Home buying thread

Falstaff

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Termite inspection came back with evidence of previous infestation/treatment.
I've recently seen some evidence in my house around some old windows in our basement. Getting the exterminators out here to take a look next week hopefully.

We we had some at my house growing up and it wasn't a big deal. One treatment and they are gone and we never had any other issues from what I can remember.
 

Cad

scientia potentia est
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Here's the plans for a home I designed. 1820 square feet. We're pouring the foundation today.
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Looks pretty good, couple of thoughts:

I'd remove the wall and door separating the garage entry and the utility room. That whole area should just be the utility room. Those rooms are small enough without adding hallways/doors.

Did you think about doing an L-shaped counter with the end of the L separating your kitchen/dining... that way you can put some barstools there and have extra seating in the same room. Then you can still put your island in the kitchen and have bonus counter space. Just a thought.
 

opiate82

Bronze Squire
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Plans look really nice, I think I agree with Cad on knocking down that wall in the utility room though. If it were my place I'd be worried about cupboard space in the kitchen. Pantry helps but it still looks like you going to be lacking in kitchen storage. Maybe it's just my wife's unhealthy obsession with pyrex dishes though.
 

meStevo

I think your wife's a bigfoot gus.
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So of course our first offer was rejected and sounds like seller is a pain in the ass
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House comped for about ~285k, it's listed for 309. We offered 295k and seller pays closing, effective offer of like 284k. Had to balance it between insulting and 'hope it appraises for this much' His response back was a firm full price and we pay closing, not interested in accepting lower offers because it has been on the market for several months (expired in November, re-listed w/ new broker last week) and they've already come down in price. Not a lot to work with there... and to complicate things the seller is in the Philippines so everything has extra lag. We've asked his broker to try and get the seller to counter offer w/ them paying for an appraisal up front and covering half of closing, and we'd accept that and then deal w/ compromising when appraisal comes back.

If he won't do that, then we'll walk away. I probably would do that already but wife loves this place, of course.
 

koljec_sl

shitlord
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Here's the plans for a home I designed. 1820 square feet. We're pouring the foundation today.
Love that you designed it yourself. Love the relatively small footprint. My house is a raised rancher, and I like efficient interesting spaces.

Not fond of the master bath being adjacent to kitchen, utility (presumably laundry), and garage. All of those can be loud and/or smelly spaces, especially the kitchen. Not much to change about it. Maybe make sure the wall between the kitchen and bedroom is sound-deadening. Not sure how I feel about the diagonal double doors on the bedroom leading to the bathroom and then another door on the WC within the master bath.

Consider that if you drive home with the shits, you will have to open the garage door to the utility room, then the door to the master bedroom, then the double doors to the master bath, then the door to the WC in the master bath. Basically see if there is a way to limit the doors in your design.

The interior walls of the study should be ditched (basically scrap the study). Remove the diagonal doors that waste space and allow the living room (great room) to have as much light and space as possible. Lose the east wall of the utility room, again doors.

I don't see much value in dining rooms. I would consider losing the east wall of the dining room and including the covered patio in the plan of the house. Make the north wall of the patio as much glass as possible. If you have the bucks, make it a sliding glass wall that can be retracted. (no clue what the surrounding property is like; some of this is only if you have a view).

Put water connections and a washtub on the north wall of the garage (I know the utility room is close by, but it's a pain the ass to be dealing with doors and doorways all the time). Every handy person should have a fully functioning workshop.

You could have the fireplace available to bedroom #3 and the patio, too.
 

Tenks

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Wouldn't knocking the wall down to the utility room mean that he has to insulate the garage now?
 

Picasso3

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Hes talking about the interior separation between the hallway. I disagree because it'll keep washer noise down and keep the laundry room mess contained. You'll basically go from a business casual entrance to a service entrance that you'll get bitched at every time you bring a guest through that way.
 

koljec_sl

shitlord
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Hes talking about the interior separation between the hallway. I disagree because it'll keep washer noise down and keep the laundry room mess contained. You'll basically go from a business casual entrance to a service entrance that you'll get bitched at every time you bring a guest through that way.
I can see that too, but I hate working with laundry in cramped spaces (and stairs) more.
 

Tenks

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The spec says the room is 6 feet wide. My laundry room is probably about the same and it works out fine.
 

Cad

scientia potentia est
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Hes talking about the interior separation between the hallway. I disagree because it'll keep washer noise down and keep the laundry room mess contained. You'll basically go from a business casual entrance to a service entrance that you'll get bitched at every time you bring a guest through that way.
This is a very small and basic house. He's not bringing foreign dignitaries through here.
 

Picasso3

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Even if you bring a coworker through and your wife has a pile of your tightie whities all skidmarked up laying out?

I did some research on this recently and i do recall the recommended depth being 7 ft.
 

Cad

scientia potentia est
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Even if you bring a coworker through and your wife has a pile of your tightie whities all skidmarked up laying out?

I did some research on this recently and i do recall the recommended depth being 7 ft.
I don't bring coworkers to my house and if I did I'd bring them through the front door.

You shouldn't wear tighty whiteys anyway. And you should learn to wipe your ass if you do.
 

Picasso3

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I think it's safe to assume since this guy included the wall that he wears whitey tighties and shits himself.
 

Grabbit Allworth

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I'm almost positive the wall separating the mud room and the laundry is load bearing, but even if it's not I prefer the separation for reasons already stated by others. I like the aesthetics of the corner doors in the master. The loss of a few square feet doesn't bother me. Same goes for the office, but the other reason I cut the wall at an angle was to open the room the moment you walk in the front door. I too have very little use for a formal dining area, but since I know this isn't my last home I think it's bad for resale. It's just too weird for families to not have at least a ONE area for a table. Cabinet space could become an issue for pack rats (we're definitely not), but the cabinets run all the way to the ceiling and there's some cabinets on the wall in front of the pantry.

This is the second build for my wife and I. We have no children and never will yet we made the mistake of building a 2500+ SF home the first time. It was a complete waste of space. This one is perfect. All the finishes are great. Entire home is hardwood, all flat surfaces are granite, etc, etc.
 

koljec_sl

shitlord
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I'm almost positive the wall separating the mud room and the laundry is load bearing, but even if it's not I prefer the separation for reasons already stated by others. I like the aesthetics of the corner doors in the master. The loss of a few square feet doesn't bother me. Same goes for the office, but the other reason I cut the wall at an angle was to open the room the moment you walk in the front door. I too have very little use for a formal dining area, but since I know this isn't my last home I think it's bad for resale. It's just too weird for families to not have at least a ONE area for a table. Cabinet space could become an issue for pack rats (we're definitely not), but the cabinets run all the way to the ceiling and there's some cabinets on the wall in front of the pantry.

This is the second build for my wife and I. We have no children and never will yet we made the mistake of building a 2500+ SF home the first time. It was a complete waste of space. This one is perfect. All the finishes are great. Entire home is hardwood, all flat surfaces are granite, etc, etc.
Fair enough. I'm already a douche for the suggestions =p Sorry bout that. Just excited to see someone making something and eager to critique.

One last thought then: see if the diagonal double doors for the bedroom and study can be done as pocket doors.
 

Palum

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Is that plan implying the entire front yard is a driveway or am I misreading where the garage doors are?