I get to build my dream home. Whoop!

Argent · Friday at 2:10 PM

This will be our second home where we'll live part-time until we're frail and demented and then move permanently because we'll be near family who can watch over us. It's going to be a passive energy home with LEED certification and I am very excited about that. The challenge will be finding a level lot or slightly sloped one in the area we want to be. DH is adamant he wants a single story but I'm ok with having to put in an elevator if we can't find the unicorn lot. I anticipate there will be sumo wrestling matches between DH and the architect/realtor over the single-story vs 2-story house and I suspect DH will cave if the decision becomes $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ for a level lot vs $$$$$ for a sloped one.

First conference call with the realtor is next week and with the architect at the end of the month.

mrjurrs · Friday at 2:14 PM

Argent said:
This will be our second home where we'll live part-time until we're frail and demented and then move permanently because we'll be near family who can watch over us. It's going to be a passive energy home with LEED certification and I am very excited about that. The challenge will be finding a level lot or slightly sloped one in the area we want to be. DH is adamant he wants a single story but I'm ok with having to put in an elevator if we can't find the unicorn lot. I anticipate there will be sumo wrestling matches between DH and the architect/realtor over the single-story vs 2-story house and I suspect DH will cave if the decision becomes $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ for a level lot vs $$$$$ for a sloped one.

First conference call with the realtor is next week and with the architect at the end of the month.

View attachment 67587511

Good luck!

Checkerboard Strangler · Friday at 2:14 PM

Argent said:
This will be our second home where we'll live part-time until we're frail and demented and then move permanently because we'll be near family who can watch over us. It's going to be a passive energy home with LEED certification and I am very excited about that. The challenge will be finding a level lot or slightly sloped one in the area we want to be. DH is adamant he wants a single story but I'm ok with having to put in an elevator if we can't find the unicorn lot. I anticipate there will be sumo wrestling matches between DH and the architect/realtor over the single-story vs 2-story house and I suspect DH will cave if the decision becomes $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ for a level lot vs $$$$$ for a sloped one.

First conference call with the realtor is next week and with the architect at the end of the month.

View attachment 67587511

I doubt Medicare covers some or all of things like elevator installations, even if it is "durable medical equipment" but it's worth checking into.
I know for a fact that for hundred percent service connected disabled vets it's a slam dunk.
We have a single story open plan home but if we had to downsize and move to a smaller two story home I'd pull the trigger on a home lift immediately.
They aren't even super expensive because they aren't elevators like you and I know elevators.
For one thing, they are very small, maybe even claustrophobic for some folks.

Wishing you luck!

BirdinHand · Friday at 2:16 PM

How exciting!

Safiel · Friday at 2:17 PM

I have built several houses in this area for clients with elevators. Not a common thing by any means though. More often than not, we alter plans that include elevators to remove the elevators.

bongsaway · Friday at 3:32 PM

Argent said:
This will be our second home where we'll live part-time until we're frail and demented and then move permanently because we'll be near family who can watch over us. It's going to be a passive energy home with LEED certification and I am very excited about that. The challenge will be finding a level lot or slightly sloped one in the area we want to be. DH is adamant he wants a single story but I'm ok with having to put in an elevator if we can't find the unicorn lot. I anticipate there will be sumo wrestling matches between DH and the architect/realtor over the single-story vs 2-story house and I suspect DH will cave if the decision becomes $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ for a level lot vs $$$$$ for a sloped one.

First conference call with the realtor is next week and with the architect at the end of the month.

View attachment 67587511

Contractor, bulldozer, sloped to any way you like it, problem solved? Sounds great, wish you guys the best of luck.

AliHajiSheik · Friday at 4:40 PM

Having built a custom home and having to make all those decisions, I can't imagine working with an architect before knowing the lot that it is going on. Architects think about stuff most people don't. I was told a story by our architect about a woman who wanted the summer solstice sun to appear through a particular bathroom. Make sure you pick your fixtures and lighting because changing your mind later gets real expensive and the order of the decisions may not be logical to your design decisions, but they make sense to a builder: something as simple as the position of your bathtub/shower location. When building, make sure your electrician gets in first because lighting and ceiling fans sometimes get moved over by other trades and off centered lighting and fans just don't work as well.

Good luck.

Argent · Friday at 5:10 PM

bongsaway said:
Contractor, bulldozer, sloped to any way you like it, problem solved?

Nope. Some of the lots we thought looked good in photos were evaluated by a contractor and were so steep they required massive retaining walls to level them for a single story house. Not worth the time or money to do that. This was before we chose our realtor. She's now got the headache of finding the right lot for us.

Safiel · Friday at 5:25 PM

AliHajiSheik said:
Having built a custom home and having to make all those decisions, I can't imagine working with an architect before knowing the lot that it is going on. Architects think about stuff most people don't. I was told a story by our architect about a woman who wanted the summer solstice sun to appear through a particular bathroom. Make sure you pick your fixtures and lighting because changing your mind later gets real expensive and the order of the decisions may not be logical to your design decisions, but they make sense to a builder: something as simple as the position of your bathtub/shower location. When building, make sure your electrician gets in first because lighting and ceiling fans sometimes get moved over by other trades and off centered lighting and fans just don't work as well.

