Wednesday, March 4, 2020

PLACES AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD

Driving around the different neighborhoods of Seattle I have noticed some structures that speak to me so I took their pics and use them as design inspiration.

 I really like this old carriage house look.  This is too big for my backyard but something like this.

 What about a two story structure like the entrance to this church?  If I build two separate livable spaces then there will be two units to potentially sell in the future.  How much more would it cost to build two units instead of one? 
 
 I like the size of this structure and the simplicity of the footprint. 

 As the stain on this house fades it will begin to look like an old barn found on a farm which I like.

 Okay, note to self...don't take pics at dusk.  I love these tiny cottages off of Jackson Ave.  There are two of them and I have been eyeballing them for years as a tiny house option.  They are charming and small.



Tuesday, March 3, 2020

THE TREE


One thing I have had to consider when building the cottage is my old cherry tree.  I have thought about tree for many years.  I know it is at least 50 yrs old.  I know that it will need to come down at some point as she doesn't have too many years left.  I know that the arborist informed me that her one funky limb will eventually tear from the trunk and damage the fence and/or anything under it.  I know she still produces some cherries that the birds/squirrels eat.  I know that her canopy provides some shade in the backyard on sunny, hot days but doesn't flower like she used to (white flowers).  And I know that if she needs to be felled it is better to do so before building a cottage in the back yard as opposed to waiting until there is a structure to have to work around. 

So I have decided to have her felled and have the large parts milled and incorporated into the new structure.  Turns out getting a tree cut down and removed in Seattle is easy but finding someone to mill it into slabs is a whole other ballgame.  Apparently, Seattle-ites have trees removed and could care less what happens to the carcass.  It is rare for a person to want their tree milled and made into reusable parts.  This is a cherry tree which means cherry wood which means gorgeous so I am milling her and either using the live slab cuts as aesthetics mounted on walls or used as a top for a kitchen island.  This feels good to me and a way to honor the tree.  The process has been a bit challenging however.

First, I found a tree service that will take the tree down.  Then I had to figure out how to have it milled.  Not all tree felling services will haul the large parts of the tree to a mill.  I happened to choose Seattle Tree Service who will haul the tree to a mill but I wanted to do a little bit of information gathering around milling. 1.  My first step into the dork forest of the wood world was going to Woodcraft of Seattle and asking about having my tree milled.  They were very excited about me reusing the wood and suggested looking for someone with a portable mill online.  I didn't know a portable mill was a thing and thought it may be cheaper to have it milled in my yard than paying the tree service to deliver it to a mill and then paying the mill to create the slabs I am wanting.    2.  I looked online for portable milling services...did not find much.  3.  Then I called Cross Cut Hardwood as they have a warehouse full of huge slabs of wood and seemed like they would know of a mill I could use.  4.  They did not but did suggest I call City Trees Furniture which I did.  Left a message, never heard back.  5.  Then I decided to contact Seattle Tree Service and ask them if they had any suggestions for millers.  They suggested I call Urban Hardwoods.  6.  I did and they work with a guy who owns his own portable mill and said he would come check out my tree and give me a bid!  Right after this, a design firm friend filled me in on a female miller so I have her info as plan b. 

Now I wait to get everything on the calendar.  In the mean time I have decided to have a ceremony honoring the tree realizing she has created beauty and fed the critters for DECADES!  I will cry when she comes down and I am not proud to cull an old soul and I own that.  I have contacted Farmer Frog horticulturists and Greta Jane Landscaping to ask if they would be willing to facilitate a tree honoring ceremony in my back yard.  They have all agreed enthusiastically as they are lovers of nature and appreciate when others make the effort to recognize the 'green people' (plants).  I have also, thanks to the suggestion of a good friend, decided to donate to A Living Tribute which plants trees in our National Forests.  Check out their website and perhaps donate as well:  https://www.alivingtribute.org/?gclid=CjwKCAiAnfjyBRBxEiwA-EECLCE94ezvtDvdaRGX0QQdSU3PEWgO1bv-VsDW9Ve23FimYc2H3bWgExoCl9QQAvD_BwE   
It seems like a good idea to plant a tree in return for felling one...integrity is in there somewhere.       

Monday, March 2, 2020

STEP ONE

Step one:  Who's land is it?  Since spring of 2019 I have been paying the Duwamish Tribe rent to live on the land my white Western European ancestors stole.  If you are interested in paying rent as well, go to their website.  They will even help you figure out an appropriate rent amount depending on your income which seems very compassionate. https://www.realrentduwamish.org/

Now that the actual owner of the land has been established...who's land is it legally?  This is where it is important to hire a land survey company to come out and get things right.  Apparently, in Seattle, when building a structure it is required that the structure is built 5 feet away from the neighbors property line.  Why?  In case you or your neighbor(s) have a house fire the city doesn't want the fire jumping from property (house) to property (house).  Makes sense but sucks when I want to take advantage of every square foot of the property that I am paying for...waste no space!  

Land survey companies I am contacting for bids: 
Chadwick and Winters = https://chadwickwinters.com/   
Escarez and Associates = https://escarezlandsurveying.webs.com/

Both are family owned small businesses which I prefer to work with.




 

WHAT KIND OF DESIGN?

I struggle with what kind of design to implement for the back yard.  What is the best design for the land?  Do I go solar?  Do I have water catchment for the toilets?  Do I go pre-fab or traditional stick?  Searching the web I come across cool tiny house designs/ideas.  Here are some links to websites that keep my imagination flowing:

Do I want something that looks like a cool little shed?  https://monroesheddepot.com/gallery/custom-sheds-gallery

Do I want a more modern look?  https://www.modern-shed.com/

Do I want something that looks good, quick install and crazy affordable?  https://mykabin.com/?gclid=CjwKCAiAvLyBRBWEiwAzOkGVMwOH5VMnAT_x_qUs7vCvkUajixyjAmGWXNwvgnT8Td31nyzCijJVxoC01EQAvD_BwE

Do I want something whimsical?  https://www.housebeautiful.com/lifestyle/a27359564/build-your-own-hobbit-house/

Do I want traditional design/construction?  http://www.tenpennystudio.com/


BACKYARD COTTAGE!

Well Gang, I have decided to pull the trigger, as long as financing goes through, and build a backyard cottage, Detached Accessory Dwelling Unit (DADU), tiny house.  Why?  Why not!  Also, housing is Seattle is overpriced and lame.  I am going to be part of the solution.  I have two renters in my house right now AND they are great AND I will, at some point, move back into my house BUT want to keep my awesome renters so...I will put one of them in my back yard unit at an affordable cost!  Plus, new legislation in Seattle allows for me to sell my DADU some day.  That's right...I can sell that little back yard house!  San Francisco and Portland have been doing this for years so it can be done and be done successfully.  The way I see it, if at some point in time I need some weird form of chemo I can only get in Germany and need to raise funds I can sell my little DADU and still have a place to live in the main house. This will be a short term headache (construction) with a long term benefit (another asset.) 

A buddy suggested I blog about my process as she believes there are other people out there who would like to do this and have no idea where to start.  Feel free to follow along with my process and all of the tears and joys that will go along with it!   

  UPDATE!  UPDATE! It's hard to believe I haven't posted since April.  It has been busy times for the backyard cottage. FLOORING I d...