Dec
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admin | 
12 7th, 2009| 
Dec
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Waiting to see what the economy is going to do is one way to waste your time. Another way to spend your time, though, is to take advantage of the situations around you and build your own custom home. Many things right now make it an excellent time and opportunity to enable you to be in your dream home before long.
1. Home Loans Have Great Interest Rates
By now, most everyone is aware of the fluctuations of the housing market. Those fluctuations, however, have actually brought about an excellent opportunity to get about as low of an interest rate as is possible. Not only that, but lenders are looking for people with good credit to extend a loan to. Even better may be the fact that the government is cracking down on loan companies that are less than honest. This could help you get a better deal. Altogether, it means you could get a really great financial package to start building after you select your custom house plans.
2. Many Custom Home Designs Are Available
Your custom made dream house does not need to follow the more traditional designs of everyone else’s house. There are many different styles of homes that you can choose from, and many of them are much lower in cost than your traditional styles.
Custom home designs could include the straw bale home, the earthen home, barn conversions, cordwood, stone, and others, too. You certainly have the freedom to choose a unique style to match your own tastes if you want. You can also put into your home any special features you want, as well.
3. Building Material Costs Are Not Getting Cheaper
Building your own dream home now gives you a better opportunity to get the lower prices. While no one knows what will happen, things are rather looking like prices are not going down anytime soon. It will not be long before gasoline prices will drive building materials prices sky high.
Some custom homes may actually be far less expensive than you might think. One of these is the straw bale home. This design could enable you to save up to 75% of a traditional home and it will last much longer than one, too. This style can give you lower heating and AC costs, as well as lower maintenance costs, too, saving you money for years to come and keeping its value up, too.
4. Construction Crews Are Ready
Let’s face it, there is not a lot of new home construction going on right now. This means that it should not be hard to get a good contractor to build your home. You could probably even get it built rather quickly because homebuilders are looking for new design homes to build. Even better for you, though, is that they will not be rushed to complete your job so they can go to the next house as quickly as possible.
Contractors will be glad to see you coming – and you may even get a better deal on your new custom design dream home than you thought possible. All you need to do now to get started on your dream home plans is to talk to a designer.
By Tim Davis. You are invited to learn more from an experienced home draftsman of over 19 years who has drawn many hundreds of custom home plans for satisfied clients. Visit his Web site at Custom House Plans and learn more about how he can design your unique dream home for you.
http://customhouseplans.8m.com/
How about these right… I think you’ll find the following nuggets of wisdom particularly insightful. Leave your comments below. Check out the second one in particular…
Adjudication awards: Logical deductions – Building
Mr Simper was called upon by the Smiths, who said their barn conversions were now late. They asked for a declaration by the adjudicator that (1) the architect ought to have issued “a certificate of non-completion”, and (2) “they were …
Monmouth Monmouthshire Cottage Information Warmly attractive with their own sunny terraces these eco friendly Grade II listed 17th century barn conversions use the latest ground source pumps for heating. On a working farm with fishing …
… Cardigan Bay and its golden expanse of sandy beaches as well as a wonderful location on the fringes of the Snowdonia National park these two delightful stone barn conversions are ideal for walking bird watching and family holidays. …
Hope you enjoy the read as much as I did and please if you have something to say, use the comments form below to let everyone know your thoughts.
Have a great day!
Popularity: 10% [?]
Dec
5
If you’ve been keeping up with my blog posts lately you’ll know I’ve come to adding a few news posts from around the web on this subject. I’ve got a couple more today that are new and updated, so let me know what you think of em…
BBC – Chris Evans: Hey happy dudes of the blog.
Tired from watching the late QT show last night and up early with yee little one by the name of Noah. Think we may have had the best of the day as the mist was hanging magically over the garden at the same time as daybreak was having …
Betws-Y-Coed Conwy Cottage Information Commanding spectacular views amidst the stunning mountain scenery at the heart of the Snowdonia National Park these cosy and comfortable barn conversions offer a wonderful base for a relaxing …
Let’s move to Bury, Lancashire
Market values Barn conversions and farmhouses, £650000-£850000. Large executive detacheds, £375000-£650000. Three- or four-bed detacheds, £170000-£375000. Semis, £100000-£300000 (big, Victorian, posh area). …
Hope you enjoy the read as much as I did and please if you have something to say, use the comments form below to let everyone know your thoughts.
