Talk to a couple local architects and builders about what you want to do and your concerns. Local information is less misleading than nation information.

This is local info

The information you are seeking, not the information you are giving. If you ask someone local, the information you receive will be local. If you ask here on Houzz, the information could come from any place in the world. Asking me would only be local if you are building in the Little Finger area of Michigan.

When you have specific needs plus wants the best money spent is an architect to get what you want . It generally is cheaper to build a 2 storey that totals 1200 sq ft than a one level that has the same sq footage at least where I live.Monster homes are for monster budgets so you need to be very aware of the difference between wants and needs .Is this lake spot mostly year round homes or more holiday houses . The problem with stock plans is that they rarely suit all your needs without changes and when you start changing the price goes up very quickly for building.Be realistic of your budget and talk to a couple of architects in your area I have found sometimes the best ones are the ones that just finished school and need to start building a reputation and often think outside the box for design.

What side of the lake are you on? How big is your lot? What are the setbacks? Is there a slope? All of those things will impact the footprint of your home.

The chicken coop style roof is called a shed roof. They are often used in contemporary houses. Use that as a search term. Good inspiration photos in your ideabook will help your architect understand what you want.

Your area may get both snow and wind, so your local roof building codes are important to understand.

Here are some homes from my own personal folder. If you live near a lake you'll want the best view & some privacy. That means building UP. The space below is a great location for a carport/garage, storage for a boat, or maybe additional bedrooms in the future. These could be considered a ranch style, but a bit more updated. If you're in an area that gets snow, you'll want a pitched room, but you get the idea from these images. They are modest plans that could be built for a reasonable amount of $$ depending on materials selected.

Mark I have received local info. That local info was basically different builders opinions, that chalets where more expensive than ranch, that simple ranch rectangle with a simple roof line was cheapest, 200 minimum a sq foot to build GENERALLY. If the little finger area is Leelanau or thereabouts, yea, just south, Lake Ann area.

I have a lot survey, know my setbacks, downloaded local ordinances.

One thing I get conflicting info on is 2 story vs. one but honestly I hate the real estate that stairs take up, seems like you have to build bigger anyway to compensate.

I do like the idea of a second story view but would still want 2 bedrooms down. Had a builder with a garage under loft, 1 master down, its a really nice plan at a great price but the down is too small. Too old for stairs.

Thanks for the tip on searching for contemporary/modern.

I drew a plan last night that might be a little long for the building envelope, but by going long I can point the end part of the house/roof apex with living room dining room underneath and do a "faux" chalet window look. This was my idea picture, just the window part, end facing the lake.

following

Nice area. Will the house be used strictly as a cottage or is there a chance it will be a year round residence at some point in time? Houses and cottages are not designed in the same way.

Your site will be the biggest influence on the design of the home. If there are spectacular views, you will want to capture them. If there are undesirable views, you will want to take appropriate measures to block them in some way. And by views I mean in and out. You may not want to depart from the architectural style of the nearby structures (if they have value). Have the design of the house take in account the space all the way to the property lines.

The square footage price you mentioned sounds about right.

Good luck with your build.

Well untill a few days ago it was going to be a 6 month summer place. But my sister just decided not to go halves on winter/summer and I can't afford 2 places by myself so we will be selling my parents house (now passed) that I am currently living in and fixing up a little.

So, house I guess. Have no idea what the design differences would be. I will be a full time northerner, at least for awhile. Who knows what future people would use it for.

Using the entire lot is a no go, can't build a house that big. I'm not like the other people building the architectural digest homes up there. I have a very limited budget, single.

1200 sq feet is TOPS (really too much).

Or I will be seriously underwater based on what I paid for the lot. And the fact that is a small no wake muck bottom lake. (Its a very nice small 90 acre lake but that's just how lake property prices out)

My plan/design issue is it would be better to place the house "wide" or "across" as the building footprint is wider across than long. But with garage placement and a simple A roofline - a long house works better with the way I think. Not sure I'm explaining that very well.

From where the driveway is now (Its an L, goes down one side of the property line and bends right) The "bend" or bottom of the L is about 45 feet long. I only have about 40 feet in front of the bottom of the L going towards the lake. I would prefer to drive all the way down to the end of the bottom of the L into the garage with the house perpendicular to the garage.

