Contract on small cottage.. need advice on back of house..

8 years ago

Hello!! We are down sizing and moving into a small little cottage that is 85 years old. The seller is replacing the wood siding with new wood siding b/c of bottom wood rot. I am attaching the side of the house that is adorable and just needs paint. Love the landscaping. The back yard is huge! It's the back of the house that we need help with. The deck needs to be stained and the fence to be fixed and painted a fresh coat of white paint. What would you all do w/ landscaping? The seller will also be replacing the windows and putting in new gutters. There needs some character added to the back. Just not sure where to go with it.. Ideas anyone?? Thanks in advance!!

Featured Answer

Lavender Lass

8 years ago

last modified: 8 years ago

Who will be living here? Do you have children? Do you garden? Do you entertain a lot? Do you host family get togethers?

If it were me, I'd make that shed a garden shed. And with that big yard, I would add some gardens and leave a big 'pool' of grass in the center, with paths around and through the beds. I love to garden...but that's me.

What are your hobbies? Do you want low or more maintenance? Do you enjoy yard work? What is your climate? More information will let us give you more (hopefully more informed) ideas :)

A few pics of my yard...dated, but still pretty accurate.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (12)

mbfreimund
Original Author
8 years ago
Also what about making a covered porch?
schoolhouse_gw
8 years ago
A covered porch or a pergola over the decking. I always cringe when I hear the word "deck" in connection to an older house. I just don't think it looks right, but I understand families really enjoy them.

Is the same siding on the back of the house as the front? I like that. Will the seller be replacing the windows with a grid in the glass like the one on the left on the back of the house? Perhaps French doors instead of the patio doors?
Related Discussions
Cottage Garden Reconstruction -- Need Advice
Q
Comments (7)
Hi Maureen, I have been studying your picture. I think the little globe evergreen still looks lost there. Not sure another one on the other side would fix it, like you said the slope is a problem. Of course, in the future, when he is bigger, it will look different. Here is what I am thinking. I love the stone markers, from what I can see, but I really had to look to find them. So I think they need to be higher. This would more clearly mark the entryway. Could you build an inexpensive and small pedestal for them, I'm thinking like a 1 ft x 1 ft x 2 ft high pedestal out of bricks or pavers or treated wood, and top with the markers? Then perhaps the globe evergreen in front of each, and you could even adjust the height of the pedestal so that it looks even in height. The globes in front would hide any difference in the height of the pedestal. I hope you see what I am talking about. Then, if you want a garden that looks good year round, you will have to carefully think of evergreens or plants with winter interest like berries, or bark, or very early spring bloom to put in there. Weighing all the options and then having to make a decision is the hardest part. I torment over stuff like this! Laurie
...See More
Help with small 1901 farmhouse cottage house exterior paint color
Q
Comments (7)
What an adorable house! I grew up with those white frame houses with black trim, & to me, they always looked stark & maybe institutional. & this is what I thought when I was too young to know those words! I think with a pure white background, you can use pure clear colors like red, which is a great "country" color for houses, or deep cool pastels, like the gray you have now or maybe a deeper gray. Hunter green is also a traditional color for farmhouse trim, & it would play off the white white beautifully. I'm a fan of Behr paints from Home Depot, but a lot depends on your climate; we have lots of summer & you may have lots of winter or lots of salt spray. This forum's participants have a vast pool of experience a great willingness to share, so I'm sure somebody will give you expert advice on brand & type.
...See More
Need advice for getting out of a contract
Q
Comments (45)
it appears that they've already agreed to use the architect in the role of (borrowing from George W.) "the decider." After careful consideration I revise my opinion, the OP should see an attorney. I admit that my advice may have been biased by the OP saying, "I believe means that missing the deadline is a material breach." That led me to believe that the OP had done some homework, at least enough to be confident in a meeting. However, given the discussions in this thread, maybe my expectations for general knowledge of contracts are misplaced. The contract does not say that the Architect will be the decider, only the administrator. How is deciding whether or not a contractor's performance falls within the terms of the contract relevant here? The architect can't change the terms of the contract, nor is he in any way shape or form legally allowed to determine when and if a material breach has happened. You are a contractor, please tell me you are trying to win an argument, and you don't actually believe that an architect is licensed to practice law. ----- If the OP and their architect (and readers of this thread) will take the time to read article 16 (termination of contract) of AIA A105-2017, they will find that the OP has the option to terminate the contract for convenience (without cause) by settling up with the contractor for costs incurred to date and fair overhead and profit on the uncompleted portion of the work in the original contract scope. See section 16.3. Kinda like a no-contest divorce. I was just going to leave this alone but... 16.3 may be the most worthless clause in the entire contract. It limits the contractors collection rights to what the contract would pay him and it does nothing more. These are mostly the exact same rights the contractor would have without this clause. This is calculated by using the total sum of the contract less any costs the contractor avoided from the termination. For example: Suppose the contract has $25,000 of materials $15,000 of subcontractor installation charges (their profit and overhead), and $10,000 of contractor profit and overhead for a total amount of $50,000. Suppose all materials have been purchased and are not returnable. 16.3 then states that the contractor will recover all $50,000. Suppose that $20,000 of materials still haven't been purchased and there are no commitments made for their purchase, then the contractor would get $30,000. It essentially pays the contractor in full for all services as if they had been fully performed, and eliminates extraordinary profit from any unpaid cost of sales. This is the standard legal assumption in all contracts that if the contractor were not working on your job they would have found equivalent work during that time, and if the customer cancels must pay accordingly, and it is the default position of all courts. So why is the clause even in there? In very rare cases (probably one in a few thousand) a contractor will say that he planned to market your job in such a way to increase future income. All 16.3 does is remove any claim to loss of future income resulting from the breach. It is not a lot of ink and in very rare cases saves a bit of trouble. This has to be very close to the last thing the OP wants.
...See More
Decision time for home under contract! Advice needed!
Q
Comments (28)
@Dianna B We bought/renovated a house near the beach 2 years ago, got all the permits to list it as a vacation rental (this was an ORDEAL, so make sure you look into what it required!), signed a contract with a property management company, got pictures taken and the website set up to list it on all the vacation rental sites, and were ready to go live... on March 5. Yes, that would be March 5, *2020.* :P So, instead of renting it out, we moved our family into it -- since everyone was working/schooling remotely, it was perfect. And every single day, I'm grateful for our beautiful kitchen!!!! (The house we rent where we 'live' is a tiny homage to the 70s, in all the bad senses of the term homage. The greenish-yellow counters, the inability to open the fridge and the oven at the same time, the lack of a functional venting system... well; at least it's very space-efficient! haha) So yes, to @Michelle Maurice's point: you never know how you will use your vacation house. :D
...See More
mchv
8 years ago
French doors on the back, with some sort of roof line (even if it's only 1/2 a roof over the deck..
phoggie
8 years ago
Agree...you need some shade over that patio.
Lavender Lass
8 years ago
So, I'm guessing that the back, is actually the side, from the first picture? It looks like the garage is one one side of the 'back' yard and that there's a big tree shading part of the space.

