Did nobody read my last post?

"E. Julius" (soonerfrommi)
02/09/2015 at 19:05 • Filed to: None

I said there's a detached garage for all the other cars, plus whatever big equipment I need (lift, etc.). I wanted a special place for my one perfect car that I could see from within the house. I don't want to have to look at whatever PoS my wife and kids are DDing too!

DISCUSSION (8)

bob and john > E. Julius
02/09/2015 at 19:07

its a small note in the middle of a wall-o-text.

may want to bring it out a bit more so the rest of us dont jump on you

E. Julius > bob and john
02/09/2015 at 19:10

haha good point. Fixed!

KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs > E. Julius
02/09/2015 at 19:15

My criticism still holds. You may want to look at your Alfa 4C on a battery tender, but a detached garage/carport is only a small notch above "Park out in the weather".

You should have at least a two car attached garage, preferably not with glass walls (Those are expensive, and will limit the appeal of the house on resale).

So while it's a good exercise, there are architectural choices that only a Gehry, Wright, or Pei could pull off.

Food for thought if you want to actually have it built.

E. Julius > KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs
02/09/2015 at 19:19

How is a detached garage one step above park in the weather? It could still be enclosed/heated. Also, if I were to have this place built I would probably stay in it for a long long time. Too many little personal touches to sell in 10 years. And I'd like to think I can capture a little bit of Mr. Wright's magic ; )

That being said, thank you for the constructive criticism instead of just complaining about the garage lol

KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs > E. Julius
02/09/2015 at 19:28

This depends on the climate. In Florida, it's only a problem if you have no covered passage to protect from rain (Plus no one likes the walk). In Toronto, there's this thing called winter that is everything when the MoT isn't doing road construction. It tends to be cold (Again, and no one would like the walk, however short to a detached building). Yes the garage itself could be heated, but not with an open breezeway (and underground passages are expensive to construct, and may not fly with residential building codes in certain areas).

(EDIT) With regards to a detached building, you have to find a way to spin that as a positive. Example to follow.

What I would do is move the office to the detached building (Much easier to run MEP lines to the outbuilding), and make that space a two car garage in the main plan. (Edited for clarity)

You would instantly have a more family friendly design (i.e. wife approved attached parking for her), and you also have a more friendly Work-From-Home plan (that being that the office is in an outbuilding, so if your kids are at home, they don't have to worry about bothering you).

Now if you want the office to be open to the garage, or have a pedestal slot for, say, a 4C, that could be worked in with the office, and have additional shop space in the back.

Even if you are planning to keep the property for 10 years or more, you don't know what your situation will be like, and you always have to consider the possibility of needing to sell (i.e. relocation for a job, need to be closer to aging parents, etc). That means you should personalize, but keep things as low key, otherwise you will be stuck with something that no one other than you wants.

E. Julius > KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs
02/09/2015 at 19:36

I'm from Michigan, familiar with what winter is haha. At least at the moment the girlfriend said she approved of the detached parking as long the breezeway is covered and the floor is heated. That is a good point with the office—I was thinking of doing a second floor with something like that and/or a guest room on the outbuilding. As far as the last part is concerned, I don't see the point of designing your own home if you compromise on what you want. I fully intend to build this (or whatever version it's in in XX years) when I can, and I wouldn't do so without being all but sure I had the financial ability to keep it forever.

KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs > E. Julius
02/09/2015 at 19:45

As my grandmother is apt to tell us kids (I'll be 28 this year): "Forever is a long time, kiddo".

Are you certain you will have the same job "Forever"? (I hope not. Opportunities sometimes mean changing jobs.)

Are you certain that you will have the same priorities with housing "Forever"? (This means schools for your kids, when you have them. And what seems like a good idea now might not be the greatest idea in hindsight. That's why I'd put a small office/study in my garage, currently planned for my backyard, because not having one and just doing a pole barn would have issues)

Are you sure that you will want to live in the same place "Forever"? (This encompasses a lot of various things, from county taxes to neighbors to what stores and amenities are around your land)

I bought my first house 3 years ago. I'm now doing renovations to it, because I want to, and because it will make my house more desirable to someone if and when I want/need to sell (I can't foresee the reason, but it could happen). Would I like to stay where I am? Absolutely.

Am I going to turn down a far better job (think 50% pay increase and a signing bonus) elsewhere because I don't want to move? I'd have to really think about that... (It's not automatic either way)

E. Julius > KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs
02/09/2015 at 19:51

fuck man I just wanted to design a cool house. Let me enjoy the naïveté of youth—I'm well aware there's a ton of shit that's not even on my radar now that's going to drop on me like a bomb in 2-10 years.