This is how the park wants me to site my home, believing that is in keeping with other homes in the park. But the really pretty view at the top of this page is facing SW. That big, black square on the right is the utility pedestal (water, gas, electrical to the house). It will cost me an extra $4,000 to move that puppy, which I don't want to do, if I don't have to. I'm pretty sure the park would prefer I not move it either (every time I bring it up, they try and dissuade me). While this map is not to scale, it's close enough except for a fairly important item; the trees. See those teeeny, tiny little green circles at the street end of the drawing? That's the park's idea of showing the placement of the scotch pine trees. Take a look at the "Before" picture on the to the right. From tree to tree it's 20 feed wide, and 6 feet deep. That's what they really look like. The park is willing to pay for pruning the trees; thinning them, and removing the lower branches.
So, with this kind of placement, the big windows will be looking out at vineyards through tree trunks, to the SE and will also partially be looking into my neighbor's yard. Yes, there will be some taller windows on the SW side of the house, and that will probably have to suffice. Also not crazy about having the utility pedestal look like some bizarre garden ornament in the area of whatever small patio/deck that eventually goes in the front yard. Last but not least, my neighbors have a patio which is right up against the the property line in the front and this placement affords neither of us the appearance of privacy.
What I would really like, and I know it's kinda hard to picture, but the end of the house that's currently facing NE would be facing SE. Yes, I'd have to move the utilities to the back, but it would be worth it to me.
So, when I sent this drawing along to David in Manteca, I said that I would head up to the park on Tuesday, and try and talk them into letting me (a) move the utilities (b) cut down the east tree and (c) flip the house site. I wasn't holding out much hope, but nothing ventured, nothing gained. I have resigned myself to the site plan above, but one more shot at trying to get what I want, and if not successful, I'll throw in the towel. I really need to this all nailed down so I can move.
As luck would have it the park folks weren't available Tuesday morning, and I was lunching with Rick in the afternoon, so I planned to head up there Wednesday.
Couldn't sleep...got up about 4:30 and started trolling the net. Skyline Homes has a great website, and as you can see, it's divided up by regions; basically where the factories are. I'd only been looking a floor plans for our region; I'd looked at the other regions for interior ideas, but hadn't thought about being able use another floor plan. At the time I first looked, nothing struck me.
Not so this morning:
It's the right length, and while it's wider than 24', I'm pretty sure it could be modified. And to be honest, there aren't a whole lot of mods I'd be doing to this floor plan (except for a thing with the kitchen, but more on that later). And it would fit on the site aspect the park wants, wouldn't have to cut down any trees or move the utilities and the back of my house would be facing my neighbor. Oh, and the pointy end, the end that will be facing the view that I want of the vineyards ...
I dashed off an email to David, asking if we could price out this floor plan, and if it was possible to be built in Woodland. I did that at 6am, and they don't open until 10, and I hoped I would hear by 10:30. David didn't email me back, he called. He sounded as excited as I was. This place is perfect!
I'm trying really hard not to get my hopes up. Maybe I can't afford it; I haven't got it priced out yet. But this is one of Skyline's homes from the upper mid west; Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, etc. Can it be more expensive than a home in California?
So, now I wait, on pins and needles (honestly, I'm not checking my email every 5 minutes). If this home is in the same ballpark as the other, I'm good. So, once more I hop onto the E-ticket Emotional roller coaster.
... to be continued.
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