Looking a new homes and have a few questions about modifications

[Lisak1]

I’m a very practical person!

Me, too! We made our list of "most important things" before we started this giant home renovation and they included things like "easier to maintain". We seriously considered moving but then realized 1. my pond 2. I hate moving and 3. my pond. So here we are, living in a construction zone!

 

[Stephen Noble]

I know that many on here have experience with home renovations, etc. We are sorta thinking of moving (empty nester syndrome), but have certain things we want and/or don’t want in a floor plan (not planning to build, but find a newer house), yet most homes we’re looking at aren’t fitting our requirements — well, unless we move up in $$$, which is not part of the plan.

One thing we don’t need is a “private dining room.” We also don’t need a “hearth room.” For various reasons, we just need practical (for us), usable floor space and lots of storage. Our thought is to convert certain rooms to meet our needs.

This is just an example, but basically would be our “plan” for most of the homes we’ve looked at so far.

There is a house we are going to look at tomorrow. The pictures of the house make me laugh when I look at the “open floor plan.” The way they have delineated the dining area from the living area.....looks like a huge 4-poster bed, LOL! Anyway, wondering if it would be possible/feasible to: (and we would hire this out — we’re not DIYers)

1. Sheetrock in 2 sides
2. As well as have electrical outlets added to those walls?

The plan is to turn this into a study/library — entrance is via a butler’s pantry, but this would give the room 2 good interior walls for shelving, desk space, etc.

The lower left pic is what it looks like now (minus the white outline). The other 2 pics are representations of what it could look like after the space is enclosed.

So, is something like this even doable?
View attachment 115253

Nice home! The space begs to be converted into a study/library. We had a home when the kids were young that had an oddly placed ‘formal’ dining room. We thought about it and realized it was only used about three times per year...Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter. So, we converted it into a music studio. The kids had all of their instruments out (not stuffed into a closet or under the bed) and we found them playing all of the time. Those tall ceilings are actually ideal for a tall ficus tree in a beautiful ceramic pot. Put some draping plants on the cat walk and you will have an indoor tropical paradise!
Stephen

 

[GBBUDD]

seeing as the wall you want to build is right next to the front door I would look at making a statement not just a bla sheet rock wall. but maybe a wall of stone or make a pocket in the wall for a center piece TYPICAL OF LIKE A MING VASE but not.

The floor is simple but by the time you make the cut out fr head height as you go down the stairs there may not be as much space as you may think it's hard to tell. A couple beams and probably one post will be required if you could draw a floor place just rough it would be easier to give sounder advice as to whats what does the real estate listing have one?

 

[Mmathis]

seeing as the wall you want to build is right next to the front door I would look at making a statement not just a bla sheet rock wall. but maybe a wall of stone or make a pocket in the wall for a center piece TYPICAL OF LIKE A MING VASE but not.

The floor is simple but by the time you make the cut out fr head height as you go down the stairs there may not be as much space as you may think it's hard to tell. A couple beams and probably one post will be required if you could draw a floor place just rough it would be easier to give sounder advice as to whats what does the real estate listing have one?

We are looking at the “wall house” this afternoon, so will get a better idea. I do like the idea of a stone or brick wall. Since this “open” dining area seems to be the thing now, it’s an idea we would want to carry out with almost 100% of what we’ve looked at. We would actually include a door to open into the foyer — maybe a pocket door. For us, it would remain closed, but for future buyers, the dining room could still open up to the foyer (see another drawing I made, except it’s a crappy looking door).

The house with the open staircase.......it’s an oddly configured staircase. I’ll see if I can find a better pic of it. I hadn’t considered the “head room,” which is why I started this thread — for feedback. I’ll see about a floor plan. Our realtor was supposed to get a floor plan for us, so maybe she’ll have it this afternoon.

 

[sissy]

One story homes are better you never know about your knees or hips .I am 65 now and have injured both my knees .I don't like high ceilings as the heat rises .I could have had higher ceilings and told them no .

