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And, of course, as mentioned above, poor construction. Which is a bane wherever it might be and whatever the house might look like.
Well we have to define poor construction. It seems that some people define stick built houses with siding and interior drywall as poor construction but such methods when done properly are sturdy, functional and provide good value.
I worked on a project this summer, huge house. Construction budget was 1.7 million. That is just up to the drywall. There was a problem finding quality materials. My part was in the $16,000 range for the well and SQE system. They needed 50 GPM.
Don't forget the economics of building. It's cheaper to build bigger, all things being equal. You save on foundation and roof costs by building upward instead of outward.
Rose, I greatly admire your book. Those were great plans in their day. I've even used it for reference, I did some craftsman style houses a few years back- and used some front elevations for establishing some of those details.
I've often wondered about some of the homes here in Atlanta- I've seen some in the old neighborhoods that could possible be those missing Sears homes.
I've never been to Atlanta, but I have found Sears Homes in South Carolina and Alabama and even Florida. The funny thing is, people are often telling me about "Sears Homes" in California and Oregon. There was a kit home company on the West Coast that sold 40,000 kit homes just in that area. Sears stayed away from the West Coast. So many people have come to use the words "Sears Homes" to encompass *all* kit homes.
Back to the topic at hand, we've all become such mega-consumers that now we have to buy mega-houses to hold our mega-possessions. Some of these houses have three-car and even four-car garages. C'mon. Is that really needful?
The average Sears Modern Home was typical of the average home of the early 20th Century and these houses had 800 - 1400 square feet. The behemoths (such as The Sears Magnolia) had 2,900 square feet but it was considered a monster of a house. In fact, it was an American Foursquare with delusions of grandeur (see photo).
My point is, a scant 100 years ago, we didn't need so much space. Life was simpler and as one small example, children didn't require a 14 by 14 room for storing all their plastic toys and assorted junk and crap. Bedrooms were 10 by 12 and closets were big enough for a few clothes.
Forgive the rant. I'm just biding my time here until they figure out this time-travel business so I can get back to where I belong - the 1920s.
Have you ever heard of Sears barns? There is one in our neighbourhood. It must be 100 years old. The old guy that lived there said it was delivered by the train that went close to the site.
Gorgeous home Rose...I had no idea Sears produced 2900 sf kit homes.
I do have to disagree about the need for 3 or 4 garages. We are retired, have 2 cars and an oversized 2 car garage - but no workshop area really and not a lot of storage for lawn care things. We aren't allowed any outbuildings in our subdivision. We could use a 3rd garage just for storage and a working area.
Households with 2 or 3 teenages who drive need an extra garage or two. Because of urban sprawl and very busy schedules, households often need more cars and thus more garages. Two of our children didn't attend our local high schools - they went to high school across town. They had part time jobs and were involved in music and sports....they had to drive. I couldn't have possibly kept up with driving them around to all their activities.
Times have change significantly...Walk in closets are good for storing multiple comforter set, shoes, jackets, coats and having room for daily use clothes for up to two individuals.
3 car garages should be standard with any home over 2200 sq/ft IMO. That 3 car will be useful for those who have 3+ cars and those with no basement or crawlspace. This space will be use to hold yard equipment, a workshop, recreatiion vehicles or extra home storage.
14 x 14 bedroom is useful when you have kids b'c' you can store all there kid crap in there room without using space in other rooms or your house, sort of a playroom/ bedroom.
I'm not being confrontational but larger rooms and 3+ cars have there benifits.
Toll Brother's homes may not meet the true definition of a McMansion but they are pretty darn close. The good thing about Connecticut is that we do not have vast amounts of vacant land to build these tracts of homes. We also tend to have larger lot zoning so the homes don't over-power the lot. The Toll Brothers homes here are on a minimum of 2/3 acre.
What I don't like about them is that the front may be brick with some nice detail, but the side is aluminum with cheap looking c-channel trim around the windows. It really looks cheap. The driveways on these homes have no relation to the front door, so you basicaly park on the side of the house and have to walk around the giant three car garage to get to the front door. Most people just use the garage for an entrance because it can be such a long walk around the garage.
Inside however, the floor plan is usually a pretty good layout and the look can be very nice if the buyer chose an upgraded trim package. I know people like them because they are so well known. There is a feeling of safety when buying because there are so many. Jay
Thanks - you said it before I was able to reply.
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