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capt. mike
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8085
Registered: 11-26-2002
Location: Bat Cave
Member Is Offline
Mood: Sling time!
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Tom - Jefe = a Q for you - what was the outcome of the city water pump at todos?
formerly Ordained in Rev. Ewing\'s Church by Mail - busted on tax fraud.......
Now joined L. Ron Hoover\'s church of Appliantology
\"Remember there is a big difference between kneeling down and bending over....\"
www.facebook.com/michael.l.goering |
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vandenberg
Elite Nomad
Posts: 5118
Registered: 6-21-2005
Location: Nopolo
Member Is Offline
Mood: mellow
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| Quote: | Originally posted by capt. mike
Tom - Jefe = a Q for you - what was the outcome of the city water pump at todos? |
Now doesn't that belong in the thread hijack thread 
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bajadock
Super Nomad
Posts: 1219
Registered: 12-20-2006
Location: Punta sur de \'Nada
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all of us experts on homebuilding...
Oladulce, congrats on building. Per Vendenberg's avatar, have fun with the process and your attitude.
One floor/ranch living is the best. My hillside lot and view require a second floor, but that is the main level and can still access it via car to
rear entry. That was important consideration for my 80 year old parents' visits.
Things I would change? Didn't measure toilet to shower space properly in 2 bathrooms with walk-in showers. Waste line appeared OK, but forgot to
measure for extended length toilet v. shower wall. How could the son of the plumber miss that one?
Happy details? Electric outlets in island and in main living are floor.
Also, how many nomads have cooktop in island? I had one in Colorado home, but prefer that space for food and beverages, as well as conversation in
the round. Cooktop now against wall behind island.
Bajaguy's floorplan is a very efficient use of space for 2 stories. Russ' floorplan looks great. I didn't have enough space on my lot.
Best wishes on your adventure.
[Edited on 12-10-2007 by bajadock]
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Russ
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6742
Registered: 7-4-2004
Location: Punta Chivato
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During the summers I have to jury rig a wind screen for my stove top or it blows out. Small price to pay for air when it's hot and humid. Or stick
with the BBQ.
Bahia Concepcion where life starts...given a chance!
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bajadock
Super Nomad
Posts: 1219
Registered: 12-20-2006
Location: Punta sur de \'Nada
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Good extra Russ. I am adding a glass wall, 14' x 7' to protect from north and west winds on front terrace so that I can bbq and dine with protection.
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capitolkat
Senior Nomad
Posts: 510
Registered: 3-9-2006
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We just completed the design for our house in La Paz. All one floor but roof-top deck. We have 2d floor bedroom now and 13 foot ceilings make for a
long climb and the laundry is in the basement so two flights for a load of wash each way. Thus, our choice for one level--Good luck-- Norm
Life is too short to drink bad wine
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elizabeth
Senior Nomad
Posts: 742
Registered: 7-30-2004
Location: Loreto, BCS
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I realize this is a seriously minority opinion...I like the upstairs master bedroom! I feel that I have more privacy and security....I can leave
windows open at night and live without curtains or shades. If you plan well, the laundry doesn't have to be a big deal...I just throw it down the
stairs! Throwing it back up doesn't work, though. And, you could put the laundry upstairs where most of it comes from and goes. I forget stuff all
the time, and go up and down stairs a lot, but I figure it's really good exercize!
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Paula
Super Nomad
Posts: 2219
Registered: 1-5-2006
Location: Loreto
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I totally agree with Elizabeth!! I've been following this thread, and was beginning to think I must be crazy to favor the upstairs bedroom, so I
have stayed silent. To wake up with the sun and a great view is life-affirming, invigorating, romantic-- do it for as long as you can! Make a nice
guest room on the main floor with an adequate closet and bath and use it if you want for those many changes of clothing during the day. You say you
won't have many guests so the room is yours most of the time. Have a mudroom with shower near a back entrance to the house because you are active
water and outdoor people, and it will save a lot of clean-up in the house.
When the stairs really become an issue, you won't need the spacious bath and walk-in closet-- your wardrobe will be smaller. and an ordinary bath
will do. And with luck some younger people will come to visit from time to time, and they will LOVE the beautiful upstairs room.
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bajajudy
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6886
Registered: 10-4-2004
Location: San Jose del Cabo,BCS
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I wake up with the sunrise a head lift away.