And for the love of God, keep an eye out for plumbers bearing saws. There is a mantra in the plumbing trade, "It isn't structural if it's in my way."

Chock Full o Nuts · Friday at 5:26 PM

Argent said:
This will be our second home where we'll live part-time until we're frail and demented and then move permanently because we'll be near family who can watch over us. It's going to be a passive energy home with LEED certification and I am very excited about that. The challenge will be finding a level lot or slightly sloped one in the area we want to be. DH is adamant he wants a single story but I'm ok with having to put in an elevator if we can't find the unicorn lot. I anticipate there will be sumo wrestling matches between DH and the architect/realtor over the single-story vs 2-story house and I suspect DH will cave if the decision becomes $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ for a level lot vs $$$$$ for a sloped one.

First conference call with the realtor is next week and with the architect at the end of the month.

View attachment 67587511

Worked on one of those LEEDS homes couple years or so ago. From what I understood and saw, lots of hoops and added costs; but apparently a hell of a rebate over so many years.

Elevator? Work for a disabled specialty contractor, and one job had an elevator for their daughter. Talk about tight. Had to back her chair in with inches to spare both ways. Ranch..

Enjoy your build!

Allan · Friday at 5:27 PM

I look forward to seeing this project's progress.

Allan · Friday at 5:27 PM

Safiel said:
And for the love of God, keep an eye out for plumbers bearing saws. There is a mantra in the plumbing trade, "It isn't structural if it's in my way."

Chock Full o Nuts · Friday at 5:29 PM

bongsaway said:
Contractor, bulldozer, sloped to any way you like it, problem solved? Sounds great, wish you guys the best of luck.

Building department/erosion control might like a word. Can't just make your lot as you wish and send water flooding the neighbors yard in a downpour.

Safiel · Friday at 5:39 PM

Chock Full o Nuts said:
Building department/erosion control might like a word. Can't just make your lot as you wish and send water flooding the neighbors yard in a downpour.

When I built my main residence in North Carolina and my recently completed vacation house in South Carolina, I had to get engineering clearance prior to approval of the site plan. In North Carolina, I was building on substantially sloped ground with relatively little modification to the slope. In South Carolina, I was building on flat ground on the top of a sand hill.

For clients house's in North Carolina and Virginia, it has been a mixed bag. Sometimes they will approve client's slope change requests, sometimes they won't.

Chock Full o Nuts · Friday at 5:44 PM

AliHajiSheik said:
When building, make sure your electrician gets in first because lighting and ceiling fans sometimes get moved over by other trades and off centered lighting and fans just don't work as well.

Electric for 30 years as of a couple months ago. We're last. Hvac, plumbing, electric...

HVAC is limited on their best install options. Go ahead and put stuff in their path and redo it. Never saw a register put in the center of a room, and very rarely has ever been put where I may have preferred some accent lighting or such near a wall.

Plumbing, they kinda need to go from A to B certain ways for a functional system.

Both know not to run duct/piping right up by the handle side of a door and such. Well, seen a few dipshits. Next stud over I guess!

We're last. And if absolutely necessary, rerouted a pipe if something has to be just right there. Rare.

Chock Full o Nuts · Friday at 5:46 PM

Safiel said:
When I built my main residence in North Carolina and my recently completed vacation house in South Carolina, I had to get engineering clearance prior to approval of the site plan. In North Carolina, I was building on substantially sloped ground with relatively little modification to the slope. In South Carolina, I was building on flat ground on the top of a sand hill.

For clients house's in North Carolina and Virginia, it has been a mixed bag. Sometimes they will approve client's slope change requests, sometimes they won't.

I've seen my share of "can't do that", and not a single **** given.

Argent · Friday at 6:00 PM

Safiel said:
And for the love of God, keep an eye out for plumbers bearing saws.

And also those who think the world enjoys seeing their cavernous hairy butt cracks.

Chock Full o Nuts · Friday at 6:32 PM

Safiel said:
And for the love of God, keep an eye out for plumbers bearing saws. There is a mantra in the plumbing trade, "It isn't structural if it's in my way."

Oh, they'll know it's structural when it just cost them their profit to replace that LVL.

You gotta understand so much about framing and loads unless you like working for free.
There are minimums on how close you can drill to a bottom joist, how large you can go, etc., and it's best to know it.

AliHajiSheik · Friday at 7:40 PM

Chock Full o Nuts said:
Electric for 30 years as of a couple months ago. We're last. Hvac, plumbing, electric...

HVAC is limited on their best install options. Go ahead and put stuff in their path and redo it. Never saw a register put in the center of a room, and very rarely has ever been put where I may have preferred some accent lighting or such near a wall.

Plumbing, they kinda need to go from A to B certain ways for a functional system.

Both know not to run duct/piping right up by the handle side of a door and such. Well, seen a few dipshits. Next stud over I guess!

We're last. And if absolutely necessary, rerouted a pipe if something has to be just right there. Rare.

