House designs

[subtletylost]

@Ursa major and @Juliana the house sitting idea is a good one, but it's a plot point that comes up later that the archaeology is just a front that gets her into other countries relatively unquestioned her main source of income is as a hitman and black market artifacts dealer, a business her father got her into.

@ratsy leaving my own house isn't really an option as I am 19 years old with no car, no money and live in a very small town. That would be a wonderful option though, if I could do it.

 

[Juliana]

@Ursa major and @Juliana the house sitting idea is a good one, but it's a plot point that comes up later that the archaeology is just a front that gets her into other countries relatively unquestioned her main source of income is as a hitman and black market artifacts dealer, a business her father got her into.

Cool! Love it... But maybe she can still do the housesitting thing, as her dad must have contacts who also hide behind a respectable academic façade... The 'sabbatical' of the person she's sitting for is actually an extended mission of some sort?

 

[subtletylost]

Cool! Love it... But maybe she can still do the housesitting thing, as her dad must have contacts who also hide behind a respectable academic façade... The 'sabbatical' of the person she's sitting for is actually an extended mission of some sort?

The only problem I forsee is that I do not plan on them giving the bigger house up, ever. It is an excellent idea though.

I do have a character who lives in a really big, really old house, and that house is set to be inherited by the main character since he doesn't have any family other than his sister who has already told him she doesn't want the house, but he's not supposed to die for another 7 years of story time... though, I could probably have him invite them into his house after he realizes how small their current house is... hmmm... my brain is thinking all kinds of things, but I can't really sort them out for how tired I am right now.

 

[Ray McCarthy]

Note that common types of house are different by country. Most European and nearly all UK & Ireland have front door into a hallway (very little or no Foyer unless Victorian with a room at BOTH sides of front off hall.
Late 1930s to now Three Bed.
The bathroom & toilet in UK & Ireland is almost always 1st door top of stairs (and together). One door on landing is usually a hotpress (hot tank and slat shelves).
Above front door is small bed room, Master beside at front and 2nd bedroom bedside bathroom at back. Semi, Terrance or Detached.
Four bedroom houses tend to either have 4th above a garage, or an extra room downstairs and vary a lot more in layout. Older (Victorian and Edwardian) may have the kitchen extend out rear of house and return on stairs with 4th bedroom above kitchen as the main rooms and hall will have higher ceilings than kitchen.

 

[Juliana]

hmmm... my brain is thinking all kinds of things, but I can't really sort them out for how tired I am right now.

Sounds like you've got some great ideas already.
Just leave it for a day or two and let the ideas bubble away – sometimes it's best to give things some space.

 

[ratsy]

I would then suggest using realtor websites. Pick a house that fits the look you are thinking of and use the images to paint a picture in your head for the story.

 

[subtletylost]

I would then suggest using realtor websites. Pick a house that fits the look you are thinking of and use the images to paint a picture in your head for the story.

That is a smarter idea than any my brain has provided me, it's a sentiment I think a couple of other posts have said too. Now, all that's left is finding the houses to look at, which shouldn't be too hard at all.

 

[Ray McCarthy]

USA Realtor, UK Estate Agent, Ireland Auctioneer?
I was puzzled when I moved from UK to Ireland, no Estate Agents (in Name) though identical style offices. I sussed eventually this was for two reasons:
1) An Estate Agent in 19th C Ireland collected Rents for Absentee Landlords.
2) Public Auction rather UK secret bidding used to be common and is still a feature in rural areas.

Perhaps someone can enlighten about USA. Is it simply from "Real Estate"? A term hardly used in Ireland or UK for domestic property rental or sales.

 

[tinkerdan]

Using blue prints is a great way to keep track.

I built my entire space station in a 2d cad environment and created the floor plan and then internal floor plans.

Later: I actually tried second life simulator but was limited by the size of the simulator and objects that could be created; and then I discovered Open Sim where I could regulate all of that and created a simulation of the station to help me visualize some of the things I was writing about. [There are some rather expensive rendering programs you can get to do this also; but Open Sim is free. The down side is that you need to create almost everything yourself.]

3 d model building would work too. [That might require some crafting experience.]

 

[Ursa major]

If you're anything like me, fishii, you might discover that looking at house plans can become rather addictive. (Don't tell my neighbours, but I have the house plans of all my neighbours' houses, courtesy of the local authority planning office**. I'm not sure this is now possible because, as far as I can tell, the local authority's planning website now only contains recent planning applications.

I blame this on many changes of house when I was a child, and looking for and round houses for sale. Oh, and a large book of plans for those wanting to build their own homes (self-build or using a contractor). In those days, I wanted to be a residential architect.


** - Except in one case, where No.8's file contained the house plans for No.2. Luckily, No.8 was put up for sale, and so the plans became available.

 

[subtletylost]

@Ray McCarthy In the US they're just Realtors, or Real Estate agents. I'm sure that the term comes from the fact that they sell real estate. Which has always confused me because if some estate is "real" is some then "fake" as well?

@tinkerdan what is cad? Someone else mentioned it too and when I looked it up it asked me if I was looking for things in Canada or the college of art and design.

