Thank you to everyone for all the posted information that I've been perusing for the past several months. Scott in Austin, TX

Karla's Forum Posts: 15
Journal Entries: 10
Interview Answers: 64
Average Forum Rating: 3.83



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Land Hunting & More Misc. Musings

Posted to SmallProjectSilverSpringsNV by Karla in Silver Springs, NV on 1/7/2007

Some days, I feel like I am still in California in the middle of over-inflated land prices as everyone rushes to own a piece of dirt before there isn’t any more. I can’t believe that 5-acre lots in the Carson/Dayton areas are going for over $120,000+. About twice what the going price is just 40 minutes more up the highway where we are. Maybe this is a sign?

Personally, I really like the area we are in, although there is a little bit of a “trashy” element closer to the actual “town” area. If we really DO go crazy and build a house instead of the original four-car garage with mother-in-law-apartment, I really would like to stay around the area we are in. Not much in the way of trees, but lovely views of the hills, less than 10 minutes to the lake, ATV trails less than five minutes from the front door, good aquifer and less snow. Besides, in about 20 years, the three- and four-foot tall trees we planted over the last few years will cast wonderful amounts of shade!

Or I’d like to move further on up the highway to the Fallon area. This area is still somewhat affordable and there is still acreage available. Have a difficult time even finding a listing to read in the Carson/Dayton and Reno/Sparks area. At least there are listings in the Fallon area. Of course, the big drawback is that it is another good hour further up the road. Doesn’t matter for my commute, as it puts me the same distance from work, - just coming in from a different angle - but not good for DH’s at all.

Traveled out to Yerrington today to visit the DMV so my daughter could trade in her CA license for a Nevada one. Ag country with horses, cows and alfalfa. My kinda place... but again, a ways off the beaten path and adds quite a bit to DH's commute.

***  ***  ***

realtor.com is where I get my very “ballpark” figures for the values of houses and the cost of land. I plug in the location and attributes of the house I am considering selling (like the one I’m living in, for example). This pulls up similar homes and what the asking price is. Of course, that doesn’t really say what the actual purchase prices are, but at least you can get an idea of what range you are looking at. I also use it to go land-hunting. Again, gives you an idea what the going price is.

***  ***  ***

"I'm a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it."       -   Thomas Jefferson

***  ***  ***

Finished re-reading The Owner-Builder Book for the fourth time. Of all the books I own (and they are legion), this one definitely rates in the top 20 of books read over and over and over again. I am now starting my second time through The Complete Guide to Contracting Your Home. Not as “readable”, but still has lots of useful information. Not being a general contractor, not being in one of the trades, and not being particularly handy in building things in general, I am trying to educate and arm myself as best as possible, considering I’m basically a geek and useless in this realm. After pretty much reading through all of the “Build Your Own Home for Dummies” types of books, these two really are the best ones and most useful. Some of the others, though possibly easier to read, do not go into nearly as much depth. 

***  ***  ***

I find myself fantasizing about becoming a general contractor and building three or four custom homes a year and making gobs of money off of unsuspecting people. I know it is just the seduction of the current project making me think this way. Then reality hits, and I know I will be lucky to survive whatever our own personal home project turns out to be. When I was in the business of making printed circuit boards, I thought I might become a chemist – not!!! When I was an accounting clerk, I thought I might become a CPA – ha! ha! So, odds are, I will not become the Next Great Custom Home Builder of Nevada… buy hey, a girl’s gotta have some dreams, right?

***  ***  ***

Can’t wait for my tile samples to come in. Even if the tile we choose is somewhat different, the base colors should help us choose other items for our home. (Note: Oooh, oooh, the ones from builddirect.com came today. I think I am in love… does oooh-ing and ah-ing count as part of the planning process?)

***  ***  ***

Good luck on your personal journeys. I see some of you are having a tougher time with Life, The Universe and Everything, right now, not to mention just working on building your homes.  May the New Year bring Good Things to you and yours.

Possible Major Change in Plans

Posted to SmallProjectSilverSpringsNV by Karla in Silver Springs, NV on 1/2/2007

It’s currently all only on paper, in our heads or in little electronic bytes, right? So now would be the correct time to go crazy with changes. Our running total spent for books, magazines, tile samples and a toilet paper holder totals under $190 and all of it is still valid and useful. Soooo…

My dear husband (DH) liked my design skills, tentative money plan, attention to detail and ability to read his mind so much that, as is his particular skill, he wants to change everything – and build that house we’ve been talking about for 10 years or so. Easy for him to say! A four-car garage and a little studio, I was up for. A full-blown house on a yet-to-be-purchased plot of land?! There are parts of it that sound appealing – perhaps fun, even – and then there are massive parts that have me terrified (like most of it).

