My 16 x 26 version of John's Builder's Cottage

[Homesick Gypsy]

I have a lot in East Texas on which I plan to build my retirement home.  I've enlarged John's Builder's Cottage (which I have the plans for) to 16 x 26, to include just what I need and no more.  I am a single person.  For more than one person, it might be too small.  The lot is basically 50 wide by 125.  It is near a corner so the front of the lot is 69 feet wide.  Deed restrictions are a little confusing.  At first they say to leave a 5' space between both sides and back of lot and 10' in the front.  Then later on it talks about a 10' space on both sides and back, so I'd like to honor the 10' rule to be safe.

I'd like to build the cottage for me and then have a separate room I call the "Gathering Place" which I can use for scrapbooking or art projects and also when family comes to visit.  We could sleep several people in there and also set it for a big dinner.  I would like to have a small deck outside the sliding glass doors of the kitchen and a roof connecting the cottage and the gathering place, but it looks like it will be too wide for the lot, so I may have to connect them, and have the deck in front of the gathering place, next to the cottage.  I'll attempt to upload my drawings and welcome comments, thoughts and ideas.

Guess I need the tutorial again on uploading photos.  Thought it was in the forum news but couldn't find it.

Thanks.

[Homesick Gypsy]

[/img]

[Homesick Gypsy]

I can get the image uploaded to Photobucket - just can't get it to appear here.

[dug]

open image in photobucket.

highlight IMG code (in box at left of screen). Direct link works also.

copy

click image icon on countryplans site window

paste

check it out on preview!

[MountainDon]

tutorial is here...

http://countryplans.com/smf/index.php?topic=3512.0

[Homesick Gypsy]

I opened the image in Photobucket, highlighted the IMG code, copied the IMG code, clicked the image icon on Countryplans and the bracketed img appears in the post.  I've tried pasting it between the brackets, in front of and after the brackets.  Can't get it to post.


I pasted the following . use modify to see what's different from yours. you do not need to click the image tag in the forum write message space.

[Homesick Gypsy]

Looks great!  Thanks.  

I'll attempt to upload the Gathering Place floorplan in a few minutes.

[John Raabe]

Looks like you got it to work. What I do is copy the "direct link" from Photobucket and then paste it BETWEEN the two "img" tags that are produced when you click the little picture frame in the edit taskbar.

Click this first:


Copy and paste second:


You can also just copy the IMG code information from Photobucket and paste the whole thing on a line without having to click the image icon. Both techniques get to the same place.

[Homesick Gypsy]

Here's the draft plan / idea for the gathering place - to be attached to the cottage.

[Homesick Gypsy]

Any thoughts or comments, now that I have the floorplans uploaded?

[rick91351]

To economize on space how about a stack washer and dryer where dryer is now?

Move baseboard heater located in bath to outside wall?  This would allow for a little larger lav cabinet where you could store laundry soap and 'stuff'.  This would also allow you to reach the med. cab. normal rather than reaching over the washer.

If you are hooked up to sewer why the composting toilet?  Seems this would be a lot of extra work.

To me the Ac /Heat Unit needs to go somewhere else.  Are you planing on a wall mount about window height or so or higher or looking at a floor mounted unit that would be located under the desk?  Could it cut in over the chair or day bed, how about under the window in the covered porch.  Just I would think it would be very unhandy around a desk   

[Homesick Gypsy]

Hi rick91351 - thanks for the comments.  Here were my thoughts on the design.

The washer and dryer are stackable, just not stacked in my plan.  I wanted to install the front loading washer under the bathroom counter to have all the plumbing in one wall.  Apparently, this is done in Europe quite frequently. It would only raise the counter height slightly.  The dryer only needs an electrical outlet and a vent.  If and when I add the future bedroom, I plan to move the dryer to the closet on the other side of the bathroom wall.  I didn't show it on the plan, but the idea was to have a "drawer" under the dryer for laundry soap (and other) storage, to raise it up a little off the ground for easier use, plus shelves above for linen storage.

Would moving the baseboard heater to the opposite wall cause all the heat to go out the window instead of heating up the room? 

Composting toilet because I don't have sewer at the lake.  Only septic, on a small lot.  Would like to minimize the strain on the septic system, especially when company visits and lots of showers are taken.  Non-electric because power goes out frequently during storms.

