Hi all,

Hubby and I will be retiring in 2.5 years. Our plan is to buy a lot of about 2 acres, and build a 3 vehicle/RV storage and a separate one story house, 2BD, 2BA, with 3 car garage. It's just the 2 of us. We will be building in Western WA, between Olympia and Vancouver. The house is planned to be about 2000-2200 sq. ft. We want a good sized master BD with walk in closet, laundry close to the MB, and a 2nd BD (12x14) with a Murphy bed to double as a den (we rarely have overnight visitors). We need a dedicated exercise room for treadmill, bike, Bowflex style machine, and room for me to do my dance cardio workouts. I'd like just one great room (18x20?), an informal dining area, and kitchen (12x14?) with walk in pantry.

Hubby fell in love with the U shaped design. But I read prior posts and consulted with builders who agreed this is pricier and may necessitate 2 heat pumps/AC units for consistent temps. Is an H design any cheaper? I want to be cost effective, especially going into retirement. The ideal set up is to have the garage and exercise room on one wing/side, and the bedrooms on the other wing. I'd greatly appreciate suggestions and ideas, especially from those of you who have U and H shaped homes. Thanks!