Posted on 12/31/2006 3:10:03 PM PST by Lorianne
Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver are creating strategies to encourage the development of modest, more affordable houses ___ In these three Pacific Northwest cities, the progressive power of urban planning is taken very seriously, and concepts like livability and sustainability dominate the local civic culture to such an extent that to visit all three in rapid succession, as I did in October, is to drop in on another country. It’s not the United States or Canada, but a more highly evolved combination of the two.
In each city I was impressed by major developments, dramatic projects that promised to refresh the urban landscape in conspicuous ways.
It was in Seattle, however, where I saw the best small house. Dave Sarti, who co-taught a design-build studio at the University of Washington last year, had constructed an 800-square-foot house with a 160-square-foot double-height attached workshop. It’s a sweet fire-engine-red box planted in the backyard of a Central District home. I walked down the grassy driveway past an unremarkable blue traditional home and was surprised to see this Bauhaus cube where another yard might have a swing set.
(Excerpt) Read more at businessweek.com ...
I give you credit for admitting it.
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Too much waste and a spend culture. We found we were buying stuff just to fill the larger home, some for rooms we never used. Our lower larger living room ( 1 of 2 ) was a beautiful room full of antiques and quality junk. And except for a few parties we threw, the room was never used but it sure looked nice. LOL, Luckily we both made good money but now that we think back, what a waste!!!!
Garage underneath is very dangerous both for fire hazard and for gassing. Park the car in the driveway and use the garage for storage as it was intended.
Talk to ant home builder of stick (wood) homes and he'll tell you that design outside of a square box costs more to build per SQ foot due to increased "waste". Waste meaning winding up with a roll off container full of unusable wood of various lengths.
The same does not apply for steel homes.
"I know many Gen-Y folks and they are much more frugal."
Like me, two acres, small efficient saltbox cape. I have the room to triple the size of my home if I choose to do so, but I like being able to wave the oil man off and heat my home with three cords of wood a year.
WA State Ping...JFK
I love that place!
the traffic on Novelty Hill into Redmond is hellacious,
as I found out when I lived in Duvall in 2000.
I'm sure RR hasn't helped matters any..
Absent government influence, I believe that the size of homes being constructed would closely match the desires of the buying public. It seems to me that many developments, either through government requirements or neighborhood covenants, tend to set minimum house size standards. Now we have governments seeking ways to push smaller house construction instead. Why don't these controlling idiots just let the market determine house size?
They are cute aren't they?
I like the way you think. You've inspired me for the new year. Thanks!
Price/sq ft varies drastically with location (location, location, location...). I just sold at about $97/square foot in the Chattanooga area and am in the process of buying for around $140-per in the Medina, Ohio area. Those are the going rates for each respective area. Of course, you could move 5 to 10 miles away from each site and possibly have a very different cost/sq. ft. for a similar sized home on a similar-sized lot but in a different city, with a different school system and such. There are many factors involved here.
Or as they used to say, "Why not Minot?"
"The freezin' is the reason."
In other words, it's dang cold up there in the winter. So cold that the snow won't even stay - it continues on to settle in Minnesota instead.
True. It's quite fungible.
But to mortgage lenders it's the gospel. Not to mention realtors, who use price/SF as a marketing tool to salve people's ego's.
Yet another example of 'value' being distorted in our culture.
53 years ago my house was 970 SF 2 bedroom, 1 bath and 1 attached garage. Streets and houses were arranged to catch the Gulf of Mexico breeze and also had a huge attic fan (remember no central A/C here in Houston in 1950.)
Over the years about 25 years ago...an owner decided to convert the one car garage into a rather large additional room and made it a "rec room" and added A/C window units. They were LUCKIER than most and had enough space down the side of the house and NO HUGE trees and added a large oversized 2 car garage to the back yard with plenty of yard to spare.
6 years ago...another owner decided to subtract a bit from the rec room and make a laundry room (up to this point the laundry center was in the large oversized detached garage)and additional storage.
I bought the house 3 years ago...made minor improvements, (upgraded the electric to have 20 amp circuits) and other code details. I took the over sized "rec room" and split it into 2 smaller rooms, now have a 8ft x 11 ft dining room (yes cozy but fits 6 people comfortably around a drop leaf table) and the other 10 x 11 ft I have made as a den off the kitchen so that the kitchen blends into a cozy TV room via a large bar that separates both rooms (I am sure if a "larger" family were to buy this house they could easily convert this area into a kitchen extensions for table and computers and such).
The rest of the house is original...a very large (considering those days) master bedroom with plenty of space for a King bed (even though I have a double) and furniture...the bathroom is 8 x 6 ft single sink plenty of storage and a cast iron tub. BEST PART...it is only me living here...and 2 small dogs...my adult daughter visits and it is more than perfect for 2...my main squeeze is over "all the time" and even with three people very comfy...(oh should note I have a small mirror over the kitchen sink so some could say with 2 females...that the half bath in the kitchen works well).
I have decorated my house basically "cottage style"...I have lush gardens and beautiful huge trees...all landscaping is the product of the love in and around this home for over 50 years.
BEST benefits...I have my shop set up in the garage...table and miter saws...2 kilns (I do ceramic and glass slumping) and a small kitchen so that in the summer I can keep the heat OUTSIDE...my utilities...LARGEST bill ever...was for natural gas and was 84.00. Largest electricity has been 65.00. Water and sewer is 13.50 a month.
The "kicker"...I paid 125k for this house...empty lots all around me sell for 125k. So basically I bought land and got a low maintenance house for free.
It should also be noted my LAST home...was a 5 bedroom 2 story house...and one day after realizing I only lived in "one bathroom, one bedroom, the kitchen and den" I knew that competing with the Jones...was for the birds...I have more money, more time and no wasted space.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
A couple, I know, live in a 160 sq.ft. home but have a 3000 sq.ft. attic and a garage the same size. They claim that they have really attained the "American Dream".
That's so 90s. It's 4000 now.
BUMP
It had a finished basement, hardwood floors yellow painted kitchen cabinets with a bay window, built-in corner cabinets in the dining room, hardwood floors....sigh.
We relocated to my home city and while I have a wonderful big yard and am close to my family, I still miss that cozy home almost 30 years later.
Yeah it's pretty bad, I'm lucky because I never have to commute during the rush hours.
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