I used Amish folks (framers, metal roofs) from Fort Wayne and they were very reasonable. Prices are up everywhere. Spread footers are cheap and common but helical pilings pricey are normally used for flood planes. What is the bearing capacity of your soil.

Note that robin only posts to share her/his hatred of GCs and thinks every single one is a crook.

Hi Lindsay.

The building thing is tough, and it is hard for some people to visualize how things will look. You live in a less expensive place that I do, and I know an interesting (or was the word memorable?) home can be built on your budget. That's because I just did it myself. I live in New England, and it is pricey here right now.

We had almost a total remodel with addition on this house, (we built once before), it was a huge project. If you do some of your own homework before you talk or meet with anyone else (I don't know if you've done that). Homework as to how you want to live in your home. Top ten things that are important to you, needs and budget listed out. Then, talk to architects. I contacted several that I liked, and asked if I could email them my info. It was a great process, and the architects and I then had info as to whether or not we would fit. Some said that I would have to increase my budget or shrink my design to work within my constraints, and others felt we would be able to work together to make something work.

Being frugal New Englanders, (no offense to architects here, we used one!) my husband and I did not like spending thousands on design, we kind of hated that part. So I understand that. We are very happy with our home, but we would not have gotten this without my strong input on our needs and lifestyle, with the architect mapping things out in the space and creating some great elevations, and the builder I could communicate with.

I am rambling, sorry, just waking up my brain here, but yes, you can have a memorable house in that price range, you just need a good design. I wish you luck on this process, and it's hard as it is, especially if you aren't interested in doing it. I wrote this to offer supportive encouragement, I hope it came off that way.

Good luck!

Brian, I don't have access to the soil report right now but I will reply shortly when I do.

I know that builder #1 is concerned with how much soil would have to be removed with spread footers to get to good soil. He made the comment that spread footers may end up costing just as much as pilings.

Take your report and call foundation companies. It is sounds like you have soil issues [expansive or weak soils] or building in the flood plane. Or even call a structural engineer who prepared your report and ask. Foundation is just one expense.

May be another reason to go more of two story. Btw two story rooms may be worth it when builder blank charges you per sq ft. [example 120/sq]. We pay exra for drywallers for going over 10', but nothing exra for framers or electrical. For me difference in cost for building 2500sq ft and 3200 is only 45k [excluding finishes]. Same hvac, same plumbing, same electrical, same hookups, about the same excavation, same landscape, about the same permits, same driveway, same kitchen.... Fixed windows even the large, are very cheap. This is why builders like two story rooms. They add drama and not much cost relative to the price of construction.

Brian, I appreciate you taking the time to share this info with me. I do remember that the soil report mentions that there is a layer of loose soil. We were aware of the soil conditions before we bought the lot.

I am ok with a 2 story. I am thinking that we need to reduce the footprint of the house. Both designs had essentially the same footprint. One had a lot more square feet upstairs than the other but both had first floor master suite and large garage space.

Lindsay, while I respect that some architects may be able to help you, I'm going to be the counter-argument that you may not necessarily need one.

We did spend $6k on a 'architectural technologist' designed home, that came in at twice our budget. We abandoned it.

We then took the advise of others on this forum and looked for an architect.

We interviewed 3, (there aren't a lot in our small city) and all three were more interested in the paycheque then designing our home. They wanted it to be 'modern'. They wanted it to 'make an impression' (read: add to their portfolio', but not in a sense that mattered to us - they all tried to dissuade us from our preferred building material (full-ICF walls on a 2 story house) because they felt it would limit them. We'd ask them questions about process, budget, about how much input we'd get , they accused us of being 'too questioning' and told us to 'trust them'. We were not a good fit for an architect. Architects in our area wanted 10% of the total house cost just to do the design work and drawings! (Plus more to manage the contract). We walked away, just couldn't justify the cost.

