Dear Reader,
Every week I feature a guest author and today I'm pleased to introduce Lisa T. Bergren.
Lisa describes herself as a wife, mother, and friend living in the Black Forest, near Colorado Springs, CO. She is the bestselling author of over sixty books in many genres, from children's books to gift books to YA to adult fiction. Now that Lisa's finished building her dream home, she's trying to get the details together for her daughter's wedding on October 3rd, and impatiently waiting on bookcases to arrive for her new office, one with a view of Pikes Peak. Lisa welcomes you to discover more about her at: LisaTBergren.com.
Lisa's brand new children's board book Shh! Baby Jesus Is Sleeping is an adorable fresh take on the Nativity story.
Enter Lisa's book giveaway. Three lucky book club readers will each receive a copy of Shh! Baby Jesus Is Sleeping. Email: [email protected]
Please welcome author Lisa T. Bergren...
A year ago, I was staring at a big pit in our land, with massive foundation forms rising around me. Building had begun on our dream house--with an amazing view of America's mountain, Pikes Peak--and all I could think was, "What have we gotten ourselves into?"
With it being The Year of Building the House, I'd thankfully decided to focus only on projects that I could quickly dip into and get out of again--kids' books--rather than one of my epic novels. And I was so glad I did, because building became a part-time job.
I learned a lot through the process. Now that we're in our home, I thought I'd share some advice for others who might dream about building their own.
1) Check references on your builder. Is he/she timely? Good at communication? Patient? Smart at what they do? Do they have good relationships with subcontractors?
2) Be thorough in your design plans. Walk through homes you admire and take pictures of nuances to share with your architect. Once you have a design, measure spaces on paper and then areas you can actually walk through to visualize how it will feel. Don't forget toilet rooms and closets. 6-12" really can make a difference. "You can't have enough storage" is true. And an extra foot of ceiling height might very well be worth the money.
3) Measure your furniture and the space it takes to feel right. If you have to order new furniture, do so knowing it will likely take 6-9 months to arrive.
4) Visit your house every day as it's being built; you can catch things early that are wrong even if the builder doesn't. (Nobody cares about your house like you will.) Speak up if you don't like something, and always seek resolution with the builder.
5) Plan on budget overages. ^^^
6) Be a friend to your subcontractors. Bring them lunch or beverages. These are the peeps who are really making your house a reality. If they like you, they might go 10% farther in their efforts to do their job right.
7) I had a fantasy that for at least three years, my new home would be without issues or problems. If you live in a house, there's always a project! Focus on and appreciate what is right, rather than what is not, and you'll find peace.
I hope you're in a cozy place reading--or about to read--a good book. I often love to sit in my new chair (which took seven months to arrive), stare out at my new view of the mountains, and then escape into a new world of words, happy to have the building process behind me.
--Lisa T. Bergren
Email: [email protected] for a chance to win one of three copies of Shh! Baby Jesus Is Sleeping.
Thanks for reading with me. It's so good to read with friends.
Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]
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