Help finding cottage houseplans?

[shabbychick]

The old Cottage Living website used to have a database of hundreds of cottage houseplans that you could buy. Now that the website it down, I can't find that database anymore. I am starting the process of researching how to go about getting property and having a home built instead of buying an old one. I have the name of a contractor (recommended by a friend) and I'm going to ask to meet with him just to talk about how the whole process works, how much money you need upfront, and what kinds of questions to ask. He may or may not be the contractor I end up with, but I feel like I need to meet with a pro from the get-go because I'm not savvy about these things. Anyway, I want this to be my last-ever house (which will also be my first-ever house since I live in a condo now) because I'm already 53 years old and I don't want to buy yet another place twenty years down the road. Rather than try to find an old place that I can't afford to fix, and that I know will not be in a neighborhood I want to live in, I want to have a little place built on property that I can choose myself. The CL database had so many cottage plans that I just adored, and I keep hoping it might have just moved somewhere else. I've found a few other sites online, but the houses are just generic and not that interesting. I don't want a storybook cottage, either, even though those are cute. Does anyone know where that CL database went?

I imagine buying property and building a house will be at least a couple of years down the road for me in this economy. My condo lost about 30K in value this last year, so even if I sold it for its appraised value, I wouldn't end up with much for a downpayment on a new place. I need to wait for values to go back up (which I hope happens soon). I'm now going to start a new austerity kick where I stop buying a bunch of new stuff for this place and try to save $500 or so a month toward my little dream home. Can anyone help me find some cottage plans? It's time to stop dreaming and start working to make this a reality.

[rubyslippers]

but, you do have some options.

First of all, I would click over to the Southern Living and Coastal Living websites just to make sure they do not have a smilar little corner on one of their websites. I would also do a quick google search for bungalow and craftsman houseplans. There are a lot of GREAT websites out there.

Personally, I would find a few styles I liked on-line to take with me to the meeting with the contractor. I have also seen magazines in places like Lowe's, Home Depot, and bookstores that say "small house plans" - - also, remember that the cottage you might want to build might also appear under lake house, mountain retreat, and vacation home.

If you can give us a little feedback around here - - like what your dream cottage "looks like" - - I bet a bunch of us could help you find some plans pretty quickly. There is a darling site that I have seen advertised in Cottages & Bungalows that builds fairy-tale cottages. They are Old World and just gorgeous.

My husband and I are in our first cottage right now. We are fortunate someone already did the heavy-lifting so to speak, but there is still work to be done. I think with house maintenance there is always work to be done. So, as you price your new cottage, remember that you will want to put in a stone pathway in a couple of years, or you will want to add gingerbread trim, or you may decide the kitchen just really, really, really needs the perfect antique chair in the corner.

Patience is a virtue I do not really possess; however, I'm not doing everything all at once. I just can't rationalize the price tag. I keep telling myself that one step at a time is the best route. I'm excited you have a meeting with a contractor; I'm glad you have a friend who could set you up with a professional to answer all of your questoins.

Good luck! (also, don't forget to let us know how we can help)

[ChapterTwo]

shabbychick - Country Living has 122 houseplans for cottages and other styles. Here's the link: http://www.countryliving.com/homes/house-tours/house-plans/ Just click on COTTAGE (there are 42 houseplans ) where it says "style" and fill in other details to the left, and I hope you can find something you like. Good luck with all of this; it sounds exciting!

[Hillary Black]

How exciting, Shabbychick!
Here are a few sites you will love.
Very helpful people at these companies with attractive and efficient cottage designs -- tell them C&B recommended you to contact them, although they will be helpful even if you don't! :)

Peek Design Group
www.peekdesign.com

New Cottage Homes.com
www.homeplans-express.com

Designs for Living
www.designsforliving.net

Ross Chapin Architects
www.rosschapin.com

The Tumbleweed Tiny House Company
www.tumbleweedhouses.com

(In case you change your mind to go the ultimate in "green" construction and choose an older, existing home... You still may want to consider this option as not all older homes are fixer-uppers.)
Historic Properties
www.historicproperties.com

Good luck house hunting!
Hillary

[shabbychick]

Thanks Rubyslippers, ChapterTwo, and Hillary for your help with this. I did see some designs, particularly in the Ross Chapin gallery, that I kind of liked and can use as a starting point. I have also been sketching out some ideas on paper to show the contractor. I know house plans can be altered (though it's a little more expensive) so I am hoping to figure out how to tweak some of the really cute designs to meet my needs.

