Sticker Shock or Reality Check?

Well, hello!  Long time no blog!  Sorry about that.  It seems the hubs and I have succumbed to the big hairy monster named "Sticker Shock".  We met with a couple builders last week and were able to get a "rough" bid so we could get an idea whether we were in the right ballpark on budget.  Well, we are in the stadium waaayyy up on the top tier and they ain't the cheap seats!  Honestly, Chuck and I have never built a home before, let alone a super duper efficient one, so we basically had no idea what things cost, so our budget that we had in our heads was a big ole stab in the dark (and wishful thinking).  So, with that said, we understand efficiency costs extra.  We are now in the process of assessing wants as opposed to needs.  When we told the architect what we wanted in the house he put EVERYTHING in it. Shoot for the moon, as the saying goes.  Well, we knew some of it would likely have to go (maybe to be added on later when we don't have to pay the builder a percentage for his expertise) to get the house on or under budget.  We will be wiring the house for solar, but putting them on when we can get the rebate (it appears rebates become available a few times during the year and you have to be on a list to get it) which hovers around 30%.  We will pull out some of the built-ins (there were bunches put in by the architect and they would be wonderful, but....) to either be added later, or not.  I think sometimes you need to live somewhere, settle in and reassess your needs.  We will also be putting in the pool and water capture post build while laying the groundwork for them during building.

So, I know the fun stuff like picking out tile, light fixtures, appliances, stone for the exterior, plumbing fixtures, cabinetry and counter-tops will come later.  I know some of you (especially if you are of the male persuasion) are thinking, "what in God's name is fun about that?"  Well, I can assure you I am very much looking forward to that part of the process.  I'm sure there will be sticker shock involved in that process, so I am steeling myself for that eventuality.  Although I know I am not a "I need a $6000 subzero refrigerator" type of chick, I am a bit of a sucker for pretty tile and stainless steel.  Good thing I have Chuck to keep me firmly planted in reality.  He, on the other hand, has no illusions that he knows what the hell he's in for while picking out the so-called "fun stuff".  I am hoping he will defer to my judgement while keeping me on budget.  Yep, call me delusional that we won't be fighting over stupid crap like tile.  The builder laughed when I told him I was looking for simple, eco-friendly and efficient.  He said "sometimes you just want what you want".  Well, sir, I am out to prove you wrong in that statement.  Those of you who know me well know I reaaallllly love a good challenge!!!!!   I will knit the damn lampshades if I must to save a few bucks!  (Wow, it just dawned on me....what else can I knit or crochet?  Suggestions from the blog peanut gallery would be wonderful - and hilarious, I'm sure of it!!!!)  I expect there will be a lot more posting of the blog during this phase.  I promise to provide pictures and would appreciate it if you think its freakin' ugly to keep it to yourself as my retort might be "shut the hell up, it's eco-friendly and will cut my electric bill by a nickel a month"!  I find it's always nice to chant (in my head) the mantra "to each his own" when I think something is not to my taste (unless you are a close friend and those jeans really DO make your butt look big).

So, there you have it.  I'm not sure whether it's sticker shock or a reality check.  Either way, we will be moving forward on building our smaller, eco, efficient home!  The next step is to get a detailed bid and when that comes in, do some paperwork and get financing (that should be really big fun and I don't think I will subject you to that, but we have STELLAR CREDIT.....I'm just sayin').  So, the next few weeks will be kinda arid in the blog department.  Unless you want me to post my Thanksgiving dinner, you will likely not hear from me for a little while.

Thanks for tuning in and for your patience.  This is a process and comes in fits and spurts, at least until the foundation is poured!!!

Love to all and please reuse and recycle,
Lori

Electrical, Ceiling Fans and Floating Toilets, oh my!

On Monday we went back to the architect to work on the electrical, cable and the like.  I think I was a bit of a third wheel at this particular meeting as Chuck is the one with the multiple outlet fetish!  We were able to map out where outlets, cable, routers for the wireless, ceiling fans, sconces, pendant lights and switches will be.  I have to say, if Chuck's office does not catch fire, I will be a happy camper.  I have never seen so many outlets and cable hook ups in my life.  But, we have to make sure we have all the requirements for his home office as he spends more time with his computer than most people spend with their children.  I woke up the next day to find an email exchange between the hubs and the architect.  It seems "someone" neglected to put an outlet where the kegerator will be. I'm not naming names (tho' I will interject Chuck spend a significant amount of time staring at the floor plan deciding where outlets should be) but, whew, crisis averted!

