Your foundation is complete and you've framed and roughed your house. But it's not time to rest quite yet. Now is the time to make your house a home. That's right. We are going to talk about all the little details that will complete your home and make it move-in ready. We are talking about finishing the exterior, completing the roofing, and putting in the driveway. After that we'll move inside and talk about finishing the walls, installing the cabinetry, doing the finish carpentry, putting in the floors, and installing the appliances. We've got a lot to cover here, so find a comfortable chair!

The Exterior

Time to give your house some curbside appeal! So let's talk a little bit about what the outside of your house is going to look like.

What is the first thing people will see when it comes to your house? It's exterior finishing, of course! To that end, choosing the right exterior treatment is an extremely important decision. Things you'll want to think about when making your decision include the style of your home, neighborhood guidelines, cost, and personal preference.

When choosing your home's outside surface, you'll have three basic choices: siding, stucco, and stone.

Siding is a popular choice, and one that many homeowners find appealing. Within the siding category, there are a wide variety of choices as well, including wood, vinyl, aluminum, and cement board.

Of these, wood is probably the prettiest choice, but it is also the one that is most susceptible to the elements. Wood can be expensive on the front end depending upon what type of wood you choose, and you will also have long-term maintenance costs. You'll have to paint or stain on a regular basis, and may even have to replace if your wood siding falls victim to rot, sun, pests, or moisture.

Synthetic siding materials-namely aluminum and vinyl-are less expensive up front and generally have few associated maintenance costs. However, synthetic siding is not nearly as attractive as wood.

Cement board is another siding material. Cement board is cost-effective and not susceptible to rot, insects, moisture, heat, or sun. It looks like wood and you actually paint it. Even better, cement board usually needs to be painted only once every 15 years or so. Cement board is easy to install, and is fire resistant.

Stucco is another type of outdoor wall covering. A contractor who is applying stucco to a home's exterior will apply a concrete mixture to wire lathe, and allow it to dry. A smoothing coat is applied after the first coat is dry. Stucco comes in a variety of colors and textures, and suits many different home styles.

Your home can also be covered in stone or brick. Real brick or stone is expensive and requires specialty subcontractors called masons to apply it. But if you really like the look of brick or stone a less expensive option is to apply a masonry veneer, which looks like the real thing but is less expensive and easier to apply.

The Roof

When it comes to choosing the type of roof to go on your home, there are many things to consider. The style of your home, expense of the materials, how long they last, environment you live in, and whether or not you have any neighborhood restrictions will all factor into your choice.

The most commonly chosen type of roofing is asphalt shingles. Made of fiberglass and asphalt, this type of shingles generally lasts about 15 or 20 years before having to be replaced.

Laminated fiberglass shingles are made of the same materials as asphalt shingles but are thicker and last 10 or 15 years longer. They come in different textures and shapes and can give your home a custom look. The downside? They cost about twice as much as asphalt shingles.

Standing seam roofs, also called sheet metal roofs, are comprised of large rolled plates of metal. You can find these roofs in a variety of colors, and they are lightweight and easy to install. While they cost about ten times more than asphalt shingles, they also last about three times as long. This type of roof is very popular in snowy areas, as they allow snow and ice to easily slide off.

Slate roofing is beautiful to look at but is very heavy. If you decide on a slate roof, you'll need some extra reinforcements to hold the weight of this material. Slate is very expensive-about 30 times more than asphalt. That being said, it can last more than 100 years. You'll have to decide if the beauty and durability is worth the price to you, and whether you are willing to pay for a roof that will most likely outlast you!

Wood shingles are another beautiful choice, and at only five times the amount of asphalt shingles, perhaps a more reasonable choice than slate. That being said, wood shingles last about the same time as asphalt shingles, and are the most flammable choice. If you live in a high fire area, consider other options.

Regardless of what kind of material your roof is made out of, good drainage is imperative. Otherwise, water has a way of makings its way into your home! In order to ensure this is not the case roofers will flash your roof's valley and angle your roof to channel water down the surface toward the edge. Gutters, which direct the water away from the foundation, will also be installed. Your contractor will be able to figure out how many downspouts to install and the method of drainage at the foundation.

