Advice on Don Gardner Vandenberg Plan
terri23
15 years ago
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Love stone homes
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Comments (62)I recently purchased Don Gardner plans for $7600, after customizing costs and wouldn't do it again because it wasn't a pleasant experience. In fact, I just registered a complaint with the BBB after exhausted efforts to resolve my dispute with them. During the entire design process, we told our DAG designer one thing and she did another. For example, the original plan called for a bathroom near the rear entry of the room and, based on some changes we made, she relocated the bathroom to the far side of the house even though we expressed to keep it near the original location. After several versions back and forth, which you pay for by the hour, the house kept getting bigger so I had to design the downstairs to accommodate this request myself. The bathroom design was nothing like that of the pictures I sent her and it took several versions for her to get it near right. When the plans were finally finished, they charged me an additional $1400 for roof changes that I believed were a part of the original quote. Upon receiving the plans and submitting them to several general contractors for a quote, numerous errors were pointed out; some of which were quite costly mistakes. For example, in the downstairs and upstairs, we requested 9' and 10' fold away doors for our upstairs and downstairs great rooms, which overlook a gorgeous lake view, that cost $17,000 each. The designer put 8' doors in the plan and made them more narrow than we spoke about. Upon bringing this matter to her attention, she resent out a revised plan but only sent 1 copy when we purchased 5. Anyone with a brain and has built a custom home before knows that one copy of the plan is impossible to work with and, DAG does not permit you to copy their plans. To rectify the roof charges of the $1400, they gave me a credit and the CAD program so that an architect could change the plan and errors. Since then, more errors have been pointed out and, after attempting to get quotes from a number of GC's, the numbers were coming in so high that we went to speak to a local architect. He stated that DAG did not design the house to be cost effective in any way and used excessive cement driving the home price up to very high $ per square foot. When I asked DAG to make changes they wouldn't and they could care less that after spending the sort of $ I did on the plan, now I had to spend an additional $2,000 - $3,000 to be able to afford to build the home. When I learned of these issues, I asked DAG to refund me the difference between what I would have paid for the CAD program, around $3400, so that I could use the balance to fix the plan. They refused and have not responded to an email since then. I believe in this economy and for as costly it is to build a new home with inflation for commodities, they should work with their customers to not only make a home efficient and cost effective, but also make changes if problems are incurred. I will post the outcome of the BBB result, which might I add I have never gone to the BBB to register a complaint in my life. Keeping my fingers crossed that the issue will get resolved....See MoreInput on plans/ don gardner?
Comments (24)Certain changes are a flat fee with DG. For example: basement, 2x6 instead of 2x4, flip the house. We are using some standard modifications (basement , 2x6) but also other modifications for their rate of 125 an hour. We paid the price of the plan in full and then 50% of the modifications up front. They gave us an initial estimate for the non standard modifications and we are still working within that. Maybe in total $4,000 including the initial plan of about $1,200 We chose the reproducable vellums. The major changes we made were: to enlarge the garage to 25 x26 - this was the largest we could do without changing it too much structurally/roof lines etc. We also made the dinning room12 x 16 and eliminated the breakfast room to enlarge the kitchen. We added a screened in porch 20x 20 off the kitchen. We adjusted the areas as you enter from the garage to include a coat closet and a pantry. On the second floor we added a fifth bedroom above the master and elimnated the tray ceiling to do so. We eliminated the tub and chose a larger shower and reconfigured the master bath. We also chose pocket doors for inside the upstairs kids bathroom and for the laundry. Also moved the pull down access for the attic stairs so it wasn't visible from the main staircase. The kitchen design and layout is our last hurdle but we won't use DG for this. Most cabinet/kitchen designers can assist with the layout as included in their services so it doesn't make sense to pay DG for this. DG doesn't do electrical or plumbing or HVAC so you'll need that from your subcontractors....See MoreDon Gardner Southerland or Arbordale Plan
Comments (5)wow-what a great website! I love the idea of keeping everything recorded online to share with friends and family...I think I'm going to steal your idea :) We live in Florida but a lot of our family is in Maryland so the site will make it easier to share the progress with them. I love, love, love your house! That's exactly how I want our house to look with the big porch on the front. How exciting to see it all come together. We just cleared our land and now we're in the process of getting a construction loan...but I'm super excited to see it all in process. It's so hard to visualize everything from just a floor plan! I wish there was a model home that could tour :)...See MoreVandenberg House Plan By Don Gardner Ideas & Pics
Comments (3)Also there is an active thread http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/2272337/advice-on-don-gardner-vandenberg-plan...See MoreRandy Mullins
7 years agoRandy Mullins
7 years ago
Everyone has been asking me for my floorpan. Here is the main floor. I detached the garage and addad a pantry and bathroom where the original showed storage. I reduced the width of the plan from 68-64 feet because of set back on our property. I had to take the 4 feet out of the master bath side and relocated the guest bath and pantry to where the storage was in the orig. I also made our great room open from front to back and repositioned the front upper eyebrow window so it would line up with the back one. On all the plans you see there is a seperate foyer wall blocking the big upper window we wanted the more open floorplan look.We also beamed that room and used pre enginered roof trussing which allowed us to not have posts throughout the home.
Stephanie Harris
7 years ago
cpartist
7 years agoRandy Mullins
7 years agoRandy Mullins
7 years agocpartist
7 years agoDave Jones
7 years agoThanks Randy for all the updates. We have now make so many changes to the original plan idea, other than the great room, that it isn't the same house :-) - although the front look is very similar. I have mocked up a scale model (also lowered the main roof height) . Still working out the screen room and dining room roof lines. Includes stairs for a bonus room over the garage. Also attached is a poor hand drawing of what we are thinking. Hard to make it out at times due to all the cutting and pasting :-).
Dave Jones
7 years agoRandy Mullins
7 years agoBelinda H.
7 years agoRandy Mullins
7 years agoBelinda H.
7 years agoRandy Mullins
7 years agoBelinda H.
7 years agoBelinda H.
7 years agoMy husband and I absolutely love the Vandenberg plan and had been fairly certain we wanted to build it on our lake property. That is, until we got the lot cleared recently and saw just how drastically deep/steep is the ravine which cuts through the middle of our property. It would likely be prohibitively expensive to build into the side of the steep hill that then ends at the bottom of the ravine (we'll find out soon). Also, due to the location we'd be forced to use, we've realized we'd feel boxed in by the 2-story houses of the neighbors. So we are now rethinking our direction. :-(
As have others of you who like this house plan, I'd spend a lot of time thinking about and drawing out modifications to it. I wanted to share my revisions with you in case you might find some useful ideas. Attached is my modified version of the main floor.
Randy Mullins
7 years agoDave Jones
7 years agoLooks GREAT Randy! It has been great following your progress. We are going to break ground tomorrow. We now have a final plan except for some changes to simplify the right side of the basement. The great room and the front look similar to the original plan - after that it has changed considerably - not the same plan. Thanks Randy for allowing us to foo your progress! Dave
William Stevens
7 years agoRandy Mullins
6 years agoDave Jones
6 years agoOur house is coming along. Vandenberg look in the front - completely different back.
Belinda H.
6 years agofredkop1
6 years agoDave Jones
6 years agoHi Fred (I assume). We are neighbours - we are building just outside Wolfville, NS. I'm originally from Salisbury ☺️. We are making a. Little progress .... Here is a pic from today. Dave
fredkop1
6 years agoDave Jones
6 years ago
Chris Root
4 years ago
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