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wsdunc
Nomad
Posts: 179
Registered: 8-24-2006
Location: So Cal
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Mood: Upbeat
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bedroom down
I live on a hill in So Cal in an upside down house. Bedrooms downstairs, living area upstairs. Because of the hill both floors can be entered from
the outside. The best thing about this is that the sleeping areas stay cool in the summer and warm in the winter, due I assume to the insulation of
the hill on one side of the bottom floor, as well as the "insulation" of the upper floor above. In all but the very hottest weather we are
comfortable in the bedrooms. We rarely run the AC, and when we do it is only to make the upstairs survivable. I've decided that I like living in the
warm and sleeping in the cool.
I had originally hoped to design an upside down baja house, but other factors seem to make this impossible. But if I could do an upside down house I
would.
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rivergirl
Junior Nomad
Posts: 37
Registered: 10-25-2004
Location: Seiad Valley, Ca. USA
Member Is Offline
Mood: Ready for Baja!
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I would say down stairs master bedroom. I know right now the last thing you are thinking about is selling but sometime in the future you might need
to and a two story home can limit your buyers. I am a real estate agent and often see people that due to health reasons wont consider a two story
home unless it has a master on the lower level. I know from experince that my husband and I will never own a two story without a master bedroom
downstairs as even though we are in our 30's he has had two knee surgerys and cant do stairs everyday...
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oladulce
Super Nomad
Posts: 1625
Registered: 5-30-2005
Location: bcs
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Thank you all, the input has been very helpful. A lower level master suite it will be!
Solar living is already more labor intensive (no dishwasher, possibly no clothes dryer, etc) so we should make the home's layout as practical as
possible to achieve the most enjoyment out of it.
Elizabeth and Paula-
I could almost feel the breeze when I imagined that upstairs bedroom for the reasons you both mentioned (sigh...).
I wouldn't have been so easily swayed in this decision but we have one more building project to complete after Baja. On the next project we want
to elevate the entire house with a pole-house design of some type because the location has elements that make it vulnerable to tsunami. So we'll
still be able to have the lofty feeling of an upstairs bedroom in that home.
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Bob and Susan
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8813
Registered: 8-20-2003
Location: Mulege BCS on the BAY
Member Is Offline
Mood: Full Time Residents
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we have a dishwasher...
it uses 6 gallons of HOT water and very little electricty for 35 minutes
take a look at new units and don't suffer in your retirement
see how much water you use when you "hand wash" a load of dishes
we have a dryer too...
we converted our old natural gas dryer from the states
EASY!!!
36 minutes to dry a load compared to 50 minutes in the states with natural gas
Too much dust in the air to "hang dry" everything
now...
if i could ONLY harness that "static electricty"!!!
stairs...
i just put up some christmas lights on the lighthouse...
my calves (moooo) are sore!!!
up and down and up and down and up and down
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ELINVESTIG8R
Select Nomad
Posts: 15882
Registered: 11-20-2007
Location: Southern California
Member Is Offline
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Susan I would love to see some pictures of your lighthouse with Christmas lights. I bet that is a sight!
[Edited on 12-12-2007 by ELINVESTI8]
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vivaloha
Nomad
Posts: 140
Registered: 11-12-2007
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Mood: mellow
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upstairs master bedroom could be classique
just a little input from a fellow soon to be baja builder -
1) more wind upstairs - good for hotter climates especially in summer...
you'll want that cross vent during those hot months...
BUT maybe you mostly visit your property in the winter
and then the wind is cooler and the cross vent isn't as necessary.
2) bugs. getting off the desert floor is great if you happen to
have bobos (slow flying fruit flies) or mozzies or other bugs...
they usually don't fly so high up and the wind will knock 'em
around if you are up
3) elegant view - what's your view looking like...? I think you
mentioned that view thing already...in our consideration we
are thinking view on the second story could be dramatic...
Imagine waking up to the killer view..Imagine waking up to
no killer view but able to stumble out onto the desert floor
and be one with your favorite baja garden setting in the morning
sun..that said, should you / we be going for a sun deck or a roof
that could double as a sun deck...that would have the view
thing happening without the up / down to the bedroom thing (hassle)
previously discussed...sun deck is unprotected and less used then
a yummy bedroom so the view thing is only when you take the
time and energy to go up there, dust off the furniture and use it...
4) upstairs goals - what's the purpose of the second floor?
limited space on the property - probably not...is it for entertaining?
if yes, then think, food and drinks upstairs, upstairs wet bar w/
mini bathroom...Is it strictly for sleeping? If yes then what about this...
