Judi is a Real Estate Broker with Mariner Realty,
Inc. Like most, the Heits were drawn here in 1989
by their love of boating and dream of living in
a warmer climate. When corporate downsizing resulted
in Judi’s job being eliminated, they decided
to "start over where they were going to end
up" and headed south to their lot on Brown
Creek. The following year was spent designing and
building their home, which Judi contracted herself.
This is the first in a series of articles sharing
ideas that made their building project run a little
smoother. Contact Judi by email at heit@pamlico.net.
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From
the Ground Up
First in a Series by Judi Heit
In
her book You Just Don’t Understand (Women &
Men in Conversation) , acclaimed sociolinguist Dr. Deborah
Tannen uses telling examples as she demonstrates -- even
in the closest relationships -- men and women "live
in different worlds." For many couples, this has
never been so true as when it came time to build a home.
Because next to renovating, building from scratch can
be an encounter of the worst kind if you and your mate
do not share a common vision of the end result.
Whether or not you’re in perfect sync over every
detail related to your future home, it’s important
to capture (in one place) design elements that appeal
to each of you before you talk to your architect or building
designer. While these professionals are "visual"
people, they are not mind-readers and they’re certainly
not free. So the less time they have to spend getting
into your head, the less you’ll have to dig into
your wallet.
This simple exercise will lay the foundation for some
productive discussions with each other and the professionals
you hire to design and build your home. Hopefully, it
will also minimize the extra charges that can occur due
to misinterpretations.
Start out by collecting all those home building and decorating
magazines you’ve been saving and find yourself a
spot with room to spread out. Supplies you’ll need
for this exercise include a 2" 3-ring binder, a set
of 8 tab dividers, a couple of clear pocket pages (for
things like color chips and items that are too small to
punch), a paper punch, a stapler, a marker that will write
on coated paper and a trash bag.
For now, give your tab dividers the following titles:
-
House Plans -- This section will hold plans that come
close to the exterior style and/or interior layout
you’re looking for.
-
Exterior Details -- Roof and siding materials, color
chips, door and windows treatments & deck ideas.
-
Plumbing -- Tubs, showers, toilets and faucets.
-
Electrical/Mechanical -- HVAC systems, lighting and
appliances.
-
Interior Finishing -- Flooring, trim, staircases,
tile work and fireplace applications.
-
Cabinetry -- Will include built-ins, like bookshelves,
and hardware.
-
Period Details -- Pages or entire articles that feature
your favorite style, i.e., Craftsman, Colonial, Victorian.
-
Reserved for the subject of your choice
Go through each magazine and tear out the pages that
contain details you like. It could be something as small
as the hardware on a cabinet to something large like
the way a room is trimmed out. If it’s a small
detail, circle the detail with your marker; if it’s
an entire article that attracts you, tear the whole
section out and staple the pages together. Three-hole
punch each page or section and insert it behind the
appropriate divider.
Before you toss what left of each magazine into the
trash bag, don’t forget to go to the back of the
magazine for the resource information that applies to
your saved page or section. Call or write the resource
for product flyers and dealers nearest you. Visit some
dealers to get an idea of cost, availability and comparables.
While you’re out there, stop in at a builders
supply store: look at roofing materials, try out actual
windows, ask questions ... ask some more questions.
Get used to carrying a pad of paper.
If you do this exercise with your mate (and I wholeheartedly
suggest you do), DO NOT pass judgment on each other’s
selections. Simply tear, punch and insert using your
marker to note pages where you disagree. Besides reducing
that pile of magazines, don’t forget the purpose
of this exercise is to collect ideas for your new home
-- a home that will belong to BOTH of you!
>>To Judi Heit's second
article in the series
>>To Judi Heit's third
article in the series
>>To Judi Heit's fourth
article in the series
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