FROM DREAM TO REALITY

How one homeowner made her vision come true

BY DONNI REDDINGTON

When I moved into my first home I built, my mom brought over some old boxes of mine she’d been storing the last 38 years, dropped them on the living room floor and said, “Here you go, you now have room for all of your old crap!” Not long after that, on a rainy day, I decided to sift through my old memories, and one of the first boxes I opened contained several drawings.

Installing the finishing touches in the kitchen. PHOTO COURTESY OF DONNI REDDINGTON

There were old drawings of homes I had sketched from the early 1980s. I was around 10 years old at that time. As most of my girlfriends were dreaming of growing up, getting married and having kids, all I could dream about was building a home.

The next box contained my report cards, which confirmed why I didn’t become an architect — my math skills were not so great. Reading one of the comments from my third-grade math teacher, Mrs. Smith, I laughed out loud.

She said, “Donni has a hard time paying attention at times but she does some really amazing sketches of homes. Maybe she can build me a house someday.”

GREAT PROCESS

So 30 years later, my dream came true! I built my first house here in Mazama. The process was a blast from start to finish, and choosing a builder who understood my tight budget constraints and many artistic ideas made the process smooth.

I chose Darold Brandenburg for his honesty, reputation, skills and his ability to be right on with his estimated building quotes. I didn’t have money to hire an architect and I knew exactly what I wanted, so I started back to working on some sketches. I found a website, floorplanner.com, where

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PHOTO COURTESY OF DONNI REDDINGTON

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I was able to design my home. I used the basic free plan and skipped paying for the advanced plan — after all, I was on a budget. My approved stamped floor plans cost only $1,500!

The building process was exciting to watch. To see an idea that I’ve had in my head for years unfold in front of my very own eyes was completely rewarding. The house is small (950 square feet), cozy and energy-efficient. It is south-facing so in the winter, the sun shines into the house, warming up the concrete floors and creating its own heat. But unfortunately not for long, with the few hours of sun we have here in the winter. I had a Mitsubishi ductless heating/air conditioning unit installed and that is the primary source of heat in the winter; the wood stove is the back-up heat. The ductless split keeps the home at a comfortable temperature in the winter and cools it on hot summer days.

There are two bedrooms and two bathrooms. The kitchen is open to the living room and there is a kitchen bar for meals.

The attached garage is 850 square feet, still not big enough, and during the construction phase, I decided to take the front 300 square feet and wall it off to become part of the house. This space has become the multi-purpose room. There is a 14-foot high climbing wall with a small gym, office, gear storage and a loft where we have movie nights often.

Two things I’ve always wanted in my house were a wood stove and a glass garage door that opens up in the living room. Bringing the outside inside, literally, sometimes! Having the garage door open during the spring, summer and fall makes the house feel more spacious and alive.

OTHER DETAILS

I paid attention to snowfall with the design of the house. The roof overhangs 3 feet around the house so in the winter I can walk around the entire house snowfree. No need for a snowblower, and no snow dumping over the entryway. In fact, my mom gave me her snowblower when I first moved in but I gave it back after the first year because I didn’t have to use it.

I also thought about fires when deciding what material to use on the outside. I chose hardy panel siding, which is a concrete composite and very fire-resistant, as well as metal siding with a metal roof.

Overall, I am very happy with how my house turned out. It truly is a low-maintenance home.

For those on a budget and wanting to build, it’s possible but you must do your research. When choosing a builder, interview other homeowners and ask pros and cons about their experience with a builder you’re interested in. Make sure the builder is reliable on their quotes, and find out from others if they stayed on budget. Also, shop around with lenders. The best way to do research is to talk with those who’ve gone through the process. The more you can plan, the better prepared you will be!

And remember, think small., Americans are consumed with super-sizing everything. Bigger is not always better. Remember, you have to fill all that space with “stuff.” A large space will cost more to heat and cool, and to clean and maintain it will require a lot more work. One thing you can always go bigger on though is the garage!

Don’t give up, dreams can come true! 

PHOTO COURTESY OF DONNI REDDINGTON

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