Tag: building a home

SATURDAY SKETCHBOOK: EVOLUTION OF OUR DESIGN

It’s interesting, now that I have been blogging for over a year, to look back and see some of the things that I have written – particularly as it relates to our house design process.

I am actually really thankful that I started documenting the process when I did. At the time, I had no idea that our floor plans would change as dramatically as they have.  I believe it might be encouraging to others reading this blog, who might be considering the design of their future dream home – to see that even someone who is seasoned in design can begin in one place – and end in another.

When we first started out, before our budget was completely realized, our house plans included special features such as a large vaulted living room, a small built in elevator/lift, and an endless pool in the basement.

 



 

You can see our original floor plans and my own personal thoughts about our dream home (as we believed it to be at that time) by linking to the following blog posts:

Main Level (original plan)

Upper Level (original plan)

Lower Level (original plan)

Through time, as we began to understand the true costs of what it would take to make these dreams a reality, the restrictions became more clear – and the designs began the process of fine tuning. Essentially, we had to determine which features of the design were most important to us, and which we could live without.

I wrote about how we made the decision to eliminate the large living room, and opted for a combined kitchen & dining space – to save on square footage – in this post.

And later, I documented in this post the fact that we would need to simplify even more – reducing the amount of windows, specifically in the living room, and also rotating the garage so that there would be a shorter driveway.

 

These changes didn’t come easily. I’ll admit it was hard for us to see some of the features we were most excited about slip away. But here’s the thing…

 

It’s still our dream house

 

With each change, the concept of the design was maintained, yet simplified. You could say that, essentially, we ‘cut the fat’.

In fact, as each modification has occurred, Craig and I have both looked back and realized that we prefer the more simple idea over it’s more complicated counterpart.

 



 

The fine tuning hasn’t been all elimination either. We have also been able to justify fun surprises, such as the rec room/ home gym in the lower level, and the nicely laid out upstairs bathroom with a large walk in shower. Both features that we know our family will greatly enjoy!

The newer floor plans, and hopefully plans that are VERY close to what will actually be built, are as follows:

 

Main Level (refined design)

 

 

Upper Level (refined design)

 

 

Lower Level (refined design)

 

The exterior has changed quite a bit too – in response to the interior changes.

This is how the exterior design looked last summer, before we began fine tuning.

 

And this is how it looks now. The most notable changes include the elimination of the living room ‘wing’, the reduction to one gable over the entry door, the change in orientation of the garage, the switch from a metal roof material to asphalt, and the elimination of the transom windows. The refined exterior is more simple and balanced, I think. I especially like that the entry door is centered on the gable and framed by the columns. Also, please note that the large planter box is still there. 😉

 

I will be taking some time this weekend or early next week to update the slideshow images on the website itself, so that it can reflect these changes.

Hopefully this post, and the overall blog – which will eventually capture our cottage from design, through building, and into interior decorating – will be a useful reference for people who are considering a new build of their own. It isn’t necessary to have it all perfect on paper starting out. The design will evolve and allow you to love it more along the way!

 

SATURDAY SKETCHBOOK: POSITIONING THE COTTAGE

The building site where a new home will be constructed is so, so important. Generally, it is recommended that you don’t even begin designing your house until a potential building site has been selected – so that the house can be developed to utilize the best features of the land, and avoid the pitfalls.

 

We purchased our building site in 2009. You can read more details about how we found and fell in love with our 4.5 acres in this post. Through the years, as I have been sketching ideas for the cottage, I have been careful to keep the lay of the land in mind – at least conceptually. I am now far enough in the design that I need to look more closely at how the cottage will actually be positioned.

This week I spent quite a bit of time fine tuning design details – the garage placement, the driveway configuration, and where the walkout door from the basement will be. Each of these decisions were heavily based on the site.



Our site is super unique, and has some interesting challenges. These are some of the site related issues that have been guiding our design:

 

SLOPED LAND

I’m sure that this particular parcel of land was passed over by multiple people solely because of its most dramatic natural feature – the slope. From the roadside there is a bit of flat land, but the slope down to the pond below is quite dramatic.

 

SETBACKS

The red area shown in the above graphic is the ‘flat’ land. The portion of land closest to the road (shown outlined in blue) is not build-able, because of setbacks and easements. Right from the start, we knew that we would likely have a longer driveway than most because of these setbacks alone.

 

MANY NEIGHBORS

Our land borders quite a few properties – both on the south and west property lines and, visually, across the pond. 14 parcels border ours. While this could be seen as a major drawback, I have been working strategically on the design so that our privacy within the home is maintained.