The Driveway

The kind of driveway you have really depends on where you live. In rural locations, your driveway may be a simple dirt or gravel road. In more urban areas, it will most likely be concrete or pavement.

No matter what your driveway is made out of, they all do the same job. So what would make someone spend the money necessary to install a concrete driveway when a dirt driveway will serve the purpose just fine? Many neighborhoods have building covenants and restrictions that require you to choose a more finished look. Also talk to your contractor about the climate you live in, and ask if some choices hold up in your climate more than others.

Did you know? If you are going to have a driveway with a finished look, such as one made out of concrete or pavement, it's best to wait until the construction process is almost complete. Nothing ruins a new driveway faster than bulldozers and heavy machinery!

The Interior

Time to move inside! Now we just need to do the finish work on the interior of the home, and it'll be time to move in!

Walls

Most homebuilders today use drywall, which is made of plaster, gypsum, and heavy gauge paper, to cover interior walls. Because of drywall's cost and ease of installation it has more or less made the old way of lath and plaster wall covering obsolete.

Drywall comes in sheets of several sizes, and has tapered edges on the long side and full edges on the short side. When the tapered sides are put together they create a channel. Drywall tape is run along the channel, and then a drywall compound, commonly called "mud," is applied to cover up and hide the joints. When all is said and done you have a nice, smooth wall, and you can't tell where one sheet of drywall ends and another begins.

Finding a good drywall sub is key, so go with the best you can find, even if he or she is a little bit more expensive. The fit should be tight and smooth and the finishing coats should be so thin that minimal sanding is required.

Did you know? If the framing of your house is not square, you'll find out during the drywall phase. Lumber that is warped or not square will make the drywall installers job difficult, and if problems are significant, the framer may have to fix them before the drywall process continues.

While you may think that drywall is drywall, you will have a few choices to make. Your rooms might call for drywall with a fancy texture, for example, or you may want to install waterproof drywall in rooms like bathrooms and kitchens.

Finish Carpentry

Finish carpentry is what will distinguish your home from other homes. Those special touches are very important, so you want to make sure they are done correctly.

Finish carpenters need lots of skill. After all, they will be doing things like hanging doors, setting door sills, setting window and window sills, installing shelving, installing decorative trim and railings, putting in crown and base molding, and installing decorative molding like chair rails and wainscoting. They will also be doing things like installing your cabinetry and countertops.

A helpful tip is to make sure that all your supplies match. If you run out of molding in the middle of the job and have to order more, the next shipment may vary in some way. Ordering plenty of supplies from the same supplier not only makes life easier for your finish carpenter, it ensures that the interior of your home has a uniform appearance!

Painting

Painting is the last thing you'll want to do before you get to the really pretty stuff-flooring, appliances, and fixtures. Why do it now? Well, you don't want to install a really expensive floor only to get paint on it, do you? Also, painting the walls now means you don't have to paint around appliances and fixtures. And you'll have a little more room for error!

Lots of people choose to save a little money and paint the interior of their home themselves. But this is usually before they realize what they are truly in for! Painting is time-consuming, physically demanding, and takes quite a bit of skill. Also, people generally underestimate the sheer volume of things that need to be painted. In addition to walls, you'll also have to paint all of the doors, trims, and woodwork. And because your house has never been painted before, it will need a coat of primer and two coats of paint.

Murals and faux painting are very popular these days, and give a home a custom look. If you are interested in one of these types of finishes, your contractor can most likely recommend a specialist.

Flooring

Now that the interior of your home is painted, it's time to install the flooring. Chances are you've chosen several different types of flooring and will be using several different subs.

Did you know? It's a good idea to do a good, thorough cleaning of the job site, and to set pathways, before installing your new flooring. This will ensure that your flooring stays as clean as possible.

Flooring choices include wood, laminate, vinyl, tile, and carpet.

Wood flooring is expensive up front, but it is beautiful and lasts longer than other types of flooring. In fact, there's a good chance that your wood floors will outlive several generations! Plank flooring can be installed with nails or glue, or a combination of the two. Tongue-and-groove flooring has grooves that allow the pieces to fit up against each other like a puzzle. Parquet flooring is wood flooring with an inlaid design, and is usually installed in squares that are glued or nailed.

