Build Overview

Our family of 4, Jen, Chris, and 2 boys 14 and 11 and 2 rescue pups, Daisy (6) and Max (8 months) would like to build a small (approx. 1300 sq ft) high quality, high performance home in NH. We would like to build a higher quality home so it has less maintenance and we can enjoy it more and one that gets a lot more natural light.  We would like to build higher performance so we are more eco-friendly and use less utilities while being more comfortable in the home. The Land–. - .3 acres/13,068 sq ft. The site slopes down from the road to the water with an existing floating slab foundation that did have a house on it.  The lot has 90’ of frontage on the road and 110’ of frontage on the pond.  The overall building envelope permitted is 40’ wide (facing water is bigger) by 30’ for the depth for the house and 16’ by 16’ for the deck to the left side facing the pond from the road.  The main entrance is from this deck. 

Timeline

At the very latest we would like to be in our house by October 2018. Ideally if we could be in the house by at least July 2018 then we will get to enjoy a summer there as well. 

The House Priorities

1.    Please see my drawings but here are my descriptions from before we had drawings so it gives a overall sense to it as well. Small (approx. 1200 sq ft) high quality, 3 bedrooms (can only have 2 b/c of the septic so one of the boys will be called something else and not have a closet), 2 bathrooms. The main, top floor will have the master bedroom with a bathroom Entry closet (big enough for skis and boots, winter jackets etc), kitchen with a large pantry which then allows there to be no upper cabinets, A side deck for the grill and a living room with a modern wood burning stove.  Then stairs down to the lower level which is a walk out basement The boys will each have a bedroom on this level with a full bathroom 

2.    Healthy– the air quality needs to be healthy – we all have allergies but our youngest has severe environmental

3.    Great design -  High ceilings on the main level are a must have item – the site would fit well with a shed roof so the back portion towards the pond has 10’? high ceilings. and then slopes down to 8’ in the front.

4.    Natural light– a lot of windows especially on the wall facing south (and towards the pond)

5.    High quality of construction– we want low maintenance yet eco-friendly– how it is built is important so no issues are created – we are open to creative ideas on how to have higher quality for less money

6.     Our style is modern, minimalist and uncluttered yet comfortable

7.     Budget – we need to balance the cost of this home. It is a second home that we do not intend to rent it out and we paid more than twice what we originally thought for the land so we could be on the pond.

8.    High performance home – higher R value w more insulation, put more in now to save more on utilities

Areas of house

1.    Floors – on lower level polished concrete, on main level wood – we have bamboo now – very strong, (ratest best by Consumer Reports that year) no carpets (b/c of allergies).  In the bathrooms, on the lower level can be the same concrete as the rest.  On the main level, open to tile or maybe marmoleum if that is not that much more expensive.  We have a few boxes of left over tile from building this house 7 years ago – is that helpful or not?  Floor tiles that are 16 by 12 and white subway tiles for the walls.  Could we use in the kitchen or the bathroom shower wall?

2.    Cabinetry – white or stained slab wood or metal – not shaker but slab – Ikea is fine if they can deliver to NH or I can find a way to get them there that doesn’t cost more then buying local.  Preference is to buy local with a balance to style (modern) – and quality.  We have found before that it is hard to find our more modern style in a entry level or cost effective way.  Mostly want lower cabinets and some shelves – and a pantry with a door so can have open shelves and the microwave in it yet not a cabinet  

3.    Counters - No laminate but can do butcher block on island and lower cost stone on rest or stainless steel or concrete.  We have grey quartz and happy with it.  My latest plan doesn’t have much counter space except for the island so maybe we look at buying 2 tables  to use instead if that will save us money?

4.    Appliances – don’t need anything fancy or expensive but also don’t want the cheapest and have to replace it in a few years which won’t be easy for us to do.  So something that will last the longest

5.    Bathrooms – on main level – big tub – no jets but able to have 6’ tall soak in it – with shower in that tub, curtain is fine but should be a bit wider than normal/standard and tile surround – sinks and cabinets can be from Ikea?  Boys bathroom on lower level can be standard fiberglass surround

6.    Outside shower??  At least hose to clean off kayak’s and dogs – dogs will probably swim in pond and will need an easy way to clean them either in downstairs bathroom or outside – so shower handle to come down to their level?