In the end, I pulled together my own team of inspired, driven individuals - my husband, my twin sister, and I, and we came up with a first draft that really works for us. We did our own research, bubble diagrams, read 'Designing your dream home' (written by an architect) and spent 2 years coming up with draft dwgs, modelign the home in 3d, mentally walking through our home, and eventually engaging 2 smalltown builders for estimates.

We went with the one who was excited for our build. (And not the one who just wanted the project...sensing a theme? :P )

The small-town builder (was excellent in the planning and estimating and tweaking the plans to be 'buildable', but didn't quite live up to our expectations regarding construction...but at least we had a fixed price contract!

So my advise to you is: If trying to design a house is stresfful, I wouldn't recommend it for you. My husband and I rarely fight, and the words 'F*&&! you!!!" have been hurled across rooms MANY times during this build. We didn't mean it, it was just stress, but the builder WILL pit you against each other, they WILL try to wear you down as they screw up over and over (hoping you'll just accept subpar work), and it WILL be exhausting to pick finishes (sometimes twice if stuff gets discontinued), to argue and find documentation to prove your right, to phone the building inspector AGAIN when something is wrong, and to negotiate changes/extras when things go sideways.

If the above sounds negative - its not really, but it is the truth. Building a house from scratch is a HUGE effort, and a stressful one at that. Our home perfectly suits our needs, and everyone who has toured it is impressed by our foresight in the design. We are THRILLED to have the house of our dreams

But it wasn't easy. I've spent the last 4 months in a tent due to builder delays, and hopefully next week I can FINALLY sleep in a bed again...

...whatever you decide, good luck!!!

I am actually a CPA, so I am very in tune with finances and mortgage rates. I am very adverse to having debt (my current home is paid off and I am 35 years old) because I do not want to work my entire life away.

Wow...I feel exactly the opposite of you. The levered investing from my mortgages is exactly what I plan to use to retire. Over the last 7 years my $500,000 of mortgages has created $1,251,000 of wealth ($1,541,000 of wealth growth for $290,000 in payments).

As CPA and an Accounting and Finance professor, I encourage you to take another look at low cost borrowing.

-------------------------

Now back to your original problem.

An architect is very likely going to increase the cost per square foot, but that doesn't necessarily mean that a plan designed by an architect will cost more. For most of us, and unfortunately for most drafters, designing a house is an additive process, we need X + Y + Z and eventually we end up with a home that checks all the boxes.

However, good design creates synergy between spaces that increases the usefulness and value in ways other than just adding another room to the design. In other words, a good designer may be able to give you a more efficient use of your money. While the house may cost more per square foot, it could have less square footage going to areas that will be underutilized.

Added to that is the generally more pleasing aspect of a well designed home. I struggle with the idea of a house as anything other than a financial investment, but so long as every house is designed as nothing more than a financial transaction, it will be nothing more than a financial transaction. It will be no more enriching or sexier than a few numbers on some paper. There is nothing wrong with that other than the fact that life is too short to work towards being able to enjoy it later on.

You can choose to build a house that really enriches your life, I urge you to take that path now. Trust me, I worked crazy hours at a big four firm only to hit my 40's and realize that I had let saving for a better tomorrow eat up all my yesterdays. A well designed house seems like a good place to start to me.

Now, you finding that person who is going to help you design a house that will do that for you is another problem altogether. I don't think great design requires an architect, however, I think your odds of finding a great designer who isn't an architect are low. On the other hand finding an architect who is a great designer is very doable.

Anyway, whatever you decide, best of you luck to you.

I may be partial, but I think using an architect will greatly increase your chances of achieving a great design. "Great design" defined as a home that meets your needs, now and in the foreseeable future, is aesthetically pleasing, and fits the site and the budget.

Not all builders are bad, not all architects are good, not all designer/draftsman are incompetent.

Find the right one in any group and life is easy conversely find bad one and its one painful adventure.

I would encourage going back to same or other designer/architect/draftsman and present your designs, your ideas and your thoughts and tell them in kinder words that you get paid if their design meets your needs and you approve drafts before it is full blown plans.