Rubyslippers, you asked me to give you some more information about what I'm looking for, so here it is (and thanks for giving me an excuse to dream aloud!). I crave light, so more than anything, I want a house where there are windows in every single room. Here in the Pacific Northwest we have a lot of gloomy days, though the sunny ones are so glorious that they more than make up for it. I don't have SADD or anything, and I actually like rain, but I do have very bad eyesight, and I need a lot of light.

As for what else want in a home, I'd say that the two things that have been hardest to find in the house plans have been an actual laundry room (as opposed to a closet), and a kitchen that has windows (so many are tucked into the center of the house now). I want a wide front porch even though porches don't get a lot of use around here, but I don't need a porch in the back. A sunroom would be a more practical option, even if it were a really small one. I think I need a floorplan where the rooms are all arranged along the exterior walls so there can be windows in each one.

I'm hoping for a master suite that is downstairs because the day may come when I can't navigate stairs anymore, and I'd like to be able to stay in my home. Plus downstairs bedrooms are easier to escape in emergencies. I'd love for the bedroom to have french doors that opened out to the backyard.

In the living area I'd like to have a bay window with a window seat because there's nothing I love more than sitting by a window with a good book or my laptop and a cup of tea. And, of course, I can't live without at least one fireplace. I'd adore a fireplace in the livingroom and another in the master bedroom. My gas fireplace actually does a pretty good job of heating my condo even though the guy from the gas company tells me gas fireplaces are inefficient heaters. I figure, though, that if I get a gas fireplace AND a dog, I'll be set.

I like the great room concept I have in my condo with the living, dining, and kitchen areas kind of in one big connected area so that I can visit while I entertain and can also watch the flames of the fireplace while I cook and do dishes. All my kitchen really lacks (other than storage and a second oven) is a window. I don't know why I'm so married to the concept of a window over the sink (probably because the house I was raised in had one, and it's such a cute retro sort of touch). If I could enlarge my current home by a couple hundred square feet and add windows and a laundry room, I'd be fairly happy with the design I have now.

I think I want an attached garage because it's so much easier for hauling things in and out, especially with our weather. Also, for security, it just seems like the attached garage is a safer option when I come home late from work. And even though I live alone, I want to have a two-car garage so there's plenty of room for storage and so I can use a section of it as a workshop for painting furniture, etc. I have a one-car garage now but never put my car in it because I use it for storage. I can just barely squeeze the car in there now, but I can't get out of it, lol, so that's not very efficient.

I'm going back and forth about a second story. It seems like a more efficient use of space than a sprawling single-story house. Right now I have two bedrooms and two baths upstairs, plus a powder room downstairs, I sometimes think we're greedy about bathrooms. My parents raised four kids in a house with one bathroom which wasn't connected to anyone's bedroom. Maybe one large, really nice bathroom with doors from both the master bedroom and the hallway would be fine downstairs instead of worrying about a powder room and an upstairs bath. Who needs three toilets to clean? If the guest bedroom were downstairs, I'd really only need one bathroom, then the upstairs could just be an attic or bonus room, which would solve a lot of my storage problems. Hmm...I'm really liking that idea. Maybe that second fireplace could go upstairs in the bonus room. That would be a super space for a library/crafts/storage room.

Here's what I don't want: anything with high windows and light fixtures that I can't reach by standing on a step stool. Right now I have a light over the stairs where every bulb is burned out, but I can't reach it to replace them. I also have a window up there that is nice for shedding light but is impossible to wash. Now I'm going to have to hire someone to come replace my light bulbs and wash my window! Who ever thought that was a good idea? I mean, I understand the concept, but surely there's a better way to place a light fixture on a stairway!

Thanks for all the great links. I'm going to use some of them as a starting point for my conversation with the contractor, throw in a few sketches and pictures from my many back issues of magazines, and maybe even go to the library to do some research. Is there a Home Building for Dummies book? Oh, and I think this is a good day for a nice manicure/pedicure too. What's better than a warm, sunny Sunday with no pressing responsibilities? :)

Thank you all!

