Building on acreage to lock up
Anna Jean
7 years ago
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oklouise
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agoRelated Discussions
Aging-Gracefully-In-Place: Tips for reno or new builds
Comments (34)Good morning to Dorset from Scotland! My husband had a birthday last week and is now saying we're 'pushing 60'. We're active and fit, lol, but sensible too-the day will come sooner rather than later when one or both of us is not able to claim to be spry. Because the little cottage is in such a sad cosmetic state it was listed at a rather amazing price and we locked ourselves into it too early thinking it was a perfect spot for us to grow old. Whoops, thanks to several posts here about doing a reno or new build with a mind to age-in-place we are having to admit that is not the house for us. Luckily the town is the 'gateway to the glens' and if we wanted to use it as a holiday let we could easily. It's also becoming a commuter town-the hardier type people from Dundee and Aberdeen are buying in to take advantage of the great mountain lifestyle whilst being able to easily commute to their 'day job'. We were not looking for an investment property-not especially keen on the idea but more and more we're thinking that's what we've got. We measured the borrowed wheel chair, and also took the measurements of the typical mobility devices available now (the ones that are adverted as being in-outdoors), and frankly held up against the kitchen and bath measurements, there is no way we can make the bathroom work. Up thread (I think it was Deborah Butler of Brickwood Builders) a wet-room was mentioned as being best to accommodate a roll-in shower but hard to do as a reno project. Looking at the floor-plan, home report, and our own measurements confirmed that on this wee cottage-there is no way to do that and no way a wheelchair or mobility device is going to be rolled in that cupboard size bathroom. The kitchen could be managed if we drop the pantry wall idea, but the bathroom we planned to make a shower room is not manageable at all, and there is no room to extend that space. We would have figured all this out but much further down Reno Road, lol, so this thread has been a huge help to us just on that! Because we're now doing a much simpler reno (dropping the wider doorways and sliders, the ramp, and a few other a-i-p doings), the cost to renovate that lovely wee home is much lower too. The only things we won't be able to do ourselves is the shower conversion and the rewiring. A huge savings that we're going to need to find the right place for us! We know now that we need to look for a home with room to enlarge bathroom and kitchen areas, and with a less tricky entry to incorporate a ramp. For starters:) We have to be out of our current home by 1st August when the new owners will be arriving from Australia. We've borrowed the use of a caravan from friends to live in whilst doing the cottage reno (now that's small space living!) and that's going to be a help but I sure wish I'd joined Houzz sooner! I would have started this thread BEFORE locking into a property too small for our needs. Too, rather than use it as a holiday let or sell it on, we may move into the cottage once the reno is complete but we do know now there is no way we'll be able to age-gracefully-in-place in it. Sigh. Oh well, our builder is happy-he wasn't keen on trying to fit those sliding doors:) Take-Away For the Day? Be sure the property has room to expand vital living spaces before making an offer that is sure to be accepted:(...See MoreAluminium Frames vs Wooden vs UPVC Patio Door Frame Showdown
Comments (1)We have slimline aluminium frames throughout our newly moved in house and I have admired their clean, modern look from the moment we had our first viewing. The rooms are flooded with light and the frames give a sharp aesthetic which lends itself to our mid-century look. Have lived with Upvc and wooden frames previously but the aluminum frames have gone to the top of my list....See MoreOpen up the living area
Comments (18)Fire escape from upper floor ( as this would be a type 3 space ) I can go out onto the roof over the office as that is single storey or from the landing via a new escape type window. Which means I don't need a kitchen door. Closing off the old side door entirely could be a workable idea having read through a few posts here. Putting a partition and door to form a small hallway outside the office is actually a neat idea and effectively completely separates a home based business from the living space as well as offering an 'air lock' to keep weather out....See MoreDoggy Gazebo / Lean-to
Comments (0)We are scheduled to have a new member of the family, in canine form, around November, so for the next few months we are preparing for it's arrival. As the weather was an absolute cracker over this bank-holiday weekend, I thought that I'd make a start on something outside. It is going to have the utility room for it's room, and I'm going to pop in a dog flap into the back garden so that it also has the use of all outside should we go out for a duration and have to leave dog alone. I wanted to make a covered / shaded / dry / quiet area for it to use should it want to. So cleaned out the kids dumping area, and random storage, at the back/side of our house and made a start. pre 'building work' 1.80m across the back, and 2.24m to the front corner. Also, the garden wall is not parallel to the house, leaving 1.10m as an opening. (during building work - I had absolutely no idea what I was doing so was kinda blagging everything - and going on memory from what I've seen various people do previously) (getting there slowly) and done: I think that it's a pretty decent job IMO - considering I'm absolutely clueless when it comes to woodwork, and I try and avoid it all costs. My old CDT (craft design technology) teacher Mr Morris AKA Wobbly Morris would be so proud of me :) I tipped some water out of the upstairs window and it all runs off the roof nicely, and over the edge of the wall - onto a grass verge so I'm not fussed about a gutter. Kennel will go under the window - the rear garage door has never been used, in fact it's always been locked and I have absolutely no idea where the key is. I may put a gate across the front, we'll see what happens. Next up will be the replacement of a fence panel between us and next door, once I can speak with the neighbour to find out who owns the fence. It's currently crudely propped up with a bit of wood, but I need a more permanent solution. Then an additional side gate....See Morebigreader
7 years agoManias Associates Building Designers
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7 years agoManias Associates Building Designers
7 years ago
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