Dream House

lowbudgetjunk · Nov 2, 2015

I had the chance to sit down with the bank lady today and discuss my current house situation. It looks like I have two years and one month before I can build the house that I really want.

I like to get ideas before I just jump into this whole project. If you could build a house and have it the way you wanted (within reason), how would you do it and what features are most important? I don't have an unlimited budget, but I am only going to do this once and want to do it right.

To start it off, I'll throw out some of my ideas for a home I plan to eventually die in. 4ft wide doors and handicap accessible house wide. I am not in a wheel chair, but that is subject to change any day. Why not prepare now? Single story with no entry steps, exit steps, steps for looks or step downs, step ups. Rear entry garage due to the layout of my land. Hopefully high enough garage ceiling for a lift.

Thats about as far as I have gotten with it. I may not agree with everyones ideas, but hope to find a few here and there that I can add to my wish list. I actually went to a buddys house on Halloween and confirmed some ideas that I already thought I wanted.

matth_85 · Nov 2, 2015

While I understand your reasoning for no steps, I would re-consider that. I don't know of a way to have a crawl space without steps. If I built a house I would be able to be on my knees before my head touched in the crawl space. Mine is awful and I despise it.

John Galbreath Jr. · Nov 2, 2015

My ideal home is a double wide with a two story basement! :flipoff1:

TBItoy · Nov 2, 2015

Re: Re: Dream House

matth_85 said:
While I understand your reasoning for no steps, I would re-consider that. I don't know of a way to have a crawl space without steps. If I built a house I would be able to be on my knees before my head touched in the crawl space. Mine is awful and I despise it.

Slab house.

With radiant floor heat.

And a storm cellar poured in one corner

Beerj · Nov 2, 2015

I've always been attracted to log cabins. I guess they don't really make much sense these days. I imagine theres a ton of upkeep but I dig the style. I also like high ceilings but again, from a heating standpoint, they don't make sense either.

creepycrawly · Nov 2, 2015

I want a walk in shower with 2 shower heads on opposing walls. I am a water hog and don't like to share the water with the Mrs. This will happen in the house I build.

kmcminn · Nov 2, 2015

Log homes a damn near impossible to insure in North AL. Slabs are good until plumbing leaks, harder for heat and air ducts. You don't see many slabs houses built around here either. Realtor told me they don't sell as good. Probably just cause they aren't the norm. Just my 2cents.

LandSpeeder · Nov 2, 2015

Dream houses are what YOU make of it. No one can really tell you what you desire in a "home". I've seen this rub between couples and it has been not so pretty. Just pray/meditate/stink on it. You have over 700 days it sounds... just think about it ften and you'll figure it out. Verbalize it with your wife. I have no doubt ya'll will make the right decision.

zayne2427 · Nov 2, 2015

Look, look, amd look some more to fimd out what you don't like. What my wife and I did was
1. Figure out an outside design we liked
2. Decide on what we knew we couldn't live without and then design around it.
For instance, we found the kitchen design we liked and designed an open floor plan around the kitchen design. We knew we wanted an open floor plan with a vaulted living room open to the second floor balcony. We then designed the rest of the house around these 3 things.
We ended up building an elevated slab home. Looks like a crawl space from outside but is a full slab house and are staining our concrete floors. We also incorporated a cememt storm pit in the ground below the stairs. Your more than welcome to come look anytime you want.

truckbroke · Nov 2, 2015

Start with a metal building. I'm looking into a 50x50 slab big open floor plan, porches upstairs loft bedroom and game room big ceilings for 130k. Can't beat it.

matth_85 · Nov 2, 2015

TBItoy said:
Slab house.

With radiant floor heat.

And a storm cellar poured in one corner

And then a pipe busts and you bust up your floor. No thanks.

wont work · Nov 2, 2015

Big living room, bathroom, closet, and garage doors that open up to big porch facing the river.
From garage you walk straight into the laundry room
With today's plumbing supplies I'm all in on a slab house. That new shark stuff is tits
No tv but big projector with surround sound in living room.
Walk in shower
Industrial frig and ice machine in kitchen.
Independent heat/Ac for each room so everyone is comfy.

TBItoy · Nov 2, 2015

Re: Re: Dream House

matth_85 said:
And then a pipe busts and you bust up your floor. No thanks.

I only have drains in the floor. Water is in the walls/ceiling.

Of course I don't have drywall (hate drywall) so I can just pop a wall board out if I ever had a problem.... Haven't so far.