At the very least, to even begin a feasibility study, I will need to know

·        Can we find 4 ½ - 10 acres in the Dayton, Dayton Valley, Carson City area for under $100K?

·        Or, if not, can we find it in the Fallon, Somewhere-between-Fallon-and-Reno area?

·        Or, will we be happy to purchase another plot of sand in the current area?

·        How much are builders asking for a 2,400+ sq. ft. home with three-car garage if you provide the land?

·        Can we afford a $400K + mortgage?

·        How long can we afford to carry two mortgages?

I have bought and/or sold three homes and a piece of land acting as my own Realtor – thus saving large sums of commission. I’ve refinanced a few of our home loans, too, in my day. If I really liked it, I’d be a real estate or loan agent by now. But I really kind of hate it. Except – except – that it saves so much darn money if you understand the process and can do it yourself. Good Lord, maybe here we go again! DH is right, I’m not happy without some project to stress me out… but I’m not sure I’m ready for this, either!

Dreaming, I like dreaming…

The good

·        A “real” house, not a manufactured one (although the one we have is very, very nice for what it is)

·        A neighborhood with more upscale housing where the home might appreciate more and more rapidly

·        Double the square footage of our current home

·        Wraparound porch? (strong enough for 100 years of wisteria vines?!)

·        Possible dramatic increase in equity

·        Something that might last 100 years to pass on to our grandkids

·        Closer to a place that has grocery stores and gas stations

·        We can do it My, oops, uh, OUR way

The bad

·        Higher mortgage payments

·        Have to put in another metal building

·        Will probably have to put in perimeter fencing

·        Build another dog pen & house (hey, we’re getting good at it)

·        Start a new orchard from scratch

·        ½ hour to 1 ½ hours further from the boat launch (we’re currently 8 minutes from gate to water)

·        Probably have to dig a deeper well than the one we currently have

·        Aquifer may not be as reliable and stable as our current one (that is charged by the local lake)

The ugly

·        Moving, again (third time in four or five years, depending on time line)

·        Changing schools during high school

·        Carrying two mortgages until the first home can be sold

·        More snow if we move towards Dayton/Carson City area

·        If we’re in the Fallon-ish area, could make the commute much worse for DH

The it doesn’t matter

·        May or may not make the commute better for me; probably will not make it worse for me

·        I’m sure there will be evil, murderous jackrabbits to chew my apple trees wherever we move

Baby steps

·        I spent $5.99 on a book of plans today

·        Did a building-cost.net sample takeoff for a 2,500 sq. ft. home with a fireplace and some upgrades – about $269K – and about $31K of it is “contractor markup”

·        If I save 8% of $269K ($21,520), that still brings us in under $250K for the house

Posted by Cara in Orlando, FL on 1/7/2007 Cara's Forum Posts: 38 Journal Entries: 136 Interview Answers: 59 Average Forum Rating: 4.04 My Construction Website Image from Cara's blog 1/7/2007

"We can do it My, ooops, uh, OUR way" Again, seriously, we must be related! I will say, my vote is to go for the whole thing. Much more fun for us to read, and at times more fun for you too (at other times not so much fun...). We look forward to following your journal either way!

Capitalizing on the house we never built

Posted to SmallProjectSilverSpringsNV by Karla in Silver Springs, NV on 12/23/2006

I can truly see why the 2^nd and subsequent houses would take significantly less time than the original one.  This all assumes, of course, that we survive this one!

I started going through all the vendor interview documents that I drew up last time (for the house we never built).  Each one represents approximately an hours worth of research and work.  To update them with the information from the new project took about 5 minutes each – about a 90% time savings.

In addition to time savings, I also ran across something I had forgotten about – our Safety Policy.  Except for the address change and the inclusion of contact information, it remains the same.  Only, I wouldn’t have remembered to even do it if I hadn’t have saved it from the House We Never Built.  Here’s a copy of the document:

David & Karla XXXXXX

                                           Construction Site Safety Policy

Emergency Contact: Karla XXXXX 123-456-7890 (cell)

It is the policy of David & Karla XXXXX to run a jobsite where tradesmen may practice their skills in a safe environment. 

·         It is the responsibility of all people, contractors, vendors, owners, inspectors and their agents to be aware of safety issues when on the job site. 

·         All tradesmen should use the appropriate safety equipment and procedures for their profession.  As it is impossible for Karla or David to know all the safety requirements for the various trades, it is the tradesman’s responsibility to ensure that these items and procedures are implemented.

·         Any practices, situations or environments that are unsafe should be immediately reported to the Job Site Supervisor and Karla or David XXXXX. 

