Where to build?

[MartyM]

Hello all! 

I have been lurking and learning for a few months, lots of great idea sharing going on.    Im so glad I stumbled across this site!

I ll give you some of the details about the land and sit back and hope for some feed back and or things I may have over looked.

I have a 10 acre lot in north central Arkansas.  It sits on the the south side of a small mountain, with a south to south easterly slope.  Its about 150 yards wide and about 600 yards long.  The 600 sides are running up the slope.

There is an existing driveway (needs some work) that runs half way up the slope. Also electrical lines follow the drive half way up. 

The west side of the land has  small a run off creek bed.  There is a seasonal spring in the creek bed at about the halfway point as well.

The land has 2 very nice spots to build. Both spots are about the same as far as size of relatively flat building area.  Around 50 yards by 150.
One is the very top section that sits below a steep rocky slope and has a great view over looking the valley below. The view is over 180 uninterupted degrees from due east to due west. It has 2 large trees that look like they would provide some fair summer shade.

The second spot is the very bottom 50 yards. It sits about 100 to 125 feet lower than the top section. The view is pretty well blocked by trees. I could clear some. But there much thicker as you move down the slope. Summer shade would not be a problem.

Im a cheep skate and the plan is to put a builders cottage on the land and I will be providing most of the labor.   I am leaning towards the bottom section for cost savings and ease of construction.  I would save over $2000 just in running the electricity.  Shorter driveway is a big savings as well.  Plus anything I can use from the land for building materials will be coming down hill to the site.  Including that spring water. 

So I guess my question is aimed at you southern folks.  Is there a big weather advantage to building up high?  Is the view the only thing I am giving up by building lower?

Any thoughts or Ideas are welcome.

[n74tg]

Hi Marty:  I'm building a house in Hot Springs. 

Me, personally, I'd opt for the higher elevation location if you can afford the extra cost.  Yes, it will be tougher to build there, and more expensive too, but that 180 degree view will be more than worth it when you're done; especially if you like wind breezes that can cool the house.  Down low, I think you would lose all the breezes.

Or maybe you could put it this way.  Save yourself a few bucks and build it at the lower elevation, and then spend the rest of your life wishing you'd built it at the higher elevation.
 

[MountainDon]

Think long haul. That means I'd pick the upper position. Of course I do have a bias, having a cabin on the top of a ridge.

[rick91351]

Even though I'm not from the south I vote for the view and nice breeze, a deck, some shade, some sweet tea and maybe a little blue grass thrown in.  Go up; the closer to heaven the better..... 

rlr

[glenn kangiser]

...and high - it will be harder for someone to get behind your back --- that bugs me. 

Think - defensible space - for shooting, but you are at the top of the hill so fire could be a problem.  I clear annually with the Bobcat.

[Okie_Bob]

I love the way Glenn things, as always. Defense as always would force me up higher. As everyone else puts it, build high or spend the rest of your life wishing you had. Us Natives are never wrong on this subject.
Okie Bob

[zion-diy]

High ground. you know it does rain here in the ozarks, and water runs down hill, and the creeks will rise. we built our house on top of a hill rather than the lower level that's closer to the creek. most people thought we were nuts. that creek will never rise that high everyone would say. 2nd year we had the house, we had one heck of a flood. suddenly we were the smart ones. of course, I'll never tell the wife that my reason for building up high was the same as Glenn's. nobody can sneak up on you.

[MartyM]

Thanks for the input everyone.

Money and time restrictions tend to make me try to simplify,  and the lower spot would be by far simpler and cheaper.  As we all know thats not always a good thing. 

I live about 7 hours away in Nebraska so the progress will be slow no matter what spot I choose.  My sons and I are headed down to the land for the Laborday weekend.
I have a 10x20 car port with metal siding and roof that I scored off of Craigslist that I am taking down this trip. I was thinking that over the 3 day weekend we could clear a spot on the lower end. and have the storage shed in place.

Now after your words of advise our weekend will be spent playing King of the mountain.  The plan is to see if we can get the pickup truck to the top if the hill. Our neighbor (used to own the land) has kept a atv trail open. It already follows the most logical path to the top so hopefully just a little widening and some erosion fill and we can be camping at the top.  This should give me a good idea of the amount of driveway work required.  I fear this may be a good excuse to own a small tractor or skid loader  one can never have enough tools !!  Of course that puts the cabin that much farther away.

I will let you all know how it turns out and see if I cant post a few pics. 

[Don_P]

Good luck, we built up relatively high on our site.
A couple of thoughts on a high site;
Air force takes out the hilltop fortifications first  . If you're paranoid nowhere is safe.

Road maintenance, I'll need to go pull the gravel back up here in an hour or two after this morning's storm.

Fire dept and ambulance will have a tougher time getting to you. The brush truck was the only one that tried to get up here when my wife lit the front yard. After several years of decline we finally had to move her mom into a nursing home for fear of not being able to get her out, we hike pretty often in the winter. One winter I had every vehicle stuck at some place on the road for 30 days. Better count on keeping the pantry well stocked in winter. I broke loose with the motorhome one Febuary day and slid down the hill, luckily she made the turn at the bottom on 2 wheels and didn't take the ski jump to the creek. There's still a crease in the seat. We have summer homes that I can't get to during rough weather in the winter, that means nobody can check on them or do repairs until it clears.

Energy use in the winter will be greater, likelyhood of damage from wind is greater the higher up you are. I'm working on a house now that slips technically just under our high elevation, high wind codes. Since I doubt the wind respects our laws regarding it, I didn't back all the way off to the lower elevation allowances on tieing it down.

Ridgetop development here is unfortunately not banned yet, it has been south of us. From some places I can see second homes on ridges from 20 miles away.

Not saying I would trade, just more things to think about.

[NM_Shooter]

Having grown up in N Central AR, I would not build on the top of a hill.  I have seen too many tornadoes scrub off the tops of hills as they skip along. 

You said the south side of the hill... that means it faces north, and you do not have south exposure?  I would try to build at the closest entry point to the road.  Lots of ice storms up there too, and it could keep you in or out for a week until it thaws.

I miss home! 

(what is the nearest town to you?  I lived in Mountain Home for quite awhile)

[MartyM]

Shooter   The property is on the south side of Brian mountain about 10 miles west of Marshall it does have full southern exposure.     

As for the ice storm and or flooding problems.   I will be trapped.
I know that going in.  There is about a mile drive around a farm field and then a concrete stream crossing (low water bridge) then up the hill about 200 yards just to the bottom of the property. Talking to locals it sounds like I can count on the stream being to deep to cross a few times a year.  For now I like the idea that I wont be having people stop by without first asking how to find the place.  However Im sure there will be times that I will be cursing  the remote location as well!!

I just cant seem to make up my mind, I keep bouncing up and down the hill 

Thanks everyone for the input it helps a lot!

[ScottA]

I'd go on top. Higher is better for fresh air and breezes. If you burn wood for heat the smoke tends to settle in the bottoms.