I'm going to echo all the others who say it's worth it to find a good builder and good architect (or architect-caliber and trained designer). I'm always surprised with people like lookintomyeyes who describe such adversarial relationships with their builder. That was not our experience at all, as our builder was a great partner and we're actually using him again.

Also, FYI, we've worked with two really great architects and both were 1) less costly than the percentages often cited on here and 2) worked on a flat fee, so if the estimate comes in too high, there's no additional cost to us for them to help rework it to bring it in budget. They're invisted in hitting the mark too.

if you're interested in exploring the architect route, I'd ask Builder #1 for referrals. So far he's sounded reasonable and good, and people like that often have great recommendations of similarly minded colleagues.

We had a great experience with our builder, as well. He was absolutely wonderful through the entire process. Not to mention he's a saint for having put up with me! I remember towards the end, right before the wood floor was going in, I mentioned a fist sized spot of busted sub-floor (probably from something falling during beam installs, idk) but I kept insisting it be replaced in case it became a weak spot. My builder is a cowboy and took his boots and stomped on it as hard as he could about 5 times, and it didn't do anything to worsen it.. Then he said, "let's move on" with a huge smile on his face, lol. Needless to say, we moved on and that busted spot is still there... not causing a problem.

Lindsay, you've gotten some great advice here and I truly hope this turns around for you! Building, while very stressful, can be really fun and exciting. You've got options, just breathe, take your time, and figure out what the best one for you and your husband is.

in theory -- carrying a low-interest mortgage makes sense.

It isn't theory. I have 1.25 million in liquidity from mortgage leverage. Not theoretical money, actual spend it on what ever the heck I want, including bricks if I desire, cash.

I grew up a poor kid and was often worried -- no, make that terrified -- about food, clothing, medical care, and more. I cannot tell you what it means to me that I own every brick of the house in which I live.

Which grocery store or department store accepts bricks for payment? What is the going rate for a round of chemo in bricks?

This is a very common misconception, cash is the only thing that you can exchange for all of those things you were worried -- no, make that terrified -- about growing up. I have a good friend in Texas who owns all his bricks and doesn't have a place to live right now and doesn't really have hope of having a place to live for months or years into the future.

The fact of the matter is the farther you get from cash the less you can endure any hardship. In the last 7 years my mortgages have given me enough cash to pay for every brick a few times over, and some other things too like food, clothing and medical care, because I never thought bricks looked all that fashionable to wear, tasted all that good to eat and can give you a headache a lot faster than they can relieve them.

Not buying things you can't pay cash for is great advice, but that doesn't mean pay cash. I currently try to keep very safe liquid assets at double my debt.

It isn't theory. I have 1.25 million in liquidity from mortgage leverage. Not theoretical money, actual spend it on what ever the heck I want, including bricks if I desire, cash.

It is theory because we expect money in investments to increase -- and that typically happens -- but investments can disappear or lose significant value. On the other hand, bricks are still useful as shelter, no matter what the stock market's doing.

For what it's worth, I also have significant non-brick investments ... in fact, my paid-for house represents just 5% of my net worth. I'm not advocating paying off your house at the expense of other investments.

Which grocery store or department store accepts bricks for payment? What is the going rate for a round of chemo in bricks?

Fair enough, but consider the big picture: If you lose your job, the money you have on hand or your spouse's paycheck goes farther if you don't have to write a check for a mortgage every month. No, a paid-for house won't pay for chemo, but if your house is paid for, you can afford to stay out of work longer (or more comfortably) because you're not paying a mortgage. When you run into trouble (and all of us do occasionally), your investments may be at an all-time high, or at an all-time low, or anywhere in between -- and you may be forced to pull out money at a time that isn't ideal for your long-term financial security.

I have a good friend in Texas who owns all his bricks and doesn't have a place to live right now and doesn't really have hope of having a place to live for months or years into the future.

Absolutely true, but I assume that pile of bricks he owns was insured ... and if that house was paid for, 100% of the reimbursement is his own -- none of it goes to the mortgage company -- and that means he will have money to buy something else.

