As someone who tore down a 1950s ranch and built a large home, I’ve followed this thread with interest. I sure hope my neighbors aren’t calling me selfish, self-absorbed and mean girl. I sincerely believe our home helps the neighborhood even though ours is much larger than the original house. I just want to make the point that these kind of projects can be done well. We spent 2 years planning the house with a very talented designer/architect and builder and put great thought into building a home that fit with the spirit of neighborhood, even though it isn’t my favorite architectural style. I live in a city where small lots are the norm and we still have a lot of privacy. And I don’t think we’ve caused anyone else to feel less private. The plans were drawn and the house was sited so that only our laundry room window looks into the next door neighbor’s house. We also planted lots of screening trees so we feel encased within our small back yard.
Just because a new house is large doesn’t make it a McMansion. I think we succeeded because so many people came by to say how pretty the house is and several have said it’s one of the prettiest in the neighborhood. I think the best compliment is from those who say it looks like it’s always been here. And that’s what the goal should be.
“put great thought into building a home that fit with the spirit of neighborhood, even though it isn’t my favorite architectural style. I live in a city where small lots are the norm and we still have a lot of privacy. And I don’t think we’ve caused anyone else to feel less private.”
Sounds like you were thoughtful and considerate about how your new home fit into the neighborhood. I think a lot of the examples people are calling out here are examples where the owners didn’t follow the same care you did.
It’s all a matter of thinking about and being considerate of the neighbors. We had a neighbor a few houses down who installed security lights that would go off whenever there was movement near the house. The lights would shine directly in to the neighbor’s bedroom window. Fortunately when he was told about this he removed them.
A few neighborhoods away, one home’s solar panels were melting the plastic pieces of the neighbor’s car parked in the drive. The solar panel house had no idea.
That is quite an improvement considering the construction version of the Wild West going on there! Probably could not tighten any further because contractors are in short supply here.
Where we live, it is 8-5 weekdays. Still, I apologized to the neighbors for the noise our siding crew created during their short project. The neighbors laughed. Compared to the epic parties that were apparently going on in this house before we took over, the remodeling noise was music to their ears. We are not big partiers.
Construction isn’t supposed to start here until 7 am. Crews in the new development behind us routinely start at 5 am. My one neighbor has called the police to complain more time that I can count.
We are starting our own renovation in a few weeks in our new community. After reading this, I’m going to bring over goodies to our immediate neighbor as a “thank you for your patience” in advance! All interior work though, no expansion at all.
If you doubt that free parking increases car ownership, compare car ownership in New York City to car ownership everywhere else. It’s indisputably true that allowing Seattle residents to own or rent condos/apartments without free parking will decrease car ownership on the margin.
Almost one in five Seattle households don’t own cars. That’s a lot of carfree households.
IMO, some of the classier new homeowners/builders will invite their new neighbors over for a pre-demo party and give them a gift, more like a kind gesture, so that the next 2-3 years will hopefully play out much smoother with the neighborhood. You’re less likely to call the police when those trucks deliver lumber at 6 AM and/or the skill saws start at dawn. :))
@dadx your post of the mcmansionhell101 cracked me up!!
There is a nearby neighborhood with lots of cute one story craftsman houses and some “5/4 with a door” 2 story houses being torn down for mcmansions, especially houses on the golf course. One house got a lot of bad press because it is HUGE and apparently the footprint is too close to the lot line and whatever you call the front area close to the street. The builder had to do some real shenanigans with the county board to get exemptions and not have to tear the whole thing down. Read the article and realized the owner/builder was a former neighborhood kid in our old neighborhood (which means he’s my kids’ age)!
@BunsenBurner A few aren’t bad looking, some are truly awful looking, but that’s cheap construction for $3,000,0000. Lots of flat boxy surfaces with no detail.
And best of luck to the buyers trying to get into their side-loaded garages, assuming those architectural renderings are accurate. Hard pass.
@“Cardinal Fang” IM sure I could go to the town offices and see the plans. The contractor probably would show me if I asked. I just don’t care enough to spend my time on it. I’ll see it when it goes up. I was in Europe for 10 days while they tore it down. Maybe while I’m in Chicago in a week the shell will go up and surprise me,
I think those are photos, not architectural renderings. Have a look at Singapore (second column, seventh row). An architectural rendering wouldn’t include power lines.
Sorry, I continued on to the builders website, after looking at the link, and the builders website has additional listings on Mercer Island, which use renderings.
Our architects drew out our driveway/garage footprint and had us make sure we could drive our car into our “garage” before they finalized the plans. True story.
Probably could not tighten any further because contractors are in short supply here.