Home Building Suggestions

**SonofaBish** · 03-21-2009, 10:49 PM

Well, some of those that know me are aware that I'm building a home... I had one place all picked out, but then I've changed my mind for several reasons... one being that the garage was only 20'x20' ... my truck is 19' long!!!

Just looking for some advice from some of the guys on here that own there own home. All the paperwork is being pushed through on the property - 2 acres in westmoreland county - so in the meantime, i have a ton of decisions to make...

basically, What would you have done if you could do it all over again? Interior, exterior, etc. I've been polling everyone i know, b/c i want to make sure i'm happy. After a long time looking, i've picked out another place, but before i make a final decision, I wanna be sure its right.

All of this hard work is the reason I sold my car, and i know i'm NOT going to regret it in the end - as long as things get done right!

Gimme your thoughts!

**94svtcobra** · 03-21-2009, 10:56 PM

Are you building an attached or detached garage? if you have the funds I have always liked the idea of having a two car attached and the a larger detached so I could have somewhere to keep the project type cars. Big kitchens and a good number of bathrooms are a plus as well great for resale value longterm, also having my first two story I wish I had a bathroom on the first floor, but the steps are good exercise lol

**Viper_ed** · 03-21-2009, 10:59 PM

As soon as I can find a piece of propety I like, I plan on building. Going ot go with a ranch stlye. Footprint will be around 4,000 square feet, but it will have a fully finished basement, so liveable square footage should be between 7,500 and 8,000 square feet. It's going to have 2 seperate garages, each 28' x 40'. I figure one to work in and one to park in.

I also plan on building a 20' x 20' vault underneath the master bedroom to be the safe for all my guns and double as a saferoom in the house. It will have a vault door to access it form downstairs as well as a set of stairs behind a second vault door in the master bedroom closet for quick access from upstairs. Only thing I'm still researching is what I'd have to do to put a 50' indoor pistol range in the basement.

I have all the ideas in my head at this point and plan on building and finishing the entire house myself, so that alone will save a ton of cash. With all the permit BS you have to go through, I guess I'll have to pay someone to draw up all the plans.

**SonofaBish** · 03-21-2009, 11:00 PM

Originally Posted by 94svtcobra

Are you building an attached or detached garage? if you have the funds I have always liked the idea of having a two car attached and the a larger detached so I could have somewhere to keep the project type cars. Big kitchens and a good number of bathrooms are a plus as well great for resale value longterm, also having my first two story I wish I had a bathroom on the first floor, but the steps are good exercise lol

The place I'm 95% certain i'm going to build is a 4 bedroom, 3 full bath, with 2 car attached garage... The garage is decent sized, but luckily it has its own roofline, so it can be made bigger without any trouble.... Its a 2950 sq. ft. place, so its got some good size....

It has 3 of the 4 bedrooms on the first floor, along with 2 full baths... the 4th bedroom is upstairs with a very large loft that overlooks the vaulted "great room."

**SonofaBish** · 03-21-2009, 11:02 PM

Very nice Ed!!!

I do plan on finishing the basement in this place as well, but not right away - i don't have the funds for that... the first floor is 2100 sq. foot, so once i get to finishing the basement down the road, that will add some nice size as well....

I'm not sweet enough to have a gun vault under my room tho! lol

**94svtcobra** · 03-21-2009, 11:06 PM

sounds like a nice floor plan

**Hawkeye** · 03-21-2009, 11:41 PM

Make the garage as big as you can possibly afford. Mine is 22 x 32 and it still isn't enough. Also, make sure you get heat in the garage as well, as it sucks working in the cold. Mine is detached.
As far as other things I have 1 and 1/2 baths, I will definitely need 2 full baths and the 1/2 as my girls get older. Wire more outlets, phone jacks, and cable outlets than you think you need as you never know where you may put the tv's etc.
Laundry chutes or first floor laundry are great time savers.
Don't waste any space on a "formal" living room, make a BIG family room instead.
My 2 cents....

**GOT SVT** · 03-21-2009, 11:50 PM

who is your builder?

is this in a housing plan or by itself??

**THE BIG KOALA** · 03-22-2009, 12:00 AM

I See In Your One Post Your Moving To Upper Burrell Look Me Up When You Move Im From Vandergrift

**SonofaBish** · 03-22-2009, 12:09 AM

Originally Posted by GOT SVT

who is your builder?

is this in a housing plan or by itself??

It is out in the middle of the woods... I was actually under contract with a home that was in a housing plan, until it failed to pass home inspection. I only did it because it was a smokin' deal - but i'm glad it fell through, b/c in the 10 months i spent looking for a home, i never wanted to be in a housing plan....