I'm totally aware of the math, and your argument is well-reasoned, but if I were suddenly in my 20s again, I'd make the same choices all over again in terms of investments -- one of them being working aggressively towards a paid-for house.

bry911, there are more ways than one to skin a cat. Everyone has a different comfort level. And besides, I came to this great forum looking for building advice, not financial tips.

North Eastshore Dr.? Lovely sunset views, I'm sure.

FWIW, I'd settle the design first, then get gc quotes. The first gc was not far off your target expenditure.

Streetviewing the area, it's interesting to see that many if not most homes on the lake pay little attention to the roadside elevation, but concentrate on the lakeside view.

I think I would 1) hire an architect 2) build a smaller house for your budget 3) entertain taking the first builder with you to architect meetings or see if the architect can recommend a builder.

I am using an architect for two additions and remodel on my house. I wont lie, it has been expensive, but I consider it part of the building process/budget. This is too big a deal for me not to have a professional involved. I consider it an investment in the house. The architect and I (and builder) have gone back and forth on designs by email and in person many times until we get it right. I call him with questions. The builder calls him with questions. It is a nice piece of mind to have him involved in the project.

You might also consider a smaller building envelope, one that you can add on to in the future should you like to expand. The architect could help you with this as well.

FWIW, we did hire a full service architect from the get go and our first bid just came in 100% over budget. Yes, double our budget. I'm beginning to think that a lot of this is just luck.

You've gotten some excellent advice, (with the exception of one person's who's post was removed.)

I will say that building (or even renovating) is tough enough on a relationship when both parties are in agreement as to their goals. There are times during this process where DH and I said some words rather, um, loudly and maybe some could have been said, um, a bit more kindly. However, we both went into this with our eyes open and agreeing what we were comfortable building, what price we were willing to pay, and what our needs were to be happy in our new build. Having renovated a condo before, we both knew what our strengths were and knew how to divvy up who did what.

For example, my strength is design. I designed the house (that's another whole saga), and chose everything related to the design of the house; from the type of siding, to the windows, to the fun things like cabinets, tile, paint colors, etc. I ran everything by DH and if he had a strong opinion, I let him have his choice.

DH's strength is the financial end, permitting, the legal aspects and anything related to plumbing, gas, HVAC, roofing, electrical, low voltage and other technical aspects of the house. He's the one who researched different systems and he would say to me, "this is what I think we should get and here's why". Luckily for us, things that make my eyes glaze over, he enjoys researching, whereas sitting in design meetings looking at 2 dozen samples of floor tile makes his eyes glaze over and I love it.

If you do decide to build, how will you divvy up who decides the hundreds upon hundreds of decisions? How will you decide on what light fixtures and where, or what type of shower head, whether or not you need a 3 zone HVAC system, or even what color switch plates to put in? How will you decide who the foreman talks to weekly? Who checks on the house every couple of days to make sure things are being done correctly? Who will hire the independent inspector? Who steps up to the plate when something goes wrong in the build (and trust me things do go wrong.)

We know nothing about your marriage and it's none of our business, but if you're this unhappy about building, I think you and your hubby need to have a heart to heart to hash out what your goals are for this house and/or the land. As mentioned building can put a strain on the strongest relationship when both parties start out agreeing about what and where to build and are in agreement as to who does what. When a couple is not even in agreement as to whether they want to build, it can possibly put additional stresses on the couple and their relationship.

Hello fellow Hoosier! Your desire for a simple 2200 sq ft quality home makes a great deal of sense to me. (Smaller might be desirable unless you're building for a large family.) That's not the trend, but I think the trend is wrong and ugly and just too damned big, with ridiculously excessive roofs and way too much exterior fussiness. Maybe the draftsman's imagination, or the builder's is limited to what's been built in the past decade, or they think yours is? Show them, or the architect, the house you have now that pleases you and emphasize loudly that you are not the track house client with six credit cards, a jumbo mortgage, and a toilet stall they can hardly get into. Good design IS quality.

