The Blueprint Decision!

So here is the plan. We are planning on building a smallish home (around 1000 sqft) This is what we will live in for now, then down the road we will build a bigger home and possibly rent out the small home. So for now we are looking at something to get us through the next 5 years of our life. We are a family of 4 but I definitely want to plan for at least 1 possibly 2 more kiddos (NO this is not an announcement. But we are planning on having more kids, so it would be stupid not to plan for that.)

We are sticking around 1000 sqft to cut down on not only plan and permit fees but actual building cost as well. Permit will cost $1 a square foot, and the plans all range around the $600 range. It's definitely not a cheap part of the process.

ok, so input is appreciated. I am looking at plans and don't want to regret our decision. Given our space constraint, here are some of our "wants"

• Laundry room
• 2 bathroom minimum
• 2 bedroom minimum
• kitchen opening up to family room

I think i would prefer 3 bedrooms so that we have a workout space/ craft room until we need that room for another kiddo or to split up Miles and Mae

Here are a few plans we are looking at purchasing. Feel free to leave positive/negative feedback, I'm sure we haven't thought of everything! 

This first one is 947 sq ft with the plans included for an add on that would make it closer to 1400 sq ft. The price for the plans are $675 plus the permit price for the initial portion is $947 totaling around $1700 Riley really likes this one as it gives us the option to add the third bedroom down the rd and already has the plans for it included. My cons are that the washer/dryer is in a closet, I would like it more in a laundry room where that storage room is currently located. I also don't love that it's only 1 bathroom until we build the addition. We have been living with 1 bathroom for the past 8 months, so we know we can do it, it's just not ideal. 

This plan is one that I keep coming back to, it's 1094 sq ft, the plans are $675 plus the permit fee of $1094 totaling about $1800. This one is my favorite layout, it has a screened porch with a walkout from the master bedroom, Riley could put his workout stuff on the patio and access it straight from our room, I love the utility room, the size of the rooms/bathrooms. I LOVE that it all opens up in the great room, here is my con... There are only 2 bedrooms... Is it essential if we have another kiddo to have a 3rd bedroom? Would it simply light a fire for us to build the big house in the event of another kiddo. Is a third room a reason NOT to build a house that I love the layout otherwise???

This house is 1277 sqft, it has the 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, and a utility room. The plans cost $625, plus a permit fee of $1277 so a total of $1900, this one would cost the most to get the initial permit, plus you have to add the permit for the front a back porch, which is I think $0.50 a sqft. It has the requirements we have been looking for, but it is larger (pricier in the long run) I don't love how the kitchen doesn't open up (Unless that is a half wall). I wish that the master bedroom opened up to a porch (either front or rear)... also, there is like one window per room, isn't that kinda lame? or am I making a mountain out of a mole hole? For that big I would expect it to have more windows/light

If it was YOUR choice, and you had similar needs to ours, what would you go with?? 

Big Bad Wolf

So..... bad news.

After 10 days of calling the county zoning commissioner and permit office trying to get answers I finally talked to the commissioner. He was VERY passionate about making a straw bale home as difficult to build as possible. His exact words were "I don't understand why people want to build with straw, I want you to know I will make it a VERY long process, and it will be anything but cheap." What a jerk.

I got off the phone with him, Riley and I shrugged our shoulders and he said "Okay then, we find a plan for a traditional house"

So we are moving on from the first little pig, to the second little pig. I am pretty sad about this. We would have been able to build a home in less than a year with the monthly amount we have to put towards a house.

Fingers crossed I get this promotion so that building can go a little faster than I am worrying it might take.

Plan Updates

It's been two weeks since my last update so I think it's definitely time for an update.

For those who haven't followed this since the beginning. This ENTIRE journey began less than 5 weeks ago when we signed the papers for the lot. It is crazy to think about since it seems like we are not making progress and time is speeding by. This really is a HUMONGOUS undertaking.

We drove down to the property on Saturday, While driving, I mentioned to Riley that I was again kicking around the idea of building a small home on the property rather than buying an RV. It would end up costing close to the same, but we would have SO much more room! We started talking about it, and it just seemed like a good idea. If we build a small house (700-800sqft) then we would have enough space to live comfortably, that way we would have more time to put all the money necessary together to build the big home that we really want. In the meantime, we could start our gardening next year, get some grass planted and really get up and going to become more self sufficient. \

Here are the new problems now. The county requires a structural engineer to stamp the plans prior to us receiving a permit. Totally fine, we are building with unconventional material so I totally understand. However I have made probably 10 calls to different firms today just trying to get a cost on an engineer stamping plans, not ONE has any experience with straw bale so will not be able to help. I have been trying to contact the county to find out if I can you a pre-stamped plan from an engineer in a neighboring state with extensive straw bale experience, but no one has answered my calls (seriously I called them like every hour with no answer)

IF we can get the plans stamped or use pre-stamped plans, we would be able to go out and get started! building the walls and skeleton of the house would not take long nor cost a great deal of money. The big problem is not only building the house, but then also paying for the septic tank, power and also to have the well dug. The odds of us having ALL the money by November is pretty slim, unless we really budget, but even then, it will be close.

I have recently applied for a new position in my company, if I get one of the many positions they are offering, my pay should increase pretty significantly. If this is the case, I will not stress about getting everything done in time. As some of you who actually know us may already know, Riley is a disabled veteran, he suffers from a number of things, but the most notable in this experience is surprisingly not his back (so far) but his anxiety. Every time there is a hiccup he really stresses out about it. With every hiccup I hear "maybe we shouldn't be doing this." My stress is not simply from trying to make things work, but trying to make every thing work with nothing but an optimistic attitude so that I don't contribute to his stress. I'm sure before 2015 is over I will be sitting in a partially completed little house crying because I couldn't do it all, for one reason or another. I haven't even mentioned to Riley the possibility of staying in our Loft a month or two longer to finish the last few things on the little house, and I don't think either one of us wants to burden family members by staying with them.

I want SO badly for us to be in the little house by Christmas... It may be a small Holiday where we celebrate that like the Jews, our money that should have only lasted until October lasted EIGHT WHOLE WEEKS MORE! Fingers crossed people, fingers crossed.