Making our new retirement place

[skyking]

I had posted elsewhere that we purchased property in the Olympic rain shadow. I'll keep all the posts regarding that here.
The property is ~4.3 acres, situated in the city limits of Sequim and a mile or so from the downtown area.
So we closed and are now cash lite
The weather is dreadful for the next while, so we will wait for some nice clear weekend to run up there and just sit in the pickup bed in some chairs, and drive it around on the upper half and think about where we want our view and orientation. We can also plan on the winter shadows and where we can sit for the combination of views and winter sun. The property is sloping, so the truck bed will be about right for a single level perspective. I keep thinking a detached garage with a longish walk and ramp to maximize the sun on the home.

[Dom]

I had posted elsewhere that we purchased property in the Olympic rain shadow. I'll keep all the posts regarding that here.
The property is ~4.3 acres, situated in the city limits of Sequim and a mile or so from the downtown area.
So we closed and are now cash lite
The weather is dreadful for the next while, so we will wait for some nice clear weekend to run up there and just sit in the pickup bed in some chairs, and drive it around on the upper half and think about where we want our view and orientation. We can also plan on the winter shadows and where we can sit for the combination of views and winter sun. The property is sloping, so the truck bed will be about right for a single level perspective. I keep thinking a detached garage with a longish walk and ramp to maximize the sun on the home.

Be careful with the longish walks - if you want to retire there, you may find that after a while your body doesn't do the things you want it to. If you do have a longish walk, make sure it's a wide concrete surface so you can pull a cart from the car to the house, with your groceries etc. Assume the worst when you build a retirement home. A lot of things are inexpensive while building from scratch, but expensive during a remodel.

Been there, done that.

[skyking]

probably in the ~30 foot range, just enough so the garage, which probably will be on the south side, does not figure in so much with the natural light. Of course wide and concrete and level and slip-free.
I may move it around to the NE side, but that would require more engineering on my part as it would be elevated on a fill. If i put it there it could be much closer and might be worth it. I could even attach it with a breezeway there and not hurt the light.

[skyking]

I had posted elsewhere that we purchased property in the Olympic rain shadow. I'll keep all the posts regarding that here.
The property is ~4.3 acres, situated in the city limits of Sequim and a mile or so from the downtown area.
So we closed and are now cash lite
The weather is dreadful for the next while, so we will wait for some nice clear weekend to run up there and just sit in the pickup bed in some chairs, and drive it around on the upper half and think about where we want our view and orientation. We can also plan on the winter shadows and where we can sit for the combination of views and winter sun. The property is sloping, so the truck bed will be about right for a single level perspective. I keep thinking a detached garage with a longish walk and ramp to maximize the sun on the home.

Be careful with the longish walks - if you want to retire there, you may find that after a while your body doesn't do the things you want it to. If you do have a longish walk, make sure it's a wide concrete surface so you can pull a cart from the car to the house, with your groceries etc. Assume the worst when you build a retirement home. A lot of things are inexpensive while building from scratch, but expensive during a remodel.

Been there, done that.

This house will be ADA from the get-go. Wide doorways and not much in the way of halls, a roll in shower ( I did that already at this house ), raise up the electrical outlets to 15" for easy reaching, solid blocking in many walls so I can just screw an ADA handrail anywhere I think I might want one in the future. I did that on the 2013 bathroom remodel here. I have blocking in the walls from 32" to 38" off the floor. I can use a masonry bit to drill a hole in the tiles, and use big wood screws to anchor the handrail. I don't have to hit the studs. That means the handrail goes where it ergonomically belongs.
Part of the reason for detaching the garage is also that typical step up from it. It may sound trivial, but in wood framed floors the garage slab needs to be lower than the sill plate for code.
That one step really chaps my hide in what would otherwise be an easy roll around house. Now you have a short ramp that is steep or a long one that is awkward. I think we can weather a 30' outside roll if it is really nice and level.

[Tres Leches]

Ah, retirement! One of my favorite words and just hearing that brings a smile to my face, like "cuddly kitten" or "chocolate chip cookies".  
Enjoy your retirement property.

-Teresa

[skyking]

One of the features I always wanted in a kitchen was a second sink, so someone could be doing some prep and not tie up the one sink. I think I will make that second sink at ADA level, in a lowered roll-under countertop. I can place it adjacent to a raised up countertop for the prep stuff, but having a 32" counter is really nice for heavy duty stirring and also those many machines that seem to populate a kitchen.
I noticed that if I had to hand-stir something like fudge, I would naturally go to the ~30" high kitchen table for better power.

