Firstday Cottage

Started by Robert_Flowers, September 09, 2005, 04:36:36 PM

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Daddymem

That's their claim.  We went local and were able to pop open the webpage, show them brochures, explain to them there would be two deliveries with payment due...they listened and they were fine with it.  If your bank doesn't go for it, try another and another until one helps or ask John or David for some help.

Dustin

Klaus,

could you just rent a lockable metal shipping reefer ("construction trailer") and have all the kit delivered into that?
That's what I'm planning to do. (unless I get my garage done before the house, which is another possibility)
Then you can work out of your kit.


Dustin

You might also want to speak with a mortgage person who deals with Log Home building mortgages. They work in a similar fashion.

I finally completed my plans today! I faxed over my semi-final tweaks today. I just talked to David and he says plans are coming soon.
I'll out my plans up on my blog when I get a chance tonight.
Hurray! Now it's subcontractor interview and quoting time...
(and packing stuff in boxes time)

williet

QuoteYou might also want to speak with a mortgage person who deals with Log Home building mortgages. They work in a similar fashion.

I finally completed my plans today! I faxed over my semi-final tweaks today. I just talked to David and he says plans are coming soon.
I'll out my plans up on my blog when I get a chance tonight.
Hurray! Now it's subcontractor interview and quoting time...
(and packing stuff in boxes time)
Look forward to seeing them..... and GOOD LUCK.

Daddymem

QuoteYou might also want to speak with a mortgage person who deals with Log Home building mortgages. They work in a similar fashion.

I finally completed my plans today! I faxed over my semi-final tweaks today. I just talked to David and he says plans are coming soon.
I'll out my plans up on my blog when I get a chance tonight.
Hurray! Now it's subcontractor interview and quoting time...
(and packing stuff in boxes time)

Phew! Just in time for David to leave on his trip. Yay you. :)


Dustin

Ok, my rough sketch adaption is up on the blog now.
I'll have to spend some time modifying my Punch! version to get them the same. I also should do the basement eventually, but since we decided not to finish it right away to save money (just laundry, food storage, junk storage, and utility for now, maybe rough bathroom), it's no biggie.
I also need to start on my electrical plan, plumbing plan, lighting plan, etc.

When David comes through with the final plans (hopefully very very soon) I'll get them up too.

So, what, there's three of us so far that are building FirstDay's on this board? I think it's very, very cool that there's more than just me. I suggested to John H. and David to start a Yahoo! Group for First Day folk, but I doubt they will do it. David is not very computer literate and John H. didn't seem too interested.
I'm just glad John R. (our host) has this fantastic forum for us to congregate in and discuss the issues and doesn't mind us spending some much time yakking about FirstDays. The good thing is, most of the issues we face with building FirstDays are much the same issues we would face building John R.'s plans, so it benefits everyone to hear.


Daddymem

It seems to me that FirstDay is getting too much business.  David seems genuinely interested in helping people build their own houses and he wants to be a part of all their experiences so he doesn't want to grow so big that he doesn't get to meet the people building his houses.  My guess is they get enough business by word of mouth and when that Yankee Magazine article runs their phone is gonna ring off the hook.  

Dustin

Yeah, he told me Oprah called and wanted them on. Can you imagine is just 1% of the viewers of Oprah wanted to buy a First Day? Talk about swamped!
They're swamped already!

Klaus(Guest)

Thanks for the replies on financing.  We are going to continue with Indy Mac and see where that takes us, now just waiting for my husband to get time to fill in all the technical info, I don't know! We are living 2600 miles apart trying to accomplish this!!
I think this is a great forum! I saw someone mention about a yahoo group, any one of us could start it, you just need someone to moderate it.  I am really getting anxious to get started on the house.  For those of you who have built yours, is the time frame for building them similar to what they suggest?  Ours is bigger than some, so I do realize that will add to it.  We are building a salt box, 26 x 56 with upstairs the 16 x 56, then a catherdral room 16 x 23, and the front porch along this room, the width of the salt box, hope that makes sense.  I hope to start a web site to show the progress.  Would love to see any others?
Thanks


Dustin

You want to figure 1 hour per square foot per person.
You've got a pretty big house for a firstday, so I would say that you're probably going to need a crew of helpers to get it done in a year.
Mine is about 1720 sq ft (I have a basement I'm not finishing though) and I think it's almost too big!
1456+ 896 + 368 = 2720 sq ft...that's a big house for a First Day!  If you figure an hour a square foot, and you have 2 people working on it full time - 40 hour work week, x 4 weeks, x 2 people, it will take you 8.5 months- you have a long ways to go.