But maybe you're a bit like my son, the amazingly successful entrepreneur, who still thinks basic financial statements are boring gobblegook. Just like financials, reading a house is an acquired skill. I suggest that you read back on this forum to educate yourself, and once you get a sketch or charette that actually takes advantage of your lovely lot, you enlist the kind folk to fuss through every door swing. Like, do you really want to let the dog out only by going through the garage? Sounds like a bad plan to me and I don't even have a dog.

cp.......whatever. I'm a he by the way. I KNOW for a 'fact' that GC's lie thru their teeth on what they make!!!!!!!!!!!! I've learned that over the last 40 yrs. As I said before, I have no problem with what they make(I guess you forgot I've said this several times)......they just need to STOP lying and 'voluntary' offer this BS info. NOBODY goes up to a GC and actually 'asks' what they make!! Use common sense.

Lindsey, you can't compromise when one person wants to build and the other doesn't.

My husband didn't want to build. I did. I lost. If we had built, I would have won.

He is okay with a fixer upper, though, and with additions, so that's what we got. (I can't stand new spec neighborhoods because of the lack of landscaping--I get agoraphobia!). And we will be building a guest house.

He won. Now be a partner. You have lots of things you will compromise on eventually. You can't "compromise" on something yes/no.

samarnn, thanks for the advice. I really do not want a large or fancy home. I actually live in a 1980s tract home now that is 1,500 square ft plus a full basement. We have remodeled it down to the studs. It is a very basic two story style with slightly upgraded finishes including solid hardwood throughout, granite, and beautiful maple cabinetry. It is not fancy and I am sure all of the architects on this forum would find it very unmemorable, but it works for me.

Also regarding letting dog out through garage...we would much rather have dog run tucked behind garage than have a fence obstructing our views on the lake side of the house. I am not sure how we would fence in road side, so that is why we chose to let them out through garage.

Then why not build that? There's no reason you need 8 gables. A simple box will cost far less and you can upgrade the finishes where you will enjoy them.

I have received many comments about the master bedroom on design 2 overlooking the dog pen. In all fairness to the draftsman, our order of priority for the floor plan was as follows:

1. 1st floor master bedroom. We specifically told draftsman that we do not care if the master has a view. We have a limited amount of frontage and we were going for a design with very simple roof lines to control costs. I do not move often, so I would like a master bedroom or space that could be a bedroom on the first floor. You never know when you are not going to be able to climb steps anymore.

2. 3 stall garage. This is a year round home. We currently have a whole shed of tools and lawn equipment, 2 vehicles, and a bass boat that my husband keeps garaged.

3. Small den space on first floor for exercise equipment. I run 5 miles per day and don't really want my treadmill on 2ND floor. It is currently in my basement.

4. Dedicated upstairs area for my husband's office because he works from home.

We also specifically told the draftsman that we don't care if upstairs guest rooms have a view. We are more concerned with a functional, cost effective house. I did not expect to get so many people bashing the designs of the houses. I was more looking for tips on what is driving these costs and what could get me in the price range I want to be in. Stuff like smaller garage, no first floor master, 2 story instead of 1.5 story, etc.

ksc36, we can't have a basement at the lake house, so we would not have enough space. I have my gym equipment and laundry room in current basement.

Have you contacted any local architects yet?

Hi Mark. No, my husband is on a fishing trip and will not be back until tomorrow. We will then be able to discuss what we are going to do.

1. 1st floor master bedroom. We specifically told draftsman that we do not care if the master has a view.

There is something quite sublime about waking up, opening the shades and seeing a view of water. I wouldn't dismiss this idea.

We have a limited amount of frontage and we were going for a design with very simple roof lines to control costs.

Absolutely the smartest thing you can do.

I do not move often, so I would like a master bedroom or space that could be a bedroom on the first floor. You never know when you are not going to be able to climb steps anymore.

