OMG What Have We Done??
11-29-2016, 07:10 AM
#11
Good luck. I'm glad it's you. I have to agree with Legal Bill's comment. Even with tons of research and decision making during some remodeling I can think of dozens of things I would have done differently.
11-29-2016, 07:29 AM
#12
Thread Starter
11-29-2016, 07:31 AM
#13
Congrats Dave! We had our house built 12 years ago, mine is also on one floor with a postage stamp size lot. We didn't want a big yard and we also didn't want to climb stairs. The builder told us that many baby boomers were building similar homes. I did make the garage deeper than the original plan, but I wish now that I had thought about having a higher ceiling, so I could put in a lift. After spending 4 month's in a hotel waiting for it to be built, we were anxious to move in. Fortunately, we had a good builder who stood by his work. I checked with people who were already living in the area and they provided me good feedback.
11-29-2016, 07:34 AM
#14
Thread Starter
BTW, you will love one story living. We've lived in our ranch style home for 32 years. When we thought of moving several years ago, I was shown way too many Cape Cod style houses. My criteria required full bed and bath on lower level thinking of age related difficulties making it difficult to climb stairs. I was shown a few of those, but most of what we saw still required too much work to match what we had already done in our own home.
So we stayed where we were and now we have no need to downsize. We just need a garage.
So we stayed where we were and now we have no need to downsize. We just need a garage.
11-29-2016, 07:42 AM
#15
Thread Starter
The house is some what of a package deal that you can make changes to it. All you need is a bigger check book.
Our sales rep has already said that I have asked more questions than all of her customers combined. If you can get the details correct up front it will save big bucks on change orders.
11-29-2016, 07:44 AM
#16
Thread Starter
Congrats Dave! We had our house built 12 years ago, mine is also on one floor with a postage stamp size lot. We didn't want a big yard and we also didn't want to climb stairs. The builder told us that many baby boomers were building similar homes. I did make the garage deeper than the original plan, but I wish now that I had thought about having a higher ceiling, so I could put in a lift. After spending 4 month's in a hotel waiting for it to be built, we were anxious to move in. Fortunately, we had a good builder who stood by his work. I checked with people who were already living in the area and they provided me good feedback.
It is a postage stamp lot but that is what we wanted. The only down side I see so far is the cable company is getting tons of bad reviews and it is the only one available.
Last edited by Scooterboy; 11-29-2016 at 07:46 AM.
11-29-2016, 07:54 AM
#17
^ Spoken like a true car guy!
11-29-2016, 10:53 AM
#18
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Foothills East of Sacramento
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We built our house 20 years ago on a 5 acre unimproved lot. Friend of ours, a builder, did it combined with an architect who worked with all of us to the end and landscaping. Would do it again. A very positive, worry free experience. Essentially one story, walk in showers/baths (I hate glass doors) and everything is accessible to a disabled person. We thought that might be for an in law but now it might be for us in another 20 years, you never know.
What would I do differently? Would have had the automatic Onan standby generator from the beginning; added it a few years ago. Everything else was fine. Stucco (colored-no paint), tile roof, powder coated aluminum windows, imperfect smooth walls. As little wood on the exterior as possible for no maintenance and fire protection.
We hit the timing right in the 90s, so the subs came in pretty low during the downturn. We actually got it in for $91 a square foot not including the land. It is insured now for about $300 a square foot. Thank goodness for Prop 13 and keeping the 1% taxes low. House is valued to the actual price plus a little bit up (and down during the recession), I don't have to worry about taxes exploding because some yahoo builds a Mc Mansion down the road, they way I might in other states.
Edit: Garages. They turned out to be really cheap to build as there is no heating or cooling involved. (California) I made an 1100 square foot 4 car garage but the "4th" part is a separate room, really a shop. Very high ceilings so I can flip wood around for sawing/milling and I can shut the doors to the rest of the garage to keep paint from drifting in there. No car has ever been in there but it is my man cave. All the other doors are maximum width so you can get out of a car with groceries and not bash the doors on the adjacent car. My builder converted a law office to a real estate office and all the high quality carpet had to go. I have wall to wall carpet in the shop and garage. Really helps keep the house clean (dogs) and makes getting under the cars so much nicer.
What would I do differently? Would have had the automatic Onan standby generator from the beginning; added it a few years ago. Everything else was fine. Stucco (colored-no paint), tile roof, powder coated aluminum windows, imperfect smooth walls. As little wood on the exterior as possible for no maintenance and fire protection.
We hit the timing right in the 90s, so the subs came in pretty low during the downturn. We actually got it in for $91 a square foot not including the land. It is insured now for about $300 a square foot. Thank goodness for Prop 13 and keeping the 1% taxes low. House is valued to the actual price plus a little bit up (and down during the recession), I don't have to worry about taxes exploding because some yahoo builds a Mc Mansion down the road, they way I might in other states.
Edit: Garages. They turned out to be really cheap to build as there is no heating or cooling involved. (California) I made an 1100 square foot 4 car garage but the "4th" part is a separate room, really a shop. Very high ceilings so I can flip wood around for sawing/milling and I can shut the doors to the rest of the garage to keep paint from drifting in there. No car has ever been in there but it is my man cave. All the other doors are maximum width so you can get out of a car with groceries and not bash the doors on the adjacent car. My builder converted a law office to a real estate office and all the high quality carpet had to go. I have wall to wall carpet in the shop and garage. Really helps keep the house clean (dogs) and makes getting under the cars so much nicer.
Last edited by cosmomiller; 11-29-2016 at 11:00 AM.
11-29-2016, 06:21 PM
#20
Registered User
We built our last home 20 years ago on 62 acres (only 5 was used for residence). Sold it a year ago and now in process of a 200K renovation of our next home. You will love having an all new home.
The #1 thing I learned from building was this: make sure the contractor uses subs that he/she knows and has used for many years before. If they do that, and the contractor is a good one, then the subs will be good and the problems will be minimized. But if they don't, you can bet on problems later.
The #1 thing I learned from building was this: make sure the contractor uses subs that he/she knows and has used for many years before. If they do that, and the contractor is a good one, then the subs will be good and the problems will be minimized. But if they don't, you can bet on problems later.