Building From the Ground Up

We've seen about 30 houses now, and of those 30 we would have considered buying 4 of them.  Our budget is $340K or less.   The average home price in the city we want is $350 - $550K, and there are no cookie-cutter developments - only custom homes.

a.  Pinewood.  Beautiful home, but difficult location and priced high for our budget.  This home was gorgeous, but came at the beginning of our search and has recently gone under contract.  Knowing what I know now, I'm glad we didn't jump on this one.

b.  Ridge Top.  Gorgeous high-end finishes, incredible views, the best layout of any home we have seen.  Another at the top of our price range. . .lacking a garage, and a bit of a drive to get to.  We scheduled a second showing, however, only to find out that it too had just gone under contract.

c.  Fir.  This is the home that still has my heart: a bank owned property with an ideal location, the most stunning lot of any home we have seen, and a price that can't be beat.  As a bank-owned property, it had several $1000 in upgrades from the previous owner, and only needed a few $1000 in finish work.  Regardless, it came in on the low end of our price range.  My only concern with this home was the layout of the bedrooms upstairs: but that was not a deal breaker.  I still wish we had snagged this one sooner.  It came onto the market and sold within 14 days.

d.  Pine Valley

 This home had a ton of potential.  It was another bank owned property on the low end of our price range, not to mention the kitchen to beat all kitchens.  However, we ultimately decided the layout wasn't ideal and walked away.

BUILDING FROM THE GROUND UP

Something Dave and I have been talking about is building a home from scratch. . .buying a lot with incredible views, and building the home of our dreams.  Done correctly, we think it can be completed in our budget and too our specifications.

I grew up in a family of five in a 2 bedroom home with a litany of septic, well, and interior issues.  Unfortunately the money to fix it was never readily available; the house was tired and dated.  However, as kids we had 8 acres of mountain land to run around on, and we spent our days outside not worrying about the embarrassing condition of our cluttered and messy home.   We forgot about having to drain the dishwasher into a bucket, having to take showers outdoors, and having to share an 8x10 room with my brother and sister.  It was far from a shack, so I can't complain; although before my mother kicked the habit her indoor smoking added to the list of reasons why I hated living in that house.

That said, however, I've been in that position and so the sheer thought that Dave and I can and will raise children in a spacious, well-appointed, and clean home is mind boggling to me.  I have found that because of the home I was raised in I find it that much more important to have a safe, clean, functioning home for our children. . .with acreage for them to run around on, of course!

Make no mistake: I am humbled by this opportunity.  

 If we were to build, we would be plotting our home along these lines.  I wonder if we can find something like this?  What about building for less than $340K?  Who knows.

2200+ square foot

4 bedroom, 3 bath

Additional home office and music room

Living room, family room

Breakfast nook & a separate formal dining room

We would take advantage of our local whole-sale builders warehouse to furnish the home with high-end touches and fixtures, including hardwood, tile, and vessel sinks.

Exterior

Lots of angles, windows, and a giant welcoming entryway - a combination of these two homes.

Entryway

I would love an over sized pine door

Outdoor Living

A fabulous deck and outdoor space, fenced dog run, incredible views. . . .

Not to mention a natural, grass free, wooded lot with rock outcroppings

Welcome mat. . . .

I would love a large, open, and welcoming mudroom area that leads to stairs.  I find front doors opening into rooms awkward - the stairs give it that definition and privacy I love.

Kitchen

The kitchen would be a chefs and hostesses dream - I love to cook, and we love to host.  So it would need to have expansive counters, tons of pantry space, a gas stove, double ovens, and a large sink.

I really love the light cabinets and the dark granite in this kitchen.  The layout was a dream.

Breakfast bar with high-end lighting and plenty of room for guests to mingle around a spread of food.  The stairs add a unique aspect to what is normally a one-level room.

LOVE this river rock back splash - would use just a strip of it though, not this much.

Living Room

 The living room would have tons of windows, vaulted ceilings, and a gas fireplace.

The TV room would be a separate space with a bar for entertaining.  LOVE this built in entertainment center with walkout doors to the outside (I don't like dark basements).

Master Bedroom

The master bedroom would be an eagles nest above the house - a stairwell leading to a loft overlooking the living room, entering into a master suite with a private deck and gorgeous 5 piece bathroom.

I love the idea of slate tile and a vessel sink. . .that with a steam shower and a walk through closet would be amazing.

Formal Dining

The formal dining area would be open and inviting with lots of windows and a gorgeous mountain-inspired light fixture

Sunroom

I love the idea of having a sun room to read books and relax in

Bonus if it can also house a hot tub!

Some of the things would be added later  - high-end finished such as crown moulding and a hot tub would be touches we would add through the years to bump the property value as we had the money to put into the home.

It would be painted in shades of pumpkin orange, creamy tan, brown, sage green, red, and olive (think Autumn in the mountains).

Ahhh. . .we can dream :)