building a house

The only contractors that I had was the electrician, for insurances purpose. But for the next one all have contractors for fondation, structure, roof. The money will tell me what I can do this year.

What's your first step? And when do you start?

The first step will be shopping for prices. I didn't did that before cause we where planing to build in about 4-5 years. But now, we've changed or mind and see it as a money placement (diversification). But I don't want to put more than 30k. So I'll see what I can do with that money. I know where I'll put the house, in what direction (heating saving), will be a cottage. I have a house plan that could fit to me, with some modifications. But I have to know how much $$$. If I don't have all the answers to my questions, I'll wait next year. What and where are you building? P.S. Be patient if I don't write back quickly. I often have to consult my good friend the dictionary :o) (I have alot more to write down, later...)

I've got an 1100 square foot cottage under construction out in back of my present 3000 sf house. Check it out at http://www.spring.com/~house

I presume your present house is a comercial one? It's BBBBIG... and is my kind of house. Did you built it? Do you build yourself your new one? My present house is 3X smaller (about 945 square foot. 22X30, 2 levels, a cathedera roof in front). The one that I look at is the same size, but if I can affort it I'll make it 4' larger (for biger kitchen and bathroom).

No, it's noncommercial, I built it with some subs for different jobs. The appraisal just came in at $155,000. I *almost* have the home improvement loan I took out paid for. What did you think of the pictures on the website, did they give you a good enough idea?

The pictures do give me a very good idea of the place. Someone seems to have been scanned at 16 million colors and reduced to 256 colors. All the definition in lightning is lost. The website look as an advertising site. Am I wrong? I don't understand "I built it with some subs for different jobs". (Did I mention somewhere that I'm french speaking, so I sometime have difficulties to read or write in English.) So if you built it you have a lot of experience in wood working! The house that is under construction must be the same looking. And at what step are you on the new building?

Just finished the framing, have a bit more interior framing to do. I'll try and shoot some video and capture some stills.

What kind of fondation do you have to have? Do you have to dig?

Pier and beam. No digging. I'm also checking out a house to move on to the land this week. It's $20,000 including moving it and it's about 1300 sf. Reminds me, I need to tell Garrett about it.

So it'll be the third house on your land. Are you building a village? We have to dig 4' and have a cement fondation, to prevent the freeze lifting the house.

Yep, a little cybervillage. All the places will have ethernet connections.

Ok, now I understand the reason for all that places. Was thinking that you had a BIG FAMILY ;o)

I can get that house moved here, total cost ofhouse and moving is $20,000. Not too bad!

1300 sqf. on one or two floors? Is the house very far from your land?

It's pretty far, about 20 miles. But the guy will sell it and move it for around $20,000.

Terry, are you putting us on about the cybervillage part? Yves, does that mean you won't have a basement--just a foundation?

Nope, every place is going to be wired for isdn and hopefully some day T-1 or wireless. We are almost finished building our first "cybercottage".

Autumn, I'll have a basement. Didn't use the right word. As we have to dig 4', it doesn't cost much more to build a complete basement instead of just foundations. And as I never throw anything, I need lot of storage place :o)

You're a pack rat, huh? I know, if you throw it out, something will happen and you'll need whatever it was.... Must be nice to have such a big house Terry. Mine is a modest 1180, 3 bed/2 bath. Have a good yard too and it's in a very nice subdivision. Would love to build something that, maybe, I have a hand in designing the layout and stuff, but don't you have to be mega rich first? Oh, and I would LOVE a basement. As the water tables are so high around here the basement would always be flooded. Yves, maybe you can teach us some proper French. I pour through French dictionaries but it doesn't help with sentence structure and verbs and stuff.

No basements anywhere to be found in Texas. We're just not a land of basements. I'm not sure why, they just don't happen in these parts. Maybe something to do with the soil??

A Basement would be a extra cost only to have more space? Better have a garage. Wolf, about the researches in dictionary, I know what your talking about. I ofen have to do it. No problemo giving you some help. P.S. Yes I'm a pack rat and love it. But when I have to repair something in the house and find the right bolt, on a Sunday morning, I take a great pleasure to show my trophy to my wife :o)))

no basements in Texas because of the coleche (sp?) the limestone rock that prevades all of Texas underground. And in San Antonio they depend solely on natural filtration through this rock to clean their water (no water treatment at all!) so basements and [1~screwing up the soil/sediment down there is a no no.

Previous owners put on an addition to my house in the 70s without digging a basement, just "crawl space" (like who'd want to crawl around in there?) You can really notice the difference when you walk into this room, the temperature drops a couple of degrees. With no basement, where do you all keep your washer/dryer?

thanks, Yves. The stuff doesn't translate directly does it? That's the problem I have with German. Have to use software to write letters to my grandparents...

