Other Architectural Details on These Plans?

[MIEDRN]

I hope you don't get tired of my endless questions but I want to do some preliminary planning and have numerous questions. Again, I have looked through your site and haven't found specific answers but not sure that I know enough to look in the right places anyway!

Someone gave me the link to Ross Chapin Architects website and I do like some of the details there. I also noticed however that some of the lofts appeared too short for our code, the stairs too narrow etc. I don't mind revising plans but I don't want to pay $800 for plans that I have to modify anyway. Seems a waste of money.

Couldn't I gather architectural details that I like from books, etc and hire a carpenter to build them in the finishing phase? (Hopefully one of my kids will offer but ya know how that goes!)

Also - when it comes to land...

I've had my mind set on this land in a certain area. It's around 12,000 for 1/4 acre with lake access. There also appears to be quite a lot of deed restrictions but I thought for the price of the land, I could work with it. I'm not sure how cooperative they would be to a woman owner-builder though. Nothing to base that on mind you...

Do you think it would be better to pay a little more for more land in a more rural area without so many deed restrictions? One of the things that I'm concerned about is not being able to have an RV on my land to live on while I build.

Any thoughts?

[glenn-k]

We have looked at The Ross Chapin houses, and while they are cute, they are nothing more thsn John's designs with gingerbread added.  It doesn't seem to make sense to me to buy plans for someone elses house covered with gingerbread at a premium price because it is cute them change it to what you want anyway.  You can always incorporate ideas you like from other places into your plans.

As for the land, I hate rules and restrictions, but some people don't mind.  Home owners associations are pretty notorius for hating RV's.  If you want to use one or keep one on the property it would be wise to check it out before buying.

[MIEDRN]

I saw the gingerbread details someone posted......I think it was you, right?

I did see a lot of similiarities between the two but John's let's you use more imagination and that's half the fun. Plus, I'm sure I'll get it just the way I want it! Now if I could only decide which ones I want!

[glenn-k]

Jimmy posted the original - I added to it.  Kathy -my wife, another RN, mentioned that the other day - don't pay for someone elses cuteness in details - --gather what you like from everywhere, and put them all together in your own design.  

As you can see from examples created by our members, you can dress up John's cabins to look as good or better than any other design,  It just takes imagination on your part and the desire to follow through with creating your own dream-- not building someone elses.  

All above ground houses start out as a basic box that you have to add your own ideas of what is nice to.  For some it's just a clean grassy front yard.  For others, it's Victorian details and full landscaping.

[Amanda_931]

Low maintenance would be high on my list of things.

[Pala]

I posted the link to the Ross Chapin website.  I meant it, not so much as an endorsement of the plans for owner builders, rather an update on my upcoming project.  As with many things, building-by-committee can lead to some inefficient decisions.

I do however, wholehartedly endorse John's plans, these forums and the approach that MIEDRN and Glenn have outlined.

My wife and I have a stack of clippings from Fine Homebuilding and the Small Houses books, etc that show finish details and ideas that we're fond of.  Some we will try to talk my parents into trying, some we will incorporate into our Dream House.  John's plans will serve as springboard into the deep end of our own take on the story and a half.

You're on the right track for sure MIEDRN.  I hope I am

[jraabe]

As some of you probably know, Ross Chapin and I are ex business partners. We worked together on projects and shared an office in the 1980's. He's a talented designer who now works in the more standard architect mold with upscale clients. We continue to share an interest in smaller houses.

In contrast to standard architectural practice, I have always tried to give as much of the control as possible to the owner and provide simple tools that allow them to adjust the house design themselves. This is an ongoing project.

For many folks getting a set of my inexpensive plans allows them to start really working on evolving their own design. This is a process and learning experience that you will go through no matter what plan you buy or who you buy it from. Only a very small percentage of stock plans are built exactly as drawn. And usually that was because of lack of imagination! Often the house could have been improved by a few simple modifications.

The following steps can help make this an easy and fun project:
• Take the plans out to your site and start thinking about the sunlight, driveway access, parking and site characteristics. Modify the standard plan layout by moving windows, doors, porches, etc. to best take advantage of the site specifics and your space needs. Do this on overlay tracing paper.
• Start a tickler file of trim, siding, interior, kitchen and other details and examples of house things you may want to add to the basic structure. This is where some of Ross's details might be an inspiration. (Most of these things do not need to be documented in the plans as they are non-structural.)
• If the modifications are pretty simple you might be able to do them in 3D Home Architect - template plans for most of my designs are available for download at PlanHelp.com. Then you can print out your plan modifications and paste them right into the stock plan sheets and reprint as needed.
• Finally, if needed, you can have a local designer or engineer do just the structural or permit modifications that might be needed and thus use the local experts at their highest function.