[Lisa S]

This is one of my favorites: http://www.bungalowpros.com They're located in Madison, Wisconsin, but the names of the houses are from Portland. I think you'll love these plans!

Good luck ~ you have an exciting endeavor in front of you!

[rubyslippers]

Hillary ... I forgot how much I loved Tumbleweeds ... prior to purchasing my current home, I really wanted to build my own Katrina cottage in the mountains of Tennessee ... (I may not have fully given up on this plan).

Anyway, Shabby - - in reading about your dreams - - a modified Craftsman really might be perfect for you. Keep us posted please ... I will click through more plans with your dreams in mind tomorrow and check back.

What fun!

[shabbychick]

Rubyslippers,

Thanks again for your help. I went to the library today and got some books of house plans and some books about building homes. I'm not a huge fan of the Craftsman style but maybe there will be a plan out there that speaks to me. I've got plenty of stuff to read now and should be a little better informed by the time I talk to the contractor. I want to at least know what questions to ask so I don't just waste his time gabbing about things that are completely outside his sphere of influence.

I actually did like at least the outside of the Katrina cottage I saw online. I heard those were really popular with people. It'd be nice to see people going back to smaller homes on bigger lots so there's room for gardens and playing instead of looking out your window and right into your neighbor's livingroom!

[rubyslippers]

...or another Arts and Crafts Bungalow...

Many of the modern house plans can include garages now a days (whether attached, attached via breezeway, or placed in the back of the home ... this can be included. The reason this "struck-me" as an option involves the fact that the house plans for these homes usually involve a cozy great room. Also, kitchens in craftsman cottages almost ALWAYS have windows. A few basic modifications to the garage and the window seat would make one of these styles quite plausible.

Anyway, this is "your" house obviously, but I can just "see" your features coming to life in that way. However, there will be a lot of plans that interest you. Builders cannot offer square foot prices without plans. From what I understand, a meeting with a builder should include some basic questions about procedure. Okay, how does this work? Do I show up with a building loan and house plans and we just get to work? What if I want to make modifications throughout the project? Is there room for this? Are you seeking a builder who has crews regularly working with high-end and/or restoration type materials, or to someone putting in tile, is subway tile the same as any old tile. Do you want any unique masonry work? Do you have an idea about the size home you want to build. That kind of stuff would be something the builder would probably want to know. Also, when you find a lot, it will be easier to find house plans. Traditionally, you will end up picking a house to fit your lot. Anyway, this is really exciting and I am intrigued.

Enjoy your reading and get back to us when you can.

Sincerely,

Jenny

[oxide]

I like coolhouseplans.com. They seem to have more attractive plans than the cookie cutter stuff in the store with the fake gables. For styles, check "cottage" "tudor" "vacation" and whatever else you think would give you want you want.

I agree on Ross Chapin. He "gets" the cottage concept. Most other architects use the word "cottage" to disguise the usual cookie cutter junk. You can always tell a fake cottage from the size of the rooms. If the master bath is as big as the master bedroom forget it. (should a cottage even have a master suite?)

In my opinion, if you need more than 1200-1300 sq ft for 3 bedrooms, it's a bloated design and won't have the cuteness of a cottage.

I've always like the idea of a breezeway from the kitchen into the garage. It could be an attractive laundry/mudroom, and full of windows on both sides.

[cheapdiva]

S.chic-

When we built our house 11 years ago - we went to a house designer (cheaper than an architect by tons) and discussed our ideas and what we needed and wanted. I actually had a little rough sketch drawn out and we started from there. He drew the plans, met with us several times and then we took the plans to 5 different builders to price out.

We ended up revising the plans because we initially had an office space and half bath in a loft that was going to cost us about $40,000 additional. So the plan was revised to locate the office off the bedroom (which later became a sitting/tv room). The initial plan was around $1200 and another few hundred to revise the plan.BUT it was customized to our needs and wants. Consider looking for a house designer if you don't find what you want.

[Lisa S]

I love the phrase "bloated design". It's so apt.

[Lynzee]

As far as plans go, I enjoy browsing at coolhouseplans.com, but I like CD's idea of going to a house designer in order to get what you really want.

Hillary ~ I am totally in love with the historic properties website. I'd never seen it before and I have spent hours there since you posted the link! WOW!

[shabbychick]

I'm actually hoping to get something more in the 1400-1500 square foot range if I can afford it. My condo is about 1296 square feet, including the garage, and it's kind of cramped.