A 2-bedroom, 1-bath Cape Cod style is about as budget friendly as it gets for areas that need sloped roofs for snow. If you aim for 900-1000 square feet with a garage that could be downscoped to a carport, it may fit your budget.

Cape Cod Whole House Renovation · More Info

Take a look at the type of floor plan you can get in 1000 square feet, for example, this one: https://www.familyhomeplans.com/plan_details.cfm?PlanNumber=49151&OrderCode=GOEXP

for a search, google "cape cod single story house plans 1000 square feet".

When I stated, "Have the design of the house take in account the space all the way to the property lines", I meant to plan out areas to be left natural, outdoor living spaces (deck, patio, etc.), driveway, lawn, outbuildings, etc.

Have you considered a home with four gables -- one on each of the four sides of the home, giving you (or a future buyer) more room for adding bedrooms upstairs later? Upstairs could have stairs in one gable, full bath (roughed in but not finished) in another gable and a sleeping loft or bedroom in each of the two remaining gables. Your roof ridge would be a "+" shape.

If you actually "need" only one bedroom downstairs now, you could build your master bedroom suite and a "bonus" room for use as your dining room but that could be a second bedroom or nursery or study or dining room, etc., later. You could put a three-room bath between those two rooms -- a private powder room for each room and a shared tub/shower (that could even be a sauna tub), with the powder rooms each having a window an the tub/shower room either being between them on an outside wall or between the powder room's interior wall and another interior wall. The washer/dryer could be in a room beside and beneath the stairs (unless you're inclined to put your garage and laundry room in a basement.)

Marie, I just looked at your idea book, I was in the house with the red roof and know the builder very well. The architect, Ken Richmond, for both houses is a very good architect. If you care to, give me a call for a no obligation consultation.

I have an idea book? Can't find it, don't remember making one. Maybe I should:)

Anyway I clicked on Ken Richmond, nice, way out of my price league.

Update: Found the two pictures in my idea book. I have no memory of these but love the yellow one.

Gabled roof for future upstairs is brilliant - but again, gabled roofs cost more than simple rectangles with an A roof.

Here is my 1168 with a 132 screened porch, 24x24 garage. If I move the kitchen sideways into the dining area to make bigger bedrooms I lose that glorious 15 x 30 foot space. Hm. On a crawl. Valulted LR/DR, wall of windows facing lake.

added my floorplan drawing to my ideabook area

How do you know Ken is way out of your price league?

A one story log cabin is a "chalet"?

There must not be much of a view of the lake if two small windows and no deck is acceptable.

I've designed several houses on lakes and the design was driven by the view, access to the water and the required distances from the lake and septic fields. The views from the second floor were priceless.

A stair allows a more effeicnt plan, smaller foundations and roof, more windows, better heating/cooling/ventilation, better acoustic separation and visual privacy. And from a larger point of view, it disturbs less of the site.

I suspect the price target for design is $0 which is only possible on the internet.

Mark, I suppose I don't. Yet I can't imagine being able to afford building anything he designed. 200 sq ft is builder grade. A rectangle with a simple roof line. Only so many ways to pack a bathroom and 2 or 3 bedrooms into an 1100 sq ft house.

Dear RES, I believe I said chalet like wall of windows, not that it was a chalet. At 30 ft wide I hope to get more than 2 small windows. Sliders to a patio yes.

I do agree that a smaller footprint is less disturbing to the site, and a second story view would be wonderful; however that is contingent upon being able to afford the sq footage of a main floor with 2 bedrooms, bath and a staircase, plus some sort of sitting room up to take in the view. That comes to more sq footage than I can afford.

I disagree on stairs allowing for a better floorplan, I find they tend to cut up a small main floor footprint way more than I care for. I have no idea how 2 stories makes heating and a/c more efficient since so many people with 2nd floors complain of it being too hot upstairs. Of course you can do expensive heating/ac zoning but again that costs. Indeed all things become much easier with bigger budgets. Even small houses touted as design marvels of hidden space and storage etc. are usually more expensive to build.

Why you are suspicious about my 0 budget I don't know.

