The Property

A Place Away From it All

3.12.12

During dinner one evening my dad said that he wanted to find a place away from town where he could go to get away once in a while. An avid shooter, he needed some space to setup a gun range and get away once in a while.

Over the next few months we looked at homes in the country and vacant properties within a half hour drive of his home. It took a while, but with the help of a real estate agent we found 30 acres at a great price. At first my dad was reluctant to buy the property, as this was more than he was really wanting. He eventually came around and closed on the property in January 2012.

The property is very diverse for south Georgia. There are a few acres of the token pines tree that define our region. There are also some real gems. I've found many live oak, cedar, and other large hardwoods that are becoming more and more scarce. What really appealed to both of us was a hill in the back of the property surrounded on three sides by small creeks. It's a small brush covered, grassy outcrop with a few small oak and pine trees. An ideal spot for a home.

Next, my father presented me with a fixed budget for the house. I searched the internet for small home plans, and then decided on the second one I found. I took the general layout and began to draw a floorplan in AutoCAD. I researched building materials, costs, and techniques, until I had a floorplan that met my dad's approval. As you can see, the house is small and very basic. An economical plan with no frills. We are planning on a rounded western red cedar log siding and architectural shingles that will provide a log cabin look to the exterior. The type of siding can be seen here: http://www.buffalo-lumber.com/western-red-cedar-siding.htm#lap-cedar-prices

Then I decided to add a basement. A basement in south Georgia? That is like a palm tree in New York City. Everyone I spoke to expressed their doubts, (and questioned my sanity), but the site was ideal. The main floor of the house would be a bit above the peak of the hill, and we would be able to have a garage or workshop in the basement that would be level with the side of the hill. The site was still high enough above the floodplain to allow drain tile to gravity flow any ground water from under the basement and around the footer to the woods below.

Having experience in swimming pool construction and civil engineering, I was confident there would be no problem. Every concern brought up by a contractor or friend was evaluated and addressed. Hydrostatic pressure, condensation, load bearing, and a myriad of other issues were all considered, and I decided confidently that I would proceed.

Knowing the costs of a general contrator, I decided that I would try to oversee the project myself. I've had years of experience remodelling homes, but never actually built one from scratch. I worked my way through the County 911 addressing, code enforcement, health department, and other seemingly endless hoops before finally having a building permit in hand.

I was ready to build.