 

DENSE TREES

the kids standing by one of the many large trees that will need to be removed (2017)

One of the reasons we fell in love with our building site was that it was absolutely FILLED with mature trees: oak, maple, and other varieties. Sadly, there will be tree removal when the time comes to build. There is absolutely no avoiding that fact. By minimizing the overall footprint of the cottage, we hope to remove as few trees as possible.

 

EXPOSURE TO THE ELEMENTS

A view from our property, looking south. Our mini van is parked on the curved portion of the road.

An often overlooked, but important aspect of home design is the orientation it has in regard to the sun and wind. Because we live in a Northern climate, our strongest sunshine comes from the south. It is generally advised in this climate that you position your home with windows facing south (both for daylight, and for heating purposes in the winter). Thankfully, once a few trees are removed, we will have quite a bit of southern exposure.

It can get very cold in our state during the winter months – and the prevailing wind direction is from the northwest. I plan to rotate the cottage so that the garage can be used a bit for protection from those strong winds.

 



THE IDEAL POSITION FOR OUR COTTAGE

With all of these site issues in mind, I have narrowed down the placement of our cottage. I am working on finding the best angle of rotation and also determining how exactly the driveway will function – but we are getting close!

 

Just for fun, here are a few 3d images showing the cottage positioned on the land.

The cylinders are place holders for privacy trees (some of which are existing, and others that we hope to plant in the future. 

 

I worked a long time to find an appropriate position for the garage. I was sure that I wanted the garage doors to be set back from the front of the house/porch. For a while I had the garage rotated 90 degrees so that you accessed the doors from the side – but I eventually realized that this would not create ideal conditions for the driveway, making it both awkward and extremely long.  The garage is now accessed head on and set to the very back of the house so that it isn’t visually imposing.

 

The wall of windows on the southeast elevation will let in a ton of wonderful natural daylight. It is one of my favorite features so far, and never would have happened if we hadn’t talked to our contractor about current building prices – which prompted us to make a major change to the design.

 

You can see from this image how the cottage interacts with the slope. There will be a bit of excavating and retaining involved in creating the lower level walkout patio.

 

As the weather warms up, I hope to make a trip to the land again – and maybe stake out the corners or use spray paint to get an even more visual perspective on what we will see out of each window of the cottage.

Exciting times ahead!

 

10 THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN HIRING A CONTRACTOR

Nobody loves your house like you do. Nobody. Even if that house is still lines on a page – it will never bear the same emotional connection to anyone other than you and those who will reside under it’s roof.

Whether you are looking for someone to build your dream house or need an extra hand with a tricky remodel project, there are 10 things you need to know before hiring someone to work on your house.

 

1. IT’S OKAY TO ASK FOR HELP

It might be tough for you to hand over the reigns. Maybe you have tackled a variety of projects in the past all on your own and have come out successful. You have pride in your work, no doubt. But it is also okay to realize that maybe you can’t do everything on your own.

Whether it is a time constraint issue or just the fact that you do not have the skills to complete the task at hand, don’t feel ashamed. There are people who are specialized in this work, who are just waiting for your phone call.

 

2. DETERMINE IF YOU NEED A CONTRACTOR

 

Do you need a full blown general contractor, or someone who specializes in one specific area. Are you looking for a ‘jack of all trades’ handyman or a license professional? The size of the project will likely be a deciding factor in this decision.

If a small area of your existing home needs new flooring, for example, hiring a handyman may be perfectly fine. The large and complicated projects – and whole house builds – should be left to the seasoned contractors.

 

3. ASK TRUSTED FRIENDS FOR RECOMMENDATIONS

 

Who better to get referrals from than the people you know and trust? This is simple, and free word of mouth marketing. It is why contractors are looking to do their best work. They know that their reputation will precede them.

You may also get good results from others living in your same community – by posting on an online message board. You might be surprised to learn that the neighbor next door had the same type of work done on their home recently. If you approach the subject carefully, you may be able to find out what they paid their contractor for their similar project, something that may come in handy when considering the bids you are given.

4. PREPARE A LIST OF QUESTIONS

Call a minimum of two different contractors. Ask them the same questions, and write down their responses. Their answers may give you peace or give you pause. Some of the more common questions to ask include:

How long have you been in business? Obviously, a contractor who has been in the business locally for many years will have the experience and references to back up their work. That doesn’t mean you need to count out the new guy though. They may be hungry to build their business and put forth their best effort.

How many projects like mine have you completed in the last year? It won’t hurt to also ask to see examples of their work.

Do you have a license? The requirement varies from state to state, and also between trades. Check this site for details on state specific licensing requirements.

Can I see your certificate of insurance? Contractors should have both liability insurance and workers’ compensation for the specific job they are doing. Seeing the physical certificates is important.

