Planning to build in Brewster (Boston, Orleans: for sale, appliances, houses)

[CNYJAKE]

I am new to this CD forum. It seems that for the state of MA, you have 2 choices, you either go to the Boston forum, or the other option serves the balance of the state. Is that right, or is there a separate Cape Cod forum?

Anyway, Hello to all the CD folks here sharing ideas, experiences, and advice.

We bought a lot in Brewster about 6 years ago, and we are now starting to make plans to build a house. We are thinking of a simple modest timberframe house with traditional Cape lines to it. What is the current level of interest in the areas of geothermal, wind, and solar as energy sources for small houses on the Cape? We also have natural gas and town water available to us. Should we tap into both, or stay with electric and well water?

Any thoughts on these topics?

Any referrals for timberframers and tradesmen are appreciated, as we plan to manage the construction ourselves, and we currently live in upstate NY, so our contacts in the trades are limited.

Thank you.

[Beachcomber4]

Originally Posted by CNYJAKE

I am new to this CD forum. It seems that for the state of MA, you have 2 choices, you either go to the Boston forum, or the other option serves the balance of the state. Is that right, or is there a separate Cape Cod forum?

Anyway, Hello to all the CD folks here sharing ideas, experiences, and advice.

We bought a lot in Brewster about 6 years ago, and we are now starting to make plans to build a house. We are thinking of a simple modest timberframe house with traditional Cape lines to it. What is the current level of interest in the areas of geothermal, wind, and solar as energy sources for small houses on the Cape? We also have natural gas and town water available to us. Should we tap into both, or stay with electric and well water?

Any thoughts on these topics?

Any referrals for timberframers and tradesmen are appreciated, as we plan to manage the construction ourselves, and we currently live in upstate NY, so our contacts in the trades are limited.

Thank you.

Welcome and congratulations.

As far as interest in geothermal, wind and solar as energy sources, I am sure there is interest. Any issues that people raise in and around my area is that they do not want to see the contraptions that provide the energy.

Building a home that fits into current architecture in the area is always a good choice.

I do not know of any tradespeople in that area - your best bet would probably be to check out some other new construction in town and proceed from there. It is very funny how you will find some trades people only work in a specific town and do not leave. One of the eccentricities I like about the Cape.

In regard to electric vs. gas, town vs. well water, is personal preference and any issues would be specific to your town. One suggestion I would look into the cost difference between electric and gas heat though, I have found electricity is very expensive on Cape. I went through the energy audit, have all energy star rate appliances etc and still pay what I think is a hefty price.

Finally, a generator is always a good idea. Power failures do happen and especially if you decide to go with a well, you will need it for basic necessities.

[brightdoglover]

Congrats on building your dream house!
I'd always go with town water if available. You don't want to deal with wells and they're lousy for resale. They can run dry. They can get contaminated. Also, they rely on electric for pumping, and if there's a power outage, you have no water. A long outage is very rare, fortunately, but in last year's ice storm, I knew of people with wells who had to move out for the outage because they couldn't flush the toilet.
I also prefer natural gas for heat. (Again, resale) plus electric heat is just plain expensive. It might cost a few bucks to bring the natural gas and water line to your property, but within reason, it's worth it.
There are a lot of timber-frame builders in southern Maine. You might try googling them and asking them for a referral.
Your house sounds wonderful. Best wishes!

[CoastalMaine]

Just seeing this post now. Steve Harris owns Timberframe Homes. He's in Brewster or Orleans. I forget. He built a house right on Setucket Rd. in Brewster within the last two years that was for sale. He's got a great reputation. The building inspector would be able to direct you to the answers to all your questions. He's a great guy. Good luck!