[Dom]

One of the features I always wanted in a kitchen was a second sink, so someone could be doing some prep and not tie up the one sink. I think I will make that second sink at ADA level, in a lowered roll-under countertop. I can place it adjacent to a raised up countertop for the prep stuff, but having a 32" counter is really nice for heavy duty stirring and also those many machines that seem to populate a kitchen.
I noticed that if I had to hand-stir something like fudge, I would naturally go to the ~30" high kitchen table for better power.

Cool looks like you put a lot of forethought into it. 

I did too, and the only thing I would change after 12 years of occupancy is that I would not have hot water tanks. Alternatives are a lot better.

[skyking]

kitchen sink and living room views are equally important to me. I think whatever we design, those will both be facing the same way. I am leaning toward an east bedroom for morning light and afternoon cool.

[Dom]

kitchen sink and living room views are equally important to me. I think whatever we design, those will both be facing the same way.  I am leaning toward an east bedroom for morning light and afternoon cool.

That's what I have, master bedroom facing east, spare bedroom (used to be man cave, now a pantry) facing west. I built a small house and needed plenty storage. Have several pocket doors for space reasons. I am very glad I built small, so much easier to take care of.

[skyking]

I will fight the urge to build for resale. We are in ~1300 sq ft.
I have always aimed at ~2000 sq ft. I will try and curb my jets a little bit

[skyking]

Because of the natural slope, I might curb my jets by building an unfinished basement. I can make a daylight entry for it, and the main purpose is to get all the infrastructure down there like water heaters, heating, and access to plumbing. The main downer is keeping us from using it extensively and thereby negating the single level thing.

[Dom]

Because of the natural slope, I might curb my jets by building an unfinished basement.  I can make a daylight entry for it, and the main purpose is to get all the infrastructure down there like water heaters, heating, and access to plumbing. The main downer is keeping us from using it extensively and thereby negating the single level thing.

I put in floor heating in the entire house. Oh, how I love it! Water powered - I have a well and live in a wet area. Had to install drainage pipes to keep water away from the house.

[skyking]

Nice!
That brings to mind the common way to do hydronic heating like that, and put it in slab on grade construction. My brother built a house like that. It also solves the attached garage problem, it is all one level easily.
My only stumbling block there is my wife is not sold on all hard surfaces like tile. She wants no carpet for allergens, but a floor with a little give to it is more to her liking.
We have laminate flooring over wood framing and she likes that. We put a rug or two down when the first Jack laid on the entrance rug while I was running in and out to cut the flooring. He needed a place to put his little elbows when he was holding his bone with his paws
We are below a hillside, so we could have ground water but there is no sign of it. The property is right in the middle of the rain shadow and gets ~16" or rain a year.

[Dom]

Nice!
That brings to mind the common way to do hydronic heating like that, and put it in slab on grade construction. My brother built a house like that. It also solves the attached garage problem, it is all one level easily.
My only stumbling block there is my wife is not sold on all hard surfaces like tile. She wants no carpet for allergens, but a floor with a little give to it is more to her liking.
We have laminate flooring over wood framing and she likes that. We put a rug or two down when the first Jack laid on the entrance rug while I was running in and out to cut the flooring. He needed a place to put his little elbows when he was holding his bone with his paws
We are below a hillside, so we could have ground water but there is no sign of it. The property is right in the middle of the rain shadow and gets ~16" or rain a year.

That's the way I built mine. Look at linoleum - there are some you really cannot tell from wood or tile, and there are some softer ones... and so easy to clean!  You could also use something like cork...

[skyking]

It is fast and inexpensive to build and heat, for sure. I can make solar heat a large part of it. I also want solar electric and hot water panels.

[jerry mcmasters]

Ah, retirement! One of my favorite words and just hearing that brings a smile to my face, like "cuddly kitten" or "chocolate chip cookies".  
Enjoy your retirement property.

-Teresa

Indeed!  I'm in the dash to the finish line myself.  Got lots of exciting plans and projects I probably won't actually fulfill due to 5-10 naps on the couch a day.

[Minimalist]

It should have no stairs, either.  Wait until you see what Mother Nature does to your knees as you get older!

