Building a house...?
Question:We are in the process of designing a house. What are some items you would consider if you were building a house? We have two children ages 4 and 13 for considerations in the options.
Wood deck or brick/stone patio?
one floor or two floor house?
Master bedroom on first or second floor?
gas, electric, or geothermal heating?
one large living room or two smaller living rooms?
Any ideas and why would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Answers:
The patio will come down to personal preference. Wood will require a bit more maintenance. Brick is hard. If you do brick, keep in mind that it does require a bit of maintenance as well, just not as much. Should be laid on a concrete slab instead of in a sand bed for serviceability. If you go with stone, I would use a smooth cut stone instead of a natural shaped to reduce maintenance. Again over concrete.
One or two story would depend upon your lot and foundation. A two story on a basement will reduce the cost of a basement. On a slab or crawlspace, a one story with the same usable square footage will still cost a bit less, but not so much of a difference because of the cost of stairs both in terms of the construction of the stairs as well as the lost space.
I prefer a master on the first floor. If you have a 13 year old there will be days you just don't want to climb the stairs. If not now, it will not be long.
Geothermal is always the way to go if you can swing the extra up-front cost. Unless you are in a location with a very light heating load, it will pay for itself fairly quickly. Also, the heat from geo is a nice warm heat, much nicer than electric forced air.
I would go for a nice sized living room with a second, smaller room for the kids to take over.
Get your plans together and make as many design decisions as early in the process as you can. Try to avoid making "running changes", they will cost you money and increase the amount of stress involved.
Foundations?
Brick or stone patio...less maintainance and repair.
Two floors...better insulation quality, lower electric bills.
Master on second floor...see from a distance out your window, be within reach of the kids.
gas...get a "tankless" gas water heater MUCH more effective on your electric bill and never run out of hot water. You won't be paying to keep hot water around when you aren't using it (most of the day).
one large living room, you can always divide it off as needed and change it around as required.
if you go with a two-story house, a laundry chute may be beneficial. It can be built into the wall in the upstairs bathroom.
my oppinion better to build two floor house. with 3-4 rooms.
I prefer all the room to be located at 2nd floor. plus 1 room on the ground floor to be used as office or small reading room.
The answer is difficult... First of all where do you live... How much can you spend... Are their covenants where you are building... First of all I would look at the price of what currently people are spending per square foot to build in your area. For instance I live in Alaska and I know that I can build a log cabin for about $67 A Square Foot. I also like log cabin designs because of their functionality and their ability to retain and release heat depending on the time of year. It really depends on a number of factors. I would go tour some homes in your area for sale. When you find what you like about one and what you hate about another note it down and talk to your contractor about it. If you happen to find one house you fall in love with and want it take the contractor to it and say "this is it" build me this. Good luck in your endveour and may your knew house truly bring you happiness.
A deck made of Trek or similar material would give the best of both worlds. Wood decks require power wash stripping and staining every year and long term maintenance. Brick/stone patios require very little maintenance but may require more landscaping to tie them to the house, depending on the lot.
Since you are young and both are an option, the two floor plan gives you room and privacy from the inevitable messes the children make when family and friends come over. This also allows you to maximize the lawn and landscaping on the lot while leaving room for family activities.
The master bedroom should be on the first floor and be designed as a suite with private bath and French doors leading outside if possible. It should be in the back of the home. This will enhance the marketing of the property when you sell to most couples. Build really large walk in closets for the suite and a linen closet on each floor adequate enough for towels, sheets and comforters.
I have no experience with geothermal heating nor do most buyers. It is becoming more popular in rural areas because of the expense of other available fuels such as oil and propane. I always chose gas over electricity because of the cost, even for a clothes dryer.
A large living room is a must. Save the space for a second living room to use as your office or media room. The resale will be much better.
The garage should be at the bare minimum 2.5 to 3 car for the Metro shelving, workbench, garden accessories and sports equipment stored there. For less than a $1000, you can have the garage floor coated with epoxy paint and save years of scrubbing.
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