House Design

Finally, our new deck is complete. Construction of the deck began on Monday, June 6 and was completed by Thursday, June 9. It seems like we’ve waited a long time for it to be finished and we’re so excited now that it’s finally done. Not surprisingly, we love it! Our general contractor, Sean Stunkle, did a great job for us and I highly recommend him.   

Not only does the deck give us an outdoor living area, it expands the kitchen/family room which is where my wife and I spend most of our time. The kitchen/family room is the hub, the nucleus, of our home. When we get home, we go straight to that room. Now the door at the rear of that room isn’t blocked off, it leads to our fabulous new deck.    

The new deck enhances our living experience in our new house, but it also does much more. When we are ready to sell the house, having a great deck may attract more potential buyers. Although the houses in my neighborhood are less than two years old, many do not have decks. We are fortunate to have been able to improve our property and although the deck cost us a cool $4,000, this was an excellent price compared to other bids. We will be able to enjoy it for years to come, it’s a great investment and it will help us move on when we are ready.     

Once the deck passed the county inspection, I immediately enlisted the help of my little brother to carry my grill up on the deck. My wife and I then drove to her brother’s house to pick up some deck furniture he wasn’t using anymore. Free furniture! Score one for the cheapskate homeowner! My brother helped me carry that up as well. It was great fun setting up the deck! 

I went to Costco and bought meat. Lots of meat. Hot dogs, sausages, chicken, and steaks. I loaded up on all of the things I love to grill. I cracked open an ice-cold brew. Then I went out onto my new deck, fired up the grill, and started grilling up the first awesome dinner on my new deck.     

I couldn’t keep the smile off my face as my grill skills feverishly took over. I jostled the various proteins from hotspot to hotspot, flipping and searing, creating the perfect grill marks. I deftly removed the steaks as they neared an immaculate medium-rare pinkish hue. I rolled the dogs for those professional-looking cross-grill marks. I cooked the sausages, allowing just the right amount of greasy flames to turn the skins slightly crispy while leaving the center tender and juicy. My tongs had become an extension of myself. I had transformed into a dynamic grilling machine. 

We all sat down at our (free!) new outdoor furniture to eat the impossibly large amount of sustenance and ate until we couldn’t move. It was great! It was everything I pictured it would be. It was just as I had imagined two months ago, sitting at my computer waiting for the HOA to approve the application so construction could start. And now it’s here. As if that weren’t enough, my wife even volunteered to do the dishes! 

The deck is finally here. No more jealousy directed at the neighbors for enjoying their deck. No more balancing plates of meat when I head down to grill in the driveway. No more ignoring the back door to nowhere on the middle floor. No more savings account. (LOL. That’s true, but we can build it back up.)

This will be the last information about the deck (I promise!) for awhile … at least until I stain it next month. Next week I’ll talk about something else. Until then, we’re decked out and grillin’ in Northern Virginia!

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