·         Immediate corrective action should be implemented for any unsafe practice, situation or environment, even if it is only temporary. 

·         The Job Site Supervisor should take corrective action even in the event that David or Karla are not immediately available to approve.

·         A copy of this Safety Policy will be posted on the Information Board at the job site.

·         A copy of this Safety Policy will be provided to each Contractor.  Contractors are responsible for making sure that their workers are aware of and comply with this Safety Policy.

·         Any questions concerning this Safety Policy should be immediately brought to the attention of either David or Karla for clarification.

·         Karla XXXXX                               David XXXXX

123-456-7890 (cell)                     123-456-7890 (cell)

123-456-7890 (work)                   123-456-7890 (work)

123-456-7890 (home)                  123-456-7890 (home)

By signing below I acknowledge that I have read the above policy, understand it, and have received a copy of it for my own records.

__________________________________

Signature & Date

__________________________________

Printed Name

Posted by David in Keller, TX on 12/28/2006 David's Forum Posts: 1 Average Forum Rating: 4.00 Randomly Selected Image 12/28/2006

Thanks for the contract info! I wonder, though, how it would hold up in court if somebody did get hurt? I guess it would at least help some and show that you did everything under your power to prevent it.

Posted by Karla in Silver Springs, NV on 12/28/2006 Karla's Forum Posts: 15 Journal Entries: 10 Interview Answers: 64 Average Forum Rating: 3.83 Image from Karla's blog 12/28/2006

That's where insurance comes in.  And having a good lawer on your team.  Mostly, besides helping to show you were not negligent, I think it makes people aware that you are not going to let them be slackers in this area.  I envision that I would make them read it in front of me and then have them sign it in front of me.  I'm sure some of them will think I'm micro-managing them, but I work in an ISO 9002 company, and things like this are standard operating procedure there (just like making sure all documents have a title, author and 'last updated' date on them, and such).

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas

Posted to SmallProjectSilverSpringsNV by Karla in Silver Springs, NV on 12/13/2006

OK, so the title has nothing to do with this entry ...

Got down and started a preliminary budget with what few numbers I know and some guesstimate % of cost for many items.  Now I have to see if in the real world I can get what we need at the price we have to have to make this thing fly.  There is still the very real possibility that this project will die before it starts.  My husband and I have pretty thick skulls, though, so I am proceeding as if this is really going to happen.

The preliminary budget sure pointed out how much I don't know about current prices and all the things that need to go into the budget. 

I found a good price on slate tile that would put in in the same range as porcelain tile - only, after researching the care and feeding of this most porus of stones, I have decided that we will definitely not build a shower with it.  It's too bad, because it is sooooo pretty - but I do not wish to be enslaved to the cleaning and sealing and resealing of it.  And I can't aford marble, even though that is a nice dense stone that will resist moisture and need less care than the slate.  Well, I am now very knowledgeable about stone.  ... and I think we're gonna use porcelain tile that looks like stone instead.  Well, and hour's research saved us from that head ache.

I was feeling bummed because I could have saved $200 today if we were really ready to start acquiring things like lights for the house.  Then I found nearly the same thing for much cheaper and no shipping or tax on it on the Internet.  Made me immediately feel better -- like something will be on sale when it's time to go real shopping, anyway.

It's really good to see everyone's photos and hear about their trials and tribulations.  Good days, bad day, seems like everyone is surviving and even thriving - makes me feel like we can really do this thing.

I renewed my Costco card today.  That was before I read Cara's comment to get one if there's one near by.  Maybe we are somehow related?  (After all, just add an "l" and we have the same name ;-)  So, I've lunched with HD and Lowe's - maybe it's time to lunch with Costco some day soon.  I just dread going into the main part of town this time of year.  I'm just not very brave when it comes to crowds any more.  I like our little plot of sand down a dirt (sand) road.

If I go cheaper on the bathroom, add some extra support to the living room floor, and keep the double front doors that my dear hubby and I like -- I could almost afford a piano... decisions, decisions!

Better get all the overtime at work that I can while we are still in the "just playing" stage!  My fantasies are all most certainly more than the reality of our pocketbook!

1.5 "   $ 87   Floor to ceiling filler panel

18"   $663   Tall linen cabinet with top & bottom doors

24" $480   Bank of 3 drawers

3"  $53   Fancy filler

24" $799   Truly divine curved vanity (OK, at this point I know I'm not getting them, but it's nice to dream.  The straight, "regular" ones, will save me a nearly $1,000...)