I've been looking through lots of books of house plans, and I scanned some of the stuff at coolhouseplans.com, the bungalow website Lisa sent me, and all the other links. It's fun to see what's out there, though after awhile most of them begin to look alike. I liked some of the layouts in the Ross Chapin cottages, but I also remember that those cottage neighborhoods were way out of my price range when I looked at them before. They started at twice as much as I could get financing for. I'm not sure why a 900-something square foot cottage needs to cost so much.

I've also been looking at the Quadrant Homes website to see if they have anything in any of their newer communities that are going in. My condo was built by Quadrant, and except for the garage floor, which sucks up moisture every winter, it's built pretty well. It's snug in the winter and cool in the summer. They say they allow you to reconfigure the layout, and in the long run, it might be cheaper than another option. I'm having a hard time imagining what the inside of a house will actually look like just from the blueprints, so I may start hanging out at some open houses. I like the idea of consulting a designer over an architect. I'm going to make great use of the photocopy machine to get pictures of the plans that have at least some of the features I really like and then hope someone can cobble together an affordable layout. I'm beginning to learn that the word "vaulted" translates to "windows you can't reach to wash." I'll have some time this weekend to dig through my old Cottage Living and Country Home magazines to find more pictures, and I know I have some house plans I've cut out of magazines in past years and stuffed somewhere (not sure where). So far it's the farmhouse plans and the Victorian plans with the bedroom in the turret that really are speaking to me. Thanks again to all of you for your advice and the links. I hope you won't mind if I continue to pick your brains for tidbits of information, particularly those of you who have built or remodeled homes of your own. This isn't going to be easy to do on a single schoolteacher's salary, but I am hoping I can pull it off anyway.

[shabbychick]

I was reading an article about how builders are thinking smaller these days, and found this link to the website for the Katrina Cottages: http://cusatocottages.com/
(http://cusatocottages.com/)

In many respects, these are just what I'm looking for: the old-fashioned look, the front porch and metal roof, and the compact design. There's a gap in square feet in their offerings. They have a 1200 square foot house and an 1800+ square foot offering, but nothing in between. But I really like the 888 and 1112 foot designs with a few alterations.

They say these can be built for about $110 per square foot, which is really good news. Some of them are expandable, and they can be altered by an architect to customize, though that changes the price because they have partnered with Lowe's to offer these kits, and the kits obviously don't include materials for things you add on. Still, though, I bet it would be cheaper than a lot of other homes, and these are just darn cute!

[shabbychick]

And for those of you thinking green, here's another home designed by the woman who does the Katrina Cottages. It's cute, too, though not exactly what I'm looking for. I am so pleased to see that they're finally beginning to think about building homes that we normal people can afford and that are not only affordable, they are cute.

http://www.neweconomyhome.com/Site_2/New_Economy_Home.html

[LindaLK]

Good Morning Everyone, :)


Thank you ladies for posting the links for those cottage pages. I thought they were cute. I wish they showed more interior pictures. The only thing I really didn`t like was, having your kitchen table in the living room. I like those two rooms to be separate from one another.


I find the older I get, the less motivation I have to clean the house on my day off. Having a smaller house would be great. Our kids are getting older, and two have moved out on their own, so I don`t need four~bedrooms, and two~bathrooms any more. I even find my foyer just to be an extra room that has needless knick~knacks and furniture for me to take care of. I must be getting old.

Carl has told the kids that when the last one moves out, he is getting a one room house with a drive~thru window, so they can`t move back, and they can only visit thru the window and be on their way. :D


Enjoy the day!



Hugs,
Linda :)

[shabbychick]

I'm going to be going to Lowe's today to talk to someone about the Katrina cottage plans. The brochure I got from one of the Lowe's stores was a few years old and didn't even include the newer floor plans. The guy at that Lowe's wasn't very enthusiastic about the program Lowe's was doing where they provide the materials package (which the brochure says includes almost everything for the house). He said Lowe's really only provides the lumber and it's not that good of a deal. On the other hand, he didn't have many specifics. But I got a voice mail message from someone at a different Lowe's who said she had some information for me, so hopefully I'll get a better-informed response from her. I've picked out a couple of floor plans from the cusato cottages website that I like, have sketched in some changes to the layout that I think shouldn't be too hard to do since they don't change the footprint of the house, and am hoping that in the near future I can connect with someone who can look over my changes and see if they're realistic. If this recession really does bottom out anytime soon, I could start looking for a little lot suitable for the house I want to build and then get my condo on the market. I know now where I want to live and am just hoping I can find land in the area outside of the flood plain (unless I want to build my Katrina cottage on top of a boat).

