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Post by adirondackgal on Apr 14, 2015 0:17:57 GMT
Hubby and I purchased land in upstate NY three years ago. We still are struggling with a house plan. Does anyone here do architectural drawings or know of a good company? We are probably going to go with a ranch style as we are in our upper 50s and no more stairs for us. We have lived in our home for 30 years and need to think about our future and our safety.
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Post by graywolf on Apr 14, 2015 1:06:56 GMT
There are lots of sites that sell stock plans that might fit your needs.
One thing to remember is that your location will have specific wind / earthquake / snow loading requirements that will require a structural engineer's review. Your jurisdiction will also have adopted energy conservation standards, such as the type of windows and amounts of insulation.
I'd find a stock plan that comes close to fitting your needs and then go to your building permit agency to see what else you need. Or just go there first and see what you'll need in addition to the floor plans and elevations.
For instance, we wanted as many windows as we could. The designer drew in more than the structural engineer said we could have and still comply with the strength requirements imposed by our earthquake code. So we dropped windows until we met the code. Amother example is snow loading increased around here after a record snowfall collapsed a few buildings years ago.
Don't forget electrical, HVAC, phone, catv, and plumbing. And data if you decide to use wires.
Good luck with your new adventure.
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Post by adirondackgal on Apr 14, 2015 2:40:20 GMT
Thank you Graywolf.
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Post by Maura on Apr 14, 2015 15:20:35 GMT
One thing I would suggest is a vestibule. This would be an airlock. Instead of walking in from the outdoors to the living room, you have a room with a coat closet and bench. Then, open the door into the living room. If you have an attached garage, the garage would also open into the vestibule. For real efficiency, the vestibule would also open into the kitchen. The floor would be tile. Myself, I would have a coat closet, but also an area with hooks on the wall.
Use sliding doors because these are the easiest for wheelchair users to use. Sliders also take up less space in the room. Put the electrical outlets 24” above the floor, so you don’t have to bend over so far, or can plug or unplug while sitting in a chair.
When we designed our current home we got the book, Building for a Lifetime. The idea is that you won’t have to move because you can no longer reach things, take the stairs, etc. Lots of good advice. For instance, if you have stairs, make sure your stairs are wide enough for a lift, and put in a dumb waiter so you don’t have to carry things up and down the stairs. Put in a ramp instead of stairs at the porch. You will have no stairs, but make sure if you have to escape through a window that you can open the window.
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Post by adirondackgal on Apr 14, 2015 23:26:02 GMT
Thank you Maura.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 21, 2015 6:42:25 GMT
When we build our retirement home, I plan on a full basement. I want the laundry on the main floor, but with an option to put it in the basement if we want to sell.
A good basement is always nice to have if for no other reason than storage.
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Post by solargeek on Apr 21, 2015 14:07:21 GMT
How big/small are you thinking? Gives us some ideas on how to help you. How many bedrooms/baths, family room plus living room? Man cave(s)?
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Post by adirondackgal on Apr 21, 2015 21:47:54 GMT
We are looking for a house plan that is ready to go that has a NY stamp on it. We do not want anything complicated or a custom built house. We are willing to adapt to a plan and make changes as needed. We are looking for a 1 story with a full basement or a 2 story with a crawl space. We would like 2/3 bedroom and 2 bath. This will be our retirement home. We do not need a garage as DH has already built a pole barn. The house will be on a small hill. Thank you everyone for your help.
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Post by Maura on Apr 24, 2015 19:58:09 GMT
If it’s on a hill, have you considered a walk out basement?
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Post by adirondackgal on Apr 24, 2015 23:02:48 GMT
Yes we have. It all depends on the cost. We have been told by the power company that it will cost approximately $20,000 to get the power to the house. There are a lot of things that can add up. First is the perk test to check the soil. Then we will go from there. We have gotten so much rain lately that it is quite the mud hole.
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