And the numbers are in...

After months of plan revisions, meetings, research and more revisions, we've finally compiled all our numbers and received all the quotes from our GC and various vendors to find that....(dramatic pause)....we're incredibly over budget.

While being over budget is not really a shock, being 30% over budget is a bit disconcerting. Forget about a scalpel, we've got to break out the ax, maybe a chain saw.

So Karann has been re-crunching the numbers and I've been talking to several contractors seeking advice. We're finding ways to widdle down the costs like taking out a couple banks of windows, going back to an IKEA kitchen, forgoing the trick stairs and living with a basic set until we can afford to upgrade. I'm making some connections with contractors who are willing to barter services, proving that this economy is one of opportunity not just dread. The bottom line is that we're going to figure something out to make this happen. Where there is a will, there is a way.

House Plans

Here's our most recent floor plan. We have not made an exact calculation yet, but I believe we're at about 2700 square feet. The living room and stairwell will be open to the second floor above and the master bedroom will have a cathedral ceiling. Oslo's bedroom (northeast bedroom) will have a cathedral ceiling with access to a small loft over Nola's room. The kitchen is open to the living area with exposed glu-lam beams and posts. The "music room" will double as Jeremy's practice studio/Karann's sewing room and spare bedroom for guests. The main entrance for the house is on the east side of the house where a large mudroom is located. Like all good passive solar houses, most of the windows are on the south side of the house. The cupola, in addition to providing light, will be vital in the summer for natural cooling.

House Elevations

My New Years resolution is to post on this blog more often. So, in an attempt to catch up on the past several months, you'll be seeing a flurry of posts in the next several weeks.
For a start, here's our house plans and elevations as of December 31, 2008. Several small changes have been made since then, but nothing major. The elevations don't depict the siding or window divided light patterns. I'll post examples of siding and windows in future posts. The screened porch on the west side of the house is a last minute addition. We will likely have the foundation and ledger boards constructed for this at the same time as the house is built, but we will finish the room later. It will have a flat roof that will serve as a deck for the balcony above accessed from the master bedroom.