I'm currently bidding two different builders. The one I still have yet to see his work, but the other does great work and is going to be buildilng my brother's home. He also has done a ton of work as far as going to the Twp building and getting permit applications, etc. and getting questions answered - questions that i had been asking about for 2 weeks on the phone, and no one wanted to give me an answer. His assertiveness is making me lean toward him...

Originally Posted by bossman

I See In Your One Post Your Moving To Upper Burrell Look Me Up When You Move Im From Vandergrift

Well, actually i'll be even closer to you sir... The place i almost bought was in Upper Burrell twp, but i'm now building on a piece of property in Washington Twp.

look forward to seein' the car!

**SonofaBish** · 03-22-2009, 12:11 AM

Originally Posted by Hawkeye

Make the garage as big as you can possibly afford. Mine is 22 x 32 and it still isn't enough. Also, make sure you get heat in the garage as well, as it sucks working in the cold. Mine is detached.
As far as other things I have 1 and 1/2 baths, I will definitely need 2 full baths and the 1/2 as my girls get older. Wire more outlets, phone jacks, and cable outlets than you think you need as you never know where you may put the tv's etc.
Laundry chutes or first floor laundry are great time savers.
Don't waste any space on a "formal" living room, make a BIG family room instead.
My 2 cents....

thanks for the suggestions!! much appreciated!

... interestingly enough, that's exactly how this place is set up... no formal living room, just a large, vaulted family room that they are calling the "great room"

**wick** · 03-22-2009, 12:24 AM

Brent, If you are building out that way, look up Dominic Ricciuiti. He builds fabulous homes. He is a friend and where I used to work, we did all his excavating work. He does everything from plans to individual homes. Windy hill in Plum is one of our/his sites. Cant remember the other one on New Texas road but that was huge. It can give you an idea of building styles.

**SonofaBish** · 03-22-2009, 12:31 AM

Thanks Rob - i appreciate it!

**89 vert** · 03-22-2009, 12:37 AM

Think about installing radiant heat tubing in your garage floor as well as the basement, you can hook it up later when the funds allow. You would spent under a grand for all the materials to install it. There is nothing better that working on your car with a heated floor or walking on your finished basement floor in your bare feet. All it would consist of is laying flexible plastic tubing over the mesh with 8-10 inch spread. Also 2 furnaces and 2 ac's will give you maximum comfort on your floors. Have your plumber install a water line above your cooktop. You can fill all your pots for cooking, its pretty cool, just my 2 cents

**wick** · 03-22-2009, 12:47 AM

Originally Posted by SonofaBish

Thanks Rob - i appreciate it!

**85stang** · 03-22-2009, 03:32 AM

Originally Posted by 89 vert

Think about installing radiant heat tubing in your garage floor as well as the basement, you can hook it up later when the funds allow. You would spent under a grand for all the materials to install it. There is nothing better that working on your car with a heated floor or walking on your finished basement floor in your bare feet. All it would consist of is laying flexible plastic tubing over the mesh with 8-10 inch spread. Also 2 furnaces and 2 ac's will give you maximum comfort on your floors. Have your plumber install a water line above your cooktop. You can fill all your pots for cooking, its pretty cool, just my 2 cents

idont know about the water line above the stove, but the heated concrete floors are a must for any new build. yhe floors stay warm and it radiats so the basement/garage is a constant temp. my boss put it in his basement and its amazing.

**DAN - O** · 03-22-2009, 06:57 AM

Originally Posted by wick

Brent, If you are building out that way, look up Dominic Ricciuiti. He builds fabulous homes. He is a friend and where I used to work, we did all his excavating work. He does everything from plans to individual homes. Windy hill in Plum is one of our/his sites. Cant remember the other one on New Texas road but that was huge. It can give you an idea of building styles.

Dom Riccuiti does amazing work. I went to school with his sons and have been to multiple homes he has built! From the house he lives in to just random homes he has built are SWEET! Rockland Manor is probably the other homes wick was talking about off of New Texas Road. Just throwin my 2 cent out there.

**wick** · 03-22-2009, 10:41 AM

Originally Posted by DAN - O

Dom Riccuiti does amazing work. I went to school with his sons and have been to multiple homes he has built! From the house he lives in to just random homes he has built are SWEET! Rockland Manor is probably the other homes wick was talking about off of New Texas Road. Just throwin my 2 cent out there.

Thats it!!!!! Rockland. My old company did the site work there.

**wick** · 03-22-2009, 10:51 AM

Hey Dan, there was one more that we did the final phase on which linked the rest of the phases together. It was at the top of a hill and went up to the left and straight. Cant think of what it was either. Thats been 9 years ago. HAHAHA