The architect was also able to pull up an interactive 3D tour of the main living area (kitchen, living, dining) and it looks really great!  Lots of architectural interest and plenty of room for paintings from my art collection.  It was nice to get a bit of scale and we like what we see so far.  There are a ton of built ins and storage which is necessary when scaling down by nearly 1000 square feet.  Chuck, being Chuck, asked if we could see other areas of the house in 3D.  Well, they had not really worked on that so when we went into the bathrooms the toilet was hovering about 3 feet off the ground, as was the shower and tub.  Seems we will need a stepladder to pee!  Sounds a bit precarious to me!

We appreciate the input our family and friends have sent our way and have incorporated some of them into the design.  Keep them coming!!

The architect (I feel like I should be typing Architect due to his importance in this endeavor!) sent us home with some homework.  We needed to designate some of the materials we wanted to be included in the house like type of flooring, wall treatment (textured or not, paint, tile, etc), trim treatments (baseboards, door trim) and ceiling heights.  We will then (hopefully next week) start meeting with builders for estimates!  Man, I hope we can get this baby started before the weather turns.  Not that is gets super bad here in Texas, but it can be unpredictable.

Onward and upward!

Love to all and recycle!!!!!!!
Lori

We're Multi-Dimensional!

Alrighty then, it appears we have elevation/facade!!  YAY!  It seems a lot more real now that we can see what the outside will look like.  The hubs and I were happy with the elevation and how the outside came together except for the color.  We felt it was a little too pinky-orange for our taste and asked the architect to lean more toward a grey (I have chosen to spell it "grey" in honor of our years of owning big wonderful greyhound puppies!).  To make sure we use local stone (it appears Granbury, TX and Oklahoma provides most of the stone for building around here) we need to stick with browns and greys.  The colors vary widely in one section of stone, so the facade likely won't look as uniform as the pictures below.  The area you see as dark brown is not wood, but metal.  I like that it gives the house some texture  We are trying to steer clear of wood on the outside as it takes a beating in the Texas sun and is not as eco-friendly.  The architect told us there IS a wood out there that can handle the elements here, but it's so dense and hard the holes to screw it in need to be pre-drilled!  And it's expensive!  Oh, hell, no!  The roof is also metal.  The roof on the back of the house will hold the solar panels, so that will break up what looks like a mass of grey.  It's a nice, simple exterior, just like we were looking for.  Chuck said it took some getting used to because he is so used to seeing all the Texas homes with arches and curves.  In my book, there is something to be said for simplicity!

Our next visit to the architect will involve getting a final idea for the exterior and start work on the electrical. Apparently, the electrical is VERY important in Chuckland, so I'm guessing I will be a bit of a third wheel for that particular discussion.  I have no understanding of routers, wireless or all things geek, so he's on his own.  I guess my input will involve where to put ceiling fans - gee, maybe in the  middle of the room? - and a few well placed outlets?  I'll find out on Monday. 

I'm really looking forward to the decorating part of things like cabinets, lighting, tile, paint colors, counter tops, appliances, faucets, etc.  This may be where the profanity comes in - due to the possibility of shocking price tags - or Chuck turns into a repetitive "what do you want it that color" demon, but I think it will actually be the fun part!!!! 

Love to all and recycle,
Lori

( click for latest floorplan )

( click for front elevation )

( click for left elevation )

( click for right elevation )

( click for 3-D front #1 )

( click for 3-D front #2 )

( click for 3-D back )

( click for site plan )

Floor Plan - Draft Two

Ok, so this is the (hopefully) final floor plan.  We went to see the architect last Thursday and this is the latest after a few tweaks.  I have to say, I know I am a bit anal retentive and  picky, but Super Chuck went over this baby with fine tooth comb and moved a few windows and doors to accommodate furniture and the view.  I guess all those years writing code and staring at a computer screen looking for glitches has given him a gift (OCD???) for detail!!!!  There you have it!!  The next visit to the architect, which is scheduled for Monday, will involve seeing plans that include elevation.  The walls are going up and the facade will be part of that!!  I can't wait to see what he comes up with.  We told him we wanted a mid-century modern look that includes local stone.  So, be on the lookout next week for the next step in the process!!!  It's getting exciting, people!!!