3" Fancy Filler

24" Bank of 3 Drawers

3" Fancy Filler

24" Truly divine curved vanity

3" Fancy Filler

24" Bank of 3 Drawers

18" Linen Closet

1.5" Floor to ceiling filler

==================

= 14 feet of scrumptious bathroom wall... in a rich cherry or mocha finish... the challenge is on - how do I make this affordable!

Pair that with Price Pfister's "Ashfield" collection and you will see why I am rapidly going broke (on paper, only, so far).

Today's Tip - Lists are your friends.  Keep checking those things off on the To Do list.  Don't let the distractions of life keep you from focusing on one of the most important projects in your life.  Remember that others have "been there, done that" and have lived to tell the tale!

New Lunch Date - Home Depot

Posted to SmallProjectSilverSpringsNV by Karla in Silver Springs, NV on 12/11/2006

I am fortunate that I work five minutes from a Home Depot. Now, I know that I can probably do better on prices on some items, but since we are in the very beginning stages of all this, I am using them to get an education. By the time I start actually buying, I hope to have several prices on how much this expensive little hideaway will cost - the HD way and at least three general contractor prices.

Anyway, I hung out with Jim in the kitchen department of HD for lunch. Good for the waistline, and since I didn't actually buy anything there, good for the pocketbook, too. What I wanted to do was price out my fantasy cabinets and also get an education in them. Since I brought my book of all things that includes a quasi-scale drawing of the current incarnation, I had a scale drawing of what we are proposing.

$12,000 cabinets (honey oak)

$2,000 granite countertops (still having the dark vs. light debate)

$1,500 shipping & tax

$5,000 installation

=========

$20,500 - I had guesstimated $20,000

But, of course, something must always bring you down to earth, and often with a crash. What I wanted for the library area was floor-to-ceiling cabinets. Very practical. Nice and warm wood... only Jim made a seemingly innocuous comment: "Very practical but kind of institutional." It never occurred to me in all my drawings and thoughts, but now I can't see it any other way but "institutional." OK, so now I guess I am going to be researching the cost of custom built-in bookcases. And instead of shelves near the entry, I'm going to leave the wall blank for a table. With a picture above it. 

Other things I learned at HD:

1. The cabinets I like and the ones my dear husband likes are again at odds. He wants an old-world bathroom and a modern living room? Travertine or travertine-looking tile in the bathroom and wall-to-wall carpet in the living room? OK, so maybe we didn't really have a meeting of the minds.

2. Cabinets come in 24" and 36" widths; corner cabinets all come with lazy Susans in them, even if you don't need/want them.

3. Cabinets come in sets that do well with 12-foot long wall sections, but not so good with 10-foot long wall sections.

4. For a little under $400, we can have a 30 inch x 9 foot strip of warm flooring with an automatic timer. Not quite wide enough for both brushing teeth and getting out of the shower. Another $200 for a second 30 in. x 9 foot strip would cover enough of the front of the shower & tub and the important areas in front of the two sinks. But is it worth $600 for warm tile floors?  I lived for over two years with cold tile floors... but then again, that was in a climate where the winters never got down to 8*F.  (Here, again, guerrilla shopping pays off - there were price ranges from $199-$250 and more for the heating strips)

5. The color in porcelain tile goes all the way through, minimizing the visibility of nicks and chips. 

My husband is eager to "break ground", but I want to live with our "plans" for a little while. Each time we look at them, we think of something else. Like making the laundry area big enough to accommodate all the "crates" for our three very large dogs. And, the first go-round we completely forgot about a closet. I want to draw side views in addition to the floor plan view. Helps me visualize.

Starting a list of items, styles and "what is a good price" so that when we are randomly shopping, we will know if something is a good deal or a great deal or something to not bother about. Also, need to calculate the "true" cost by adding in tax and shipping where necessary. For example, although both Lowe's and HD have the Price Pfister faucets we want for cheaper or the same price as efaucets.com, since efaucets has free shipping and no sales tax; it comes out several hundred dollars cheaper in the long run. A good all-inclusive price for the tile we want: $2.09 sq ft. If we go with real travertine tile: $4.34.

I am seriously thinking of getting a part-time job at HD for the discount and just so I can snoop around. Or maybe my 16-year-old son can during the summer. If he worked a morning shift, he could ride into Reno with me... Hmmm, the wheels are turning. 10% employee discount might be worth it!

Staying up wayyy past my bedtime to play with this stuff. I hope I have as much energy and enthusiasm at the end of this project as I do now.

Something I've always wanted to do: sign my name on one of the wall studs of the house - to be covered up by drywall, no doubt, but I will know it's there!

