Hi all, my wife and I will soon (hole will be dug in July/August) be starting construction of a new home. We’re working with a builder who’s acting as the G.C. Here are some general questions I still need to answers to after having spoken to several people that all seem to have differing opinions:
1) Walkout vs. daylight. I’ve asked this question before and most of you seemed to say you thought walkout was the way to go. However…my wife is adamantly against it (which should stop this discussion right there, right?) because a) we want to walk out onto a patio from the first floor – we can accomplish this with some landscaping and a daylight basement, b) my wife – and I – feel very “removed” from the yard/kids when you’re up on a deck that seems to sit 15′ in the air relative to the yard, at least this is what our friends have on their walkouts, c) we won’t be finishing the basement for several years so it seems a waste to have a “walkout” but never use it, d) it always appears so dark and dingy under the deck where the walkout would be and e) we’d have to bring in mucho dirt to make this a walkout, about $5000 worth according to the builder. Thoughts?
2) How does everyone feel about Anderson series 200 windows?
3) I’ve heard about a white plastic beadboard product that is great for installing under the roof of a front porch, does anyone know where I can find a link for that?
4) We need a basic decorative fireplace – doesn’t need to blow heat into the room, any thoughts on a good unit?
5) The home will be about 3200 s.f. and it’s a 1.5 story. Should we zone the furnace? The living areas will face south and we’re in Michigan so we’ll get a good deal of heat coming in through the windows in the winter. Many people seem to think we should zone this house, but the builder doesn’t think it’s necessary. He mentioned something about a d.c. blower that’s constantly circulating air.
6) What about cementboard siding vs. vinyl siding? Our builder loves cementboard for it’s looks and durability. I love vinyl siding because it’s cheap, reduces labor costs and ongoing maintenance is…nill. Whereas with cementboard it appears we’re going to have to paint it every 5-7 years. If I’m going to spend $500k for a home I’d like it to be relatively maintenance free where possible. Any thoughts here?
Thanks much guys!
Replies
Item #5: with 3200 sf in a 1.5 story home with a basement, I would definately zone the HVAC system. Ask your GC for load calculations on the house. If he or his HVAC sub can not provide them, you are going to waste a goodly amount of you 500K on a home that may be uncomfortable to live in ( or at least parts of it). Load calculations should show loads for every occupied space in the home, including the unfinished basement. Have the HVAC contractor explain them to you. By using zones you can adjust comfort levels within each zone and in the long run save energy ($$). You also reduce the likely hood of hot/cold rooms or areas.
Item #6: you used the right word for vinyl siding, cheap. It is also not maintenace free, unless you intend to neglect cleaning it yearly or by yearly. E- mail Mike Smith or some of the others here that have used fiber cement products. They sing it's praises, and know the products well.
Dave
#1 That's between you and her
#2 The biggest difference I am aware of between the 200 and the 400 series is the cheaper hardware. For the modest savings, it ain't worth it if you will be the one living there.
#3 Azec
#4 Majestic
or just faux paint one on the wall. Keith C can add the flames.
#5 Talk to the HVAC guys, not just the builder. Personally, if you like cold bedrooms, one zone would be fine, but You might want to consider resale too.
#6 If you go vinyl, plan to replace it in twenty years. A good paint job on the CB will last ten at least. A half million dollar home deserves better than vimyl.
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Thanks. I couldn't locate "Azec" on Google, do you have a link?
http://www.azek.com
I mis-spelled it! Can you imagine such a thing?
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Item #1: Go with your "daylight" idea but, while the basement and foundation are being excavated have an extra 10 x 10 area dug that would allow for a walkout exit to a patio with steps up to the first floor patio. No way should that cost you $5000.
Design and landscaping can accomplish what you want now ....... and what you may want in a few years when you go to finish that basement. Materials and furniture are a whole lot easier to haul inside when you don't have to go inside the house and down the stairs to the basement.
Item #5: Zone it! A house that big with a basement to boot should absolutely have zones for heating efficiency. If you are installing the radiant floor heating you do need zones and you do need some sort of air circulation system. For a $500k house, it should have AC as part of the system and it should be zoned also.
