Progress finally

[Daddymem]

Step one has been completed.  I wasted 48 gallons of water in a perc hole that I already knew would be less than 2 minutes per inch.  My septic will have no problem leaching.  Next step is to get a well in while I work on the neighbor for a Nitrogen easement so we can get the full 3 bedrooms on our lot.  If those go well, we will be purchasing the Universal Plans from here and be on our way to our farmhouse!

[spinnm]

What happened with the modular thing?

[Daddymem]

We spoke to my cousin who builds houses and he convinced us he can do better and he will be more likely to let us do a lot ourselves where the modular comes mostly finished.  He has some really nice pine floors he does at a cost between carpeting and hardwood and he builds cabinets from scratch with pine if we want.  Hopefully we can use the salvage place down the street from us for some things as well.

[ebass]

Congratulations on your completion of step one!......
Please keep us informed on how things go.....

[spinnm]

Cool!  You'll have more fun this way.  

[glenn-k]

Congrats, Daddymem.  The feeling is much better if you make it yourself. Your house should be an extension of what you are.  Not a particle board replica of what some company will allow you to be.  (Even though the one you were looking at looked pretty nice.)

[Daddymem]

Thanks guys.  I'm probably gonna need some architect speak when the contractor tries to remove things from the design.  He wants to get rid of the overhangs but not if this is gonna be sun tempered.  I'm sure there will be other modifications.

[jonseyhay]

Good onya Mate, we will all be looking forward to the updates.
jonsey

[Jimmy_Cason]

Good for you!  
Each step puts you that much closer.
Keep us posted.
Are you going to build the farmhouse yourself?
What percentage of building will be contracted out?

My wife and I are really excited about building the farmhouse.

We have been watching ebay and looking at antique doors and windows from farmhouses in the early 1900s.

We are building near the Canton Texas area.
Home of the Largest Trade Day Event in the world.

One Weekend per month thousands of vendors try to sell anything you can imagine.

We have seen all kinds of things we would like to add to the house to give it an old country feel.

Look at this pic from the Uk.
A cute 2 storey cottage that reminded me of the universal.

http://tinypic.com/view.html?pic=4rucns

[Daddymem]

Unfortunately we have to hire out the majority of it since I work so many hours and we are bursting at the seams in our current home.  But since I am a civil engineer, I can do a bunch of the plans and design myself and hopefully a lot of the finish work can be done ourselves.  After we purchase the plans from John we will likely post the plans for comment since there are some changes to the floorplan we want to make.  We will probably ask for some opinions on materials etc. as well.  Luckily for us this place is right down the street:  http://www.nedsalvage.com/  You can sleep in our camper if you visit  

Here is a network: http://build.recycle.net/index.html

Here is an Austin store:http://www.pieces-of-the-past.com/

[Mommymem]

Since I'd never seen how a perc test was done I tagged along and took pictures.  
Here's Daddymem doing his thing in the hole.

[Daddymem]

his thing in the hole.

Dear Lord! Let's keep this place clean and no more pictures of my things in holes please.  

[Jimmy_Cason]

Dear Lord! Let's keep this place clean and no more pictures of my things in holes please.  

At least you didn't have plumbers butt in the pic!

Anytime I'm bent over working I feel a breeze.

I got sunburned back there one time while installing deck boards..

[spinnm]

Hey Jimmy,

Check out Duluth Tradinging Co.  Have a special t-shirt that cures your problem.

[Daddymem]

Woot!
Our neighbors to the rear have indicated that they will provide us with a nitrogen easement on their lot and it doesn't sound like they want any money either!  This is the difference between us building and us not building since we would have to pay an extra $15k to build a nitrogen reducing septic system without the easement.  Let's roll! Of course now that means I gotta make John $159 richer  

[Jimmy_Cason]

we would have to pay an extra $15k to build a nitrogen reducing septic system without the easement.  Let's roll!

You should buy them dinner.
You know, a $15,000.00 difference SHOULD allow for a VERY THICK steak!

Hey Jimmy,

Check out Duluth Tradinging Co.  Have a special t-shirt that cures your problem.

I think that is ment to be a joke......
But, I will order two of them...

[Daddymem]

I'll just call this payment for all the times I saw her drive by the main road and I would meet her at her garage and open the overhead for her.  Sometimes it pays to be a good doobie  

[Daddymem]

--------------ITEMS ORDERED----------------
 QTY     Product      Description                Unit Price   Total
    1each     Z012        Universal 20' wide 2-story    159.00    159.00

Guess the boss ordered up our plan...Universal Cottage it is.  I'll get to drawing up some slightly modified floorplans and set myself up on the chopping block for critiques from the masters as soon as they arrive.

[glenn-k]

Super Daddymem- sounds great.

[jonseyhay]

Way to go Daddymem, you're off and racing.
jonesy.

[Daddymem]

More news! Some good, some not as good.
1.  I found land!  The abutting neighbor I hope to get an easement from actually owns more land than what her deed says!  According to my survey department at work, if my calculations are right we just file a plan at the registry of deeds and she gains that land, then I ask for an easement and she basically loses nothing.  

2.  Our current mortgage has a penalty if we sell prior to next March.  It looks like our new goal is to get a building permit approved prior to December and get whatever we can get done before the cold stops us this year.  We can then finish up slowly to hit a March-April move in.  This is good and bad.  We would like to be in earlier, but spring is the best time to sell a home anyways.  

I hope we get a nice present in the mail from countryplans.com today....

[Jimmy_Cason]

I hope you get your "Gift" soon.

Remember,
Every Journey Begins with One Step, But Some Take a Lot More than Others.

I don't worry about the cold slowing down my progress here in Texas.

But, the 100+ degree days in August are a pain in the neck.

[Mommymem]

YAY!! We got the plans today!! I saved it special for Daddymem to open.  

[Daddymem]

Got a go from our rear neighbors for the nitrogen easement....and they asked for no $$$$!!!!
Now I've got a race against the clock to get a building permit pulled by December with a DEP review period in the way after the Town reviews it too.  I hope we can extend that variance, that would be the easiest and put us in our house next building season.  The other hurdle we have is to come up with the lawyer speak for Massachusetts and Maine (one of the estate members) easement.  

[Laura21]

Great progress daddymen ( & mommymen). It's sometimes a struggle to wait for the permit dept. to get back to you so it pays to get it in as quick as possible. There is at least a 2-3 month wait here and thats for a plan with no changes required. Keep us abreast of your progress. Looking forward to hearing more ( & more pictures).

Laura