Who are your main suppliers? Contractors will generally work with supply companies time and time again. Consider them additional references. Go ahead and call the suppliers (tile stores, lumberyards, home improvement stores) and find out if the contractor does reliable work or if they have left a path of unhappy customers. If a contractor is unwilling to offer suppliers names, you can consider he or she has something to hide.

What is the size of your crew? How many people will be working on my project? It is unlikely that the contractor themselves will be doing much, if any of the work on your project. They generally will have a crew, whether that is 2 or 20+ employees. Ask to meet with the foreman who would potentially be heading your project – preferably visiting with him or her on a current job site. You will be working closely with this person, and it is important to determine early in the game if your personalities mesh. Visiting on the job will provide an added bonus of allowing you to witness if their work is running smoothly.

Do you bid estimates or offer fixed prices? If possible, ask the contractor to provide you with a breakdown of how much each portion of the project will cost, including the breakdown of how much will be applied toward materials and labor expenses.

Will you be pulling the permits and scheduling inspections? The answer to this question should be yes. Not only should the contractor be aware of which pieces of the project will require permits and inspections and how to get them, he should also be willing to do the leg work.

What is your timeline for completing my project? Determine when they would be able to start the job. If they are booked up and you have a project that is time sensitive, you may need to move on. Ask the contractor to estimate how long the job may take, and also what factors may delay progress (weather? other jobs they are working on, etc).

What is your typical working day schedule? Determining the core hours your contractor and his crew plan to operate will help you know what to expect. Do they start early in the morning? When are the tools packed up for the night? Also ask what type of noise level can be expected and if they want you to be present at any point during the day.

How will you care for my home during your time there? Find out what the protocol is for storing supplies and tools for projects that span multiple days and learn if you can expect a daily site clean-up. Also be sure to ask what measures will be taken to protect the portion of your home that is not included in the project (if a remodel). For example – will they be sealing off the work zone?

The communication between contractor and homeowner is an important one – and it shouldn’t be a one sided conversation. Before the project is handed to them a good contractor should have some questions for you as well!

 

5. DETERMINE A PAYMENT PLAN

The Better Business Bureau advises against paying in full upfront for a job that has yet to be completed – but you may have to make an early payment for supplies. From there you will need to discuss how much will need to be paid at what point during the project. Your chosen contractor should be able to give you a reasonable payment schedule.

 

6. OBTAIN A WRITTEN CONTRACT

Make sure that all the bases are covered and written down. Even if your state does not require a written contract, ask for one. Before signing, make sure it includes all of the following information:

The contractor’s name, address, phone and license number (if required)

Details on the estimated start and completion date

Payment schedule

The contractor’s agreement to obtain necessary permits

Information about how change orders will be handled

A list of materials that will be used – the more detailed the better. Determine who is responsible for choosing the products that will be purchased at a later date, and who is responsible for paying for them (If it is in the budget, know what ‘allowance’ will be given to each item)

A list of what the contractor is or is not responsible for

 

7. KEEP RECORDS OF COMMUNICATION

Change orders are quite common during construction. They can be as small as moving the location of a light switch or as large as eliminating an entire portion of the project. Whenever a homeowner and contractor or builder agree on a change, it needs to be documented. Keep notes of these changes in a file, including the date they were made, who discussed the changes with you, and if the monetary impact was discussed.

 

8. BE PRESENT

Very rare is the situation where the homeowner shakes hands with their contractor and walks away until the construction is finished. It is understandable that you will want to know what is going on with the project, but it is important to note that a construction zone is a dangerous place to be.

You should discuss with your contractor early in the process how often you plan to drop in to check on things. It is always best that when walking on the construction site you do so with the job foreman – who can give you a tour of what has been completed and point out what is to come. For job site safety tips, check out this post from Construction Dive – which highlights 5 ways to keep the homeowner safe when they visit the job site.

 

9. FINISH THE JOB WITH A CHECKLIST

Before that final payment is made, check to make sure these things have been done and/or collected:

The work has been completed to the specifications outlined in the contract. As the homeowner, you should inspect the final product to be sure it meets your satisfaction.

Written warranties on products and services, including who will honor them and the expiration date of each

Written proof that all subcontractors and suppliers have been paid in full

The job site has been cleaned of debris and extra construction material

 

10. BEWARE OF SCAMS

If you have done your research and walked through steps one through nine, chances are number 10 won’t be a problem; But be aware that there are contractor scams out there. You should be wary of any contractor who:

Knocks on your door asking for work and offering you money for the referrals you make

Pressures you to make a decision more quickly than you are ready

Only accepts cash or asks you to pay upfront for the job

Asks you to obtain the building permits

Offers a ‘lifetime warranty’ or long term guarantee

Doesn’t list a telephone number in the local business directory

 

I hope that this list of 10 things to consider when hiring a contractor is helpful as you prepare for your next house project.