Retiring to Tuftonboro

Descant · 01-19-2020, 02:24 PM

You can always move interior walls around, but you can't move the foundation. Think about where the plow will store snow, how to clear in front of the garage without back dragging and will the sun keep the drive way clean and dry. Usually, this means garage doors do not face the street. Minimum garage for me would be 2 1/2 cars wide. 24 x 24 is just too small. Although it is old, "Your Engineered House" by Rex Roberts has good info on siting. With solar power, some of his thoughts may be 180 degrees off now, but he still makes good points. There is a follow up book from 1987 by another author. Both on Amazon. I don't know much about the newer concepts of totally sealed houses, and attics, but an in-law just built one after two years of research and a year to find an accommodating builder and site. A very successful build and extremely energy efficient.
Most developments and subdivisions are laid out to get the most house lots; houses all faced dead on to the street. Not the best plans for best siting on an individual lot.

Have fun. Try to be onsite at least start and end of each work day. We had to tear down the same fireplace twice because the mason and the GC couldn't communicate. Fortunately we caught it mid-stream and the tear down was not a huge problem. (Center chimney cape, two Rumford fireplaces, four flues. Exposed fireplaces and/or chimneys on an end wall just don't make sense to me.)

01-19-2020, 02:24 PM	#11
Descant Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Merrimack and Welch Island Posts: 4,598 Thanks: 1,418 Thanked 1,705 Times in 1,109 Posts	Solar orientation You can always move interior walls around, but you can't move the foundation. Think about where the plow will store snow, how to clear in front of the garage without back dragging and will the sun keep the drive way clean and dry. Usually, this means garage doors do not face the street. Minimum garage for me would be 2 1/2 cars wide. 24 x 24 is just too small. Although it is old, "Your Engineered House" by Rex Roberts has good info on siting. With solar power, some of his thoughts may be 180 degrees off now, but he still makes good points. There is a follow up book from 1987 by another author. Both on Amazon. I don't know much about the newer concepts of totally sealed houses, and attics, but an in-law just built one after two years of research and a year to find an accommodating builder and site. A very successful build and extremely energy efficient. Most developments and subdivisions are laid out to get the most house lots; houses all faced dead on to the street. Not the best plans for best siting on an individual lot. Have fun. Try to be onsite at least start and end of each work day. We had to tear down the same fireplace twice because the mason and the GC couldn't communicate. Fortunately we caught it mid-stream and the tear down was not a huge problem. (Center chimney cape, two Rumford fireplaces, four flues. Exposed fireplaces and/or chimneys on an end wall just don't make sense to me.)