@Ursa major I actually found them really interesting but really confusing too because never having actually lived in a house with an upstairs or more than 2 bedrooms I couldn't really wrap my head around the size of the houses nor why they were laid out the way they were. Maybe it would be different if I weren't American, houses in America all seem either unnecessarily big or unnecessarily small to me.

 

[Loren]

@Ray McCarthy In the US they're just Realtors, or Real Estate agents. I'm sure that the term comes from the fact that they sell real estate. Which has always confused me because if some estate is "real" is some then "fake" as well?

@tinkerdan what is cad? Someone else mentioned it too and when I looked it up it asked me if I was looking for things in Canada or the college of art and design.

@Ursa major I actually found them really interesting but really confusing too because never having actually lived in a house with an upstairs or more than 2 bedrooms I couldn't really wrap my head around the size of the houses nor why they were laid out the way they were. Maybe it would be different if I weren't American, houses in America all seem either unnecessarily big or unnecessarily small to me.

CAD = Computer Aided Design.

Mostly considered to be a mechanical drafting program, but can encompass other design tools like schematic and PC board design. Not only can they draw things, but they can provide analysis, too.

There are many free programs that are geared for general drawing and many that are geared for architectural work. Google Sketchup is a free program that is a generic drawing program, for example.

In the US we tend to like our space, so large homes sell well. People have bedrooms, but also offices, exercise rooms, sitting rooms, home theaters, and a growing trend called man-caves, which is where middle aged men can be kids again, but with the added benefit of alcohol. ;-)

Large bathrooms are a desired luxury, too. Master bedrooms have their own bathroom and walk-in closets. They are almost like the ancient solars in England.

Many houses have a formal living room and a recreational room (informal living room). Even one of my first homes, a mere 1,000 square feet (93 square meters) had a formal living space and an informal living room (but no master bedroom bath). They were small, but that was how they built it.

Older homes the kitchen were small and tucked away. Modern homes have large open kitchens that adjoin larger living spaces and look out onto back patios or in our case, an unground pool.

I tend to notice many large homes built on small lots. People tend to prefer to be sheltered in large air-conditioned and heated spaces than having large outdoor expanses. I prefer both.

 

[Ursa major]

I couldn't really wrap my head around the size of the houses nor why they were laid out the way they were.

Is there any way you could visit larger houses, either in person or virtually?

In terms of looking round properties, sometimes sellers or developers have open days, i.e. you don't have to look around a house while the seller/agent focuses on your need for such a house (and whether you can afford it). If this isn't possible -- because you don't look (for various reasons, including age or not having a suitable vehicle in which to arrive) like someone who might be able to purchase the property, and don't know anyone who does and could go round the house with you** -- what about property programmes on the TV. (Is the US as fascinated with these as the UK is?

We in the UK are offered an endless number of TV programmes about moving to the country, moving to sunnier climes (and buying second homes there), simply moving house, remodelling their own houses, buying houses to develop and rent out.... You name it, there'll be something on the TV about it (including those on the main channels here, in primetime, not just channels with a few dedicated viewers at odd hours of the day).


** - The vast majority of my visits to houses for sale were when I was there with my parents. I think they had a bit of the same bug as I had, because we continued to visit show homes -- but not private homes -- even when they weren't actually in the process of wanting to move house. As it turned out, this came in handy when they moved to their final home, where what was on offer was an empty site and access to an architect: they knew what would and wouldn't work for them. (Without their experience, we'd have been, to some extent, at the mercy of the architect, who originally offered an impractical split-level house -- the plot was on a slope -- when all they wanted was an ordinary three-bedroom house, not anything really big or spectacular.)

 

[subtletylost]

Is there any way you could visit larger houses, either in person or virtually?

I'm not sure about virtually but none of the houses for sale around my town are quite big enough, we're an old mining town even the newer houses in town are relatively small.

what about property programmes on the TV. (Is the US as fascinated with these as the UK is?_

I hadn't thought about them. I know there are quite a few -- I'm pretty sure there's a whole channel dedicated to them actually HGTV or something like that-- I'll look some of them up and see if they help me.

 

[Loren]

I'm not sure about virtually but none of the houses for sale around my town are quite big enough, we're an old mining town even the newer houses in town are relatively small.


I hadn't thought about them. I know there are quite a few -- I'm pretty sure there's a whole channel dedicated to them actually HGTV or something like that-- I'll look some of them up and see if they help me.

Try this: 40 Virtual Tours available for Viewing! - Evergreene Homes ...

 

[subtletylost]

Try this: 40 Virtual Tours available for Viewing! - Evergreene Homes ...

That was the most helpful thing I've ever tried to find on my own and couldn't. Thank you

 

[Loren]

That was the most helpful thing I've ever tried to find on my own and couldn't. Thank you

You are welcome. Google is your friend.

 

[Ursa major]

Try this: 40 Virtual Tours available for Viewing! - Evergreene Homes ...

Ooo, property porn...!

*cough*


Thanks, Loren.

 

[James118]

I really don't know, I just sort of imagine places and then describe what I see. Bit wishy-washy, I know, and I alter it if events dictate, but that's just how I work. I don't tend to see the fundamental physical structure as important as the density and placement of smaller objects, maybe even furniture. Those can say a lot about a character.

What I've been trying to do more often these days is avoid saying a side and just let the reader picture it how they want.