Item #6: My initial thought was ..... " a $500k home shouldn't have vinyl siding anywhere". But then I remembered what my brother did on his home he built a few years back. Brick and hardiplank in front where looks count and vinyl in back for cost. His house was 2 story 4600 sq ft and four car garage. He later wished he had done the back in hardiplank. Your wife may want to change the color of the house some day and if you are in vinyl then what?
IMHO If you are going to spend $500K on a house you should first meet with an architect to help you think through some of these issues. This forum is a great place to ask questions. An architect can help you address issues now before you break ground and help you make your house a home, not just a "box" that everyone else builds.
Item #2 - 200 windows have no Argon, nor Low-E coating. Check it out. http://www.andersenwindows.com/UE/ProductGuide/CompareSeries/?compare=glazing
In Michigan, that pretty much excludes the 200 series from the running.
Item #6 - forget the Vinyl. You will get 12" shadow lines every 12' where the panels break. It looks absolutely terrible. Hardiplank holds paint wonderfully and if you use a high quality paint you will end up with a better looking product. Sure it costs more and you might have to repaint in 10 years, but that doesn't seem like a big deal to me.
MERC
There's a big difference in cost between vinyl and Hardie. Only you can decide if the cost is worth it.
Hardie is an excellent product, though. Painting is not all that difficult, because you won't have the expensive part of the preparation which is scraping. Hardie, properly painted the first time, won't peel when it needs painting again.
You must follow the manufacturer's recommendations as to the type of primer and paint (100% acrylic) in order to get long life from your paint.
Don't forget to include the cost of painting in your consideration. My house was 2900 square feet (floor area, that is), and I got two quotes to prime, caulk, and paint the entire new exterior (siding, trim, soffit, and facia, in three colors) in 2000. The quotes were about $5500 and $9000.
So I'm curious, which bidder did you go with...$5500 or $9000?
The $9000 one has a reputation for being unnecessarily expensive. They do good work, though. The less expensive one also does outstanding work and is well known around town. I checked references, too, and went to look at several of their jobs with my own eyes. Both were quoting to the same written specifications which included the primers and paint, colors, caulking, and number of coats. I went with the lower cost contractor and was totally satisfied in every way.
Re #6, I have seen some vinyl that looks good, but a lot more that doesn't. The cement siding will still look good 40 years from now, with just a coat of paint every 10-12 years.
Re #5, I would certainly zone upstairs vs down, and would be tempted to zone the south vs north if the cost isn't a big deal, since the solar heat load on one side can "chill out" the other side. Also keep in mind that you'll want zoning for summer AC, if you use that to any great extent.
Not to beat a dead horse, but don't skimp on the windows--definitely go for the 400 series. Not sure of your climate, site, orientation, design, etc. but you may find the superior glazing in the 400s saves you some $ on a.c. and keeps you more comfortable.
Windows and doors are key components of the home. . .there are better places to pinch pennies.
The problem is I'm finding it hard to pinch ANY pennies! :-) Everyone seems to say something to the effect of "go for the better material (laborer, etc.), you'll be glad you did down the road". I was hoping I'd get a Cadillac house for a Buick pricetag, but it would appear I was foolish...I think I'll be paying the Cadillac price.
I'll visit the local building supply store but any rough guesstimate on the per window (standard size) cost differential between the Anderson 200 & 400? Thx.
We didn't price out the 200s because one of our primary design goals was energy efficiency--the low-E glass is key in keeping the home cool in summer (we have a fair amount of glass on the south side for winter solar gain).
I guess you just have to decide where your priorities are and put the money there. We shaved pennies on relatively minor (to us, anyway!) aesthetic details--like using 20" slate tiles rather than a custom slab for countertops.
Pinching pennies can be hard because, like you say, everyone's advice is to go with the better of everything. You should not build what you cannot afford. Here are a few ways to reduce the cost.
The best way is to build smaller. Don't build rooms or square footage that you won't benefit from.
