The following is a book excerpt from Art Smith's book, The "Practical Green" Retirement Abode.

Many of us Baby-Boomers, particularly the younger half, are deciding on what our early retirement year's home will be. I strongly suggest that our focus should shift to more "PRACTICAL" factors, like "real quality" than the cosmetic, curb-appeal features that seemed important when younger. If one actually builds a home (not a trivial undertaking) during this life period, this new strategy is very crucial.

Let’s begin with defining what “Practical” really means here.

Our sharp focus now is common-sense factors involving “Comfortable” and “Safe” as the foundation:

• Living on one floor level
• Realistic size, not “tiny”, yet not oversized
• Low energy use (& add some Passive Solar heat winter gain = adds to “safety” element)
• Low maintenance, particularly to exterior issues
• Stronger structure than typical framing, particularly roof & walls (again, safety!)

Before specifying what will be in our new floor plan, let’s call out what won't :

*** DON’T LIST ***

• No stair/steps within or entryways to home (single level living)
• No "skinny" 2X4 exterior walls
• No “ventilated” pitched roof with flat ceilings
• No overly steep roof pitches, like 8, 10, & 12/12
• No “GABLE-ITUS” (too many gables, or double rakes, with too-short rain gutters to support)
• No “DORMER-ITUS” (NO dormers at all ! . . . unless actually provides rear-of-house daylight)
• No wood-based exterior siding (period)
• No wood exterior doors (cute rots!)
• No asphalt shingles (go metal, fastened, or even budget for standing seam $$)
• No fiberglass batt or other batt type insulations (use foam panels or spray fill cavity foam)
• No “tray ceilings”
• No decorative “returns” on gable end bottom corners
• No full glass or sliding glass doors
• No dual or “patio” doors
• No overly tall (54” maximum), or narrow, or multiple-gang windows, or complex shapes
• No double-hung windows (use casement, awning, or fixed/picture)
• No muntins, mullins, decorative grilles, in windows
• No overly decorative trim (like “crown”) or extensive amounts
• No ducted, central HVAC system
• No gas powered heating, water-heating, or oven (unless extreme north climate dictates for heating)
• No overly large kitchen island bar counter (like Australia size?)
• No sink in bar island counter (clutters area & disrupts island's primary function)
• No overly large/fancy bathtubs like “soaking” or “Sauna" (rarely use, plumbers now removing !)
• No decorative kitchen exhaust vents with exposed tall vertical shafts (limits top cabinet space)
• No potentially large growing shrubs near house (smaller, fewer, pot planters, seasonals is better)

If one really prefers these features, let's check into their cost impact. A price analysis of the above “fancy” set is surprising at the half level, but more so with the full-list. (Likely $20-$40k) Many of these items are currently in USA residential construction. In fact, including these "fancy” items almost always knocks out (for budget reasons) the quality points that we recommend. Thus . . . this yields: "What is typically built"

Then add to the “Fancy Features” cost to the other looming monster in the room:

Physical home size!

• We American BBR's know the home size inflation in our lifetime
• Current "new" homes now range in 2200-2400 sf size (slight size dip, post 2008 crash)
• My parents 1959 Alabama "ranch" home was just 864sf (24ft x 36 ft footprint)
• Even my own modest retirement home at 1536sf is almost 2X of my parents 1959 "ranch" !
• One source: 50 year average of all the US homes built = 1900 sf in 3 bed, 2 bath layout
• So, smaller than 1900 sf is likely a good size starting point

Choosing 1600 sf as our target size, the extra 300 sf decrease is at the minimum, about $100 per square foot. Thus we have at least $30,000 for the size reduction, even $40K plus. Add the “fancy feature costs” nets real budget dollars ($40-$60k ??) to improve real quality!

So . . . where will we shift this new budget to utilize ?:

• Stronger roof (Timber beam, not 2x's, trusses, thicker 2x roof decking, not thin 7/16" OSB)
• Stronger walls (S.I.P. Structural panels with mix of 2x6 framing, not skinny 2x4 's !)
• Stronger & more foundation tie-down straps, sill-plate bolts, etc
• Higher grade & R-value insulation (foam) in roof line (not "ventilated", flat ceiling)
• Better windows & doors (higher R-value, no wood on exterior, even triple pane?)
• Low-maintenance exterior finishes (like brick & and/or fiber cement siding)
• Higher efficiency HVAC system (ductless, mini-splits)

The book details this desired home's sub-systems, with many drawings, and technical notes, showing an improved construction path. Our now safe and comfortable home, more resistant to natural disasters as the 2021 Texas freeze, the 2023 Rolling Forks, