Chapter 1

[Britt] Mister Charles came over after supper with a couple of house books and pad and notepaper. He sat down with us. I said, "Mister Charles, I'm sure you have talked to Dad, Uncle Mitch, or both. Through them, you know we're serious and able. We also have some ideas to start"

Mister Charles said, "Actually, I talked with both. Charles caught me just before Sunday school started. He simply said to expect you to want to meet with me. He said you are able and serious as a heartbeat. He then said that he wouldn't have any further involvement in the house unless one of you had questions. He made it clear you two were my clients and I'm fine with that. I respect you both not least for the impact you have had on Tony. You two really are legends in this town. Building your home will be a feather in my cap. I want all my clients to be satisfied. I want you to be thrilled with the finished product. I talked to the Chief and he said basically the same thing.

"So, what's your pleasure?"

I said, "Wow! Chad and I have talked about things some to determine what we want. We want our land to stay as natural as possible. That land came from Uncle Mitch in exchange for the engagement ring he gave to Dora."

Mister Charles smiled. "I heard that story. It was a generous move on your part. Even better was when he made the loan permanent! I think he really had you two going when he did!"

Chad said, "Yes, sir. He did. Dora took pity on us and made him 'fess up. Getting that land was a heart's desire for us. We will show you our special spot that we want left untouched. Beyond that, we haven't talked about house placement other than we want to be pretty close to the water. We don't want a mansion or even a small one though we realize what we want will not be small.

"First thing is a big master with a big bathroom. We have a queen sized bed to put in it and want a small seating area with good-sized closets."

I said, "I would prefer a walk-in but that's optional. The bathroom needs a large shower stall and one of those big Jacuzzi tubs and double sinks. The lake is not the only water we want to play in." Mister Charles was writing rapidly on his pad.

I continued, "We want an eat-in kitchen, a large living room or great room, a separate dining room much like this one. The other common area rooms would be a rec room and a study. We will be going to school initially and both like to read. We will need desk space for two plus a lot of shelves in the study. We would like two other bedrooms with a connecting bath and a half bath for the common area.

"Outside, we want a two car garage with enough space for a good shop. The one here works really well and would be a good model.

"Have we put together a specific enough want list?"

Mister Charles said, "I understand better why you are both honors students and accomplish so much. You think things through. We can build that and I have some plans for a starting point. I have two questions right now. Do you want one story or two? Have you thought about style; contemporary, colonial, traditional or what?"

Chad said, "One story would be our first preference depending upon price differences and layout issues. We are more traditional types in our style though I would prefer low maintenance as much as possible."

I nodded in agreement.

Mister Charles said, "Let me show you what I brought to show you." He opened one book with larger houses in it... "While you're looking through those, I am guessing that you don't plan to move after you've started having children or for any other reason?"

I said, "That's correct. In the unlikely event, we live somewhere else for any time; it will make a grand lake house until we can return. We know that will be an issue while we get our college degrees. We will be gone from it a lot in the first years.

"Oh, we want it finished by the first part of June. We're going to honeymoon in it."

Mister Charles smiled. "I see. We will just have to finish it in time. I will not be responsible for delaying your wedding or your honeymoon! Have you thought of fencing it and putting in a gate?"

Chad said, "We might along the road. We don't want to be separate from Mitch and Dora's house or from the other side. There's nothing you can do from the lake side."

"True. There are some amazing things with electronics that can be done. I have a friend who can show you some of the things we can build in to make your home safer and more convenient to own. It's much cheaper to do it in the building phase rather than retro-fitting later."

' Chad said, "Before we build, I guess we should talk with him to incorporate many of those things into the design and as built-in objects." Mister Charles nodded.

I said, "I like the look of these two on the outside." I showed them to Chad who nodded and to Mister Charles who nodded, too.

He said, "That's what I had in mind by traditional.

"Let's look at interior designs for a bit. You're not trying to find an exact match to your desires but something close. You want an idea of layouts and the pluses and minuses of one story compared to two story plans. To get you where you want in terms of function and design will require a custom design. That's not as bad as it might sound. I build houses one at a time. I don't have a bunch of pre-set designs and fit you into one. We get a better product that is more satisfying to the client. That doesn't mean that we don't have standard items. A basic bathroom and a half bath are pretty much standard items depending upon layout. So are standard bedrooms. What makes a house special is designing how it all goes together and the compromises that have to be made.

"For instance, I use a supply company that designs the kitchen layout with the client, helps them pick the appliances and finishes for cabinets, floors and the like. We then fit it into the plan. Sometimes, we have to sit with all three parties to work out a compromise or make changes so everything works."

We looked at a number of pictures of interior layouts until we were getting dizzy. Finally, I said, "Mister Charles, let's stop. I know I need to look at more actual houses and talk to Chad before I can answer intelligently. Do you need to look over the property with us?"

"Yes, Brittany. It can be overwhelming. Let me suggest some things. First, we do need to walk some of your property to determine roughly where to put your home. Second, look at a bunch of houses with a measuring tape and take notes. You two are smart. You need to study this new subject. I will need about four months to complete the house. That means we have most of this month to look around and make decisions.

"There's one other thing I want to say. Involve others in your process. You are making long-term plans. I know you have a target time but don't let it hurry you into a mistake. There's a lot to consider and you can make it right with patience." He looked at his calendar. "Why don't we meet at Mitch's driveway Wednesday afternoon after you get out of school?"

Chapter 2 »