“To Build Or Not To Build”…That Was The Question
I have been an East Coaster for most of my life, and finally decided to take the plunge and move West. I was searching for a home that would fit my “wish list” (at least 2 acres, 2-3 bedrooms, one level, light & bright, a place to entertain and close enough to the city to enjoy the arts). Everything I looked at on the market seemed to require a considerable amount of renovating – and having renovated for most of my life, I finally decided to build.
My destination (now all the rage) Healdsburg, a small town located in Northern California about an hour and a half north of San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge.
The property was barren when I first laid eyes on it….the well, septic, and grading all required extensive work but I was up for the challenge.
I stood at the top of the hill, stretched my arms wide and twirled around to see the view from every vantage point. Like the hands on a clock, 12 o’clock offered a spectacular view of mount St. Helena & Alexander Valley’s wine country, 3 o’clock was Chalk Hill vineyards, 5-8 o’clock was the most tranquil bucolic setting (no charge for grazing cattle), and 9 o’clock more lush vineyards as far as the eye could see.
I fell in love, purchased the property and began the first part of the process: sit, look around, enjoy a picnic lunch and sit some more. All the while, I was sketching, plotting and planning:
- Sketching
- I had a blank canvas from which to work so I often sat and made a “wish list” of ideas for where to place the Main House and how it would fit amidst the existing mature trees & sizeable boulders (which were going to be placed because I loved them, but also because they were too costly to haul away). In fact, we actually shifted the direction of our garage in order to keep a gorgeous mature oak that was rooted around a massive boulder. Evaluate placement of my garden, a guest house, and my office.
- Create a list of favorite pieces that are going to travel West – fit them into the house design early in the process. (The fireplace shaft is an example of finding space for a family treasure…Our next blog will reveal how this was achieved.
- Decide where the pool would be placed…would it go behind the house (the way East Coasters typically do) or in front of the house to capitalize on the magnificent views.
- Plotting
- Decide the direction for placement of each structure on the property in order to capitalize on the views,
- Create areas outside the home where guests could wander, unwind and dream
- Utilize a variety of textures throughout the space – both inside and out.
- Planning
- How long would the build take?
- When would I officially move?
So much to consider — I knew it was critical that I stayed organized during the process. I travelled coast to coast on a monthly basis to keep the process moving forward. Each time I would drive through San Francisco, over the Golden Gate Bridge, make a local pit stop to buy my “soccer mom” chair, and head to visit my blank canvas — the land at Soda Rock. This became my monthly routine until I acquired about a half dozen chairs — each visit I would leave the chair behind on my property, never knowing if it was going to be there upon my return.
I began interviewing architects & contractors, checking references, developing plans, hiring engineers, and starting the process of obtaining permits. Learning my way around a new county, Sonoma, was an important piece to navigate and navigate well. And once all were in place it was time to take out the big Tonka toys and dig….yeah, not so fast. It was now California’s rainy season and there would be no digging just yet.
Rain (and there was a lot of it — this was supposedly California’s rainiest season in over 10 years) had stalled the process. I learned about “Karl the Fog”, and I occupied my time exploring since my new home build was going to be delayed due to Mother Nature — I was often told about California’s drought so I took this as a sign that this was something I could not control and needed to embrace. I went for drives to Calistoga, Sebastopol, Napa, Yountville, and Point Reyes. I saw the redwoods, stopped for fresh oysters along the coast in Marshall, went to nurseries and explored growing plants I had never experienced before like succulents, fruit trees and olive trees. I learned about rattle snakes and actually saw one during one of my soccer mom chair visits. I walked the Golden Gate Bridge, visited the Marin Headlands, discovered Cowgirl creamery in Point Reyes, and the fabulous Farmer’s Market @ the Civic Center in San Rafael.
Rainy season went on for many months but my time was well spent sketching, plotting and planning. My team was now in place and the process of building a home was about to begin.
Cheryl’s tips:
- Budget, budget, budget (and set aside “extra funds” for add-ons and/or emergencies
- Require a timetable with status reports and weekly staff meetings; insist on budget reports
- Photograph every stage of your project especially trenching, laying in plumbing, propane/gas lines, electrical lines "just in case"
- Respect the relationship with those who build your home as this is likely a lifelong relationship.
This massive interior wall appears in the Great Room of our home; it is the focal point for “art” that will be mounted over the fireplace. Enjoy the story of this treasure in our next blog.