[skyking]

Mother nature did not wait for either of us

[skyking]

I had some nice long convos with the PUD service engineer and also the city planner. I have an idea of some of the costs of development now.

[skyking]

The address application is in the works, and now I have an answer on the power. I don't have to tear up the street, I do have to pay for a fuse pedestal.

I spoke to the building inspector and he seemed like a good guy, not at all like dealing with the county here. He texted me some resources for doing a prescriptive home design, and said he would take a look at a quick sketch to see if I was on the right path. I am not against paying an engineer or architect, but it may not be necessary if I stick to the IRC standards.

[Fireball]

The address application is in the works, and now I have an answer on the power. I don't have to tear up the street, I do have to pay for a fuse pedestal.

I spoke to the building inspector and he seemed like a good guy, not at all like dealing with the county here. He texted me some resources for doing a prescriptive home design, and said he would take a look at a quick sketch to see if I was on the right path. I am not against paying an engineer or architect, but it may not be necessary if I stick to the IRC standards.

I had the old Uniform Building Code for California when I put an addition on my previous house, in '88. In LA City, there is a Form V that details the building requirements. The UBC that I built with has been replaced with one that has stupid higher seismic requirements. Kind of crazy, when one considers that the house I was living in at the time of the '94 Northridge quake was built in '52, and didn't even develop cracks in the plaster.

What is "IRC"?

[skyking]

International Residential Code
This was the book he suggested,
https://www.contractorresource.com/a-gui...FUQAvD_BwE

I had found this nice guide out of Oregon, and texted him a link to that. He skimmed over it and liked it so much, he may use it as a model for a document for his city.
https://www.ci.warrenton.or.us/sites/def..._guide.pdf
He thanked me for sharing the link. I think I can do this!
i don't have an autocad background, I took old school drafting in high school and college. I have a little 3d app I can use to look at my ideas.
https://www.plan3d.com/pages/home.aspx?rd=1

It is pretty handy to see how things look furnished out, with different colors and finishes.

[skyking]

We spent the day up on the property, and I drove our truck up to the back half for the first time. The weather was good enough to see what we could see. It did not take long to conclude that the best house site was at the south edge and pretty much in these trees to the left of the truck. I had vowed to save all the trees, but reality is I can plant many more.

That steel fence post in front of the truck is on the approximate property line. I am standing in the neighbor's yard, and in between is a future 30' wide road right of way.
We could have traffic close to the house, but not a lot of it.
The other big change was multi level. They will build to the east of us and potentially block our ground level water views. We have at least a 6' elevation advantage, so our second level will look past whatever they put up.
I will design so everything needed is on the main level, and put a second master and guest bedroom up. We will put decks with the north views so I can put an inexpensive vertical lift on them.
We finally could see Mt. Baker, and also see that our view of it was blocked by trees  


There it is hiding in the leafless trees. Later with leaves on won't even be a thing. I can walk 50 yards and see it LOL.
hopefully those trees are in the development and will come down. EDIT: I looked at the satellite and those trees are goners if they develop.
I borrowed a DSLR and took some pics this time.
Protection Island, eastern Straits of Juan De Fuca, Whidbey Island, and the north Cascades in the distance. It will be nice on a less hazy winter day.


The lower level had some snow in the view, and it was tempting to think about. More private in a way, but we decided it would be shadowed more by trees off the property to the south. That upper bench will have the best winter sun in our opinion.


Looking back to the east, our driveway will be up that batcave up the 30' street right of way. I'll have to clear some of it out but not too much. Hole in middle of picture here.


I drove the truck up a really steep slope to the north edge of the bluff to get up to the back, then pruned my way down out the batcave hole.
That slope is the green patch over the front of the truck bed below. That spot would be a good daylight basement location for a quit claimed lot for brother if they choose to join us. you can see a white fence post there, that is the north property line.

[Minimalist]

Don't get too close to the trees, though.  Those damned wild fires are a continuing problem.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Don't get too close to the trees, though.  Those damned wild fires are a continuing problem.

100 feet minimum. In ground sprinkler system all around. Tell your insurance agent about that, rates should go down. Alternative is a system that can be laid out and in operation while you're still going SHIT!SHIT!SHIT!SHIT!SHIT!SHIT!SHIT!SHIT!SHIT!SHIT!SHIT!SHIT!SHIT!SHIT!SHIT!SHIT!SHIT!SHIT!SHIT!SHIT!SHIT!SHIT!