Playing Catch Up Pt. 2: Guardian Meeting

Two posts in two days? Isn't that a bit much?

Sorry guys. We promised to catch everyone up on the latest and greatest while I was MIA, so you're just going to have to bear with me this week.

June was a bit of a blur. I was traveling for half the month in Texas for work, and then returned to an almost completely framed house. 

A lot happened between May and June though, so let's rewind and take a step back to revisit our wiring and security selections.

In May, we met with our representative from Guardian. They are the vendor/contractor that our community uses for everything from wiring, to speakers, to security systems, and even swanky (and very expensive) features like an in-house HVAC system for new homes.

We went into this meeting knowing we would limit our expenses on this front to the bare necessities since we knew we could install an in-house sound system and speakers on our own later down the road for less if we wanted.

Like a lot of the meetings you have when building with Ryan Homes, you tend to go into this a bit blind. The representatives are hesitant to share too much with you in regards to options and costs ahead of time since people are generally more likely to spend more if they make decisions impulsively.  As the wife of a sales representative, I understand the tactic, but as a buyer and natural planner, it would be nice to get a little more information in advance.

On the day of the meeting, we met with Mike at one of the model homes of our community. He was friendly and walked us through all of the items we would be discussing. First up on the docket was our wiring/cable needs for internet, phone and television. We ended up doing data/cables in the living room, basement and all the bedrooms. We also added the mounting option for a television above the fireplace.

In terms of speakers and surround sound, etc., we skipped out on that option just like we planned. We also anticipated opting out of the security package, but that changed after doing some research post-meeting. A little googling helped us realize that their prices were competitive and the fact that the system was hard wired into the house was a definite plus over other wireless options. 

Adam travels a fair amount for work so it's nice that I'll be able to sleep soundly knowing we have an alarm in place should any intruders try to make their way into our home.