Can't see it.

I see it. You have to click the download button to get the pdf file.

I like small tidy plans like this. You must be getting pretty excited. When do you plan to start?

Not soon enough! We're on about a 2 year schedule, due to our family situation (son in college). We'll have to sell our FL home to pay for the new one (upstate SC) and the real estate market is terrible right now, so we'll try to be patient. There's an old thread where we hashed out the design, esp. bevangel and marthaelena, who had great ideas. What's not shown is about 500 sq ft unfinished upstairs, and a full walk-out basement, so this little house should 'live large'. I've added a link to the full plan with elevations etc., but the old floor plan.

Here is a link that might be useful: Full plan

I like it! Our small house gives up plenty of space and lives wnderfully. We have a lot of open space but a few "saway" spaces too that make all the difference.

Since your plan is relatively small, I can see where you would want to utilize your space to it's best advantage. In your earlier planning, did you ever consider taking better advantage of that angled corner in the dining area? I'd love to see that corner straightened, and the angle used to put a built-in corner cabinet in that corner of the dining room. You would lose a teeny bit of space in your master bedroom, but the additional shelving space for china storage and display might be worth the small sacrifice.

I'm also not thrilled with the far away location of your utility room, and would consider alterations to make it more accessible from the bedroom. Was that discussed on the original draw?

Very attractive house! For me, it would just need a few more tweaks to make it shine.

Is this the absolute limit of the floor area you want to build? Would you add 40 s.f. if it improved every room and the circulation pattern?

Everything is subject to change- 1200 sq ft was really a random number, and I hit it accidently while reworking a plan that I liked. I'm open to anything at this point, although the drawings are done. The issue with the utility room was discussed a lot, and various ways were tried to get direct access to the MBR. We even talked about a pass-through of some kind, but then you still have to get your self to the other side. I figured I could create some kind of laundry basket on wheels if necessary. Unless our budget is very tight, I would say odds are that the upstairs will be a master suite, including laundry, and the main floor MBR would be a den. If we become too old to safely navigate the stairs, we'll go back to one floor living. I don't like the lack of windows upstairs, but then, that's why they invented dormers! I'm open to any and all suggestions- that's why I posted the plan.

If you only need one bedroom & bath upstairs plus perhaps a small extra room (office/nursery/storage) you might consider having steep rafters (12 in 12) instead of having to add dormers later (limited locations for dormers because of the cross gables). That would also give more substance and perhaps charm to the house for little additional cost (longer rafters). You could easily add skylights later.

The roof over the upstairs is 12/12. There's plenty of room, but windows only on the gable ends. Actually, there is a deck over the back porch, with french doors leading out to it. The roof is what I call a 'witch's hat', with a 12/12 roof transitioning to a 4/12 over the porches and MBR.

The best way to build the roof is to use band joists as if it were a 2-story house, then put the upper level subfloor on, then a 2x4 perimeter plate, and then install the rafters on the plate. That raises the roof up about 10 " and gives you an extra 10" of floor space on each side of the main gable roof for little extra cost. It also gives you a taller exterior wall in case you want a larger overhang.

Actually, if you removed the shed roofs, the walls on the main gable are 14' tall, which is where the roof transition begins. Minus the 10' ceilings, and about a foot for floor joists, there is about a 3' wall at the eaves. Making the upstairs room 16' wide would give me about 7' where the wall meets the ceiling. I'll have a 2' sloped ceiling, then 9' high for the center of the room. That gives me 560 sq ft upstairs, not including the stairwell. The porch end of the house is towards the view, so I can tuck in a bathroom and closet at the opposite end. There would also be storage space along both walls, 4' deep and 35' long! The only problem with using the upstairs as a master suite is that if I want to take guests out on the upstairs balcony, they have to go through our bedroom. But with all the porch space downstairs, it's not a problem. Here's a cross section view of the main gable over the kitchen/dining area. I have found steel floor joists that can easily span the 24' ceiling.

By definition that is a 1 1/2 story house design. It should be reviewed by an engineer to determine if the exterior wall top plate needs to be braced where there is no shed roof. The second floor joists will be interrupted by the stairway for a substantial portion of the structure. I suspect it could be more costly than conventional framing.

flgargoyle,

Yeah, am still not loving the utility room. It seems more a glorified hallway. If it stays where it is, how about putting a cabinet in with a laundry sink or over-sized sink under the window opposite the W/D? The counter space would be handy for folding clothes, the sink for soaking or pre-treating, and the cabinet space for storage of cleaning supplies, etc. Also, if you use the garage to work on things, or are a gardener, having a sink nearby to clean up would be nice. The counter could also double as a potting bench.