I hope I'm not just dreaming and that I can really make this happen!

[Lisa S]

How exciting ~ you'll have to keep us posted.

[shabbychick]

Well, I went to the second Lowe's today and talked to a guy in their commercial sales division who wasn't much more helpful than the guy at the other store. He knew virtually nothing about the program, looked it up online while I stood there, and gave me a different answer than the previous guy did. This one said the cost per square foot estimate includes everything you need to enclose the house (lumber, roofing, drywall, etc.) but nothing for the inside of the house. It's impossible to plan financing for this project if I can't get an answer to how much is actually included in this materials package (and both Lowe's stores told me something entirely different from what is in the brochure). I have yet to find anyone at Lowe's who was truly knowledgeable about these cottages. I'm not in a position to think about buying land right now, or even selling this place, until the economy improves some and folks are buying again, but it would sure be nice to have some idea of what I was going to be working with when the time comes. I'm going to have to sell this place first in order to have 20% down for a construction loan anyway, so that will leave me homeless while my house is being built. The last thing I want to do is get halfway through a project and run out of money and then have no place to live at all. I'd like to know how people you read about in magazines do it who drive by a place while they're on vacation and just up and buy it. They must not be working for the public schools! :)

[shabbychick]

I sent an e-mail to the Cusato Cottages website a few days ago asking if they were going to come out with any new plans between 1300 and 1800 square feet. I was expecting a form letter back, if anything, but I got a nice e-mail (signed by Marianne Cusato herself!) referring me to the New Economy Home website. I've seen this website, but it didn't have a full laundry room. She says, though, that they can work with me to create a full size laundry room if I want one. The basic cottage, which I think is 1600+ square feet, can be built, they estimate, for 185K, not including the land. That's pretty good, actually, since I paid about that for my much smaller condo. There's supposed to be a 1300+ square foot version of it, too. She says the plans will be available for purchase in July and that they're going to come up with a materials list, but it may take a few months. I thought it was really nice of them to answer my e-mail since they must get tons of correspondence. She says they're not going to be selling it through Lowe's, (which is a really good thing since Lowe's doesn't seem to be very interested in the cottages!). Hm...now I need to find a contractor to marry. Just kidding. :)

[LindaLK]

Hi Everyone, :)

ShabbyChick, that`s nice that she e~mailed you personally. As for Lowe`s, how about if you contacted their corporate office? I would let them know that you have not received any helpful information from their employees, regarding these cottages. Let them know you are dissatisfied with their service. Good luck on your venture. As for getting you an unmarried contractor. I will keep my eyes open for you, and let you know what I come up with. ;)


Have a wonderful evening.



Hugs,
Linda :)

[shabbychick]

I was thinking about e-mailing their corporate hq, too, to see if I could get the real scoop. You'd think that the ability to offer affordable housing in this economy would be good business for them. While developers are not building new houses, the rest of us still need someplace to live. Empowering people to select living spaces that are affordable, attractive, customizable, and economical is about as green as it gets and makes good sense to me. The only other issue, though, is land. There's not much of it left anymore, at least around here. I expect that will be my downfall because I'll probably have to buy a property on which there is some old wreck already standing and then pay to have it torn down, which adds expense.

I was in Snohomish yesterday taking pictures of some of the lovely old homes there and met a woman who was moving things out of a cute little old house. She told me it was built in 1901. I said, "You're moving out of this cute little house?" and she said, "Yes, we're in foreclosure." That was so sad. Her son is a volunteer firefighter and couldn't afford the payments (more than 2K a month). He'd bought the place for 300K a few years ago. It's so sad when people lose their homes like that. She told me a lot of people in the area (which is mostly late 19th/early 20th century homes) have told her they wouldn't buy old homes again just because of the expense. Her little house needed a new roof, and she said it was cold all the time, and dark, but they couldn't afford renovations. As much as I might like the idea of buying an old house (because I know there are a lot of them in foreclosure right now), I also know that on one salary (and a schoolteacher's salary at that) there would be no way I'd be able to pay to fix up an old place. It was so sad, though, to meet someone whose dream was living in that old house and who ended up losing it. They had bought it with a downpayment that was an insurance settlement from the death of another family member in a motorcycle accident, and the home was supposed to be a legacy. Now they feel like they have wasted that money because they couldn't hold onto the place. :(

