Buying Windows

Buying windows

Well, it’s not easy.  There are a bazillion companies each touting their own product.  I ended up using Golden Windows because I’m familiar with the product.  I’ve got a room full of those windows at home and they’re lovely.  I choose to go with casements, and because I’m cheap, I went with the vinyl clad inside and out. I know the wood interior trim would look spectacular, but I can’t justify the cost and since I’m thinking of painting the interior rather than leaving it knotty pine, I’m pretty sure the white trim will look okay. http://www.goldenwindows.com/  Harold, the salesguy, was wonderful. He was easy to talk to and he guided me through the process.  Some of the fencl windows are a bit smaller than standard windows, so going custom is necessary.   For the front bay window, companies don’t seem to carry the 15 “ windows, (even custom). I opted to go with a double casement instead.  This is the side that will face the lake and that’s where th

e prevailing winds come from so it’s really important that these windows open.  It might not look quite as cute as the windows in Jay’s fencl, but I’m confident they’ll look good.

 I was happy to buy local, and unlike the big box stores, they’ll deliver in 10 days.  Bonus.

Inside the Bodega

Over the years, we’ve accumulated a catalog of interior photos for our tiny house on wheels. However, since we don’t build the larger houses (250 square feet or more), but only sell the plans, we simply haven’t had the photos to show. We’ve begun creating 3d drawings of the interiors, and will add more photos for our other “small house” over the next few months.

Bodega House Plans on Sale

The Bodega has a fireplace, a full bath and kitchen (261 sq ft), and also has the option for an add on bedroom (356 sq ft). Designed with cost savings in mind, this green design is proportioned just right. Charming and bright, the simple use of space and building materials keeps construction costs low without sacrificing design. This small house plan comes with an option for a full loft over the great room, kitchen and bathroom, or a 1/2 loft with a cathedral ceiling over the great room.

Estimated Material Costs: $22,500

Inside the XS-House

In 2005, Jay lived in the XS-House, our smallest model on wheels. HGTV filmed him inside the house. Jay sold the small house after living in it for just 1 year, and this video is the only peak inside. The XS-House has a kitchenette and bathroom.

Proposal to amend

Proposal to amend IRC Code Restricting House Size:

Analysis:

Environmental Costs: The International Residential Code dictating how small our homes can be has helped make our houses the biggest in the world—four times the international average. At well over 2000 square feet, the average American house now emits more than 18 tons of greenhouse gasses every year, consumes a quarter acre of forest in its production and dumps seven tons of construction waste into our landfills.

Economic Costs: Excess and economy are mutually exclusive. We can have exorbitance, or we can have the serenity that a sensibly sized home affords, but we cannot have both. Like anything else that is not essential to our happiness, extra space just gets in the way. It requires maintenance and heating, and ultimately demands that we exchange a portion of life for the money needed to pay for these extras. Mortgage payments can appropriate thirty to forty percent of a household’s income not counting taxes, insurance, or maintenance expenses. [Read more]

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