Would this be a good home to purchase for my family (Pics Inside)???

Question

Hi,

My family is hoping to move somewhere in the next two years from the bum of a town we live in at the moment.

We are planning on buying some land and building a house on it.

We believe we have found a good home (kit home).

It costs $200,000 and is a little over-budget, but we are hoping we will work something out financially.

The link is here:

http://www.paal.com.au/kit-homes/the-ric...

So can you please take a look at it and let me know what you think, whether it would be a good house or not etc etc?

My family consists of a mother, two teenaged boys, and a 12 year-old girl. We might also possibly be having a grandparent living with us, which would make the resident's number 5.

We would also need a bit of room on occassions for visitors and guests to sleep etc.

Also, is there anything else in advice that you can give me. Examples would be such as would it be best to buy a pool, do we want an outdoor entertaining area with BBQ pit etc, how about an area for the kids to play sports games.

Anything else that you feel would be relevant to mention in this situation would be helpful also.

Regards,

Ethan

Answer 1

I love the house !

it is large enough for your family but before making any offers make sure that you set up an appointment to go and see the model home if they have one ,perhaps you already have done that!

I wouldn't buy anything just yet put your money in the bank and when you move you will know what you need first, outdoor things can be bought anytime and as far as visitors, they will adjust on what you offer, you don't need to go into debts for that , as long that you have food on the table and a place for them to sleep they will gratefull .

You need to figure out if you will be able to afford this house , don't forget about property taxes and all the other expenses that come with it. when we buy a new home.,it would be nice to have everything new to go with it but for most of us it doesn't work that way, this is why I told you to wait on spending your money ahead of time ,there are always little loop holes that we need to go trough first.

I hope that your dream will come trough and that you and your family will enjoy the new home.

Answer 2

I read your question with interest because I tweak house layouts for customers for a living and am always interested in kit home layouts from the point of view that they tend to be highly evolved. I have volumes and volumes of house layouts!

Two quick observations.

Pro: given your residents, the ingredients of the interior are very good. There are lots of bathrooms/ensuites! The rooms are large. The master suite being situated at its own side of the house is very private and separate. There is a good amount of communal area and plenty of outdoor space for gathering and entertaining to the rear of the house. The open plan at the core of the house is nice for a sense of space. The house has an attractive facade.

Con: if you will need a 5th bedroom for the grandparent, the study is a bit awkward to use as a bedroom as the entrance to it is from the foyer.  With the existing design, the user of that room would have to hike right past the main entrance, through the very open common areas to get to a bathroom.

There is no dining room so hopefully there's no interest in formal dining! The media room would have to have some guest accommodation if the study is already occupied by someone. It would do fine for short visits  as it's a bit off to the side of the communal core and there is access to a full bathroom nearby.

Lastly is an observation on the cost. The outline of the house jumps in and out all over the place, including at the sides and in the back where it's not really adding to the aesthetics. That always suggests added building cost. Just look at the complex roof lines it creates. A layout that's got a straighter perimeter line almost certainly would be cheaper.  Also the amount of porch space shown in the main drawing, plus veranda to the rear etc is probably excessive. People don't tend to use a front porch if they have a back deck or veranda as an alternative, so it would probably just be there for aesthetic and shading purposes.

All in all I think it's a really nice layout and the house presents very well from the front, but it might need a bit of customizing to be perfect for every possible need you listed.

Answer 3

It's a beautiful home, but I may be reading it wrong. It looks like a kit home, and you have to build it yourself. Are you up to that?

Otherwise, I think it looks great!!

Answer 4

I've worked on one kit home in the pocano mountauns of Pennsylvania.My feeling is that you can save 20 percent or more by contracting the job to local builders ,shop the thing around ,read up a little ,steel framing is good but has some special considerations.84 lumber has a variety of home packages.my advise is to get a good carpenter/framer and do the contracting yourself be prepared to oversee everything and maybe do some work yourself.there is no greater gratification than living in a home you've had hands on built.