I happen to like decks....and sometimes you want a sunny spot. Plus, the roof slope is such that adding a covered porch might be a little tricky. And pergolas are expensive!

What about a path to a shadier seating area (maybe with blocks) over by the tree? This would give you a second seating space and really open up the yard.

Some climbing roses around the windows (to the right of the BBQ) would look lovely. What zone do you live in? Do you have any more pictures of the space? :)
mbfreimund
Original Author
8 years ago
I love the covered porch idea. Thought about a sunroom, but those 2 windows are the only windows in the master bedroom. If I went with the covered porch, it would need to be A frame to look ok. Have you seen a pergola that is an A frame?

The first pic is the side of the house and the 2nd is the back.

Here are more pics of the back yard. What should I do w/ the shed?? What color would you paint it?

thanks for everyone's ideas!! Oh and the bedroom windows don't have grids in them, they had a hard time finding that size.

cottage · More Info

cottage · More Info
mama goose_gw zn6OH
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
What a cute house and spacious yard! Mine is about the same age--the previous owners used T1-11 siding on it, too, and I haven't been able to get it resided.

Can you post a straight on picture of just the house and deck?
mbfreimund thanked mama goose_gw zn6OH
mbfreimund
Original Author
8 years ago
I have one that lives on her own and goes to college and one 16.. so we got rid of our house since we will be empty nesters soon. The house that I just sold was in the woods so we didn't use the backyard much. I love gardening and working in the yard, that's what sold us on this little place. It's so tiny inside but the outside is heaven! When I get back over there I will get some better pics. Oh and I am in KY, so pretty sure I am zone 6.

Love all of the flowers! I can't wait to have my yard looking like that. There is a fire pit in the back, so can't wait to entertain!

I am just stuck on what to do by the house in the back. French doors are a must. Love that idea. The things on the deck are not mine, they are the sellers. Heck, once I stain it and put all of my stuff up there, it may not need much. Like you said, climbing roses etc.
desertsteph
8 years ago
oh, it is lovely - what a yard! do you want a veggie garden? if so, figure out where would be best for it.

how about a strip of fencing/edging of some kind on the end of deck by garage - it might cover the area between ground and deck. If you want an herb garden maybe put a planter box/container on that end.

lilac bushes should grow fine there - right? I had one in IN and loved it! A dogwood tree? another of my favorites.

Is that walkway easy for walking on?

barn red for the shed?
Lavender Lass
8 years ago
I like those paths in the second picture...off by the garage. Can you enlarge that patio area against the garage? That might make a great space for a pergola! :)
mama goose_gw zn6OH
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
The shed could be adorable (covered in wisteria), but I think I'd set up a potting bench beside the garage--closer to water and not so far to truck all the accoutrements. I'm in zone6, across the river--easy perennial/biennial favorites are:

Daylilies

Oriental lilies

Tiger lilies

Rudbeckia

Coreopsis

Virginia bluebells

Columbine

Sweet rocket

Hollyhocks

Mexican primrose

Night Blooming primrose

Afternoon primrose

Primrose (primula family)

Butterfly weed

Zephyr Rose, or Zephirine Droughin, blooms several times throughout the summer, and has no thorns, so is perfect for a pergola or porch rail. When I tell people not to worry, my Zephirine is thornless, they don't believe me until they try to find a thorn. Interplant the roses with Clematis varieties.

Images of Zephirine Droughin.

Contract on small cottage.. need advice on back of house..

Lavender Lass

Comments (12)

mbfreimund
Original Author

schoolhouse_gw

Related Discussions

mchv

phoggie

Lavender Lass

mbfreimund
Original Author

mama goose_gw zn6OH

mbfreimund
Original Author

desertsteph

Lavender Lass

mama goose_gw zn6OH

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Contract on small cottage.. need advice on back of house..

Comments (12)

mbfreimundOriginal Author

Related Discussions

mbfreimundOriginal Author

mbfreimundOriginal Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

mbfreimund
Original Author

mbfreimund
Original Author

mbfreimund
Original Author