I took some great pics yesterday, though, so I'll try to get some posted today as I work my way through a mountain of laundry! If I get in touch with Lowe's and hear anything back, I'll let you guys know. In the meantime, I've got my sights set on some version of Cusato's New Economy House.
:)

[LindaLK]

Hi Shabby Chick, :)

I would be interested in what the corporate office at Lowe`s has to say to you. With the economy being as it is, you would think they would have jumped at the opportunity to help answer your questions.


That is so, so sad. There are a lot of houses going up for sale around our area. It must be awful for those people being forced to sell, or risk foreclosure. It`s bad enough that people have to sell, but to also advertise that the house is in foreclosure, has to be so embarrassing for them. Many businesses are closing, and many jobs are being lost. These are tough and uncertain times that we are all living in. It was announced today on the radio that many post offices here in CT will be closing.

Have a good day everyone.


Hugs,
Linda :)

[oxide]

Thank you ladies for posting the links for those cottage pages. I thought they were cute. I wish they showed more interior pictures. The only thing I really didn`t like was, having your kitchen table in the living room.
:)


Linda, check out Ross Chapin, especially his Pears and Cherries cottage. He likes to put an eating alcove off the kitchen. It's a way to save space but achieve separation at the same time.

http://www.rosschapin.com/Plans/Cottage/PearsCherries/images/PEARSfloorboth.jpg

It's one thing I love about the cottage ideal. It's amazing how many square feet you can save if you put stuff against the wall, like an eating booth or a bed alcove, or built ins. Sarah Susanka covers this in The Not So Big House.

The best examples of space efficiency design can be found in RV's. Not that I'd want to live in one, but they really know how to save space.

[LindaLK]

Good Morning Everyone, :)

Sorry this is late in replying. Oxide, thank you for sharing this with me. I am going to go take a peek. I hope everyone has a wonderful day today!



Hugs,
Linda :)

[LindaLK]

Good Morning Oxide, :)

I did what I said I would. I was nosey and took a peek. :D I liked the Pears and Cherries Cottage.
Very cute. I didn`t care for the exterior as much as I did the interior. It looked odd with just the one dormer. I didn`t see a front facing pic, just the one that was on an angle. Maybe the front facing would have looked better? Thanks for sharing!

Enjoy your day!



Hugs,
Linda :)

[yarborough house]

Just some info on the Katrina cottages on Lowes...we were looking into those and found that you have to go to the contractor sales desks as they are the only ones who have any information on it..they can print out the junk for you.

[shabbychick]

Just some info on the Katrina cottages on Lowes...we were looking into those and found that you have to go to the contractor sales desks as they are the only ones who have any information on it..they can print out the junk for you.

Yes, I had to do that, too. They still didn't know much, though. The KCs must not be big sellers in my part of the world, more's the pity.

[Zuzu's Garden]

I agree, SC - the Katrina cottages seem well designed and use quality building materials. Not only would they make a great home, they would make a great vacation home, guesthouse, or studio!

I visited the New Economy Home website. Very exciting!
:)
Zu

[oxide]

Good morning Linda K,

Glad you liked that cottage. :) Of course I'm not telling you that you have to like any particular house plan....I was just trying to show an example of a dining alcove. A booth is a great idea because you don't need space to walk around or to push chairs, you can store linens in the benches, and because you feel kinda protected. (don't we all ask for booths when we go to a restaurant?)

Another idea is to pick a house plan and add a dining alcove as a small bump-out addition. Bump-outs are relatively cheap because they have a really simple foundation (no basement) and they don't break the main roofline.

[LindaLK]

Hello Oxide, :)

Oh no. I knew you were not telling me to like the alcove. But I do! It is a great solution to space, and avoiding not having to have your kitchen table in your living room. Thank you again for sharing this info, I appreciate it. I just made notes for my dream house. :)

Have a good evening!



Hugs,
Linda :)