I’m not qualified to argue against an electrician but our electrician was first and last and he coordinated with other trades. We didn’t do forced air heat so we had a lot of extra pex tubing and everything was a home run

iguanaman · Friday at 7:47 PM

Safiel said:
I have built several houses in this area for clients with elevators. Not a common thing by any means though. More often than not, we alter plans that include elevators to remove the elevators.

I have several neighbors with elevators and they constantly need servicing. There are service trucks for them in their driveway 3 or 4 times every year. A few have just given up on them. Why are they so unreliable?

Safiel · Friday at 8:25 PM

iguanaman said:
I have several neighbors with elevators and they constantly need servicing. There are service trucks for them in their driveway 3 or 4 times every year. A few have just given up on them. Why are they so unreliable?

Not sure.

We do not warranty home elevators, leaving that to the elevator contractor.

We have done very few, but I am not aware of any issues.

Then again, all of them were high end lifts in high end homes, which might explain things.

We are talking lifts that are equivalent to commercial elevators.

Your neighbors might have much cheaper lifts. They may have been installed incorrectly. Hard to say.

Chock Full o Nuts · Friday at 8:48 PM

AliHajiSheik said:
I’m not qualified to argue against an electrician but our electrician was first and last and he coordinated with other trades. We didn’t do forced air heat so we had a lot of extra pex tubing and everything was a home run

Geothermal in wall radiant piping? What do you have?

i can see ensuring there are no conflicts with lighting on custom shit. Sometimes that cabinet sits "right there", and that light needs to be "right there".( you ain't budging homeowner- and i"m kinda anal to my own detriment at times.. It needs to be there.

I hate LED for the fact of too many options for owners to decide on, but if you want a 'recess' at a certain spot, I need a half inch of drywall depth.

"Just pick something!"

But sometimes there are so many unnecessary meetings/correspondence. Sure, job done right, but all under control.

Usually best to let HVAC, plumbing, do their thing, as they don't have a map. They are following code vs framing on the fly. Here is the material and the address.

Plumbing is set and that outlet can go 16" over. Just don't run your shit on your horizontal slope at about 12-18" across an entire wall!

Wire flexible; pipe not. Conflict? Few 45's/scrap pipe vs that 100' of copper that was the shortest possible and and now you came up two inches short on your best reroute with the wire stretcher!

It has happened. "Told you I didn't want in here yet!" And it wasn't about being cheap; it was about tacking on the few feet to ensure you make it, and now the framing between floors just took your best pull route away with the cut you bought. No returns!

Junction box....

CaughtInThe · Friday at 8:50 PM

Triple wide?

AliHajiSheik · Saturday at 9:05 AM

Chock Full o Nuts said:
Geothermal in wall radiant piping? What do you have?

i can see ensuring there are no conflicts with lighting on custom shit. Sometimes that cabinet sits "right there", and that light needs to be "right there".( you ain't budging homeowner- and i"m kinda anal to my own detriment at times.. It needs to be there.

I hate LED for the fact of too many options for owners to decide on, but if you want a 'recess' at a certain spot, I need a half inch of drywall depth.

"Just pick something!"

But sometimes there are so many unnecessary meetings/correspondence. Sure, job done right, but all under control.

Usually best to let HVAC, plumbing, do their thing, as they don't have a map. They are following code vs framing on the fly. Here is the material and the address.

Plumbing is set and that outlet can go 16" over. Just don't run your shit on your horizontal slope at about 12-18" across an entire wall!

Wire flexible; pipe not. Conflict? Few 45's/scrap pipe vs that 100' of copper that was the shortest possible and and now you came up two inches short on your best reroute with the wire stretcher!

It has happened. "Told you I didn't want in here yet!" And it wasn't about being cheap; it was about tacking on the few feet to ensure you make it, and now the framing between floors just took your best pull route away with the cut you bought. No returns!

Junction box....

7 zone radiant heating, 5 for baseboard radiators and 2 for under tile radiant for bathrooms all off a high efficiency boiler using pex tubing off a manifold system that is a piece of artwork. Then there is the manifold for hot/cold home runs to all the plumbing fixtures, and then gas lines to all the fireplaces and cooktop and outside grille.

Then there are the drain lines, the vents, and the AC Ductwork, all topped off by a central vac system. I've got a lot going on in my walls. Taking pictures during construction has saved me many times. Oh, and the cable and Cat 6 wiring.

Chock Full o Nuts · Saturday at 9:15 AM

AliHajiSheik said:
7 zone radiant heating, 5 for baseboard radiators and 2 for under tile radiant for bathrooms all off a high efficiency boiler using pex tubing off a manifold system that is a piece of artwork. Then there is the manifold for hot/cold home runs to all the plumbing fixtures, and then gas lines to all the fireplaces and cooktop and outside grille.

Then there are the drain lines, the vents, and the AC Ductwork, all topped off by a central vac system. I've got a lot going on in my walls. Taking pictures during construction has saved me many times. Oh, and the cable and Cat 6 wiring.

Definitely a good call.

I get to build my dream home. Whoop!

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