 

[Mmathis]

One story homes are better you never know about your knees or hips .I am 65 now and have injured both my knees .I don't like high ceilings as the heat rises .I could have had higher ceilings and told them no .

We both kinda want a 2-story, but like the idea of all bedrooms downstairs with a finished attic, bonus room as they call it. Yes, we both have old-people syndrome which is why we want main living space downstairs. We looked at one house with all living space all down.....except for the master suite and laundry which were upstairs!

 

[Lisak1]

That was reason #11 why we decided to remodel rather than move - our house, while a 1 1/2 story, has all the essentials for our living on the first floor. It's an ideal house to grow old in, which is just what we are doing coincidentally! All the other houses in our neighborhood are two story with all the bedrooms and laundry room on the second floor - no thanks! To me that would be as bad as having the laundry in the basement - we live on the main floor, not upstairs.

@sissy - our house is factory built, too. Sounds very similar to yours - all 2x6 construction, room for extra insulation, very sturdy house. Our second floor was stick built on site - that's a whole other story!

 

[sissy]

Thing is you are heating or cooling a space you will hardly use and in your case I guess just cooling and costs are not going down when it comes to electric rates .In my neighborhood we only have 1 that is 2 story and no one wants to buy it because of stairs .Sad because it is a pretty house 3 car garage 3 acres and lean too and sunroom and 2 fireplaces and a basement and family room .Reason owners are selling is Mary had 2 hip replacements and her hubby Dallas had knee surgery and they want 229 thousand .Stone walls 2 decks and a deck on the work shop with a ramp .Beautiful landscaping also and backs to the woods

 

[Tara]

My front stairway is in the center of our house, I wanted to knock a wall to add a small room to the kitchen, but I could not as I was told it would compromise the integrity of the staircase. When we were enlarging the kitchen the other way we still had to add a support beam, I did not see that issue coming. It all depends on structural integrity I'm told, and adding a floor to use dead space from a stairwell can run into big bucks, if it has to bear weight, depending on how the house was built.

 

[Mmathis]

To complement this thread, I just posted one concerning the pond over in the “pond construction” topic.
https://www.gardenpondforum.com/threads/a-question-about-pond-vs-pool-to-pond-conversion.24349/

 

[Mmathis]

@GBBUDD I just went back over your post and had a good laugh about the “pocket” in the wall. It is a nice idea.....but we have cats. With cats, one has to make accommodations with the living space. In our case that means no set-arounds, no table lamps, no flower vases (sad, because Hubby likes to get flowers for me), no dangling things — and one of our cats will chew on the blind cords, the cords that make up the blinds, not the pull cords — no potted plants, no high places (one reason I am leery of the house with the major open staircase and railings).......and I’m sure there are other things, just ran out at the moment. We have standing and hanging curio cabinets to put nick nacks in. The “staircase house” has a nice little alcove (I’ll try to find that pic). First thought was, “oh look, a place for a cat bed!” You can see the little alcove on this side wall.

 

[GBBUDD]

with all you just mentioned I would do what we do for pigeons I'd line the ledges shelves and alcoves with SPIKES i'll fix those destructive kitty's. I know I'm cruel just having fun I wouldn't hurt your kitty

 

[addy1]

no flower vases (sad, because Hubby likes to get flowers for me),

Get a concrete flower vase................
I had cats years and years ago, now a dog only person. Your post is a few of the many reasons!

 

[snoozer]

I totally understand the cat issues having the little fur balls here too. The only plant that i can keep in the house are orchids, they don't touch them. When the cats are gone i won't get another. Dogs on the other hand are always welcome.

 

[Mmathis]

We are talking to the real estate agent..... Looks like we are going for the house with the exposed cat walk/landing. Brother-in-law went with us yesterday. He has experience building and renovating homes, and had positive input as far as changes we could make.

The yard is more than we want, but it has a huge, fenced backyard — perfect for pond and turtle habitat! There are 8 pine trees that will have to go, though.

Will update as we know more!

View of backyard — lots of pond potential.