Ryan Homes Option for Garage Floor Drain - To Add or Not to Add

Ryan Homes gives you the option to add a Floor Drain in your Garage.  Some community SRs will make you feel like you absolutely must add this and you will be a fool not to.  Others will tell you they built their home or have sold homes where people typically do not add it and that they've never had an issue.  So this of course made me very confused since I was told 2 different things by the SRs LOL!  Who do you believe? Ugh!   So after doing a little research, I decided to remove the $595 option.  I hope I don't regret this. Cringe lol.
If you do not get a floor drain, Ryan Homes will slightly sloop your garage floor (not even a noticeable difference) so if you ever do get water pouring from your cars, it will simply run outside of the garage door.  I just can't see this happening or ever even being an issue as I've never seen water pouring off our cars and if it does it normally dries and evaporates LOL.

Here is why we're NOT getting a Floor Drain in the Garage:

• We don't wash our cars in the garage (I had never heard of such a thing, but I guess in the winter alot of people do this LOL)
• Very Rarely do we pull our cars in the Garage and they are dripping wet with snow and water.  We don't get much snow and rain and if we do, I'm surely not driving in it! LOL!
• We've always had floor drains and never have seen that much water pouring off our cars where it even remotely reached the floor drain. So they kind of seem pointless!
• I've read some reviews where people that do have floor drains have issues with them getting clogged with dirt etc.  Again, I can't see us having that much drainage from our cars. Never seen that happen in the past.
• Worse case scenario - which I doubt will ever happen - we can always add one later
• I'm not paying for an option in our mortgage that cost $595 plus interest plus 30 years that I can see having very little value

Anyone ponder over this?  Please share your comments before my 14 Days are up for changes LOL.

Ryan Homes Incentives - Know Your Options!

Ryan Homes typically has a monthly incentive for the community.  It may varies from state to state how they allocate the incentive.  Most  states have the incentive for the entire community and all models, while others put the incentive on certain models and even certain home sites (lots).  Our city has the incentive for the entire community and any model. 

Typically Incentives are better towards year end because they are trying to meet their sales quotas for the year ;)  So if you are not pressed to buy right away and your community has many lots available - you may want to wait until year end to buy your home.  Typically the best deals on incentives start around October or so and run until the end of December.   It really just depends on supply and demand and where they are at with their sales quotas for any particular community.  But you can almost always count on some type of incentive to be running at any given time!  We lucked out and the December incentive was extended into January.  WooHoo!  The incentive is a Free Finished Basement!  HUGE!  So we decided not to wait until February and move forward now! 

However, we already had decided that our finished basement was something that we did not want in our mortgage and that we could always get finished later down the road.  So when I met with the SR, I asked her could we use the credit toward our Morning Room and of course she said YES!  So we saved about $13,000 off the Morning Room!  And I'm a very happy camper ;)

So just know your options when being presented with your incentives!  If they have an incentive and you need to use that money elsewhere like on other options, just know to ask!

Rome Model - Pondering Over Elevation C and Elevation E

When we first started this process I was dead set on Elevation C.  I had showed the SR the photo and said this is what I want! Period! LOL.  We had a different SR at that time which is now no longer there.

Virginia Model

So now that I've had a few months to think on a more rational and fiscal level LOL, I'm rethinking EVERYTHING.

So when I went back to meet with my new SR, I wanted to make sure I thoroughly researched all the other Elevations, as I didn't feel we fully had a chance to review them all and learn the features and options that each one had to offer as well as cost.


So low and behold when I started looking through them, I came to the realization that I could still get a gorgeous elevation but with great savings!

So born was Elevation E with the Front Porch!  We save $3500 when comparing it to the Elevation C w/ Partial Stone Front, and still get a Gorgeous Elevation and a Front Porch!  That was a nice surprise!  For us, it's all about getting the most bang for the buck but saving as much as possible at the same time!  So we are choosing Elevation E as shown below with the Front Porch and All Siding Front with Shake Center w/ Side Car Garage.  (However, not those color options.)

I do have some questions for our SR though after looking through the pics online.  In the picture below which is from mid 2013 construction and in another state, you'll see the black roof off to the side of the peaks is different then the illustration photo below it that has that black roof extending all the way across which I actually like the look of that alot better.  So I need to ask our SR how the roof will be constructed.  From looking at the blueprints, it appears it will be designed as shown in the bottom illustration photo which if that is the case I will be very happy.  I will keep you all posted  :)

So What's the Lesson in all this Babble lol:  Just remember, when making your selections, take your time and look over ALL your options very carefully - study every single elevation, every single option for that elevation, and all the pricing options.  Cross off elevations you know you absolutely do not like, pick the ones you love and then narrow it down from there. 

Also, when you meet with your SR remember you have 14 days to make changes! (May vary per state so check with your SR)  Take that time to go home and go over EVERYTHING with a FINE TOOTH COMB to make sure you are making the right chooses for your home.  You will be surprised how many things you wind up changing your mind about after you get home and have time to just sit down and relax and look over everything on your own.  This way you can take as much time as you want without feeling any pressure to rush and being embarrassed about going back and forth 10 times changing your mind about your decision in front of your SR.  TAKE THIS TIME away from your SR at home to review and reflect on your choices - it's so important!  We saved a TON OF MONEY by doing this!    You will have your Options List Sheet with all pricing and options so that will make it easy for you to research later.

You may be pleasantly surprised like us and realize your first initial choose was not the best choose and end up getting a beautiful elevation with a little more bang for your buck and save a few thousand dollars in the interim :)

Google Photo - Elevation E w/Porch - All Siding w/Shake Center Front Garage

Google Photo - Elevation E w/Porch Partial Brick and Side Garage

Update February 14, 2014 - We changed our mind again! LOL!  We ended up doing Elevation C with All Siding.  The reason for the change is we are just really wanting to keep our cost down yet still get a beautiful home.  We never ever sit on the front porch so it's kind of a waste of money for us.   So Elevation C is where we'll be. 

Elevation C - All Siding - We choose different colors though.

We're Ready to Build Early! Meeting with SR Today!

We decided to move forward with building this month due to the great incentives Ryan is offering and the fact that our community only has 4 Lots left that we can build our Rome on.  So this months incentive is a Free Finished Basement which we are going to use as credit off the Morning Room.  We will finish our basement later. 

I have my Cost Sheet which we generated the other day and I am going over all options and cost with a fine tooth comb to make sure the options we choose are absolutely necessary and to decide what can come off and be done later.  We are meeting with the SR today to sign the contract! Woo Hoo!

I will keep you guys posted.  I have lots to post about options etc.  So I will be back soon :)