You may want to consider scaling down and putting it on a basement since you won't be doing that part, except for the finish work. This will get you "free" square footage that you don't have to build.

If you're having a huge crew build it for you, it's not big deal then.

I have heard that they are going to put Saltboxes and other larger houses on a waiting list becuase they are already pretty swamped, and they don't want to build really large houses. I'm betting they will eventually standardize on one or two house types (the basic original 18x30 and the 24x36 house) with a couple a floor plans you pick from and that's it.  They can't continue the volume without doing it. This is a two man operation and more a labor of love from David than anything else.

williet

QuoteYou want to figure 1 hour per square foot per person.
You've got a pretty big house for a firstday, so I would say that you're probably going to need a crew of helpers to get it done in a year.
Mine is about 1720 sq ft (I have a basement I'm not finishing though) and I think it's almost too big!
1456+ 896 + 368 = 2720 sq ft...that's a big house for a First Day!  If you figure an hour a square foot, and you have 2 people working on it full time - 40 hour work week, x 4 weeks, x 2 people, it will take you 8.5 months- you have a long ways to go.

You may want to consider scaling down and putting it on a basement since you won't be doing that part, except for the finish work. This will get you "free" square footage that you don't have to build.

If you're having a huge crew build it for you, it's not big deal then.

I have heard that they are going to put Saltboxes and other larger houses on a waiting list becuase they are already pretty swamped, and they don't want to build really large houses. I'm betting they will eventually standardize on one or two house types (the basic original 18x30 and the 24x36 house) with a couple a floor plans you pick from and that's it.  They can't continue the volume without doing it. This is a two man operation and more a labor of love from David than anything else.
Dustin,
When I talked with them, they said there was no intention to do away with the '16 wide house. Some of what is said on these threads lead me to believe FirstDay is planning to do away with it. We plan to try to start a house the first part of next year .... Can you help me with this confusion?

Daddymem

What we were told was they were doing away with the saltbox and the cape and were pushing towards doing the 1.5 story cape only but would do an 18' wide original if asked.  The wider original had to do with the stairs not meeting international codes.  They are really swamped up there so if you want quick, I think you are dealing with a stock version.  John reads this forum sometimes, perhaps he can give the official answer.

JohninVT(Guest)

Firstday is shying away from the Saltbox and any custom work.  That doesn't mean we're doing away with them....just that we can only commit to supporting projects that are viable.  The 16' house is a great little house.  I'm very happy with mine.  The stair code is a problem in some areas though.  The 18' house is harder to build than either a 16' or a 1.5 story 24' wide Cape but.....it solves the stair code problem.

The Saltbox requires more material and much more labor than a Cape or other design with the same square footage.  The reality of it is that most folks who ask us about the Saltbox want 1700-2000 sq. ft houses.  They are too big.  A couple simply can't devote almost a full year to building a house.    

I've only done 30 or so take offs and helped with a couple dozen homes since I began working at Firstday but it is obvious when doing the math that there is a true "sweet spot" in owner built homes between 1000 and 1400 sq. ft.  Those customers end up maintaining better cost discipline over the entire project, the house is sized physically so that they can FINISH it in a few months and they end up being able to build the entire thing themselves without a contractor.  

Daddymem and Mommymem are going to build an almost ideal house.  A 24' x 32' 1.5 story Cape.  For 75% of our customers, THAT is the house that is going to make the most sense for them.  Dustin is building a custom house based on the 18' design and he's hiring professional carpenter's to do it.  A couple couldn't raise the bents in an 18' house.  

If anyone has questions, concerns or comments, please feel free to contact me at any time.
info@firstdaycottage.com          

Dustin

I am going to be doing a lot of the work, but I am bugeting a few bux (about $10,000) for help. I obviously can't do the work alone, and my wife is going to spending most of her time chasing kids.  She can help me do finish labor after the major house structure is up. So I will hire some laborers (probably some 19 yr. olds from church at $8 /hr) to help.

I wish I had found First Day when we were first married and we didn't need so much room. John's 16x36 would have been perfect for us for many years. The 1700' sq ft. house we are living in now is almost too small.
I am also building a slightly larger house than they would like, at 1720 sq ft, but I have a growing family of 6 years, 3 years and 6 month old kids, and maybe more in the future.
I needed to have 3 bedrooms upstairs and and 18'x40' with a little add-on for the living room. We will have a basement, but the lot we have is totally flat and not really too conducive to a walk-out basement. We will probably have a 9' basement  with 3'-4' above ground, and will finish it some time after the house is built. I will have enough equity in the sale of my existing home to pay for approximately half of this project. The rest I can get a good loan for and pay it off in 7-10 year and be mortgage free!