Tip for the day: Go to HD at odd times of day - after the morning contractor rush and before noon - and quiz the employees there on anything you want to know. That's part of why they are there. Bring your notebook of all things, or at least a list of questions and paper to write down the answers with. It's like going to the library, but instead of free books, you get to tap into some one's brain for free. Say thank you and make them feel like you really learned something - everyone likes to be appreciated and useful.

Posted by Cara in Orlando, FL on 12/13/2006 Cara's Forum Posts: 38 Journal Entries: 136 Interview Answers: 59 Average Forum Rating: 4.04 My Construction Website Image from Cara's blog 12/13/2006

Wow... your journal is us to a T about one year ago. And your use of lists completely validates the fact that I'm not compulsive, but merely organized. Or maybe we're both compulsive :) I glanced at your spreadsheet - don't forget about Costco, if you have one! We got all of our bath accoutrements there for a third of what they cost at HD - very nice satin-nickel stuff. Also, if we had to do it over again, we would still do our research at HD but probably would shop elsewhere for things like windows. Oh, and the stores seem to vary widely in their expertise level and willingness to make a deal with you (and believe me, we have gotten them to bend on lots of prices). Sorry to keep jumping in, it's just that I really relate to your thought process :)

Posted by Karla in Silver Springs, NV on 12/13/2006 Karla's Forum Posts: 15 Journal Entries: 10 Interview Answers: 64 Average Forum Rating: 3.83 Image from Karla's blog 12/13/2006

Cara, feel free to jump in any time. I'm feeling a little overwhelmed, so it's good to see you a year ahead of us and see that you are still alive. List-making is not compulsive - it is good for the soul. I don't consider myself very organized, but several people at work have told me I am (I am known as the checklist queen as we have a checklist for everything at work since I've been put in charge!). If I am truly considered "organized", then it is indeed a frightening world we live in. I spend my life feeling like I'm just on the edge of massive chaos.  Luckily, I like crafting order out of chaos - oh, I like beating my head against brick walls, too, in case you were wondering. And to see just how tough I could make this life of mine, I married a (now-not active-duty) Marine. After the Y2K much ado about nothing, raising three kids, and sending my husband off to summer camp in Iraq a few years back, well, building a small house might just be the relaxing hobby I need! Really, it's fun - and it is -- at this point! After all, I just have to plan and fantasy shop and budget right now. Later I have to get the money, spend it wisely, and put up with all the surprises of the actual deployment of the house. Looking forward to it and dreading it in about equal parts!

Fantasy Shopping - Bathroom Appointments

Posted to SmallProjectSilverSpringsNV by Karla in Silver Springs, NV on 12/10/2006

If the spreadsheet screenshot doesn't display correctly, try:

tools --> internet options --> advanced tab
scroll down to "Multimedia" and uncheck
"Enable Automatic Image Resizing"

Went to HD for WD40 and while there, wandered around, looked at some bath books for ideas and looked at some bathroom hardware just for fun.  My husband is definitely into the Old World look.  He really liked the Price Fister Ashfield single lever sink faucet.  So, of course, that set me on an internet research & theoretical buying spree.  A cool $3,000 + in fantasy purchases -- and that doesn't include anything really useful like plumbing, toilets, electrical, drywall, etc.  This is mostly just the "pretty" stuff.

I did look around extensively at places such as www.kohler.com, www.pricefister.com , and etc., but honestly, couldn't find anything that I really liked any better for either a cheaper or a more expensive price.  (You can view the collection here: http://www.pricepfister.com/website/asp/pf_pdp_searchresults.asp?search=catalog )  Maybe I can get it at Lowes or HD for cheaper than www.efaucets.com, but the free shipping and no sales tax may more than make up for any price Lowes or DH can give me.

Today's Tip: Can ordering on line from a reputable company save you a lot of money if you don't have to pay sales tax and shipping?

If the spreadsheet screenshot doesn't display correctly, try:

tools --> internet options --> advanced tab
scroll down to "Multimedia" and uncheck
"Enable Automatic Image Resizing"

Photos

2004 Flash Backs

Posted to SmallProjectSilverSpringsNV by Karla in Silver Springs, NV on 12/8/2006

Some entries from my original journal 2 years ago -
keep in mind that we did NOT build this house

24 December 2004
----------------

Background notes: During this time I had been reading Lawrence La Rose's book Gutted, Down to the Studs in my House, my Marriage, my Entire Life and Stronger Than Dirt (Didn't write down the author).