True, but you said you're only 30 years old. At your age, I wouldn't base the whole house on the idea that sometime in the future, you might not be able to climb stairs. If a 2 story with the master on the second floor gives you a better house and layout, I would consider that.

To get around the idea of some future problem, maybe put a guest room on the ground floor, (or make the exercise room a combined guest room/exercise room by putting in a murphy bed for example. In fact, that is exactly what we are doing in our new build). Then arrange for 2 closets, one downstairs and one upstairs right above one another that could be a future elevator. That becomes a win/win since most likely it will never be anything but two large closets to store everything, but if it's ever needed, it's there.

Or put an away room on the first floor that in the future could be a master. Now having said all that, if you can get the master on the first floor, and still get the flow to work well, terrific!

The point being there are lots of different ways to get what you need in probably an even smaller footprint than you have now. However a draftsman will not have the creative mind to come up with those solutions. (Ask me how I know)

One other thing. You are 30 now and haven't moved frequently and most likely won't but you can't assume you won't. Life happens.

3. Small den space on first floor for exercise equipment. I run 5 miles per day and don't really want my treadmill on 2ND floor. It is currently in my basement.

See my comment above about letting rooms do double duty. This is one of the main themes in the Sarah Susanka book, The Not So Big House, I suggested reading in another post above. It was a real eye opener for me about sight lines and about how to combine spaces and create a smaller home.

We also specifically told the draftsman that we don't care if upstairs guest rooms have a view. We are more concerned with a functional, cost effective house. I did not expect to get so many people bashing the designs of the houses. I was more looking for tips on what is driving these costs and what could get me in the price range I want to be in. Stuff like smaller garage, no first floor master, 2 story instead of 1.5 story, etc.

The reason people are so intent on the layout and things like sight lines to the lake are because those are the things that nourish the soul when you come home after a tough day.

While you have no intention of moving, life sometimes gets in the way. I speak from experience as someone twice your age. Now I sound like my mother. (I also walked 5 miles to school everyday carrying my books uphill both ways, in the snow and rain, with only my threadbare sneakers. And of course when I got home, I had to milk the cows, carry the firewood, do the laundry, and cook dinner for all, LOL) Seriously though, If you ever have to move, having a well designed house with great views to the lake will help sell your house.

Imagine a buyer walking in, turning and seeing huge windows with views of the lake, then walking into the master and seeing the same thing. Trust me, that will trump almost everything else you have in the house because most people buy with their emotions first and 99% of people who buy on a lake do so because they want great views to the lake, and the feel of indoors/outdoors.

You keep insisting you can't have it all on your budget. I'm going to keep insisting you can, but you have to want to make the effort and you are going to have to reach out. I suggest you research the name I gave you privately.

Hi Mark. No, my husband is on a fishing trip and will not be back until tomorrow. We will then be able to discuss what we are going to do.

As I mentioned in my other post, you need to be very clear with him about your feelings about building, etc. It can be a great and wonderful adventure and give you a fabulous house that will nourish yours and his soul for years to come IF it's something you want and are willing to do. It can also bring you both closer together. It has with my DH and I. If you're not on board, as stated above, it can become too stressful to be worth it.

I truly wish you the best whatever you decide. If you decide to build, we are here for you as you'll get some of the best free advice imaginable. It is because of the fine folks here that I have a wonderful house that suits my husband's and my needs. You can too. If you decide not to build, please just let us know. Good luck to you.

When others criticize the design of this house, keep in mind it’s not that they’re saying it’s too small or too simple. After you’ve been here for awhile you realize that people get criticized a lot more for complex, overly big/convoluted houses than for simple ones. After you’ve been on here a bit longer you realize they’re right. I suspect your current plain square box would have more fans than you think. Those saying to think about the design aren’t advocating for a bigger or more expensive house, just one a bit more thought-out by an expert to meet your needs and for the site. They’re trying to help you get the best option you can for your budget, rather than a good-enough house.

