Final Home Plan Design

After a lot of work, and many different changes to fit the plan to the lot, I have designed a plan.  A rendoring of the front elevation is posted just above this message.  There are several important factors which affected this plan.  The lot offers a great view to the southwest.  It looks out over a natural wetland area, and should remain unobstructed by other houses as the subdivision fills in.  It slopes enough to offer a full exposure on the rear and right side of the home.  It is a large lot and offers the opportunity to have large area to the side of the home.  It is very close to the park, and only one house away from the Swimming Pool.  The lot is lined with close to a dozen pine trees which offer a break from wind, privacy, and natural beauty.
Main Level

Lower Level

This home will feature a total of 3174 sq ft of finished area.  It will have 5 bedrooms, great room, dining room, dinette, 4 bathrooms, family room, laundry and mudroom.  It will have a large deck and front porch to allow ample areas to enjoy the outdoors.  It has a large three car garage and lots of storage area. Please contact me if you are interested in getting more details.

Next post will be the painful process of pricing.

Developing a plan

The right plan is the most important part of the building process.   A lot of time goes into this process.  Hundreds of different plans are studied and looked at.  Past projects are reviewed to benefit from those previous winners. The covenants of the subdivision are studied to help us understand the guidelines.  Notes during the year are reviewed on feedback and conversations I have had with realtors and builders.  But most importantly, the comments received from the previous parades, and the Sunday open homes, do the most to influence the design of the home.  If you get a chance, and happen to visit the parade next June, please stop by and introduce yourself, and let me know what you think.  I will most likely be sitting close to the front door greeting and visiting with our guests. 

Once all the thoughts and ideas are put together, I then try to squeeze it all into a plan which will fit on the lot.   The biggest challenge is to fit the homes on the lots.  Wisconsin has a beautiful rolling landscape, which results in many lots sloping all different directions, and lots with many different shapes, angles and curves.  It seems like just about every town or village has a different set of setbacks for the front, sides and rear.   Take a look at this year’s plan by clicking here. 

Next-Pricing the project.

Picking a Parade Site and Lot

During my announcement of the start of this year’s MABA Parade on Homes entry, I promised to start from the very beginning of the process.  The Parade is a wonderful chance to build a home in which all the vendors and suppliers are eager to get their latest and greatest products out for show.  It is a chance for the developers to give their new subdivisions a push start.  It is a chance for the builders to show off their products.  It is a chance for the public to get a good idea of what is happening in home building trends and practices.

The process starts almost immediately after the parade ends.  Notices go out to developers on applying for the next year’s event.  This past year, thirteen different subdivisions were submitted for selection.  Twelve are in Dane County and the other just over the border in Lodi.  The Developers present their subdivisions early in September to the Builders. At a second meeting three weeks later, the builders meet to decide which subdivision they would like to be in.  It takes three houses to form a parade site.  The process starts with a vote.  The subdivision with the most votes is the first selected.  The process continues until no more sites qualify.  Each Builder is allowed to get into two sites.  Builders earn seniority points based on the number of uninterrupted years they have participated.  This determines the order in which lots are selected.  At this meeting last year, seven sites were selected by 29 builders.

Two weeks later, the builders meet at the subdivision they selected, and pick lots.  TimberLane Builders picked the Blueridge Addition to Southbridge in Waunakee.  I am very excited to be building there.  It is our first home to be built in Waunakee.  Waunakee has been the hardest site to get into over the time I have been in the parade.  We have risen from 39^th to 10^th on the seniority list, but we were still seventh out of the eight builders who selected Southbridge.  Most important, I got the lot I wanted.  Details on our home can be watched on it’s webpage. ( http://www.dchwi.com/tlb/2011DresenParade.htm)

Next-designing the plan.

Mike Vilstrup, TimberLane Builders

Parade of Homes Start

TimberLane Builders started out the New Year by beginning its first new project of 2011.  On January 3, we picked up our building permit to begin the sixth home we have entered in the Madison Area Builders Association annual parade of homes.  This year’s home will be in the Blue Ridge Addition to Southbridge in Waunakee. Waunakee is in northern Dane County, only a short distance from both the east and west sides of Madison.  This new home will be located on a private cul de sac at 1003 Dresen Ct.  Details are available by clicking on this sentence.  It will be listed for sale in the near future, and will be posted here and on the MLS.   It is only two lots away from the swimming pool in Southbridge, and the large park and shelter just off Tiereny Drive and Blue Ridge.  The home will be a ranch with full exposure.  As always, it will be certified through the Wisconsin Environmental GreenBuilt Home program and Focus on Energy’s New Home Program.    Over the next couple of weeks I will begin to tell more of the story from the beginning, and then continue on as we catch up to our current point.