Idea for the AC/heat unit is to put it up high, at 6' or so. I was hoping to somewhat camouflage it in the bookcases (not blocking the front of course).  Keeping cool is a much bigger concern in Texas than keeping warm.  The cool air will drift down from the high perch.  When warm air is needed, I'll have a reversible ceiling fan to help circulate.

The day bed has a large picture window above it, and the chair side of the house will have a patio or deck, so it would seem unattractive to have the AC/heat unit there, and also dangerous as someone might walk into it.  On the covered porch, it would seem to be unattractive curb appeal to walk up with a big unit sitting there, plus it would blow directly on whoever is sitting at the desk or in the chair. 

I do appreciate your comments, and welcome any other thoughts you may have.

[John Raabe]

This looks like how you were planning to put the two modules together.



Here I moved the project/gathering room forward - seems to work better to me.



Here I did a quick sketch edit. Here are the thoughts:
• The wood stove and table were too close and restricted access to the kitchen.
• See if you can live with a wall mount propane fireplace unit. Easier to fit in and maintain. Plenty of heat for a small house. (It's hard to get a small enough wood stove).
• Notching into the project room makes the kitchen and table work better and provides extra storage.

Just my thoughts. Keep up the good work.

[Homesick Gypsy]

Hi John.  Excellent recommendations.  What do you think about putting the propane heater on the living room wall with the frig/bathroom sink on the other side of the wall?  That would keep all the propane / plumbing essentially in one wall. 

(And I was thinking of something along the line of a marine stove, like the Little Cod or Halibut.)

Thanks.

[John Raabe]

That location could work for the heater - it is nice and central. But you need to check the types of heaters and what is needed for the chimney/vent. It may be a bad location if a vertical chimney is called for. If a low temp vent can travel down or somehow out the back and through the wall then that could work.

Are you doing a loft above the bath/kitchen? Will it need a stair or ladder access? If it is a storage area and can make do with a movable ladder (stored elsewhere) then it may not conflict with the heater and circulation areas.

[Homesick Gypsy]

I would love to do a rounded loft with a book stair like Tiny Texas Houses did, but I don't think funds are going to permit it.  At least in the first go-round.  I have a 600 sq ft code minimum that I'm trying to reach.  My thinking was the activity room would not have any plumbing and could be heated or cooled only during actual use - thereby meeting my square footage minimum, at minimum expense and keeping ongoing costs down as well.  Why heat and cool 600 sq ft all the time if I only use 400 sq ft most of the time....

[John Raabe]

That all sounds good.

[firefox]

I would suggest talking to the folks in zoning.
There may be exceptions for corner lots.
No sense making things more difficult than need be.
Bruce

[TeeCee19]

Im in the process of researching and learning  . I have property already in East Texas as well. I have never built anything as far as construction, except for a storage shed that a friend and I built years ago. It was one of those Sears buildings. When we finished, we had a a WHOLE PACKAGE of nuts and bolts leftover!! To this day, we still can't figure out where they were supposed to go..LOL..It stayed up for 5 years or so, until a HUGE tornadic(tornado hit some 30 miles away) storm blew it down.

Anyway..I like your plan and the addition. If anyone has any other hints and suggestions, please reply to me. I check this site everyday. I am going to clear my land later this spring. Possibly start gathering tools and supplies this summer and start on the foundation before the fall. I teach school, so I plan to do most of my work in the summer months and on breaks. I am giving myself 2-3 years to complete it. I live 3.5 hours away from where my land is located. I will have water and electricity. Just still in the process of figuring out exactly what I want .. East Texas is great location for such a project. Its on private property that I don't have to follow builder's code. Its not under any restrictions from city or county authority. (It's on a private lake club). We just have to follow the code for our water line and meter pole. A lot of the other owners have samll  storage buildings and RV type facilities on their lots. A few of us(me, in the future), have "built" homes.

Tee Cee

[Homesick Gypsy]

TeeCee19 - I'm in a private lake development in Van Zandt County.  I'm having a heck of a time getting hold of anyone at the County offices regarding their code.  I don't think there is much of one, if any.  The lake deed restrictions require 600 sq ft minimum for stick built.  I've already talked to the architectural committee - they say absolutely no variations and require photos, drawings, elevations, etc.  I could do an RV, mobile home or park model if I wanted, but hopefully I'll be able to have my little house built.  My brother-in-law is a retired custom home builder and he's looked at my plans and agreed that I should be able to have it built for $50 a square foot or possibly less, as long as I don't want a brick exterior, which I don't.   

firefox - two lots from the corner, but not actually a corner lot.