Autumn, I had to laugh at that, dunno why, just hit me funny. We've got a utility room off the kitchen. I do know life with a basement and running up and down the stairs to do laundry, to get stuff from the freezer (way back when I lived in Kansas). Really miss having a basement. This house doesn't have much for storage space. Like to do something with the attic, but it gets so muggy here.

I'm always envious when I go in those new house models, you know, where they have the washer/dryer upstairs by the bedrooms in a hall closet? That's revolutionary to put the thing right where it's needed. Terry, you make sure to incorporate that into your cybervillage!

On my futur house plan the washer/dryer are on the main floor. This will gives me more space to put my "pack rat" things in the basement. But I'll have to buy a fitness machine to keep us in shape... Wolf, your right, direct translation's never a good thing, look at my writing style :o)

you're doin' well though Yves! Tres bon (?) Autumn, i'm always envious when i take a look-see at a new house. love to do it though cuz it gives me ideas on how to make mine look better.

I talked to a lady tonight who said "Don't, do not, under any circumstances, get one of those combination washer dryers. She knows wherefore she speaks, as she manages about 100 properties. Duly noted. As well the autumnal suggestion to locate the washer / dryer where they are most needed.

Ha ha, never saw my name in adjective form before! My brother works for one of the local builders (whose house models are gorgeous)--came in to work Monday to discover the builder had absconded with all the $$$ and fled. Needless to say, my brother's out of a job. :-( Hey Terry, need a general contractor for your village? Hell of a commute, though... :-)

that's a rotten thing to do. is a manhunt out for him?

It would be a hell of a commute, not at that stage quite yet, right now I need an electrician to finish the cottage.

They think he might be in Ohio (yeah, that's where I'd go!--does anyone know an emoticon that denotes rolling one's eyes?) Of course, the subcontractors and bank are hopping mad, not to mention all the prospective homeowners who put down deposits but didn't go to closing yet!

rolling one's eyes: exasperation, disgust, disbielf er, disbelief. best I can do Autumn but not sure it fits the situation -- that sure stinks!

what is all that??

I don't have a key for the rectangles. Funny, it doesn't look like eyes rolling, does it? You practically need a legend for some of these cues. Someone needs to publish a list!

now I'm confused. did my words come out funny?

stacey, you can't see it? whatever you did came out in a bunch of squares!

No, she can't, Wolf, part of the difference between telnet and web protocols...I've just gotten used to it...

Well, I made my offer and it was accepted. It's a 6 bedroom house with a huge pool, a 16' high frame around the entry doors, a sunken den with wall to wall fireplace facing the backyard and pool, and a huge living room. One of the folks living there now said when they first the place they expected to see a huge long table with a bunch of Vikings sitting around with big turkey legs, etc. They got that feeling from the long, long living room and the huge entry door. It's very open inside, and the backyard and pool are spectacular. I'm pretty excited that I've made a good find.

congratulations paul! sorry about the squares everyone!

Great news, Terry! When do you go to closing?

As soon as possible, I'm meeting with the lendor tomorrow, or I should say later today!

COOL!! Terry, my refinancing came through too, we close next week!!!!! well, as to the squares, guess i used web protocol, don't know how to do telnet.

Lender meeting went well, inspection went well, we did a pit stop on my credit report, and I have a $20k offer for spring.com domain name, which won't hurt things.

We're going to be someone else?

now that sounds like fun *grin*

i LIKE role playing!

Really?

*naughty grin*

The cottage is nearly finished. All that's left is the painting, plumbing, cabinets, septic tank, and trim. The electrical is all in, the plumbing is 75% complete, the painting is 33% complete, and I've got to put the end connectors on all the ethernet wiring, cable/satellite tv wiring and audio wiring. Oh, and there's the flooring . . . Well, maybe not "nearly finished"!

Terry, sorry to change the subject. But on the main page, there is a news anchor woman for News 8 Austin. I am wondering if that might be my old friend Leesa Clark? Do you know? And if it is her, might you know e-mail address for her or the station (call letters, website, anything?)

I'll try and find out.

Nobody there named Leesa Clark, according to the receptionist, who I just called. http://www.news8austin.com/

Thank you. That woman on the screen could be her double.

Could she have changed her name or gotten married? Maybe it's her clone? I need to get the screen refreshing again, it's stuck on that pic!

Anything's possible. Thanks, Terry. I'm going to do some of my own nosing around and see what I find. But I'm glad the screen was stuck because I saved the pic!

wish I had thought to do that!!!

Marcia, will e-mail it to you.

Thank you, John!