homebuilding fantasies
I re-visited a couple posts of mine on ownerbuilderbook.com. By the way, if you are thinking about building, this is an excellent site that could save you a ton of money (and as Ben might say, $50,000 saved is $50,000 earned). One of my posts asking for creative suggestions for handling a couple old grain silo pads had a few responses that for whatever reason did not show up in my email. One person suggested making a greenhouse out of at least one of them (I like that suggestion). One suggested his and her helipads (nice, but not practical). One suggested painting a pair of eyeballs that can stare at people flying overhead (funny). And another suggested looking into a cell phone repeater tower to make some extra money. Hmmm... Something that helps me pay my mortgage? I like that idea. Other ideas are variations on an idea we have to build a combo gazebo/fort/castle with a pole going up through the center and a zip line at the top extending across 3.5 acres (whoo-hoo!). There are two pads so we can mix and match ideas.I am trying to determine a way to provide a pool cover that could double as a floor for family gatherings. The surface would have to be solid (don't want food slipping through cracks into the pool - yuck!). It would need to be retractable (probably to the roof to be most convenient). It would have to be strong to support large gatherings and handle the stress of retraction to the roof. It would need to be attachable to the pool deck (preferably lockable). It will require a lighting system attached to the underside (unless it is clear). The cable to provide power would have to be detachable and retractable. The cables and winches to hoist the deck would have to be strong and dependable (definitely do not want a deck crashing down on swimmers below). Oh, and it would be nice if this were all affordable.
In the next three years, we will have to revisit our designer to update our plans with our new ideas. I imagine that barring a sudden windfall, the plans will have to be modular in that they can be implemented in phases. The house will be one phase, the detached garage/workshop another and the swimming pool wing another. I would like to build all three together (it would be less expensive that way), but I doubt the budget will handle building all them initially. Which is a shame because it would be great if those things could be enjoyed by the kids while they are young(er), but even if they are grown, the grandkids would get a blast out of them (not to mention any neighborhood kids, kids from church, some adults, etc...). We'll get some good use out of anything we do regardless of when we build them.
I need to start putting together a building plan and a construction budget so I can start determining the order to plan things and what things are going to cost (and where we'll have to make cuts). I told Becky last night that she is going to have to start reading our books on owner building so she is up on the process as well (since she will be supervising part of the time).
And while all this is going on, we also need to start prepping out house for sale. We're make progress here and there. I am just glad that we have three years to get it ready. I think we're going to need it. But it is going to require a concerted effort on the part of everyone in the family. And to think, I'm actually entertaining ideas about starting a business. Yes. I am insane.
posted by bylaw @ 1:52 PM
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