Dustin

Here's the latest take on the plan:





I'm waiting for finals from David but it should be very, very close to this.

I can't wait to start!


williet

QuoteHere's the latest take on the plan:





I'm waiting for finals from David but it should be very, very close to this.

I can't wait to start!


Anything new with the plans?

Dustin

I don't know what the holdup is. I thought John was going to send them out last week, but no dice yet. Hopefully soon. Maybe got lost in the mail? I'm about to ask for a scan to be emailed to me while I wait.


Daddymem

John probably has his hands full....David went to Florida.  Our plans were held up a bit with the structural engineer too so you might be feeling a combined slow down.
Où sont passées toutes nos nuits de rêve?
Aide-moi à les retrouver.
" I'm an engineer Cap'n, not a miracle worker"

http://littlehouseonthesandpit.wordpress.com/

williet

QuoteJohn probably has his hands full....David went to Florida.  Our plans were held up a bit with the structural engineer too so you might be feeling a combined slow down.
You got any pictures, Daddymem? Maybe a web site to follow your construction????

Daddymem

Yep, check my sig  ;)  Mommymem is running a FirstDay webring and there's a link off her blog for a Yahoo group too.
Où sont passées toutes nos nuits de rêve?
Aide-moi à les retrouver.
" I'm an engineer Cap'n, not a miracle worker"

http://littlehouseonthesandpit.wordpress.com/


Dustin

You know, I wanted to do a yahoo group for First Day builders for a long while now (look at some of my older posts), but never got permission or support from David and John to do it.
I better go join.

BTW, I noticed I'm not a YaBB newbie anymore!



Mommymem

I wanted to lighten the load regarding the FirstDay Cottage thread so it didn't seem like we were spamming here. So I got the ok from Glen that I could post the link to the Yahoo group for FirstDay for anyone to join.
All are welcome to join even if you aren't building a FirstDay Cottage.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FDBuilders/
"Change your thoughts and you change the world." -Norman Vincent Peale

http://schluterhomestead.blogspot.com/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FDBuilders/

Daddymem

Hello everyone, been a long time!

I'm researching some ideas for tiny additions around our doors.  What I want is an enclosed, unheated area 6x6-ish, off our front and back doors.  I am tossing around the idea of all stick built, or a stick built platform with vinyl or aluminum sunroom style.  What I want is an airlock on each door.  One big weakness on FD homes is the extra insulation makes the doors just not work right, the walls are too thick for conventional doors.  I want to bring my door to the outside face and then have the airlock room.  I want the room to have a storm door and I want to be able to open it up (screened) in the summer.  It would give a sheltered place to hold the groceries in your hands while fumbling for keys out of the rain.  It would make it easier to keep cats and dogs from running out.  It would provide a place for deliveries to be dropped off.  If big enough it would be a place with a bench to take shoes off to keep the house less sandy. 

The first question is, would I want to put a gasket between it an the existing siding, or strip down to the insulation, or down to the 2by interior walls?  Remember, FD construction from the frame out is is 2x tongue and groove, tyvek, 1" rigid foam, 2" rigid foam, strapping, 2x ship lap.

Any advice on construction, size, layout, details, inspiration, information sources, etc appreciated.  I just passed my PE in April, and after 394 hours of studying, my brain is still a little mushy.   d* I can probably stamp these plans since they will be small.
Où sont passées toutes nos nuits de rêve?
Aide-moi à les retrouver.
" I'm an engineer Cap'n, not a miracle worker"

http://littlehouseonthesandpit.wordpress.com/

MountainDon

Not an expert on this but it seems to me that cutting back to the layer of 2x T&G that mounts to the studs would be quite workable. @x T&G would provide sufficient nailing grab for securing the new wall to the house.

Foundation was not mentioned for the additions but should be same as the main structure.


Clarification please.  Do the existing doors that you want "to bring my door to the outside face and then have the airlock room", open inwards or open outwards at present? And do you want to keep the present in or out swing? If inward swing presently do they open more than 90 degrees now; that is are the hinge pins past all the existing trim, etc on the inside? 

Present and desired drawing would make everything quite clear and leave no doubts as to present / future.



Hmmm... a newly minted PE. That's one way to avoid having to pay for an engineer.   ;D
Just because something has been done and has not failed, doesn't mean it is good design.

rick91351

Quote from: MountainDon on June 15, 2013, 04:01:25 PM


........................snip............................

Hmmm... a newly minted PE. That's one way to avoid having to pay for an engineer.   ;D


Me thinks I would rather hire one than be one.   :D

However congratulations on passing the test!   [cool]
Proverbs 24:3-5 Through wisdom is an house builded; an by understanding it is established.  4 And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches.  5 A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength.