Plans and Modification - Decisions, decisions...

[mseh]

Greetings,

I used to read this site constantly and really wanted to build Victoria's Cottage. Insert whine here. I even purchased the plans. But, the project got away from us and we built (had built) a slightly more traditional and larger home (34' x 42') that's ICF all the way up with a full and 8.5' height basement. But, I'm still pining over VC and planning for the smaller getaway/retirement home I really want...

I've been poring over the various plans for days, often coming back to VC. There are things I like on plan X, but something else I like about plan Y, and so on.

Right now I'm wondering if it would be reasonable to make the "main envelope" of Victoria's cottage a 20' x 30' - basically the same floor plan as VC, but without the bump out - and to make the bedroom the 12' x 18' version in the Big Enchilada. We're not wedded to the lofts and bridge of VC; the loft as in the 20' x 30', but with stairs instead of ladder, would be sufficient.

Where I'm basically stuck - having limited knowledge about truss size, what keeps you from having to then have load bearing walls, etc. - in thinking which plans would be best to start with and then modify.  Should we start with VC and enlarge the two "rectangles" to 12' x 18' and 20' x 30'? Or, start with the 20' x 30' plan and add the 12' x 18' bedroom, shifting the interior layout? I saw on one thread that the 20' x 30' isn't as complex as VC. That would be helpful.

Also, the complete Big Enchilada is pretty darn close to perfect if we could just reverse the bath and kitchen or make the "sunroom/guest room" the kitchen, the existing bath a mudroom with rear entrance, and the kitchen the bath. It would be downright perfect if we could include the loft over the middle (14' x 24') unit and have a stairway instead of a ladder.

Any advice would be most appreciated!! I love looking at everyone's photos and envisioning what we can do, but there are some basics in terms of plan selection and modification that elude me. I don't know if the above makes any sense at all, but I'm trying to imagine which combination would be most cost efficient, but still be the layout we most prefer. Thanks!

For those completely puzzled by this blather - I could ask this way - of VC, the complete Big Enchilada, and the 20' x 30', which is the most cost efficient and straightforward to build?

Oh, and this would be in New Brunswick, Canada.

THANKS!!!!

[mseh]

Just bumping this up as it appears to be the only post in the forum to which there have been no responses today. Surely someone has some feedback? Thanks!

[MountainDon]

Lots of personal desires enters into an answer to this.

Sounds like the Big Enchilada may meet some of your desires. The rooms in the main section can be changed for size and function. Adding an exterior door is no big deal.

[cabinfever]

What is it that appeals to you about the VC? If you eliminate the bump out, you've basically got a rectangle. And you say you already wanted to do the VC once, but expanded it into something bigger, which you seem to be heading toward again.

For me, it became unwieldy to try to build a conventional roof larger than 16' wide by myself without trusses, and I wanted as much open sleeping space as possible upstairs, so they weren't an attractive option.

[mseh]

Cabinfever - Re size - The 20' x 30' with the 12' x 18' master is about a third of the size of our current home, including the finished basement. This would be a getaway/retirement home, which I would like to be much smaller. The reason for suggesting eliminating the bump out was not for size, but because I wondered if it would be easier (and thus less expensive) to not have the extra inset corner.

I love VC, but I'm trying to balance cost with desirable qualities and I got the impression that VC might be significantly more costly what with the bridge and all. Since that aspect of it isn't a deal breaker, I started looking at other plans.

Sounds like if we could have a stairway to a loft in the Big Enchilada, we'd be fine with the shifting around of the interior. If anybody has any ideas on whether or not that would be feasible, I'd appreciate hearing them.

Thanks, too, MountainDon, for your post.

[cabinfever]

Have you considered a spiral stair? My place is 16x28 with a loft on either end and a bridge between them, and I'm using a 3'6" spiral that fits in a 4' square to get access with minimal footprint. A code-compliant spiral still takes up less space than a stair, although it is more expensive.