Some others are
Don't drywall the garage. It makes it hard to hang stuff and put up shelving, and drywall looks really bad after being banged up anyway.
Better insulation is usually money well spent in reducing heating costs. Your insulation should be relatively balanced. It's better to go from single pane glass to insulated glass than it is to add another foot of insulation to an attic that already has R-38.
Use vinyl flooring. Even high end vinyl is less expensive than tile or hardwood. Vinyl is warmer on the feet than tile, too. So consider it for bathrooms, laundry room, kitchen, etc. Some high-end vinyls are quite nice.
Arrange the footing drains to drain to daylight by gravity and skip the sump pump.
Go with standard fixtures instead of fancy. You can find a nice bathroom faucet for $50; why spend $300? Do you really need a marble shower? A fiberglass unit works just as well. Who sees your bathroom anyway? A $150 toilet does the job nearly as well as a $400 one.
Same for the bedroom. No one sees it, and you only spend 10 minutes a day there with your eyes open, so as long as the bed and pillow are comfortable, putting anything expensive in there is throwing money away.
Leave the driveway unpaved.
In the children's rooms, go with low end carpet and low-end pad. They'll just mess it up or outgrow it anyway.
Light fixtures; for non-public rooms you can buy a perfectly good ceiling fixture for $8.
Don't go with new appliances if you have old ones that work fine.
Maybe some of these items will generate some ideas.
Great list, but:
"Leave the driveway unpaved."
You must be joking. In Michigan? Pave the driveway, the savings is not worth the heart attack from shovelling, which you will have to do since the snowblower won't work on the ground either.
"Don't drywall the garage. "
That won't fly around here if the garage is attached. It has to be drywalled with 5/8" drywall to contain fire. There may be ways around this, but my guess is that they are more expensive than just going with the standard.
And as for:
"Same for the bedroom. No one sees it, and you only spend 10 minutes a day there with your eyes open,..."
Well, yes I do spend a lot more than 10 minutes a day in there with my eyes open, but I'm still pretty young, so maybe when I get older that time will 'shrink' down a little ;)
I'd add to your list:
Build simply. A foundation with 4 corners is a lot cheaper than one with 16. A simple roof that can be made with stock trusses is generally cheaper than a cut up one that has to be stick framed. Custom windows are more expensive than stock ones. Some say to build in increments of 4 feet, but I could never figure out how that saves you anything - either you are cutting sheathing on the outside or drywall on the inside, but they can't both be 4'.
Make up your mind. Change orders can add a whole lot to the cost of construction.
Consider laminate for the counters in the kitchen. They can be replaced at a later date with the more expensive granite.
Budget properly for landscaping. All the pennies saved here will cost you later when the basement leaks.
You're right, where it snows an unpaved driveway is not worth the savings.
Attached garages must have a rated fire-wall between the garage and the rest of the structure. That doesn't necessarily mean the entire garage has to be drywalled. Perhaps code requires it in some areas.
I agree about foundations, change orders, and counter tops. Like vinyl, some high-end laminates are really nice.
How long are you going to live there? Do you need it to "keep up with the Jones'" so that resale will be there (don't want the cheap looking house on the block), or are you without neighbors and can do what you want. Is your house the only one on the block with a simple roof? i.e. are all the rest of the houses on the street have a cut up roof line, with dormers to nothing and widows to nowhere? You need your house to fit into the neighbor hood. If you are planning on making changes down the road plan/design for them now. vinyl flooring might be a lot cheaper to put in now and then go to tile later - but design the subfloor now vinyl can go ontop of a solid ready to tile subfloor just as well as a regular subfloor. A bedroom that will later become a two door den, frame in the extra door now, then in a few years- sawzal and wal-ah new door. Design features that work well in your climate - if it's cold in the winter duh! limit the northern expsure of the house. Design - sounds like you are past that, but think other features that work well: Example my house 1909 vintage - has hughe soffet overhangs - 4' plus a large pourch these are great for 2 reasons 1) it keeps the water a long way from the house can you say "dry basement" neigbor's can't 2) sun shines in for the winter, and the house is shaded in the summer. Just some thougths.