I've gotta get out of this cold! I can't take it anymore!

[Flaxbee]

I'm a child of the warmer climes of Southern California, and last year's midatlantic blizzard and this year's loooooong bout of freezing-or-below temperatures have convinced me to find someplace warmer. I'm a weenie, I know. So, I found this cool, utilitarian, spare kit-home and wanna find some land in the south or southwest. But that's not really the point, the point is the design.

What do you guys think of this house? The kit is $29,000 for 1,150 sq. ft., 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, a kitchen and open living and dining area...: http://www.rocioromero.com/lv_home/LV_Home.htm

It's called the "LV Home" and is manufactured in Missouri... Shipping is between $900-3000 in the continental US; contractor's fees to help you assemble the thing could range another $25K or so, then you've gotta have your own land. But not bad, if you like this kind of design.

I struggle between the urge to have a 100+ year old cottage type place that's "cozy" and something modern and spare, like the LV Home.

[madrchsod]

1. nice design

but it`s all up to the building codes and building inspectors.

[ClintonTyree]

2. Who's going to.................

wash all of those windows? Not a bad design, but I'd rather have the little cottage type place myself, but you have to do what is in your best interests.
I know what you mean about the cold. This is my second winter in South Florida, and every day I watch the Weather Channel to see what I'm missing in the Norhteast, where I'm originally from. Snow, ice, frigid temperatures ands myself do not agree with each other anymore. There was quite a culture shock moving down here, but if you can get over that, the weather is sublime.

[Flaxbee]

3. Yeah, windows, good point.

I vacillate between really liking this design, and not being too thrilled about a tin box. The new "fishcamp" structure she's designed would be nice to add on as a home office or something. I dunno. The cost of homes these days is ridiculous and most of them do not deserve the price; esp. the new homes that are made of compressed sawdust - what a joke! My husband and I differ so much on design, that while we know we'd like to build and both kinda like modern designs, I don't know if we'd be able to build a house from scratch and stay married; at least with the LV home there aren't too many options to quibble over!

[Lostmessage]

4. I kind of like it but

It reminds me of a gas station in a way.

[K8-EEE]

5. A Little Boxy...

But it could be cool....modern and spare would be the style!

I HAVE AN 80 YEAR OLD HOUSE THAT IS A VERY CHARMING MONEY PIT!

Actually my house was 1 br and 1 bath, we added another br & bath and it cost $65,000 just to do that!! Well, plus we had to re-do the kitchen. But that is in LA and everything is expensive. This sounds really inexpensive.

Expect twice as expensive and twice as much time, and hopefully you'll be pleasantly surprised. That's the word from this remodel surviver!

I do think it would be easier to put up a kit like you have there, than remake an old house. I really underestimated how big a hassle that would be!

[Buns_of_Fire]

6. I like it

All the good adjectives (sparse, utilitarian) have been taken, so I'll just say I like the simplicity of it.

I once designed my dream house, and, even after multiple tries, it always wound up as one big room with all the utilities clustered around the perimeter. Granted, that's not everyone's cup of tea, but I feel you can do wonders with furniture placement and the like (need a bigger living room? move the sofa back five feet!). :-)

[NJCher]

7. very cool house

I'm an old house fanatic and wouldn't even consider a new home but if I were to do so, I would certainly consider that one. I can see fantastic potential for it once it's landscaped. I just sent it to my brother to consider. He already has the land and the contractors.

I love it. And the price is right!


Cher


on edit, to add this:

compressed sawdust

I had a student do a paper on this form of wood and according to his report, it's very good. Not only is it strong, it takes advantage of scrap wood and is therefore environmentally positive.

[Flaxbee]

8. Your brother might also want to look at

Shelter-kits, see http://www.shelter-kit.com/ They offer mix-and-match homes, so you can build your own from a variety of different units. And, Shelter-kit is made from wood, so it looks more like a traditional home.

One of the images on the rocioromero site shows the LV Home on a cliff overlooking the ocean in Chile. Very nice landscaping! But it could be very cool, the surroudings of the home in the pictures is pretty spare but a few trees, flowers, or even a Japanese-style garden could soften the home's spartan edges.


One of the interlopers who is building on our mountain has had compressed sawdust subflooring sitting out in the elements (5' of snow) for months, and he's got a reputation as a HORRIBLE builder so I have no doubt he won't replace it and will build right on the damp material. Compressed sawdust does make use of scrap, but it's held together with some sort of glue. Some experts believe this glue is what attracts black molds and fungus, and when the glue eventually is eaten away by molds or just dries up with age, the sawdust disintegrates. Maybe it'd be good for furniture or something, but as a housing material it strikes me as many other things in our consumer culture do: just sturdy enough to make it past a warranty period and then POOF! All gone, no recourse, builder got his and you're stuck with a pile of dust at your feet. Ha ha! Ain't capitalism and a quick buck grand?

[Bunny]

9. Well, the external appearance does nothing for me, but

I like the internal layout a lot. Simple, yet contains everything you need. And the price is definitely right. Go for it!

[NJCher]

10. very interesting, Flaxbee

Thanks for link. I'm sending it on.

I didn't know about the compressed sawdust/mold issue. That is very, very interesting. I just got a notice in the mail from the insurer on my home, Chubb, that they are charging additional for mold protection. I know there has been a huge increase in lawsuits over mold and they state this is the reason for the change in the coverage. I was wondering whether to take out the rider they're offering but I've never had a problem with mold and the home has good ventilation systems. Now I'm thinking I won't.

I hope you'll keep us updated about what you do. I love to follow stories like this!


Cher