Have a great day!
If you are looking to turn your barn into a home, there are a number of things that you need to consider. It can be a fairly large job, though many people prefer to keep a lot of the original features of the barn in their homes. You may also have to keep several features of the barn if you want to ensure that you can keep a physical record of the building once it is finished.
Now home barn renovations can be hard work. So it is often a good idea to look at various tips to see how you can save a lot of hard work. It also helps to look at tips to see if you can find a style that suits you. Often people have no idea how to renovate their barn and so by looking at different tips you should be able to get some inspiration to help you.
Some of the Best Barn Renovation Tips
If you want to get the place looking fantastic, the first thing that you should ideally look at when you step into the barn is the flooring. If the barn has been used for a number of activities then it is likely that it will be quite worn down. So the flooring may be the one thing that requires a lot of work. A common problem which can cause problems with the flooring is a damaged roof. If the barn has not been used that much, then the roof is likely to have suffered some damage. This means that if there is a leak, the rain could have come through and caused a lot of damage to the flooring. So you will need to sweep the floor and see exactly what damage has occurred before you can start any work on it.
Another extremely important factor you need to take into account with home barn renovations is the electrics and the mechanical systems. If the barn has electric then you should check to see if it still works. If there are any faulty electrics then you will need to have them fixed by a qualified electrician. If you do not fix the problem properly, it can lead to a fire. Many people have lost their barns due to a fire caused by an electrical fault. So it is always better to be safe rather than sorry.
Overall renovating your barn can be a lot of work but it is essential if you want to keep it safe and usable. If you follow these easy tips you should have no problem renovating the barn yourself. Generally it is mainly just a case of checking the flooring, the roof and the electrics. You may also wish to install replacement windows to update the barn.
Being very excited about basement windows, Peter Mason authored quite a few detailed reports on this particular topic. His work on basement replacement windows are found on http://www.replacement-windows-tips.com/basement-replacement-windows.html
Popularity: 8% [?]
Dec
4
Barns are considered as very important buildings by a great number of people, this is because they contain a number of unique historic features that just can’t be found in newer buildings. If you’re considering restoring a barn then you should be aware that it takes a lot of time and patience. Barn renovations can seem like such an easy task on paper, however if you actually take a look at a barn then you will quickly realize just how daunting this task can be. There are so many original important features that must be kept. All of these features that you want to keep can make it difficult to know exactly what to do.
There are a number of great tips to help you decide which activities you should prioritize. When renovating you really want the best of both worlds, you want to keep the historic features of the barn while also installing the modern creature comforts that everyone loves. It is actually possible to do this, and we will look at a number of different ways to restore your beloved barn to it’s former glory. Barn renovations must be done with the love and care that these historic buildings deserve.
Top Tips
As every building is different the actual renovations that you will need to carry out will depend on the unique building. Normally the bulk of the time and money is spent renovating the interiors of barns, and so it is very important that you take note of the condition of the flooring. Any damage to the flooring could indicate problems with dampness, or the roofing. It is always a good idea to keep the floor clean whilst renovating so you can be sure no damage is being caused.
You must also pay special attention to the electrical wiring and any mechanical systems that are installed in the barn. Electrical installation standards have no doubt changed substantially since your building was built and so rewiring could be quite an expense. The electrical wiring must be tested for safety it’s just not worth taking a chance with such a thing.
Your barn has probably been standing for a couple of hundred years you certainly don’t want it to burn down just because your electrical wiring was substandard. Many barns have heartbreakingly burnt down as a result of electrical faults, don’t take the chance!
You should spend time preparing a plan so you can decide which tasks need doing and in which order. This will help you to manage your budget and also prioritize tasks. A plan will make sure the whole process goes smoothly. If you’re not confident with renovating properties yourself then you should ask a professional for guidance about the materials involved. Enjoy your historic barn it would be the perfect place to bring up a family!
