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Notes -
Homeowners of The Motte -- what would you differently if you could do it all over again?
I plan on building a house in the next 12 months on a lot about an hour away from the Gulf of
MexicoAmerica. It's going to be a two-story 5BR house with porches on the front and the back, built in a traditional Southern style.I'm a bit overwhelmed as I don't even know what I don't know about building, and I want to avoid making costly mistakes that I'll have to pay to renovate later (or worse, be unable to fix at all). Happy to hear both from people who built and people who bought.
Given your description, I'm guessing this is a semi-rural to rural area. Double check your utilities connections- if this is in Texas, there may be a difference between oncor(electrical grid monopoly) or a utility coop, depending on where you are. For a house that size I'm guessing 100 amp service and two air conditioners? Also, if water comes from a well- do you have a filter already budgeted for? And what's your plan for backup power in the event that a storm knocks out power to the pump(and btw- pumps are already expensive and you more or less get what you pay for. Get a long lasting, quality one.). You're close enough to the gulf that hurricanes are a realistic concern; do you have a plan for them?
Will you be having a conventional built house or a prefab(much cheaper)? Do you plan on a pier and beam(better foundation but you need pest mitigation strategies) or slab?
I highly recommend, given the climate- screen in one or both of the porches. This is near tropical America and you're going to want something to keep bugs out.
Luckily it's in an existing neighborhood in a residential area at the center of small town, so I don't expect to have much trouble with utilities.
I need to do more research on what I'd need for hurricanes, as I'm only planning on adding storm shutters and a generator. I assume your recommendations about the pump only apply to houses that rely exclusively on well water?
We're looking at a conventional build. I was thinking of building on a slab for insulation and because the idea of a crawlspace in the deep south horrifies me. Also termites. We're not in a flood zone (officially), but I want to double check the soil to make sure it's suitable for a slab. I should probably ask my future neighbors about this as well.
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