Get a leak in a crawl space and it goes unnoticed and your floor rots out and gets eat up with mold and mildew.

lowbudgetjunk · Nov 2, 2015

zayne2427 said:
Look, look, amd look some more to fimd out what you don't like. What my wife and I did was
1. Figure out an outside design we liked
2. Decide on what we knew we couldn't live without and then design around it.
For instance, we found the kitchen design we liked and designed an open floor plan around the kitchen design. We knew we wanted an open floor plan with a vaulted living room open to the second floor balcony. We then designed the rest of the house around these 3 things.
We ended up building an elevated slab home. Looks like a crawl space from outside but is a full slab house and are staining our concrete floors. We also incorporated a cememt storm pit in the ground below the stairs. Your more than welcome to come look anytime you want.

I will take you up on this one sir. Maybe I'll bring your Nitrogen back when I come check it out. I do like the idea of a safe room too.

matth_85 · Nov 2, 2015

TBItoy said:
I only have drains in the floor. Water is in the walls/ceiling.

Of course I don't have drywall (hate drywall) so I can just pop a wall board out if I ever had a problem.... Haven't so far.

Get a leak in a crawl space and it goes unnoticed and your floor rots out and gets eat up with mold and mildew.

Touché. The standard for a slab leaves a lot to be desired. Building like a commercial building does make perfect sense. Sheet rock is pretty cheap to boot. Did you do PVC drains?

money_pit_yj · Nov 2, 2015

Go for storage and square footage within reason. We have enough room to spread out but little wasted space. Our first home was cramped. We get to have our whole family for thanksgiving this year in our new home.

smurfy90 · Nov 2, 2015

Beerj said:
I've always been attracted to log cabins. I guess they don't really make much sense these days. I imagine theres a ton of upkeep but I dig the style. I also like high ceilings but again, from a heating standpoint, they don't make sense either.

I have lived in a 3000 sq ft log home for 7 years (built new) and never had any issues. Only thing I would change now is only having one floor. Upstairs has a loft with pool table and two bedrooms that overlooks living room. It looks cool but never go up there.

Mr. leafspring · Nov 2, 2015

I SECOND THE LOG HOME I LIVE IN A CUSTOM LOG HOME THAT MY WIFE AND MYSELF CUT DRIED AND HAND PEELED MOST OF THE MATERIAL FOR :****: :****: IT HEATS AND COOLS VERY NICELY ,INSURANCE WAS A LITTLE TRICKY AND THERE IS SOME UPKEEP COMPARED TO CONVIENTINAL FRAME BUT ITS WHAT WE WANTED AND WE GOT ER DONE :dblthumb:

ROKTOY829 · Nov 3, 2015

i'm looking at building in a couple years myself. I looked through a bunch of house plans and bam i found it. Like you i want to plan for the time a wheel chair is a given, but think about
stretchers also . I grew up on a slap house and it was uncomfortable for sure. I also wanted the house lay out to have the water lines in central location for repair reasons. My insurance told me brick
and a metal roof is cheaper on insurance. I wanted a log but they said the real log homes was fun the get written, the kits was little better. I was wanting a walk in closet that doubled
as safe room. The lady drawing up the plans for me made a good point. Concrete with different material next to it is asking for mold in the future. :dunno:

Also I would not have a attached garage, too many houses's burn due a car catching fire. I plan on building a detached carport with all the sides open with a breeze way. I seen a
walk in shower that also had a soaking tub build into, I wasn't going to have a tub but as I get older may want to rest my old bones. If you going to have a open floor plan have
electric outlet in the floor. Also go ahead and wire for a generator hook up. Like some mention the a/c unit, talked to a guy that installed them and he said the Mitsubishi style unit is costly
up front, but said in the long run will be better on the power bill.

Beerj · Nov 3, 2015

smurfy90 said:
I have lived in a 3000 sq ft log home for 7 years (built new) and never had any issues. Only thing I would change now is only having one floor. Upstairs has a loft with pool table and two bedrooms that overlooks living room. It looks cool but never go up there.

That's awesome man. What's up as far as a basement? I'm hoping my next home will be the one I retire in so I'm going to try to get what I want. I have 2 kids and 2 dogs so an upstairs would be nice. Log homes seem to be priced okay if you get a kit. My biggest problem is land up here is so expensive that I'll have to make a sacrifice and move a little further from work to get what I want.