7.    Electrical – having natural light is really important to us but also recessed lights on easy switches – dimmers would be great – I do not like the island lights that are like “Edison bulbs” where you see the light source – we need good connection to the internet for all the wireless devices. We put Nest thermostats in our NH and MA homes – great to control by phone.  Also have Nest fire/carbon monoxide alarms.  Any remotely controlled devices to control anything electrical in our house would be very helpful.  Note the Nest thermostat placement is important as right now in our MBR it lights up anytime you pass by it which is annoying

8.    Lights – warm LEDs/long lasting low energy on dimmers where noted in plan like bathroom – want a lot of natural light throughout but where can’t, have a lot of recessed lights – I don’t like seeing the bulbs

9.    Roof lines – like the modern shed roof with the highest point to the pond view for the best view/bigger windows and love high ceilings and don’t need a high ceiling/but normal 8’ at the end of the house toward the road –

10.    Entrance - We have the entrance to the house on the east side to make the best use of a deck on that side (and not having a landing or deck towards the road).  There needs to be some kind of roof overhang over the “front” door for the snow. Maybe even a little bigger to keep our skis out there if needed?  Under that deck will be a door to lower level so could store things outside under that deck for coverage too.  There also needs to be an easily accessible and snow shovable (that a word?) stairway/walkway down from the road to the front door.  Our thought right now, after discussing this with builders/site guys, is that it is too steep for a driveway, and there is enough side parking off the road for us.  So an easy way to get down to the house.  I also want to be mindful of us using this house as we get older – and for my 77 year old dad to come visit. 

11.  Deck – wood is ok but no maintenance would be great. Right now the plan is a 15’ wide deck by 15’ long and it is up on the second floor/main level so there will be a walk way down from the road/parking spot to land on the deck before walking into the house.  If it makes more efficient use of the wood/material to be 14 by 14 or 16 by 16 that is certainly fine with us.  Same for the house, the drawings I shared have interior dimensions of 37’ by 21’ but 36 by 20 is ok, and we are looking to partner with the builder to finalize the building plans that they make the most sense for achieving what we want to build.

12.  Parking – right now we plan to just park on the landings off the side of the road but would be great to plan for the plow – where does that snow go?  Where would our SUV go while it is being plowed?

13.  Ceiling height – need at least 9’ in the living area and kitchen ok with 8’ or 8 and ½ in the bedrooms and other areas.  We want high ceilings – 9’ min but prefer 10’ and 8’ ok on lower level. 

14.  Roof material – standard is fine but open to other options

15.  Solar panels – thoughts?  Cost?

16.  Insulation – we have a preference to cellulose but please bid what you normally do and tell us the R value

17.  Foundation – please tell us how yours is built – and with our lower level essentially being a walk out basement what type of materials are used on those walls?  We have not planned any windows on the back towards the road so it could be a retaining wall if needed and we have also vented things out the east or west sides for that purpose as well

18.  Windows– value – want high efficiency yet not insanely expensive – no lines (grilles)we are trying to keep the cost of the house down by not having many windows – so most are on the back of the house to have big ones there to see the view – manufacture and R value?  The windows on the back right now are 4’ wide and we would like to see about doing 4’ high with 1’ by 4’ transom windows.  These might be all picture and then just have the window above the sink be able to be opened with a screen?  And then maybe a window in the bathroom on main level with a screen? And one in the Master bedroom?  We are trying to avoid having screens on the back windows with the view to the pond.

a.    I saw the Anderson screen differences for the one, can barely tell it is there so for some of the windows on the back south wall and the east wall by the dining room those would be good, the other walls/windows can have the normal screens.  The transom windows do not need screens

b.    Black trim

19.  Air exchange - – what do you recommend?

20.  Air purifier (can this part of the air exchange? Right now we have individual air purifiers in each room and we would like to avoid that but definitely sensitive to smells and need to eliminate pollen, dust etc for the allergies

21.  Heat source – what do you recommend?

22.  Air conditioning source  – what do you recommend?

23.  Water filter- we just put a whole house water filter system in b/c of brown polluted water here in MA so we would like that from the beginning there – we had to put one in our Newbury NH home to take out the uranium from the well water

24.  Siding –

a.    We like board and batten or wider horizontal lap or some other modern option?  Wood Strip Siding or Fiber Cement Panels or Metal? But we do not like shingles

25.  Interior doors – no brass handles – simple, modern, not cluttered with lines that traditional has – shaker is good – like 2 or 3 panels

26.  Exterior doors – like having windows in them – one panel above as a window and one below as solid door – like the windows and other doors no

27.  Fireplace -  We like the modern egg shape floating that takes real wood  - want to design an area for the wood

28.  Trim – we do not like crown molding.  In our house now our doors, windows and floors are trimmed in flat 3 to 4” wide 1” thick boards painted white.

29.  No way for mice or other animals/pests like carpenter ants to come in

30.  Don’t hear the house heat turn on and rattle through the pipes

31.  Any fire/smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors need lithium batteries – ie last for 10 years or more – maybe use nest

32.  Hot tub installed

33.  Do we want a minisplit on the top floor to use for AC and back up heat?? Maybe put on wall by front entrance to the road?

34.  Screen in most of the deck

35.  Where put dog crates