...In reading [these] book[s], I noticed a few common themes
1. people with not enough $ can do it
2. you gotta have a good support system (friends, family)
3. planning really, really helps avoid some disasters
4. there are some disasers that you cannot avoid no matter how much you plan
5. babies happen
6. a thick skull is good - too dumb to know better might even be an advantage
7. it's a whole lot of work
8. you can do anything with the right person beside you
9. obsticals are opportunities for creative solutions - but you might have to yell about it first

4 January 2004
--------------
Habitat for Humanity: How to Build a House by Larry Haun. At $24.95, it's a bargain - from the library for free, it's a Really good deal.  The "make it yourself tools" should more than pay for the book.  The photo copies here [in my journal] are "2nd generation" - better ones are in my "building binder".

I am chomping at the bit to actually start DOING something tangible.  Like buying some land.  Like buying tools or sinks or wood or something.  Cleaning the house and packing also contributes, buts still doesn't FEEL like it.  Maybe once I see boxes stacked against the walls I'll start feeling that packing really contributes.  I hope so.  I feel like I'm just sitting around and waiting (even though intellectually I know NOW is the last chance I have for planning and thinking and being well prepared.)  I guess I just need to find a way to make me FEEL like we are progressing.  Maybe that will help me not feel so stuck in a rut and trapped.

17 January 2004
---------------
* cheap table saw $199
* best table saw $550
* french doors $500
Since I ahve long term building plans -
1. metal building
2. house
3. chicken cooop
4. garden shed/potting shed
5. goat barn
6. pig stye
7. various patios and awnings
8. whatever else my imagination can think of -
I believe we shoug get a good one [table saw].
Need to check around for pricing

[12/8/2006 - saw update - we bought a good one in 2005 and have used the heck out of it and we haven't even built a house yet - dog pen, dog house, 1000 feet of fencing.  We got a good "chop saw", too, that has been indispensible.]

Quick Response from the County and Other Things

Posted to SmallProjectSilverSpringsNV by Karla in Silver Springs, NV on 12/7/2006

I was pleasantly surprised to find a response to my email to the county by 7:15 a.m. this morning. Looks like the project is a "go", even though there is the minor detail that the county does not allow anything remotely "kitchen-like" in the "guest house". Notice how they even go so far as to specifically list "no microwave" in their response. On the other hand, I don't actually cook, so we're not really crushed. Also, I noticed that they did not say anything about a maximum square footage. So does that mean I can have an 800 sq ft bedroom, an 800 sq ft sitting room and a 400 sq ft bathroom?!  Okay, so we want a more modest living area than that, but it was an interesting thought! Have to keep reminding us that we want a modest-sized area done really well.

~ ~ ~      ~ ~ ~      ~ ~ ~

Here's the county's response:

Lyon County does allow “Mother-in-Law” quarters of a permanent structure. You can build your 4 car garage and put in “guest” quarters which can include Bedroom, Bathroom, and Sitting Room – NO Kitchen – no refrigerator, microwave, etc.  If you have a hardship and need to look after your mother, you need to apply for a Special Use Permit.  We need medical reasons from her physician as part of the application.  The structure has to be a mobile as it has to be removed when your mother passes.  It you want to apply for the Special Use Permit for the Mobile , you should first check with State Water Resources  (775-684-2800) and find out if your well can handle another building and it would require a second septic system.  The main reason that Lyon County does not allow a second permanent structures with full living set-up is because you are not zoned for rental and we do not want this to become a rental unit in a single family zoned area.  We do have a lot of Special Use Permits for “hardship” cases.  If you wish to pursue the Special Use Permit, the applications are on our website or here in the Dayton office.

Hope this answers your questions.

Donna

~ ~ ~      ~ ~ ~      ~ ~ ~

And, conveniently enough, Miss Donna provided me with the next step in the pre-feasibility feasibility study: call the State Water Resources.

~ ~ ~      ~ ~ ~      ~ ~ ~

Found my O-B Book! Dogeared and looking oh so good. Started re-reading it during lunch today. I can already see how our NOT-built O-B from a few years ago was not a waste of 350+ hours -- there are several things on the list that we've done and don't need to do over again. Like our basic preferences for what we want - just a 20-minute discussion with the Mr. and we re-agreed on what took us months to hash out the first time. Stone. Wood. Natural materials. Wrought iron looks. Hardwood floors. Tile that mimics stone finishes. I did a little fishing with the "what if we went 'Country'" - got the response I expected - too much white, too light colored, too much brightness. So we're looking more towards a rustic look with Tuscany/Mediterranean/Iberian influences. Deep, rich, but muted tones. Browns, burgundies, golds.

Another thing we don't need to start from scratch are "the little touches" for each room that only the O-B would care about - built-in magazine rack in the library - er, I mean toilet area, extra electrical, blocking in the framing to accommodate future moulding, towel racks, wall shelves, etc., extra wide window sills for my plant babies, at least one "greenhouse" window and on and on - we already have about  50 pages of stuff that we already agree on - just need to fit it to the current project. Of course, I am still standing on the side of the line where ground has not yet been disturbed and my rose-colored glasses are not yet broken -- but I can see a few years down the road that we go whole hog and build the home of our dreams.

