – I remember one of the first questions the fellow (the cabinet seller!) asked me was if more than one person would cook at the same time. I answered no, since at that time, both sons were young and DH wasn’t the helping kind. Fast forward a decade – and we’re tripping over each other. </p>
<p>Great lakes mom, I do plan to live in the house for some time – maybe three months or so — before beginning the kitchen. It’s functional as is, and there seem to be numerous possible configurations, so I want to “feel” it before we do anything.</p>
<p>DH is having lots of fun designing the deck/patio/hot tub for the back yard. I told him that’s his project.</p>
<p>VH - sounds like we are ON for partying next October!</p>
<p>I started laughing so hard when I read that you actually are going to entertain us. Y’know I was really just teasing - but count me in if you are serious. </p>
<p>And to think we are getting busted for posting pictures but not for organizing parties on the thread! :)</p>
<p>VH: House shopping has been such fun. I hope you let us help plan the kitchen after you get moved in. :)</p>