Something else to consider, have you tried putting the half bath in the utility room? It could be nice to have a bathroom close to the main entry and it would open up your master bedroom area or provide an interesting alcove for a sitting area either public or as a part of the master suite? It looks like the utility room can bump out another two feet to be in line with the garage, which should be enough to fit in a powder room; you could do a stack W/D which would free up more space.

As is, the master bedroom area is getting there, has the straight view in from the half bath and there will be a line of sight from the kitchen into the bedroom. How about a pocket door into the master closet, an in-swing takes up space there. It may have been better when the two baths were back to back and the closet to the outside, though you don't get a window in the bath?

The parlor looks like a nice cozy space with the fireplace and the entry is much better, not as tight. I like the little coat closet and the half wall. All in all the plan is shaping up nicely and you still have time to tweak the details.

Jill

The only place that the main gable does not have the shed roof is the cross gable over the parlor- I'm not sure if that can be incorporated to brace the upper wall. I know with 5/8" plywood sheathing glued and well fastened, that upper wall isn't going anywhere, but of course I'll have to have it engineered. I'm seriously considering going with 6" steel SIP's for the walls and roof, which is a whole different story altogether. The manufacturer includes the engineering with the cost of the SIP's, though.

I assume you're worried about the interrupted floor joists not preventing the spread of the upper walls? I'll be honest- the main reason for the 1-1/2 stories is the appearance of the house- I just like the way they look. If push comes to shove, I could use trusses and eliminate the upstairs altogether. There's a 1200 sq ft basement already there, and if I use ICF or Superior Wall, it's already insulated- it wouldn't take much to make more living space down there. That would knock a LOT off the price of the house! I could always have an outdoor stairway up to the upstairs deck (which I really, REALLY want to have!)

Jill- I'll play with some of your ideas- I have a feeling there will be a lot of changes before the ground is broken! As for the garage, it will strictly be for parking one car. A sizable barn will be built first (I may live in it during my build) so the attached garage is strictly for DW to come and go and be safe and dry.

Would you be interested in seeing an adaptation of your floor plan with the same room layout, dimensions and overall design, except for a change of master bath and closet that allowed access from the master bath through a door at the bottom of the stairs next to the utility room? I've come up with a design that I could post if you are interested.

Well. I've been busy hashing and re-hashing, and while I have, the budget is getting cut by sinking real estate prices, and general doom and gloom. If things continue to go downhill, I'll eliminate the upstairs, as it adds a lot to the cost and engineering hassles, as opposed to pre-built trusses. We still have a full basement for expansion/guest rooms. I'm also reducing the size of the wrap-around porch, both to save money, and due to a concern I have that it will make the kitchen/dining room too dark. With the wrap-around, that room will never get any sunlight. The reduced porch is 12 X 24. Here's a sketch of the changes. The porch is at the bottom; the garage at the top. I left them off for clarity. I moved the kitchen over to the East side of the house, since I like morning sun in the kitchen. The staircase shown goes to the basement, and if no upstairs is built, there could be an additional linen closet over the top of the descending stairs. The Master closet is more than double what we currently have, so linens could be stored in there as well. I don't think I'll be done tweaking until the final nail is sunk!

Your section is for a very small part of the actual house and still doesn't show the stairs nor does it show the condition through the kitchen and the master bedroom closet.

Actually, that's the whole house, minus the porch and garage.

Does the stairs go up? If you switch the direction to access upstairs you could probably build in your computer nook underneath the stairs and get another sink into the master bath. Although it makes the upstairs less accessible to the middle of the house. However many houses seem to have the stairs originating by the front door so although less than ideal imo it is common. If I weren't planning on using the upstairs much then I'd want to squeeze out all the usable space I can downstairs. Hard to tell without dimensions as well what you can really do.

Do you need two sinks in the kitchen. I can't imagine that the kitchen is large enough that you're not more than a couple of steps from the main sink anyways. If you want to save money.

Do you need air-conditioning? If so where will the unit/return air go?

As for upstairs, why not plan out what the rooms would look like there so you can get it built with the right supports and not have to worry about a fully open area up there?

As for a wrap porch. We cut ours off at the back and front, but it can still be added onto if we ever wanted to complete it.

Don't waste money on French doors if you don't think you'll be using them. Cost will be more than windows and In my experience windows insulate better too.

The stairs are primarily down to the basement. The upstairs is in limbo at this point, and probably going to be eliminated.

It's not the size of the kitchen that warrants two sinks- it's having two cooks. It seems like the main sink is always 'busy'.

A/C may be either in the basement or attic.

I've never lived in a house with two sinks in the Master bath, and I don't see the need for one.

FLG,

Like the evolution, definitely getting there. I like the changes to the master suite area and the door into the closet so the laundry is more convenient. Also, like the powder room by the front door.

The kitchen/dining area lays out quite nicely especially with your views to the rear and access to your decks.

Thumbs up!

Jill