We've been trading up brand new homes built by other people for the last several years, and though we are not mortgage free yet, for what we have, our mortgage is a pittance. A few more years down the road and it might be time for That Last Perfect home. Owner-built. I wonder if this will turn out so fun that I would want to become a GC and do this for a living? If I could do two custom homes a year for a tidy profit, could it be worth it? But, as usual, I am wayyyyy ahead of myself. Haven't even got blueprints and permits for this baby yet! Ah, the eternal optimism of the uninitiated!

Today's Tip - Do something every single day towards your dreams. All those small grains of sand add up to the incredible Great Basin Desert. All those tiny snowflakes add up to awesome glaciers and the beautiful snowpack on the Sierra Nevadas.

Today's Files

Posted to SmallProjectSilverSpringsNV by Karla in Silver Springs, NV on 12/6/2006

Photos

Posted by Lisa in Groveland, FL on 12/7/2006 Lisa's Forum Posts: 122 Journal Entries: 101 Interview Answers: 94 Average Forum Rating: 4.01 Lisa's Selected Image 12/7/2006

Karla, Maybe I am barking up the wrong tree, but your dimensions to me do not add up. 15' then 5', then 20' the other side, but it appears longer. If the cars are only 5' long that is great, but they are very small cars, what make are they? The size of a garage doors are single 8ft wide and double is 16ft wide, so only two singles or one double is possible in the 20' space. Making this a double garage at most. Plus the kitchen only being 5' wide once you have countertops on either side; thin people only to use the space between them? I sincerely hope you do not mind me querying this, sincerely no offense intended.  Let me know how it goes. Kindest regards, Lisa.

Posted by Karla in Silver Springs, NV on 12/7/2006 Karla's Forum Posts: 15 Journal Entries: 10 Interview Answers: 64 Average Forum Rating: 3.83 Image from Karla's blog 12/7/2006

Hi, Lisa - I couldn't figure out how to get Visio to do the scale correctly. If you double all the figures, then you should get a better idea of the real scale. And, in fact, after reading some comments about garage sizes, even at 20 ft deep, it's going to be too small. Good thing we are still just playing with paper - easy to change our minds about anything and everything at this stage. No offense taken at all. All comments are welcomed and in fact, I appreciate your taking the time to give me a reality check!  Thank you. Karla

In the beginning...

Posted to SmallProjectSilverSpringsNV by Karla in Silver Springs, NV on 12/6/2006

Greetings ~

This is our first time O-B'ing. Being a cautious and conservative couple, we decided to start small. We escaped from California to the stark and ruggedly awesome High Desert of Nevada last year. Having little time and looking for a home from several hundred miles a way, we found the perfect little 4.77 acre spot of sand (sand and more sand) and had a nice, but small, brand new manufactured home put on it. A far cry from our two-year-old, 2,400 sq ft home in the SF Bay Area suburbs - but still, the property, the proximity to the lake, proximity to the drag strip and the fact that my company transferred me to their Reno office with full California wages and no California income tax... well, there are a LOT of advantages. Not to mention the most excellent sunsets (as shown in the photo on Lori in Sparks' journal)... longer story short, lovely daughter and her two-year-old will soon be joining my husband, son and I - and this 1,800 sq ft house is too small.

We had fantasized about building our own home on several occasions throughout our nearly 20 years of marriage, but either didn't have the time, the resources, or had a bunch of small kids running around. We very fortunately timed the market right in our California neck of the woods, so just bought a new home and "traded up". This manufactured home (and 40x50 ft metal building) here in Nevada was to be our "stepping stone" home until we could build "something we really wanted" out here... but now I have 39 trees, garden beds (yes, you CAN garden in the desert), and, as they say, location, location, location. 

So every time my dear husband mentioned moving, building a "real house", etc., I stammered, "B-b-but my apple trees are supposed to start bearing fruit this year... and, and, what about the daffodils? I'll have to order hundreds of dollars of them to start over at a new place." Big brown eyes well up with tears. "Besides, we have 1,800 feet of chain link fence - it'll cost $20,000 to replace it."

Big, tough, (but no longer active-duty) Marine brought down by Whiny Wife's tears (gotta save the tears for special occasions). But my dear husband is not used to not attaining all of his objectives. See hill; climb and conquer. Look for next hill. So, for "practice" and to hang out for a few years until our son graduates high school and our daughter and granddaughter get back on their feet, he says we should O-B a four-car garage with a 1,000 foot mother-in-law apartment (or parent hideaway in this case). Okay, so I took the bait - hook, line and sinker, as they say.