[Amanda_931]

Quarter of an acre with all kinds of building restrictions--it would have me running the other way.  If it comes with water sewer and power at the road, that might not be a perfectly dreadful price, even in my part of the country--where three or four grand an acre doesn't sound too bad around here these days--I don't think, I haven't looked at prices recently--and that's a lot more than it was five years ago.

Six acres sounds better, depending on how much you could see of your neighbors.  

Although I had some friends whose 6 acres was only about 60 feet wide, awful long though.  Their garden oozed onto the next lot, which hadn't been sold yet.

So maybe 10 would be better yet.  Room for a garden, room to avoid neighbors you don't like much, etc.

Lots tend to be available.  5-acres, ditto.  10-50 acres tend to be a little harder to find, partly because the price per acre goes down with the larger parcel sizes.  

Don't need to do what an acquaintance did, keep adding land until he was sure he had enough for the place to be absolutely quiet, only to find that there was a funnel type valley separating him from a big(ish--this is the country) U.S. Highway with a fair amount of traffic 24 hours a day.

There certainly used to be people (I was briefly one of them) who would come work on a specific project for a client.  Now I could use one myself, and have trouble finding them.

Start a file of tear sheets and copies of things you like.

Start going through the small house process on Christopher Alexander's website, even if you don't have a specific place in mind, or if you are just thinking about a small lot in what amounts to a subdivision.   It starts out something on the order of  "find the most beautiful place on your land.  Plan to have your morning coffee where you can see it.  Not be in it, see and enjoy it."

http://www.patternlanguage.com/smallhouse/begin.htm

Alexander's whole book is pretty useful.  It's on John's recommended book list.  Go to Amazon from there and give John a cut from this--very expensive--book.  

Specifically, if you are going to be buying into a community, look at what Alexander has to say about how a community works and see if there's any possiblity of that where you're thinking of buying.

I might come close to killing for a bandshell, art, good coffee within walking distance.  Affordably.

[Miedrn]

Wow! Three or four grand an acre? What a deal!

I've been traveling (for my job) for over three years - my kids said, "Mom, don't you think it's time to settle down?". My kids and their families all live in southeastern Michigan. Land sure isn't that price here. I have looked further up north where the prices are cheaper and I might consider that. I looked in the thumb area after I saw someone building here in that location and land is reasonable there.

Building lots that aren't even an acre are going for around 30,000 here. Clearly, I have some choices to make. Basically, I want to get into my own house the cheapest way possible even if that means buying land at 12,000 in a restricted area. That was my reasoning behind that.

I did find a lot within an hours drive in a lake community with less restrictions. Some areas of the lake will let you build 750 sq. ft.

I don't want a tiny house....a little house will suit me just fine........a swimming pool later would be nice!

[Miedrn]

and believe me, I'm going to have a basement in my new house......

~she says as the tornado sirens go off~

[Ailsa C. Ek]

Wow! Three or four grand an acre? What a deal!

Building lots that aren't even an acre are going for around 30,000 here. Clearly, I have some choices to make. Basically, I want to get into my own house the cheapest way possible even if that means buying land at 12,000 in a restricted area. That was my reasoning behind that.

Heh.  Be glad you aren't trying to build in eastern MA.  Try this listing on for size: http://www.homes.com/Content/ListingDetail.cfm?PropId=39835236, and that's not particularly expensive.  Depending on where you're looking I've seens lots less than a quarter that size going for more.

[CREATIVE1]

Agree with the BUILDING RESTRICTIONS--RUN! idea.  I was looking at Maple Ridge on the Columbia River Gorge, 5 acres for $60,000--and then I looked at the deed restrictions they mailed me.  Forget creativity.  Outbuildings even had to match the house, and the house could only be situated on the flat area right next to the road.  I ran.

[Amanda_931]

People seem almost to be pouring into this area--everyone knows someone just moving in from Florida in particular, although my nearest neighbors just moved to Florida.

And even though the prices seem to have doubled in the last few years, cheap land is still high on the list of reasons.

[Miedrn]

I lived in Ocala in the '80's as a matter of fact, my youngest son was born there. I have a sister that still lives in Ocala. Land is cheap there, at least, it was the last time I looked. One day, I'd like to have a winter home there!

[Amanda_931]

After the last lot of hurricanes it might be getting cheaper!