Where can i find best projects for building a new house?
Vahid Rzayev
4 years ago
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suezbell
4 years agosuezbell
4 years agoRelated Discussions
Anyone build(ing) a 'New Old House'?
Comments (43)It was so much fun to read about everyone's paths to a "new old house." We are finishing our build in the next month, and I was very inspired by the concept of the new old house. For me, it was about capturing the classic proportions of old houses, rather than attempting to replicate them. For us, budget was a major concern, so I could not afford all of the materials that a true Versace-approved new old house would require. Instead, we focused on not making the mistakes that poorly done "new old houses" seem to really suffer from, like wrong roofing, wrong windows, etc. In some ways, it is just as important to focus on what NOT to do as it is to think about what TO do. I used two books, in addition to Versace's and lots of books of historic homes from our area, that gave detailed information about construction patterns. One is "Traditional Construction Patterns" but I can't recall the other right now. They are both on Amazon. (And I probably reviewed them there.) What they did was teach me what the obvious markers are of a poorly-done traditional construction...they are the things that - once you can recognize them - make the house obviously "wrong." By adhering to traditional construction practices and using new materials, we were able to avoid some of the mistakes that we would have inevitably made attempting to build a "new old house" on a budget. The homes in Versace's book and portfolio are gorgeous, but totally out of our reach. And, as other have suggested, really studying the home in the area helped me immensely. I paid attention to the size and placement of windows and doors, shape of window lights and number, trim details, porch raining profiles, etc. I was really obsessed! Good luck on your design and build. This is such an exciting process....See MoreWhere can I cut costs on new home build based on your experience?
Comments (28)Pick out the wow factor item in your house early in the process and then design around it so you don't have various items all competing for attention with each other. If you have the knockout fireplace, surround it with simplicity so it can be enjoyed. Use classic materials like oak floors, but don't go crazy and pick extra wide pieces that are more expensive to install. Use whatever roofing material which is typical in your area, not some unusual material that requires extra training to install. Keep the size on the smaller side of average for your area. There is always a good demand for well designed, normal sized houses. Combine functions where practical and avoid duplicate spaces...breakfast room, kitchen island with stools and a separate dining room is just unnecessary. Skip the guest suite if you don't have guests often and design a builtin Murphy bed in the den or office for occasional use. Don't go crazy with the master suite...a fireplace in the bedroom is not necessary, nor is a shower big enough to fit a queen sized bed. If separate closets are important to you, include them but don't just blindly add that item to the list because you have seen it in some model home Analyze your lifestyle and how you live in your current house as you will probably continue many of the same habits in the new space. No need for a fancy stove and scads of counterspace if you don't like to cook....See MoreNeed help finding the right color floor for our new home build
Comments (26)well of course install would be bit more if you're comparing it to a click and lock type of vinyl. But are you aware they also have floating click/lock wood floors?? doesn't have to be a glue or nail down. this wouldn't be any more to install and you'd prob find exactly what you want, color-wise. https://jenwoodhouse.com/how-to-install-engineered-hardwood-flooring/ you could always install it yourselves. malibu wide plank click/lock french oak- home depot https://homedepot.sjv.io/kv990 BuildDirect And I'll bet you dollars to donuts the average homeowner would like this much better than vinyl. (but I guess it would depend where you live. somewhere in podunk NE prob wouldn't care as much as a metropolitan city area. Same issue w/home prices. places like MS where you can buy a home for 80K isn't going to be the same in a city where similar homes go for 600-800K. The latter will expect wood as opposed to vinyl) So if you live in a city where homes are super inexpensive, then I guess vinyl wouldn't be an issue. I mentioned this type of engineered flooring because you're the one who has said they've looked for over a month and couldn't find what's in that picture. this one is the finished flooring from HD from JenWoodhouse....See MoreBest Windows to Install in New Home Build
Comments (23)I preferred the 400 Woodwright for years because the thickness of the 400 Tilt-Wash sash forced exterior mullions to be flat which was unacceptable for my projects. That was eventually changed so the windows now look almost the same if you don't mind the protruding glass stop. The frames are the same; the sash balances are different and I have no way of knowing for sure how durable the PPG Flexacron epoxy paint is. Its used for other all-wood windows. I don't know if Adnersen treats the wood sash with a preservative like Pella does on their roll-form aluminum clad windows. I guess the Tilt-Wash might be a reasonable alternative if the budget couldn't accommodate the Woodwirght and the home owner didn't intend to live in the house forever but it would also depend on how competitive the price for the Marvin Elevate fiberglass windows was. At this point its unlikely I will ever use the Tilt-Wash. TILT-WASH on the left; WOODWRIGHT on the right...See Moresuezbell
4 years agoVahid Rzayev
4 years agosuezbell
4 years agosuezbell
4 years agoJeffrey R. Grenz, General Contractor
4 years agosuezbell
4 years agoUser
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agoUser
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agoNorwood Architects
4 years agoPatricia Colwell Consulting
4 years ago
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