the hovel i want to call home

[colowyo0809]

My only suggestion is that you don't use as many complete walls. With smaller square footage the suggestion of a wall will make the space more useful and open.

For example in my little bungalow, we have two short walls and a big doorway between the living room and dining room, which keeps the space more open that a whole wall would.

Exactly!! We have an open bookcase that my FIL built when they were living in this trailer that seperates the living room from the diningroom/kitchen area. Its awesome

 

[farmerlor]

If you're insane you need to call a doctor and get me the room next to yours because that's heaven on a stick there. I'd jump all over that place if I were you. Good luck!

 

[TanksHill]

Obsessed, naw I don't believe it.... How big is your parents farm with Elmer's in total.. I like the fact that your all there but spread out. Makes me think about how much land I would need for my family in the future.

I agree with FF. I would get rid of or make that wall between your kitchen and dining much smaller. Which direction is the kitchen facing and where is your laundry? I think you would want your kitchen on the outside wall as to let in natural light. If you moved the kitchen over to the corner of the house the little room with the greens sofa could be a laundry extended pantry room? It's right off the kitchen. Oh and don't you want a tub???


I designed my house. Trust me the possibilities are endless.

g

 

[bibliophile birds]

Obsessed, naw I don't believe it.... How big is your parents farm with Elmer's in total.. I like the fact that your all there but spread out. Makes me think about how much land I would need for my family in the future.

Which direction is the kitchen facing and where is your laundry?Oh and don't you want a tub???

the whole farm is a bit under 3000 acres, but, as you can see, the VAST majority of that is forest on the side of a mountain. if you wanted a family compound with plenty of room for privacy and actual farming, plus a bit of wooded area to enjoy), i think 200-300 acres would be my perfect ideal. of course, that's because i'm factoring in ALL the animals i would have on my dream farm.

the kitchen faces pretty much due east. i don't really know what i'd do about the laundry. either put the washing machine in the bathroom or in the building behind the house. i'm going as eco, low energy as possible since this will be off-grid, so it really depends on what kind of washer i end up picking (whether it's low wattage and solar powered or a manual wash tub and wringer).

as for a bath, i'm looking for a tub like this

my plan for the bathroom is that there will be thin concrete on the floor and halfway up the walls. the shower will be something like this

the bathtub could then be simply placed on the wooden slats when it is in use. it would drain out the bottom into the sunken shower pan. and when it wasn't in use it would just be slid off to the side.

 

[TanksHill]

Very cool on the off grid part. Not to sure I would want it in another building but I do laundry for 5 people. There are so many energy efficient machines I am sure you could find something.

3000 acres is huge. I know I want a minimum of 40. That's what we need now. But like you said if it was to be for the whole family probably 5 times that much.

One can dream right??

g

 

[bibliophile birds]

Very cool on the off grid part. Not to sure I would want it in another building but I do laundry for 5 people. There are so many energy efficient machines I am sure you could find something.

3000 acres is huge. I know I want a minimum of 40. That's what we need now. But like you said if it was to be for the whole family probably 5 times that much.

One can dream right??

g

yeah, for now i've just got myself to wash for. hopefully that won't be the case for TOO much longer though.

3000 acres is seriously massive. i've lived here most my life and there are places i've never been (mostly because they are hard to get to). we've just been fortunate enough to keep all this property from the land hungry developers.

 

[colowyo0809]

OOoh the things I could see us doing with that!

We have 8.5 acres and I want to get the 100 acres across the interstate! I want some tree stands and a pond and all sorts of plants and animals and stuff. *sigh*

 

[Marianne]

Backing up to the original posts - I'm late in joining in on this conversation -
Since you already own the land, pretty much anything you put into the house is going to be cheaper than building a new house. A lot of contractors will say it's not worth it, but from a builder's standpoint (paying labor), that's just their opinion. New housing in my area costs $125 or more per square foot to build - eeek!

Since you can do so much of the work yourselves, I say GO FOR IT!
Your nose is the best way to see if there's mold, and it seems like there isn't. If there is some found later, you can fix it. You can fix a sagging roof. You can even have a cracked or bowed foundation fixed. But since the floors don't creak and are fairly level (?), it sounds like that's not a problem. I agree, new wiring and plumbing would be a good idea if you're gutting the house.
Judging from your pictures, it looks mostly cosmetic. And I echo some other posts, buy what you need when it's on clearance and scrounge.
We did it, and you can, too!

 

[lorihadams]

I think you should figure in for at least $10-20000 over what your estimate is JUST IN CASE. New plumbing and electrical for the whole house can get expensive and if there is asbestos to remove you may have to hire a professional to do that and dispose of it. Now the rest is just cosmetic stuff.

I agree with opening the walls a bit if possible to give it a little more open feel. Maybe opening the walls between the living room/kitchen or even switching the location of the kitchen and what looks like a dining room. If you put the kitchen in the corner then you could use all that vertical space for cabinets. If you have to run new plumbing then you can do whatever you want so just remember that the layout of the house now is not what it has to be when it is done. I would take out the wall between the dining room and the kitchen and move the sink under the window. Put the oven under the other window and then put the fridge next to the stairwell. Open up that wall and make it a bar and put the dining table on the other side. That way you walk into the kitchen. You could also make that little sitting area in the back into a dining room instead and that way you could make the kitchen space the living room and the living room into another bedroom.

I think it is a really exciting project!

 

[bibliophile birds]

I agree with opening the walls a bit if possible to give it a little more open feel. Maybe opening the walls between the living room/kitchen or even switching the location of the kitchen and what looks like a dining room

i'm a bit torn on opening up the wall between the kitchen and the front room. i do like cozy, well-defined spaces, but i also like light... i think my main hang-up is that my parent's house is really open floor plan and it is SO FREAKING NOISY. their bedroom is off the family room which is next to the kitchen which is next to the living room. so imagine the noise from 3 tvs (playing at the same time usually) and kitchen sounds (cooking or dishwashing). it makes my head hurt. i also don't like that you can't hide your cooking mess from your guests with an open floor plan.

but, like i said, i want more light in the kitchen area. so, this is what i'm thinking

what i like about these wall cutouts is that it will give the kitchen an airier feeling, bring in more light, give me places to display dishes and cookbooks, AND integrate the spaces more while maintaining their cozy intimacy that i like.

what do you think?