OK, so, picture the yummiest, coziest, smallish bedroom on the second floor
with a smallish deck attatched....Nice clothes in the closet, Beach clothes
down stairs...Window treatments, mood lighting, NOT really for 'others'
use...not for entertaining, just a quiet sanctuary for you and your spouse
to sleep and wake up and keep clean and not be used except for the 8 hours
of sleep plus a sunny wake up on the deck...then when it comes to eating
and food and such you are downstairs for that...BUT what about the midnight
tinkle tinkle...is it back downstairs to go pee? Or is it a simple tolit or system
which would be sanitary for #1 only...For number #2 forget about it- you're
going downstairs...
5) What about this....Lift the entire lower half 4 feet off the desert floor by
establishing a big old foundation which rises up...Then you have a bit of view
and you still are able to build a one story house....
Anyways, these are some of our same concerns and thoughts...
Good Luck with the building-
Vivaloha
Baja California can be a heaven or hell experience - often the determining factor is your AWARENESS in the moment.
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oladulce
Super Nomad
Posts: 1625
Registered: 5-30-2005
Location: bcs
Member Is Offline
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| Quote: | Originally posted by vivaloha[/i
3) elegant view - what's your view looking like...? previously discussed...sun deck is unprotected and less used then
a yummy bedroom so the view thing is only when you take the time and energy to go up there, dust off the furniture and use it...
4) upstairs goals - what's the purpose of the second floor?
5) What about this....Lift the entire lower half 4 feet off the desert floor by establishing a big old foundation which rises up...Then you have a bit
of view
and you still are able to build a one story house....
vivaloha |
We wouldn't use a "sun deck" either Vivaloha- we already get way too much sun exposure as it is. You're right, any spot without shade on our property
does not get a lot of use. Shaded areas are a top priority.
The view at ground level ain't shabby, but the view from a 2nd story/roof deck will allow us to watch the take-off of a wave and then follow it as it
peels around the point. The upper level deck is a must-have for us and we used the one at our previous house constantly. Its used for wave watching,
whale watching, star gazing in lounge chairs at night, and for the summer afternoon lightning shows above the mesas.
The upper deck will be spacious and will be mostly shaded by a ramada style sombra or the roof over hang, and have a low, wide parapet wall
surrounding it that's comfortable for sitting and propping your feet up.
There will also be an extensive shaded patio off the main living area below. I haven't put much thought in to the home design, but I do know what I
want in the outdoor spaces and patios- lots of space, and lots of shade. To me, the components of the house are secondary to a good design for the
outdoor spaces in this Baja home.
We will be elevating the foundation of the house, as well as the main patios and perimeter landscaping, about 4-5 ft above grade by retaining and
backfilling. It's definitely worth the cost to get that extra elevation on the base level.
Ground level view
[Edited on 12-13-2007 by oladulce]
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oladulce
Super Nomad
Posts: 1625
Registered: 5-30-2005
Location: bcs
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Thanks for the dishwasher tip Bob. I've been trying to come up with an idea for extra sink, or recessed spot in the countertop that would hide the
dish drying rack.
We thought that the heating element for the water would suck up too much power so we've never considered one. We'll check out the power requirements
and see if the cost in solar panels and batteries will be worth it. We don't mind doing dishes by hand since it's just 2 of us, but I really hate
looking at that dang dish rack on the counter or hogging up the sink.
Great news about the low water usage too.
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Al G
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 2647
Registered: 12-19-2004
Location: Todos Santos/Full time for now...
Member Is Offline
Mood: Wondering what is next???
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oladulce...
I did not read every word here, but my dream would be for a Master down stairs, with a bath and open air bed on the the upper deck. This would be for
the warm season with a fan above. I have debate with myself whether to screen it in with replaceable no-see-um netting or just use a hanging net over
the bed...would be nice if that was not necessary. I am one who loves to sleep outdoors...feel the sunrise.
If the deck is needed for entertainment a wall bed could be used. I would recommend a quality air bed with a 3" memory foam top...will aid in lifting
later...the lifting mechanism inside will need adjusting. To me this is what Baja is about. As I have not done this, I would be interested in what
someone who has... thinks about it.
Albert G
Remember, if you haven\'t got a smile on your face and laughter in your heart, then you are just a sour old fart!....
The most precious thing we have is life, yet it has absolutely no trade-in value.
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CP
Nomad
Posts: 434
Registered: 7-19-2006
Member Is Offline
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Dear Oladulce,
We are supposed to be changing our clothes multiple times each day?! No wonder you guys don't visit us very often...(-;
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oladulce
Super Nomad
Posts: 1625
Registered: 5-30-2005
Location: bcs
Member Is Offline
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Aww, the two of yous' are as fresh as a rose CP.
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