1. Mark Blaisdell TDJ 4M

2.  Rural or Urban?  Choosing a neighborhood – consider: Schools Parks and recreation Shopping Roads nearby – to and from work, shopping, etc Economic stability of the area Services – police, fire, plowing, waste collection... Taxes – Ottawa taxes are approx. $3000/yr for family home Economic stability of the area

3.  Quiet streets –front and back  Mature trees and vegetation  Future city plans – More development?  Services - water and sewer? Stormwater?  Topography – slope, etc  Building restrictions? (size, siding, design...)  Exposure – south gets all day sun  Soil conditions – clay? rock?  Location of utilities – hydro, phone

4.  Total cost of the lot should not exceed 15-25% of the total project budget  Hire a lawyer to perform “title search” – Does the seller actually own the land he/she is selling?

5.  How to best orient the house? –  Prevailing winds  Sun (southern exposure – good solar gain)  Northern exposure – less light, more heat loss  Sizing and design  Projected family size – as well as resale value  Financial resources– how much can you afford and how much do you need?

6.  Access to the house – children and visitors  Landscaping and garden possibilities  Laneway and garage?  Full or partial basement?  Built on a slope – affects excavation and foundation costs, as well as fill requirements  Frost line – 4’ depth minimum in this area

7.  3 Main areas of a home:  1. Living – playing, entertaining, reading, writing  2. Sleeping – bedrooms (adults, kids, bathrooms)  3. Working – Kitchen, laundry, storage and workshop One must be able to pass from one area to the other without going through the third. Hallways, stairs and doors connect these spaces. The areas should proceed from public to more private upon entering the main entrance.

8.  Flexible space  Large size 435 ft 2 to small size 145 ft 2  Open concept combines dining and living area for a larger space  Furniture may be located to maximize space

9.  Off the master bedroom there is often a bathroom  Walk in closets are a nice feature  Large size 200+ ft 2 to small size under 100 ft 2  Consider the wall space – a single bed may go against the wall but doubles or larger are hard to make if placed against the wall

10.  Half bathroom (sink and a toilet) min. 20 ft 2  Full bathroom (three fixtures – tub/shower, sink, toilet) min. 45 ft 2  A single family, 3 bedroom house typically has at least a 1 ½ bathrooms, but 2 full bathrooms is more “marketable”.

11.  A combined living and dining room may average 260 ft 2  About half of this will be occupied by furniture  Typical size of common furniture articles may be found on-line or in “Architectural Graphics Standards” a book listing common size requirements and standards.

12. Mark Blaisdell TDJ 4M