I need your help with the sketches
... before plans get sent to be drawn for council.

We have 1 acre (4300sq mets) near the top of NZ

I will get photos of the land when it stops raining. (we are on a par with the Gong in NSW )
but more sub tropical.

I have 5 kids and we have no money (cos of said 5 kids)
1 has just left for his OE in the uk..so yay, 4 to go.

I would like the bedroom wing to one day be self contained..hence a cavity slider (lockable) down the hall from kitchen and bed 4 will have a kitchenette in WIR and will be a lounge/dining with access via sliding door in the future... 2 beds, bathroom etc

a few things to tweak on the plans...
North is master ensuite window/ east family room doors (also where the view is)

The stacker sliders are to look like bi folds..so no line halfway down the glass going horizontally.
The only line I want is on the 2 opening windows of the family room sliders...
all the other 7 panes (the family and master doors) are to have nothing obstructing the view. Just glass in the frames. (the plan has a line in the doors...grrr)

If poss I will swap the cavity slider over to slide into the WIR wall..as I have no where to put a heated towel rail and I wanted it next to the vanity..
(as that is the only spare space! it will be skinny and long. not fat and short.)

lounge window
1015 x 1815 (I want it high up so a table can go outside and not be infront of window. Same as play station room window) an extendable awning 6 mets long and 2.5 mets wide will go out from that wall for alfresco..hence windows higher up.

sliding/ bifold window in kitchen (so a deck can be there and we can have a 'bar' ...cheers somewoman!)

clear glass in en suite


man hole in garage with loft ladder

all cavity sliders are 2.4 high

(there are 3)

curved shower in bathroom by lounge
kitchen breakfast bar only 1200 deep not 1500

laundry walls to be the same length. (so it is like an alcove)

for council purposes bed 5 is an ‘office’, playstation room is ‘storage’, bed 2 is ‘kids tv’
‘it is a 3 bedroom home’

lounge is for tv viewing, and family/ dining room..no tv.
play room is for wii/ play station

it is 242 sqs and that is all we can afford to build...

Nathan from Buddedesign (AWESOME) drew up my ideas and I got someone in NZ to draw them up as he could come to the land and Nathan unfortunately couldnt.

Nathan will put them on this thread though as they are in PDF and I cant.

Thanks also to somewoman who helped me with WIR's, a HUGE pantry..2 actually, and helped me realise I could squeeze 5 beds, 2 living, 3 bathrooms, playroom, and a double garage in!!
thanks to you both..you are superstars!


everyone's thoughts..most welcome.

EDITED DEC 2011 Here are the plans we actually used. and some videos which are also on page 33~ taken halfway through the build.
We moved in March 28th 2011 and have been loving it ever since (page 63 is move in day)

(page 109 has some outside landscaping pics)
PLANS:

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framing starts....

master bedroom
View My Video
Framing complete

kids bedroom wing

View My Video

and the T part of the house shape


View My Video

Hey Nic and here are your plans....

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Thank you Nathan, gentleman to the end.

The garage has a storage area for bikes etc and also an outside under cover drying space...due to said rain in northland.
it isnt an alfresco area...purely clothesline.

A couple of things which occur to me - I am pointing them out but have no suggestions on how to address them - if indeed, you feel they need addressing

1. the entry is a bit tucked away and obscure from the street front.
2. one of the bathrooms has a window opening onto the front porch by the front door, not sure if that is a good idea.
3. the kitchen seems a bit exposed to the entry area - this could be addressed by swapping the kitchen with part of the dining/family area - may mean more plumbing cost though as wet areas are then not all aligned as they are now.
4. access to the main bedroom is a bit awkard, tucked around the corner of the liveing area and directly near the dineing table, could get a bit noisy for the bedroom occupants if others are still chatting around the table.
5. Laundry is that little area next to the garage? Seems a small laundry for a such a large family home and has no direct light/ventilation/outside access - that could be a problem IMO.

Hey Kiwi - I like it alot.

I love how you have all these different spaces that seem to work really well with each other.

The only things I did pick up that you might want to consider is located in the entry - if you are standing at the front door you will be able to see directly into the kitchen. II you put a little reccess where the angled wall is you might be able to block the view to the kithcen and make the space a bit more interesting as well as giving some privacy.

Also - maybe you can make the window in the bathroom a high light window and make it the length of the bathroom to give the same light but also some privacy.

I like it-Helyn does raise a couple of good points but at this juncture I haven't got any suggestions as to how to address them either!

1. the entry is a bit tucked away and obscure from the street front.

I know, it is a bit gros ay. I had thought of a portico, but we are so tight with $$$$ that doing one might be too expensive.
I am going to have the nicest path to my fancy pivot door though to make up for it and as we are in the country no one will see it anyway!

2. one of the bathrooms has a window opening onto the front porch by the front door, not sure if that is a good idea.

It isnt...maybe a high up one like Miss V mentioned might work better.

3. the kitchen seems a bit exposed to the entry area - this could be addressed by swapping the kitchen with part of the dining/family area - may mean more plumbing cost though as wet areas are then not all aligned as they are now.

I NEVER wanted a kitchen to be seen from the front door..all the plans I have done in the last 2 years havent had the kitchen in full view. I have put the fridge in a large fridge cabinet at the start of the kitchen which will block the stove, sink etc from being seen immediately, and also the front door opens left to right to also block it.
I have realised though since living in the woop whops, no one visits..
kids come in and straight into kitchen anyway, the view from the lounge doors will take away from the clutter, I will be tidier, most of the mess (ie toaster etc) will be in the butler pantry and with no small kids at home now, I can at least tidy it if I hear a car on the drive!! But I do agree with your point..I hate it too...but the cabinet will be my saviour.