( click here for a full-sized zoomable image )

First draft of the floorplan

Excuse me...

Uh, hi. Just "super husband" here with a technical post (I make that reference with all due humility). We had our meeting with the architect last week to get our first look at the floorplans, and it was my job to get them scanned and posted. Aside from saying that we're pretty happy with the first cut and that we've got some changes coming with the next draft (due later this week), I'll leave the colorful, thought-provoking, and insightful commentary to my better half. Who is also very super, by the way. And I'm not just saying that because she knows that I waited to the last minute to get my card done for our anniversary yesterday. I really mean it.

Anyway, here's the floorplan image, and the lot image to give some perspective on where the house will sit and it's relative size. The lot is on the south side of the street, so the top of the lot image is the street (the floorplan image is rotated, with the front door at the bottom). That funky sideways "L" is just a placeholder for the pool. The pictures are small here, but if everything works according to plan, you should be able to click the links below them to see the images in all their zoomable glory.

Chuck

( click here to see the full-sized, zoomable floorplan image )

( click here to see the full-sized, zoomable floorplan/lot image )

Let the games begin!

On August 3, 2011 my husband, Chuck - who may be referred to by various aliases in the posts to come including "The Patient One" as he is the only one here who possesses that quality, Super Chuck (especially when he wholeheartedly agrees with my design or decorating decisions while smiling), and "Sigh" which he does frequently, but may be used by both of us when we disagree on tile or paint color - and I became the proud owners of a 1.28 acre lot in Argyle, Texas. This adventure began two years ago when I discovered a zero-energy house being built a few miles away. They were doing tours of the home, so one weekend in November 2009 I dragged Chuck on the tour. We were both really impressed with the technology and the advances that have been made. There and then, Super Chuck and I decided we were going to build an Eco-friendly home. We had been talking about downsizing our home since Alex (AKA Wonder Boy or just The Boy depending on his attitude at the time), our now 21 year old son, moved into his own place when he went to college. Thus began the quest to begin saving our nickels and dimes and looking for an appropriate lot on which to build. About a year ago we got serious about looking for a lot. We wanted certain things including staying in the Denton County area, an acre or more so we would no longer be basically sitting on top of our neighbors (why they do this in Texas is beyond me since there is soooo much land here, but I guess watering the lawn on a big lot is expensive; guess we'll find out, won't we?), a lot that preferably faced North so orienting the house for solar panels would be easier and topography that was conducive to putting in a pool. We looked at many, many lots and finally found the one in Argyle that had all the requirements. As you can see from the pictures it is flat as a board and it also faces north (also there is are horse farms behind the property providing a great view).

Our plan is to make the home as efficient as we can afford. We plan to put in underground water tanks, possibly do gray water collection, put up solar panels, use landscaping that requires little maintenance or water, include energy efficient appliances and also use eco-friendly materials while building (recycled glass tile, stained concrete, low VOC paint, dual flush toilets, etc). I have always been a big believer in reusing and recycling, so this is basically an extension of that. When we told Wonder Boy what we were planning to do in the house he said, "man, you guys are such hippies". Hence the name of the blog. I don't think of myself as a hippie or tree hugger. I just felt I wanted to build a home that had little to no impact on the environment. Super Chuck (as you can see, he is behaving himself at this time) and I thought it might be nice not to get those big ass electric bills in the summer and are hoping to have enough solar panels to even sell back to the grid. So, when the electricity goes out during a crazy Texas thunderstorm, we will be sitting pretty and quite possibly having margaritas and overnight guests!! Feel free to join the party!

We have hired an architect and are anxiously awaiting the first sketch of the house! Can't wait to share it with you, hopefully in the next week or so.

The purpose of this blog is to have a record of this adventure in building, provide a place for me to vent if needed (I'm sure I won't, but if I do, I apologize ahead of time for the use of possible profanity!), and to share with friends and family how easy (yep, I said easy, although that actually remains to be seen) it is to incorporate green aspects to your home! So, open the door, climb on in and join us on this roller coaster of a ride. Please share your thoughts, ideas, opinions (please be nice, this is my first time!) and even pictures of your children!

Love and please recycle,
Lori