New Guy in VA

[frazoo]

Hello to all, I have been lurking here for a little while and recently ordered the Enchilada Plan kit.  My wife and I bought 6 acres in Nelson Co. VA and have been looking for a small set of house plans for some time, then I stumbled in here one day.  What a GREAT site!  Other sites "small" plans started at 900 s.f. on up, not what we would call small with the ability to grow later.  I am astounded by a lot of the builds posted here, never knew you could do so much with so little square feet.  It really gives us hope that we can accomplish our goals.

A little about me, I am late middle aged, looking toward retirement.  I have over 30 years in the custom remodeling industry, with much experience in custom cabinets, raised panel rooms, and bathrooms.  Smaller is definately new to me and I look forward to learning from you all if you will allow me that priviledge.  I already have a million questions and haven't even received my plans yet!

We look forward to starting our build thread in the spring and thank you in advance for your support.

frazoo

p.s.  george in central va, I am just up the road from Dillwyn, near Farmville.  love your thread

[RainDog]

Welcome to the forum, frazoo. This really is a great site for me as well. One of a kind, really. I'm sure you'll find all the resources you need from planning to finishing here, considering the knowledge base of the members.

Lived for a year or so in Hot Springs, VA, just north of Covington.

Good luck!

[fishing_guy]

Welcome to the forum.  I'm sure you will get your questions answered here and in turn we all will learn a few things from you too!

[Squirl]

 

Feel free to ask questions whenever you want.  You are in a group of like minded people about size, land, and building.

[ChuckinVa]

Welcome neighbor. I'm one county over from you in Albemarle. 

[Redoverfarm]

  frazoo.  I guess I am sort of like a distant neighbor just into WV from Va near Warm Springs on your side.

[frazoo]

Thanks to all for the warm welcome!  I'm familiar with the Covington to White Sulpher Springs area, I worked on an in-period restoration there some years back.

ChuckinVA, I actually live in Albemarle now, looked for "affordable" land here for the last 5 years but had to settle for Nelson Co.  That's a good thing, I'll be closer to Lynchburg, which I like a lot better than the C'ville experience .  Only an hour one way to the new small house property!

frazoo

[Redoverfarm]

frazoo I actually live about 30 miles from White Sulphur.  I thought you might better be able to identify with a Va city.

[frazoo]

Redoverfarm, that's some pretty country over there!  I remember driving from the site to the motel in town after working all day (eary fall) and seeing rattlesnakes coiled up on the roads looking for heat from the asphalt roads.  New it was God's country cause even the critters were going green, looking for solar heat .

Received my plans Saturday, a LOT of information for the money, one of the best deals I have come across in years.  Thanks to John Raabe for this site!
The the games begin!

A question, has anyone built a pier type footing in VA for a dwelling?  If so, how did that go with the inspectors?  Any input appreciated.

thanks, frazoo

[devildog]

Im in Hillsville (Carroll co.). The inspector I have did not have a problem with pier foundations. But, he said the crushed rock wouldnt fly. It has to be on a concrete footer w/ simpson tie for a solid connection.

I eventually changed  my mind and decided to go with a crawl space.
Darrell

[ChuckinVa]

Thanks to all for the warm welcome!  I'm familiar with the Covington to White Sulpher Springs area, I worked on an in-period restoration there some years back.

ChuckinVA, I actually live in Albemarle now, looked for "affordable" land here for the last 5 years but had to settle for Nelson Co.  That's a good thing, I'll be closer to Lynchburg, which I like a lot better than the C'ville experience .  Only an hour one way to the new small house property!

frazoo

Those two words don't go together. "affordable and Albemarle". Glad you found something in Nelson. My dad lives in Amherst and I work in Lynchburg some days so I'm up and down 29 pretty regularly. I used to hunt in Nelson back when I hunted. My wife's family was from the Shipman area. Are you east or west of 29?

[frazoo]

DDog, I am thinking of doing a regular footing with concrete filled block piers.  If I want to finish as a crawlspace later, the footing will already be in place.

ChuckinVA, I am east of 29, actually go to Amherst then hit 60 back over to Nelson Co., the very southernmost tip of the county near the James River.  The last lot I looked at in Albemarle, the real estate agent told me, "it is a very affordable 125K" .  No acreage, just a lot.

frazoo

[Don_P]

Hi frazoo,
I'm down in Grayson Co.
Your comment sparked a thought. One thing to look into might be a pier and curtain wall foundation. A continuous footing with block piers on top. Single thickness brick infill between piers gives it lateral strength. A good description is in the foundation chapter of the codebook.

[ChuckinVa]

ChuckinVA, I am east of 29, actually go to Amherst then hit 60 back over to Nelson Co., the very southernmost tip of the county near the James River.  The last lot I looked at in Albemarle, the real estate agent told me, "it is a very affordable 125K" .  No acreage, just a lot.

frazoo

So you are somewhere in between Gladstone and Wingina ? I'm familiar with the area. My wife looked at Craigs list today and said 'look, someone has 25 acres for $150.000.00" The add Said the property had been in the family  for a long time and they were just tired of paying taxes on it. It is north of us about 7 miles. If I was wealthy I would buy it but I'm not so i won't.

[frazoo]

Don_P, that sounds like an economical way to go with it, thanks for the idea .

ChuckinVA, yeah, that's the area.  I'll have everything a retiree should need, fishing nearby (I'm in the process of building a canoe for the James River now, just laid the first strips of fiberglass tape today), couple of golf courses and whitetail in the back yard!  More and more Albemarle natives are losing the family acreage due to everclimbing tax structures.  Most have it sold before it is ever advertised, bet that one won't be available for long!

frazoo