Hi again Lindsay, I am amazed at the interest, care and advice you are getting from folks on this forum. Cp Artist comments and advice are pearls of wisdom and touching as well. And as I said previously, there are awesome, very reasonably priced architect on this forum.

however, I have a big question; you and hubby purchased an awesome lake lot, what was your and hubby's intent? Were you planning to keep it as investment and not build?

My wife and I are similar to you in carrying much more about finishes than square footage. The cost/ft of our current house is considerably higher than others in the neighborhood and near the small end but we've been very happy with it.

I think that in most instances you will get a much better house and so more value for your money for you and your husband by working with a good architect (or respected designer). That said, there are some quite good design/build folks out there that do have a good sense of design (both aesthetics and functionality) but the good ones are hard to find.

A square 2-story box with a simple single ridge roof will usually be the least expensive to build on a per square foot basis. A rectangular box with a single ridge roof the second least expensive. These will also cost much less in energy use. Think two-story colonial.

The process can indeed be difficult (we're going through it now for a third time) but if you approach it with a good attitude and work through it the result will give you years or decades of enjoyment.

One final thought... Did you have anything in writing from the 2nd builder regarding budget? I'd seriously consider getting my money back from him for how far over budget he was. He did not deliver to you what he promised.

Lindsay, I messaged you again. :)

Lindsay, could you change your settings to enable messaging? Edit profile > Advanced Settings > Who Can Message Me

May I recommend a good book, "Cottages: The New Style" by James Grayson Trulove. Good lake house ideas and inspiration.

Lindsay, RE: giving the dog pen prime realestate. Depending on the sort of dog, it might be possible to use landscaping (say a low hedge) to enclose a dog area on the side or in front of the house....say off the mudroom/garage entrance area.Sounds to me as if you have an outdoorsy type husband who might like such an entrance for himself, nevermind the dog.

I doubt you want to hear it right now, but aside from architectural design, landscape design is a key part of designing a high quality home, especially fences and hardscapes like terraces and driveways. That does NOT mean your local garden center, no matter how good they are as plants people (and good plantspeople are rare and to be cherished!). I suggest starting an "ideas" file to begin to identify the style YOU like. Landscaping is an excellent way to add "custom quality" to a simple box house. And yes, simple is also a Very Fine Thing in landscape design, as it is in architectural, but be aware that finestkind simple landscaping is considerably more difficult design work than fussiness and clutter and trendiness. And leave some budget, or stage it, because quality landscaping ain't cheap.

Actually 62' seems WIDE to me. Here in Annapolis most waterfront lots are a lot narrower but with more "stuff" is oriented towards the water than your house designs. I'd give my right arm to have 62' to work with. In another thread I posted for a completely different purpose, three waterfront houses (the last one is not waterfront). The widest one here is 35'. Scroll down to my 9/16 post http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/4864485/feedback-on-second-round-of-plans Talk to a local guy/girl about packing the same into 62'.

And with regard to budgets, from looking at your plans you can cut out SF. Smaller is harder. Bigger is easier. Make sure your designer understands that.

PG, we purchased the lot with the intent of building after we spent 2 summers looking at existing lake houses and having no luck. We looked at one existing house 3 times, made an offer, then found out that the house was a prefab! That particular house we had intended to use just as a weekend house, but it was still $340,000, and we know nothing about prefab houses, so we walked away. We put an offer on a second house that we planned to gut and remodel. It had a great location but it ended up having structural damage cause it had no pilings! So, that is how we ended up with the lot.

Nick, I changed my settings.

Hey Lindsay, your story sounds somewhat like ours. We looked for 2 years for a house near our downtown location. We absolutely wanted an older house with charm (think craftsman) but everything we found either had all the charm gutted out of it, or it had steps inside the house with no way to put in an elevator if needed (remember, we are old!) or would have needed to be totally redone to bring it up to code, or it was not in the right location.

So one day while looking at new townhouses we saw a trailer on an empty 3 acre plot of land and asked the townhouse RE agent what that was about. She said, "Oh, they're going to be building 18 custom homes".