4. access to the main bedroom is a bit awkard, tucked around the corner of the liveing area and directly near the dineing table, could get a bit noisy for the bedroom occupants if others are still chatting around the table.

The table will be moved forward and a side board will be against that bedroom/ dining room wall, (or an armoire with a computer in it ) so the view will be of furniture not the table as you come out of the master bedroom suite..woof!
..I had asked him to move the table over to the pantry wall..but alas, wasnt to be!

That way no one will ever know there is a door there as it is tucked away and I also want my split air con above the door frame, cos I hate seeing them
should hide it a bit...esp from the table and couches.
as our kids are 7- 14 (and the 19 is overseas) any partying will be from me and hubby...but I know what you mean...re kids staying up later and we hearing them, hence no tv there..only in lounge/ play station room,,... far enough away..and their friends can exit via the garage! (cos they know what mum is like..I can hear a cricket fart 4 kms away...grrrrrrrrr)

5. Laundry is that little area next to the garage? Seems a small laundry for a such a large family home and has no direct light/ventilation/outside access - that could be a problem IMO

it is in the 'hall' bit as you go into the house, there is a door into the house but no doors on the laundry..took them off..not really needed. The access is via a door to the clothesline area..(on plan) ...it will be glass for light and we will have a dog flap on it but no window in garage as such. Not sure if I need one as our garage door is usually up anyway in the day if home.
The septic and water tanks are on the south side of the garage wall...wanted that all wall for them.
do you think I need one?
laundry is small, but that was the sacrifice for a small house. a 5 bedroom home should be about 265sq mets, (one of my original plans) and I shrunk it by 35sq !
eek

I am using firth blocks, in manorstone..like oamaru stone, but cheaper
http://www.firth.co.nz/project-inspirat ... lders.aspx

titania joinery and sambuca horizon tiles.

thank you so much for your comments..I do appreciate them.
I too agree with them! and if you can think of a way to lessen at least one concern..that would rock!
(the windows, long and narrow and high up in bathrooms, might be the way to go, thank you. even if it does open into the entrance..ha ha...at least it can be clear glass)

This was the original plan...7 bedrooms! 222sq mets
(I added 8 sq mets to have WIR in bedrooms, and larger linen cupboards to make it 230 sqm)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/48503166@N ... otostream/

dull facade
http://www.flickr.com/photos/48503166@N ... otostream/

but hey....we cant all have a funky facade can we!???

small laundry so my smaller pantry in kitchen (with a cavity slider so cant see in it) is an appliance/ broom/ steam cleaner/ vacuum cupboard.

thank you again for all your comments, keep em coming if you can see anything that stands out that is just 'not on' and will tweak the plan
cheers

Kiaora. Good old Whangarei. oooh I so miss NZ. My family are from way up north. Ahipara. All the best with your build and look forward in seeing things progress.

wow, way up north!
cousie bro area..ha ha
fush and chups..........

I have absolutely nothing of value to add, but just wanted to say FIVE KIDS??

You're awesome....

Yeah spot on. Oh I miss the pies. I never eat pies here but just love them there. The lamingtons and cakes you have there are the best with REAL cream.

owww, thanks, that is very nice to hear. Thank you!


and the fab ice cream..and all the flavours from cadbury...crunchie, black forest, trio, bubbles, dream, topdeck, caramello, rocky road... need I go on...

Not much to add other than can you squeeze a couple of small north facing windows in the dining and lounge? Both of those have a small section of wall that would at least afford your a little bit of warmth from nor-east sun as it moves across in the morning. I know that everything else is custom built for you, and is the way that you want it and that you feel your family can live well with it, so well done =)

I could pop some where the lamp / christmas tree will go.
(and next to the armoire, on right)

Good for some cross breezes too...
thanks!

Hi Kiwi,
I lived in Whangarei for 2 years before coming to Melb. Originally from Invercargill. I moved from the cold to the tropics. If I ever went back the NZ it would definately be to Northland.

Love your house plan. So much room and lots areas to get away from each other. The pic of your house on fliker looks really nice.
Kay

Thank you Kay, I am from christchurch and moved to northland (cos of the bay of islands...fantastic!) 3 yrs ago (via Sydney and Kent in the uk!! ha ha)

Whangarei is a dump....(has to be said..), bar the town basin, which they really need to continue along the river cos it is MAGIC,
I like Maungakaramea where we live

here are some pics of the 1 acre and surrounding countryside...
very englishy ay! (with the odd tropical fern)

our drive will come off the shingle road.

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the fenced part is ours, rest farmland

click them to make them bigger...

looking east and the view of whangarei heads (way in the distance!)
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looking west
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last one for luck!
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at the start of our road...nice hill ay....tangihua
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we have STONE walls, just like the uk...very weird.
but 25 deg days...?
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western hills
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it stopped raining long enough to take some pics...hope you liked them. There will be more to come.....dont you worry!!!

Kiwi , those pics are fabulous. The views you will have are great. I left Whangarei over 30 years ago and I still can picture all the different places. I had so much fun and alcohol in that place it wasn’t funny. I used to work at the telephone exch in the main street. Long gone now, no doubt. I loved all the little bays we used to go to swim and picnic. Ah, the memories.
Kay