Suezbell, Thank you for the photo of gables link. This is to have the option of future rooms in the attic? Probably doesn't work on a rectangle but I'll ask the draftsman as i do love the idea of being able to go up later. Would welcome your ideas on the floor plan I put in my idea book.

This is more like what I envision, at least in terms of exterior.

http://www.coastallivinghouseplans.com/plans/SL490

You'll not be able to add upstairs rooms where there is no floor for it so you'll need to choose whether you want a living area with a high vaulted ceiling or a room on that side of the house.

You need not have full side gables to use the upstairs later, however. You likely could add at least one room upstairs over the two downstairs bedrooms at least as a loft area IF you add a dormer on each side of the house to create more headroom at the back of the house for that purpose.

https://www.curbed.com/2017/7/17/15888084/tiny-house-tour-colorado-tomecek-studio-architecture

http://www.jcjoinery.net/Loft_Conversions.asp

https://www.google.com/search?biw=1920&bih=979&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=hipped+roof+attic+conversion&oq=hipped+roof+&gs_l=img.1.5.0l10.474623.476236.0.481080.7.7.0.0.0.0.202.629.6j0j1.7.0.msedr...0...1c.1.62.img..0.7.628.9xrFTzHx_2Y#imgrc=y_VXWR7BVGHXDM

I think that last bit, over the back bedrooms will have to do if i can even make that happen. Where someone would put the stairs is a problem but honestly I can't think of everything for everybody in the future. Seeing a draftsman Friday.

If I can go that route I'll just have a ladder put in the ceiling of the hallway so I can use it as an attic.

Some friends built a 1250 main floor vaulted prow chalet house years ago. Started with a ladder to the loft, then later too some sq footage off the 3rd forward bedroom to make an alcove for a spiral staircase and finished a master suite up there.

Are you in the UK? I like the pictures from the 1st and 3rd link. Especially love the couch in the 1st link. I wonder how I find that? Always a traditional sort of interior person I want to go white, contemporary this time around. Michigan isalmost solid gray for 6 months. I also love the the attic gabled loft in the one picture in the 3rd link with the light wood floors and 2 large gables. Also some interesting pictures of closet doors for slanted ceilings. Well here we say "champagne taste, beer budget":)

How is the project going?

Awful nice of you to ask.

I got with a local drafter (who I didn't realize hand draws) and came up with a close but still somewhat flawed plan. It is done to the level to get a more complete estimate on a build.

I stopped short of trying to figure out the biggest problem with kitchen and dining area. Just sort of gave up, I liked the rest. But it remains a problem. I will have to hire someone to redraw if I figure it out.

Generally its a pretty standard small ranch.

I am trying to pack in as much future flexibility as possible but of course there are always ramifications.

I wanted a potential future buyer to have the option of a second bathroom and bedroom upstairs, meanwhile I could use for storage (this will be on a crawl space) .

This resulted in a 12 12 pitch which I'm concerned about making the house look top heavy. (Although I do love the scandanavian look of a high pitch they are usually on two stories).

Since it was a single bathroom I sacrificed some space elsewhere to make it a little bigger. I thought about a double vanity but I'm single. So I did a single sink in the bathroom but the linen closet could be removed and a double vanity put in if someone down the road really wanted it.

I would love a walk in shower since I never take baths but, oh well.

I would like to do something with the "front" windows. The double hung thing blocks the view. Don't know what my options are though.

Biggest problem, Kitchen/Dining area (as in there is none)

I love a big living room, and don't care for traffic patterns through it.

So the kitchen ended up where most would put the living room. Which makes the kitchen both have wasted space but not enough space for an eat in dining room. So there is no place to eat, not even a counter bar. In the summer one could use the porch.

This is the biggest problem and I don't know how to fix without making the whole house bigger (200 a sq foot) or doing a bump out which sort of defeats the idea of a simple cheaper rectangle to build.

Looking at it and how its just your basic standard little ranch its sort of amazing how long it took to get here.

The front is cut off but its the same, a double hung on the other side of the slider which is in the middle

I drew in the shingles to get a sense of how massive the roof looked. But the picture wont load. Its in my photos, or it should be.