We installed the vacumn unit for the whole house vacumn cleaner out in the garage in late May...All the tubing was run during construction, we were finally able to afford the actual unit...the first and second floor each have two outlets, the third floor only needed one as it is not as big..... We LOVE it...works like a charm...dragging the vacumn cleaner up three flights of stairs lost its charm long ago...now we just drag the hose from floor to floor..
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Can you recommend an architect in the Granite Bay area?
And, by the way, I love your house. The bun-toaster bench off the fireplace is a design feature I'd sure like to fit into my own home. :-)
The figures to build a house in CA vary depending on any number of factors, there are several things one can do to minimize construction expenses. 1) Build a small house. 2) buy a less desirable lot, Our house IS nice, but we're right next to Highway 50 and 8 lanes of asphalt...not exactly a `view property'. 3) Do a lot of the work yourself.Don't know how? Take a class at the Owner Builder Center in Fair Oaks. Take a class on smart homes/audio at Home Tech in Cupertino. Take a class at the Solar Institute in Petaluma area. 4) Cheap Architects? no, I don't know of any that specialize in low cost building design. Frankly the design itself is one of the least expensive elements of the process. 5.) Subscribe to Dwell Magazine and read back issues. They have LOTS of articles on exactly what you are seeking re. using SIPS and Passive Solar, etc. 6.) Don't forget to check out the Re-Store at Habitat for Humanity, they have lots of random building supplies.
Good Luck!!
Mike
Thanks! I love Habitat - I've only donated so far, but I love their mission!
A good architect should save us several times as much as he/she costs outright. Small details like designing on 8' lengths (since all the materials come in 8' lengths), designing the kitchen and baths relatively close to reduce plumbing runs, even just creating a design that is inherently beautiful, rather than the current custom of adding lots of roof line changes and faux finishes to create an "impressive" house instead of a simply well-designed, beautiful home. Little details add up to lots of money saved or wasted.
I checked out the Dwell site - Very nice. Thank you for the tip. I dream of building a strikingly modern home with many historical (pre-air-conditioning) elements. Mmmmm.
All the best,
Tracy