We thanked her, walked right over to the trailer, and I said to the agent in the trailer, "When you say custom, you mean I pick from one of your plans?"

He said, "You can, or you can design whatever you want."

That was in March of 2015 and that is how we wound up building our "dream home". LOL

62" IS wide! But, what are the setbacks? 5'? 10'? And what kind of slope could affect how things lay on the land? I think you said that you couldn't have a basement? Are there height restrictions? As in, could you have a pretty nice sized attic that a future buyer could turn into a 3rd floor master suite and still have room for the HVAC, water heater, and winter clothes storage? Yes, it will probably necessitate a front load garage, but maybe if it's done as a interior side load with a courtyard front, it wouldn't dominate the front, and that would give you the room out back for the views to the lake that are the whole reason that you are even doing this project.

Placing someone else's off the rack solution to their needs on your lot means that you still have to do alterations of it to get it to fit your needs. Which is the route you've tried so far, and found frustrating and expensive. People think "custom" and "architect" are synonymous with "expensive", but for the vast majority of people going that route, that is not the case.

Is there a specific reason that you need three garage doors all opening to the driveway? Our first house was a reasonable sized ranch house with a wide and extra deep two car garage (somewhere about 35 feet). A prior owner had grabbed 6 to 8 feet and added a breakfast room to the kitchen but the garage was full depth for 2/3 of the width. The sellers used the deep space for two cars swapping the fun car with the beater according to the season. We loved having all the space we wanted for the lawn tractor, workshop equipment and projects. The garage didn't look out of proportion to the house and only having a two car wide driveway limited the expense of maintenance and the fun of shoveling snow (I have since discovered the wonders of using a machine for that task!)

I have seen several houses with a large front opening garage that also has single overhead door access to the rear or a double service door. Many time the outdoor tools and furniture are used at the opposite end of the lot from the driveway and the rear access makes it much easier to use and store those items. In my neighborhood there is a ranch house where the original garage was converted into a drive through garage with a double door front and back. Behind the attached garage the owners put a hard surface patio area and built a detached garage for his fun car storage and workshop space. I don't know if you are open to such ideas but flexibility can work for garage spaces just as it does inside the house.

Actually our lot is almost 79' on the lake side and 88' by the road. We have to be 50' off the water. The setbacks are 10'' so we have about 62' width to work with.

No basement cause you hit the water table at 7 feet.

Some jurisdictions have a minimum lot width of 100'. Any lot less than 100 feet in width at the time of the enactment of the ordinance is called a "non-conforming lot". Non-conforming lots have different restrictions. Check your local zoning code or zoning administrator.

I am dealing with this sort of thing on a project right now.

Both builders have checked our setbacks with the zoning board.

It may be worth your while to talk with the Zoning Administrator directly. Show them your site survey, tell them what you want to do, and ask what your setbacks are on this lot.

Lindsay,

If my firm had my books and taxes messed up by two book-keeping firms, as a CPA what would your advice to me be? Fortunately I don't have this situation because I have a CPA I trust.

Good point Summit Studio. Seems to me you paid good money to two different draftsman who you were clear about your wants, needs and budget, and neither one delivered. I'm thinking you should ask for part of your money back.

To answer your question, w used a residential designer not an architect. We received several recommendations from builders and other contractors and every single one was for a designer not an architect. The residential designer we chose has more than 30 years of experience and claimed he was very knowledgeable about costs and how to design a cost effective house in our budget. He was definitely not the cheapest designer, but we chose him for his extensive experience in our neighborhood and because we thought his experience and knowledge would produce a design that would keep our building costs down. We were wrong.

Do architects have legal obligation to be knowledgeable about budget that residential designers do not?

"Do architects have legal obligation to be knowledgeable about budget that residential designers do not?"

I don't think that they would have a legal obligation to be knowledgeable about budget. I do think that it is probably likely that architects would create a more "memorable design," and may be more likely to design a house that is efficient as far as minimizing wasted space, etc.