Concentrating on the topic of DIY, the author writes at large for http://www.replacement-windows-tips.com With his writings on DIY and garden window the writer expressed his experience in the area.
Advice on loft conversion – building regs – sale of house?
We're just in the process of selling our terraced property. It has a loft conversion which is used as a bedroom but isn't up to current building regs standards (e.g. height at top of stairs) and our purchasers Solicitors are now asking what date the conversion was done. We believe the conversion was carried out in the '60s or '70s. Does anyone one know what date the original building regs (England) for loft conversions were introduced? Or has anyone had any experience of Solictors asking similar questions or any idea on how to trace down a rough date?
Popularity: 8% [?]
Dec
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Nov
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There is a trend lately to find unique and affordable housing and many have turned to converting a barn into a home. In my area of East Tennessee, there are some fine examples of this including the one I converted.
It’s needless to say that there are many barns in various shapes and sizes all around. A vast majority are in bad shape. Please don’t make the mistake of buying one that is labeled a unique fixer upper opportunity. Don’t fool yourself. If a barn has gotten into the shape where the siding boards are starting to fall off, unless you’re buying it for parts, my suggestion is to leave it alone. By the time the boards start falling off the sides, there’s major flaws. The main trouble would probably be that the horizontal beams are rotting and the fasteners are turning loose.
The best candidate for remodeling would be one that was painted on the exterior walls and roof. This means that it was at least maintained to a certain degree by it’s owners over the years. If your barn has some age on it, it would probably be best to first find all the areas that have been effected by weather or urine from the livestock that was kept in that barn. Animal urine sometimes has a high acid content and anything that has been contaminated with it really needs to be removed from the structure.
Look especially in the loft areas where hay may have been stored close to the outside walls. Chances are there may have been some rain water that had soaked in through the hay bales. This is where you will find most of any rotting of the floor boards. Take a look at the underside of the roof. If you see pinholes and sunlight coming through, water can also seep in. You’ll either have to replace the tin roofing where you find these holes or dab the holes with a tar patch and then coat the roof with a fibered aluminum paint.
Inspect the interior walls and see what types of columns are used in your barn. 99% of all barns in the US are post and beam construction. If your posts are buried in the ground, check and see if there is any type of rotting. Older barns will probably not have pressure treated wood in their construction. If your barn is built with a wide open floor area, you are most certainly going to have to build masonry piers inside to support your floors and walls and also find a way to tie the existing walls into the new support system.
Check to see that the horizontal beams are not loose or if there is rotting between them and the columns. Look at the top plates for rot from water damage. If your columns are mounted on a rock or cinder block, check the bottoms of the columns for rotting.
Consult your local building inspector to make sure you can get the proper permits if needed. In my part of the country, building permits for remodeling are not required if you are in the county but your local codes may be different. It would be a shame to buy the barn only to find the powers that be will not grant the necessary permissions.
When I first began my project, all I had to work with was the old, empty barn. Being an old structure it was necessary to examine the entire building to make sure there wasn’t any type of structural flaws. Thank goodness there was only one place that had to be bolstered. The inside front left corner was starting to slide off it’s foundation stone. I solved that problem by hooking the column to my tractor and winching it back into place with a come-along. Then I built a buttress beside the column to keep it from moving again.
Tim Davis is a veteran Architectural Designer who also teaches architecture and drafting over the internet http://houseplandrafting101.com
Tim is also the author of an Ebook entitled “How to Turn a Barn into a Home”. The info page for updates on this ebook can be found at http://draftingservice.us/barnhomes
If you’ve been keeping up with my blog posts lately you’ll know I’ve come to adding a few news posts from around the web on this subject. I’ve got a couple more today that are new and updated, so let me know what you think of em…
are barn conversions really worth the money?
introduction a barn conversion is exactly what it says it is, ie a barn which is no longer used for its original purpose and has been converted to a different use such as a commercial or residential dwelling. barns were usually close to …
Architect Visit: Shed Architects Whidbey Island Barn Conversion …
Barn Conversion Living. Barn Conversion Dining and Kitchen. Barn Conversion Kitchen to Hall. Barn Conversion Living Stair Detail. Barn Conversion Kitchen Detail. Barn Conversion Bath Detail. Barn Conversion Outdoor bath …
Classic Offbeat Homes: Barn Conversions : Blisstree – Family …
A good barn conversion usually cheers my day up; so let's make that our classic look of the day. Following is one of my favorite barn conversions ever, although it's hard to limit favorites, because certain people have done some …
Hope you enjoy the read as much as I did and please if you have something to say, use the comments form below to let everyone know your thoughts.