Started my new "Binder of All Things", my private building journal, sent an email inquiry to the Lyon County Planning Department, drafted up a "proof of concept" picture for hubby - and here I am. I put over 350 hours into planning the last house that we never built. I pulled my journal and binders from that non-project and the backup CD with all my forms for subs, cost analysis spreadsheets and original MS Project project plan (never throw anything away, never, never... the pack rat mantra) and there are several things that can be reused with little or no modification. Prices are out of date, and many things will have to be scaled down, but the magazine clippings showing the style of bathroom I dream of, the fireplace my husband desires, and such are all still valid. Along with the giant Fantasy Wish List. Good to know that I haven't radically changed in the last four years (a little more gray, but it happens).

Not going to put everything from my private O-B journal here, but I will put some highlights. I do want to note that I used The O-B Book as my guide every step of the way - and that it convinced me that I could easily project manage (general contract) the building, but that we did not have the time and energy to really do almost any of the actual work.

12/4 - three hours - heated discussion bordering on serious clashing of thick skulls that ultimately resulted in my husband's epiphany.

12/5 - one hour - my lunch - went to HD and Barnes and Noble looking for plans for what we wanted to build (three to four-car garage with an attached mother-in-law studio, single story to accommodate old football injuries - mine, not his). Ended up buying a "Fine Building" magazine as a consolation prize and also because I love looking at the ads and the websites from those ads.

12/5 - two hours - hanging out at this website

12/5 - three hours - just bumming around with all the old and new info, letting the ideas compost in the brain

12/5 - one hour - set up base MS Project plan for the planning stages; other areas will be updated as we go

12/6 - one hour - desperately looking for copy of O-B Book - I know it's here somewhere. After all, I found everything else that goes with it. Ultimately, didn't find it.

12/6 - one hour - drafting "proof of concept" drawing for husband and sending email to the county planning department (copies attached, although identifying info removed from email)

12/6 - two hours - hanging out here, starting O-B journal and surfing around at some of the websites listed in "Fine Building" magazine

Look, Ma, three days into this and we already have over a dozen hours logged.

Today's Tip: Keep all your computer files on a "jump" or "thumb" drive (back it up regularly). You can have it with your wherever you go, and if you need something when you can use whatever computer is handy.

Posted by Cara in Orlando, FL on 12/7/2006 Cara's Forum Posts: 38 Journal Entries: 136 Interview Answers: 59 Average Forum Rating: 4.04 My Construction Website Image from Cara's blog 12/7/2006	Looking forward to reading much more! Another tip, besides the jump drive - Google has a free spreadsheet and word doc app. It's server-based, so you can use it from different computers without having to actually take the file with you! Also, more than one person can view it at once, and you can even IM each other as you are making edits. You can also set view-only restrictions so that other people can see but not edit it. I use it for our house budget so that I can access it from work. Its functionality is a little more limited than Excel, and it's slower, but it is nice to have it on a server.   By the way, you mentioned Project and Visio... I am very jealous! I would have loved to use those for our project but have not had time to learn them. Are you a "computer person" by trade?
Posted by Karla in Silver Springs, NV on 12/7/2006 Karla's Forum Posts: 15 Journal Entries: 10 Interview Answers: 64 Average Forum Rating: 3.83 Image from Karla's blog 12/7/2006	Greetings - Thank you for the kind words. I am a computer person by trade - by way of the accounting department. Spreadsheets and I go all the way back to Lotus 1-2-3 before mouse support... I was also a department lead/quasi-project manager for the whole Y2K thing. Also did much of the organization and planning for a cross country and international Windows XP upgrade. My real loves in life, however, are trees, books, photography and making up projects for my family. Although we didn't build them, I bought and sold our last two houses (and bought our current one) without a Realtor - and that really opened my eyes to what features houses can offer, how much seemingly little things can affect the price of the home, and how you can save a ton of money by "doing it yourself". Nifty tools there on Google. I like my jump drive because it's locked up, but since my husband and I work in different states at time and I travel a lot, it may be nice to have something we can share across time zones. Thanks for the tip! Assuming you have/will have an O-B project soon - good luck with it all!
Posted by Lori in Reno, NV on 12/8/2006 Lori's Forum Posts: 122 Journal Entries: 89 Interview Answers: 202 Average Forum Rating: 3.95 My Construction Website Image from Lori's blog 12/8/2006	Karla, I loved reading your posts and am honored by the mention of our picture. You and your family are welcome to come see our project anytime - just PM me. Lori