Ideas/Advice: Selling and Building a New House

[Capt. Tom]

Any insights are appreciated. Thank you.

When it comes to windows, I have triple pane windows here in Mass.

They are great.

But good, less expensive double pane windows make sense also. There is not enough of heat saved to warrant the extra expenditure of triple pane, to save money.

Price them both , then make a decision. -Tom

[A Navy Vet]

After reading this entire thread, there are many good suggestions, but some may not be needed. I would imagine there are consultants who can guide you through everything this complex project entails.

I suggest you provide more detail like:
1. Your age and how much time you can assist in moving, repairs on the current property for sale or rental, the new build and especially over-seeing the entire project. You need to be intimately involved in all aspects.
2. What is your current square footage that houses your furnishings and what is the projected sq. ft for the build. Unless your looking to buy new furnishings, you may not have the hassle of selling them if the interior floor plan is similar.
3. How far from your present house is to the lot.
4. Where is the lot located and does it have city utilities. Or do you need a septic system, etc.?
5. Talk to your tax advisor and accountant before starting the sale/rental/build. You can talk with a consultant during that time, but don't go with a real estate agent.
6. What is your total budget so folks here have something to work with, especially if you give the location. Construction costs vary depending on region or even proximity to towns/cities.

There is so much more that can drive you crazy. Be prepared for unknown problems with your current house and worse, developing problems with your build. If you can afford a reputable architect, that would minimize many problems in the build.

[FtrPilot]

IMHO, moovova is correct that the design is a very important step. I consider it the most important step.

There are several ways to proceed:

Builders usually have some "standard designs" they have recently built. If so, and you find one that you believe is suitable, you should ask the builder if you can see the finished product. Something that looks OK on a drawing may be too small when viewed in person.

Another option is to look at newly built houses in the area/neighborhood you are interested in. By walking through a finished, but unsold new house, you can gain a lot of insight on things you may want to change.

Often, these newly built houses will have a low-detail floor-plan drawing of the design. Take one and show it to your builder. You should also take pictures of the inside and outside of the house.

Another design consideration is whether this house will be your retirement house. Single story, wide doorways, walk in shower, etc are some of the considerations.

Over the years, my wife and I have build 3 houses using the second method. We built our current house 27 years ago, and still love the design. Our biggest "mistake" is not including a 3 car garage. Yes, the kitchen is in need of an upgrade which we will do within the next 2 years.

HTH.

[Dr. Sivana]

Use R-60 blown cellulose in the ceilings.

Ugh! When we built our own home through a "kit" type of setup ("Homestead Homes"), we were provided with bags of cellulose which I immediately sold and replaced with fiberglass. My experience with cellulose is that it goes everywhere, especially the lungs. This is a bigger problem if you want to consider using the attic space for anything in the future.

[moovova]

We lucked out because we know someone that does drafting for an architectural firm. They have their own side business and can run things thru an engineer for complicated stuff and get seals on drawings. They charge by the hour (cheap) which allows us to make changes and experiment a little. As we’ve “grown” thru this process, it’s become necessary to look for more reasonable (and smaller) ways to build. Using this draftsperson has been a great way to do it.

Will we get it built? Who knows...

[Don W]

Sell everything you can, and buy a steel shipping container or two to store the stuff you decide to keep, then put the containers on your lot. Once you’ve moved in, you will have a ready made storage/garden shed, or you can sell it, and you’ve saved the cost of a storage unit.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Geo is not complicated.
In fact, installation has been simplified via trenching vs. deep wells.

We have a Waterfurnace system that works perfectly.
Liquid comes out of the ground at a year-round 59 degrees.
Bumping it up for heat is easy.

Cooling actually lowers our power bill.

[SamAdams76]

Moved into a condo about a year ago. Took practically nothing from the old place except clothes, books and personal effects.

Got all new furniture, appliances, dishes, etc.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

I’m hearing condo rumblings from my wife...

[SamAdams76]

I’m hearing condo rumblings from my wife...

My wife is the reason I'm here in a condo. Never would have thought to do it on my own. I thought I would miss having my own home with the big yard and separation from neighbors, etc. But I don't miss it at all. No yard work. No snow shoveling. No cleaning gutters. And on and on.

My advice though is to pick your condo unit carefully and to buy pre-construction if you can as you then have a lot of control over the interior design such as where the lighting, ceiling fans and such go. Let's just say that I will never say "I don't have enough outlets" ever again!

I told the wife that if we were to get a condo, it had to be a rear facing unit where I didn't have to look out at a parking lot and have people gaping in all the time (I'm not a window treatment kind of guy - I prefer the sunshine coming in). So I have a unit facing the woods out back and all I see is trees, deer and a lazy brook running through it. No nosy neighbors walking around out back except a rare dog walker. Also, when we go away, I no longer have to worry about the place. Community is gated and you need a key fob just to get into the lobby of the building.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Plenty of condos occupied and for sale here at the Lake of the Ozarks.
Wife spied an empty one that’s been for sale for almost a year. $250 K.

Interior would need updating. Front is on the lake. Right side is wooded. Back is garages and parking. Built in 1991...

[SamAdams76]

Nice. The view is very important for me with a condo. I spend most of the warmer months sitting out on my patio and it would drive me crazy if I had to look out at a parking lot and have people constantly gawking and waving up at me all the time (as they do with those in the front).

I'm not anti-social but I do like my privacy when I'm in my unit. That was the one condition I laid down for the wife.

[just Grace]

Before I sold my house (using a realtor) I packed up all the belongings that were very important to me or held sentimental value. After I moved I had an estate sale company come in and liquidate everything else I left behind.
My reasoning was that once my new house is built I would want to have furnishings that were chosen to specifically fit into my new house. It may cost more to refurnish a new home, but after all, it is a new home that your old furnishings may not fit in that well.