Have a great day!
Popularity: 15% [?]
Nov
26
Nov
12
In late 2000, I bought a piece of property that was used as a farm for the past three generations. And even though just under six acres, was one of the prettiest pieces of land you ever laid eyes on. One half of the property is wooded and the remainder is rolling hills. At the westernmost section of the land runs a bubbling brook fed by a gushing spring. The water in that spring is crystal clear, fresh, and cool, all year round.
My wife and I borrowed my families RV and moved onto the property that same year with all intentions of building an English Style Tudor home on the front side of the property.
I’m an architectural designer by trade and had spent months laying out my wife’s dream home. (OK, I admit it was mine too!) It was going to be built using trees off the land that I spent six weeks cutting down and shaping into 8″ x 8″ beams with my chain saw.
Then we hit a snag. The place where we were to build our dream home sat too close to the power lines that ran across the front of the property. Sure, I could get the utility board to move them, but not at their expense. I’d have to pay for the entire shooting match and that just wasn’t in the budget.
By the time we got the news about the power lines, we had already spent nine weeks in that old RV and to be honest, it was getting sort of cramped seeing that three of our five children were still living at home. I don’t care how big the RV is, if there is a 5 year old, two young teens, and two adults packed in it, life gets interesting. My wife’s nerves were getting a bit frazzled and to be honest, so were mine.
On our farm, the only other suitable place to build sat the most beautiful old barn you ever laid eyes on. 64′ wide by 30′ deep. This barn had good solid construction with 6″ x 6″ columns, true 2″ x 6″ girts and rafters, 1″ x 10″ & 12″ planking on the walls and lofts floors. All rough sawn and true size. This building was nearly a century old and twice as solid as modern structures today.
When I got the news about the house, I tried to break it to my wife as easy as possible so I took her out for a moon light stroll. You know, one of those romantic type walks that women just seem to get all gushy about. On our stroll we walked up to the barn where I had stored all those beams I had made to keep them in the dry until needed.
Sweety, I said. “We can’t build the house right now. If I have to clear land to build it, there will be another three to four month wait before I can even start construction.” Then, off the cuff I said; “Maybe I could build us an apartment in the barn until I can start on the house.” Her eyes lit up and she asked me; “How long would it take to build?” I thought for a second and decided it would take probably a month to complete.
Her excitement returned and seeing her face light up like that spurred me on to swinging a hammer. I selected the widest open part of the barn and started the construction. I’m glad I had the utility board hook power up to the barn as it really made life easier to use my power tools.
I visited our local saw mill and bought as much raw lumber as I could. First I constructed a new loft area using some of the beams I had cut out, then using those same beams, started cutting out stairs. Next I enclosed the face of the opening with native rock and mortar at about three feet tall and then a wood wall on top of that.
I built the floor to the Living Room and Den and then started framing the Kitchen which would protrude out of the back of the barn. Next, the loft I had previously built became mine and my wife’s bedroom. From there I opened an area into the existing loft and started building the bathroom and two other bedrooms.
It has been close to eight years now and that barn apartment has become a full blown home complete with five Bedrooms, a Living Room, Den/Dining Room, Kitchen, Full Bathroom, Study, Sunroom/Laundry, Sewing Room, and a Garage. We haven’t even used up a third of the barn yet and our square footage is already around 2064 sq. ft. of heated area. That square footage doesn’t include the Garage, or Woodshop. The Garage is 13′-4″ by 20′ and the Wood Shop is the same size.
If you are planning to convert an outbuilding or barn into a home, you are in for a treat. Not only is there a rustic beauty but a whole bunch of possibilities for layout and use.