Your contractor should have your wood floors delivered a couple of weeks prior to installation. It should be stored in the actual room it is going to be installed in, to let the moisture content stabilize. This will prevent your floor from gapping after installation.

After the floors are laid they will be sanded, and then stained.

Laminate floors have the appearance of wood or stone at a fraction of the cost. They can also be easier to install, and are very durable. The downside is that they don't last as long as wood, nor are they quite as aesthetically pleasing. Laminate floors that imitate stone usually come in squares, while those that imitate wood come in planks. Laminate floors usually interlock and are attached to the subfloor with glue.

Vinyl floors are durable, versatile, come in a variety of styles, and are very easy to install. The most difficult aspect of installing vinyl flooring is making sure the patterns work with the angles of walls and placement of doorways. Some vinyl floors are self-adhesive, while others are applied using a special adhesive for this purpose.

Tile flooring is beautiful and works well in mud rooms, entryways, bathrooms, and kitchens. But tile flooring can be hard to install, and requires someone with experience to get it right. The installation process begins when the tiles are cut, spaced, and laid out. After you approve the design and layout, the tile is put permanently in place using a special adhesive. The spaces between the tiles are filled in with a substance called grout.

Carpet come in a variety of styles and colors and really adds warmth to a room. Buying the most expensive carpet padding you can will not only improve the feel of the carpet, it will give it a longer life. Carpet is attached at the walls to a wood strip with wood tacks called a stretcher strip. A good carpeting company should agree to come in a few months later to do a final stretch and adjustment of the carpet if needed.

Hardware, Appliances and Fixtures

The last things to go in will be your hardware, fixtures, and appliances. There will be quite a lot to do at this stage, so don't underestimate the time needed. At this point you'll be installing hinges, doorknobs, cover plates for outlets and light switches, lighting fixtures and ceiling fans, thermostats, exhaust fans, toilets and toilet roll holders, towel racks and soap dishes, medicine cabinets and mirrors, shower rods and doors, faucets, and cabinet and appliance knobs. Whew!

If you have built-in appliances, those should have gone in when you installed your cabinetry and countertops. Free standing appliances can go in now, once all the painting and flooring is completely installed.

Landscaping

Okay, you can move in now! The only thing you have left to do now is landscape your home. While landscaping can seem like an afterthought, you should know that good landscaping will add significantly to your home's value.

Hopefully you set aside a good chunk of change for landscaping at the beginning of this project. But if for some reason you didn't you may be able to refinance your new home in order to pay for some of the costs. Of course, in order to be able to do this your home must be finished.

Landscaping is broken down into two areas: hardscaping and softscaping. Hardscaping deals with things like walkways, pools, fences, and walls, while softscaping deals with trees, shrubs, and plants.

Some people have it in their budget to hire a landscape designer, while others choose to plan their own landscaping. Regardless of which way you go, the first step is to revisit your site plan, paying special attention to your house's location, property lines, placement of windows in your home, site's topography, site conditions, and location of utilities. This plan will come in very helpful when deciding how to landscape your property.

The next thing you need to decide is what you need, as well as what you want. It goes without saying that you'll need some trees and shrubs, but do you also want vegetable or flower gardens, a water garden, fences, walls, or anything else. Ask yourself how you intend to use your yard. Are you just concerned with appearance, or do you use your yard to entertain? Do you enjoy gardening, or do you have children and need a play area? Be sure to take your area's climate into consideration when planning trees, shrubs, and plants. Some species thrive in one area only to perish in another. Plants are expensive, so no need to buy anything that doesn't have a good chance of surviving!

Once you have an idea of your wants and needs, ask yourself how much time you have to maintain your yard. If you plan on hiring someone to maintain it, fine. But if not, you'll have to understand that the more complex your yard is, the more time you'll maintaining it during your free time. The goal here is to come up with some sort of balance.

Once you think you know what your want your yard to look like, put your plan down on paper. There are computer programs designed for just this purpose, that make landscape design easy. Look over the plan carefully, and change things that don't seem to be working. Once you have your plan completed, you are ready to put it into action!