Bigfoot - Lock Ness - The Perfect House Plan

 My wife and I bought almost an acre in Belmont more than ten years ago. That is when our search for the perfect house plan began. With no immediate plans to build, we took the time to search hundreds of plans with the hope of finding something that would satisfy our desire for a open floor plan while also giving our girls their own private areas. After months of searching online, buying plan books, and visiting new neighborhood homes, we started to wonder if this elusive plan was even out there.When we found a plan with a nearly perfect interior layout, it resembled a prison on the outside. And some of our favorite home exteriors, would often have floor plans that could double as a corn maze.
 Finally we found a plan that we really loved. The plan was not perfect (for us) by definition, but it had a lot of qualities we were looking for. The plan was the Sand Mountain by John Tee in Atlanta. We loved the southern look and the floor plan was great. We had nearly all the details of the home decided when a terrible thing happened. We found another lot. Normally not a bad thing but the larger, more expensive lot resulted in searching for a smaller plan.

John Tee's Sand Mountain

Sand Mountain Floor Plan

 Searching for a smaller house plan was like starting all over again. But fortunately my wife and I agreed to narrow it down to two architects. Moser Design Group and Allison Ramsey Architects are both based out of Beaufort SC and both have some beautiful stock plans. We had committed to stay close to 2000 square feet and after months of intense debate, we were down to two plans we really liked.

 The first being Moser Design's TNH-LC-01B.  A 2202 square foot "farmhouse" look was our early favorite.

Moser Design's TNH-LC-01B

The second was Allison Ramsey's Ribaut Square. A 2138 square foot two story with that South Carolina low country look. The home pictured below was built in South Carolina.

Allison Ramsey's Ribaut Square

 Well after years of waiting and almost a year of plan searching, we chose Allison Ramsey's Ribaut Square. The floor plan is great and the exterior of the home is beautiful. We were a little weary of a two story after getting feedback from people that had lived in or do live in a two story. Most complaints were about the fear of stairs as you age. After a lengthy discussion and weighing all the pros and cons, we decided if we couldn't get up stairs when we got older we would just invest in an Acorn Stair Lift :)

       So the "perfect house plan" is still out there somewhere.  Good luck.  I hope you find it.

                                                                                        

Choosing a Builder

  Some people dream their entire lives of building that one of a kind custom home where they get to decide every last detail. They will spend months of their lives researching paint colors, interior door styles, flooring types, window sizes and much more. 401ks will be emptied, rainy day funds robbed, college savings accounts cashed in, and yes even pennies will be rolled. They have spared no expense, thought of every detail, researched their research and now comes the most important question of the entire process. Who will build your home? Surely choosing a competent, reliable contractor was given the same attention as oil rubbed bronze or brushed nickel. You may be surprised. When this question of who will build your home arises I often hear statements like;
 That guy that built that green house down town
- or -
My wife's cousin works for this guy
 -or-
Whoever is the cheapest per square foot.
  We are thankful that when we are asked who will build your home we can answer,
"A very good contractor with many great references but just as important, a friend we can trust". Terry Robinson of Robinson Homes in Belmont will be building our home and it was a given from the beginning. I can't put into words the comfort we have starting this process with a builder that is honest and trustworthy.
BTW - Terry's  third son born today. Congratulations Terry.

Early Tasks

It didn't take long to realize that building a home would require hundreds of very difficult decisions. But early on I haven't had any problems making decisions on what I want. And likewise, my wife has been quick to decide what fits her tastes. The one problem I keep encountering is that her tastes conflict with mine. I'll have to work on that with her. But with our home being built outside the city limits, one choice is decided for us. It will be a well and septic tank no matter how much we disagree about it. Gaston County requires tests for both before you start. The "perk" test, as it is referred to most often, is a percolation test performed by the County Health Department to determine the absorption rate of the soil for the septic tank. The test for a well is state required and to be honest I don't know what they do other than charge you for it. But this is something that must be completed before you start building and is simple enough to set up on your own.

Building in Belmont NC

Our home will be built in my home town of Belmont NC.  Belmont is a small town just outside Charlotte and has a population of "too many" and counting. We were very fortunate to find 2 acres on the South Point Peninsula and we love the area. Our lot is 80% clear and we won't have to clear any trees to build.

Welcome

Welcome to the blog we will use to share all things in the construction of our home. Our hope is that you may use the information we share to help in the construction of your own home. We also know that this blog provides a platform where others may contribute comments and suggestions that help us as we move forward with the construction process. Thanks for visiting and we'll see you soon.