Tim Davis is a veteran Architectural Designer who also teaches architecture and drafting over the internet http://houseplandrafting101.com
He is the author of an Ebook entitled “How to Turn a Barn into a Home”. The info page for updates on this ebook can be found at http://draftingservice.us/barnhomes
Back with more news for you today. It’s amazing how much good information there is on this stuff out there if you know where to look. Three in particular that I found really valuable were…
Unusual Property Unconverted and Converted Barns for Sale in UK …
Get some of the best barn conversions for sale in the UK and Europe, where both converted and unconverted Barns are for sale from individual sellers or Estate Agents. Create your dream homes with a barn conversions. …
the barn conversion also fluently evokes the anticipation of wholesomeness of a once organic and pleasant peasant lifestyle. conversion of barns means to convert old farming buildings into commercial or residential use structures. …
Residential Conversions | Terrys Fabrics’s Blog
Barn conversions seem to epitomise the ideal of English country life. Set into rural landscapes and often overlooking vast areas of green countryside they hold desirable locations. With their ancient wooden beams and stonework, …
Hope you enjoy the read as much as I did and please if you have something to say, use the comments form below to let everyone know your thoughts.
Have a great day!
Popularity: 18% [?]
Nov
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Nov
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Thinking of visting france help?
thinking of visting secound time round
went before but only stayed a few days in paris
this time when i go im going for longer
but i want to stay in the country side
any suggestions of good places ?
Taking its name from the 800-mile long river that runs through it, the Pays de la Loire region of France covers five departments: Loire-Atlantique (44), Mayenne (53), Sarthe (72), Maine-et-Loire (49) and Vendee (85). A department is similar to a UK or U.S. county.
The Loire-Atlantique and Vendee have lovely harbours and sandy beaches, while inland, the Loire valley has beautiful rolling countryside, fairytale chateaux, and vineyards producing some of the best wines anywhere.
The primary towns are Nantes, Angers, Le Mans, Laval, Cholet, and La Roche-sur-Yon.
Location hot spots that attract expats include the areas around Saumur (including Montreuil-Bellay, Fontevraud l’Abbaye, and Doue-la-Fontaine), Chateaubriant, Mayenne (specifically the Gorron area), and the ever-popular Vendee (Fontenay-le-Comte, Vouvant, and La Chataigneraie).
The Loire is a thriving region with a strong local economy. There are several well-established industrial and agricultural businesses: Cholet exports designer clothes to the world, Saint-Nazaire builds transatlantic liners and cruise ships, Nantes has booming IT and financial services fields, the region supplies produce to all of France, and some of the vintners have had exports increase by 340% due to increased demand from emerging economies, such as China. Tourism is also a big earner as travellers from other parts of France and from across the world come to explore this fantastic region.
Although property prices in the Loire have risen steadily over recent years, there are still bargains to be had. A quick perusal of the estate agent’s windows will show that you can pick up a renovation project for €30,000 to €40,000, and you can buy a decent 3-bedroom detached house for €100,000 – €120,000. Going up to the €180,000 – €200,000 range will get you a large house in excellent condition with a good-sized garden, and perhaps an orchard or a bit of land.
Land is quite reasonable in the Pays de la Loire and many rural properties come with much larger gardens than in the UK. As expected, town or village centre properties may have a patio or a small garden.
Of course, the most popular areas will be the most expensive. But, even if you’re determined to live in a “des res”, you’ll get more for your money here than in the UK.
A range of property styles are available in the Pays de la Loire, from stone-built longeres (long houses) to village townhouses to elegant chateaux, and everything in between.
The new build constuction field is active (but not excessively so), so if you prefer a new house they are available, but be prepared to pay more for it as these are popular with the French.
In the north part of the Pays de la Loire region, you will find traditional stone-built houses and longeres and barn conversions, as well as the cream-coloured new builds, while houses in the Vendee have a more Mediterranean feel with stucco and red-tiled roofs.
The Pays de la Loire has good air and train links, and is about three or four hours drive from the ferry and Eurotunnel terminals.
As the Loire is popular with holidaymakers, you may be able to rent out a property here, thus generating a return on your investment.
More information on Pays de la Loire Property is available on the FrenchEntree Pays de la Loire website.
Popularity: 15% [?]