Great wicker carriage, and I can't believe the prices you pay! geesh! :p Show close-up photos of the wicker damage and I'll tell you if it's something that can be repaired. A few years ago I was working at a place within a residential area. A woman living there was throwing away a GORGEOUS wicker sofa because her dog had eaten away lots of it. I would have LOVED to take and repair it, but it just wasn't something I could do at the time. I didn't want to see it crushed in the garbage truck, so I convinced her to post it for free on craigslist. When I saw her again she said a couple from a local antiques place took it for free, did the repairs themselves, and sold it for $1000. I'm so glad it was saved.

Newhomeseeker, I think that the reason that Sylvia may be upset is that you've started numerous threads over the past few months that are mainly complaints about agents with whom you dealt and realtors in general. In addition to this thread, here are the titles of some of the others that you started: Why do some realtors lie when advertising a house? What is wrong with the realtors in my area? Does this sound like a scam? Can't get rid of realtor. Listing agent wants me to sign something before I look at house. Agent calls right after showing (in which you asked the question: "Is this just a slick realtor?") Now, I'm not taking sides in the spat between Sylvia and yourself, and in fact, every one of your posts may be warranted; I'm just trying to offer an explanation as for why she (and perhap other real estate agents reading this board) may be perturbed by your postings.

dedtired, many place-names in Scotland begin with Auchter . . .something or other. I wouldn't have said it was 'common' perhaps a glance through a phone-book might prove me wrong! I think the original of Monarch of the Glen was by Scottish writer Compton Mackenzie. His Whisky Galore (book and later film) is a classic, based on a true story when during WWII a ship carrying thousands of barrels of whisky was wrecked of the Isle of Eriskay and the devious means by which the islanders hid the loot from the Customs men! nb the correct spelling of whisky; the true Scottish way. ;-)

Pains me to see such good intentions go to waste though writing about the experience here will help others. This situation is why some builders advocate for being involved in the design process. Even if just a consulting roll, a collaborative team effort might have prevented this unfortunate outcome. I think designers often fear their vision will be watered down but with the right people involved, costs and alternative construction details can be evaluated as the design is developed without sacrificing design or aesthetics. Design-bid is a bit antiquated for those seeking higher performance. In my experience, everyone benefits in a collaborative approach. To address some confusion above, Passive house (PassivHaus Institute PHI) is a German born building certification. Passive House US (Passive House Institute US PHIUS) is the N. American split from the German version. Passive Solar Design is the traditional term used to describe getting free heat from the sun. Being mindful of those strategies can help reduce cooling loads in TX, like stretching a home from east to west helps minimize windows on those vulnerable directions. Keeping Homes Cooler is a blog I wrote for new and existing homes. Often Passive House homes end up with passive solar design elements as do other designs looking to maximize efficiency with no extra upfront costs. Some passive house projects are approaching cost parity with typical crappy construction. I always enjoy Steve Baczeck's articles in Fine Homebuilding. If you can't do Passive House, at least do Energy Star. This will involve a third party energy rater who will help push a home towards current international building codes. Though these codes are rarely adopted and enforced locally, they represent a very good balance of cost and efficiency. Involve the rater early in design process. Matt Risinger is an awesome resource for building in TX and anywhere in the south. I would follow his advice as much as possible. His videos and articles on airsealing, insulation, waterproofing and humidity control are particularly important.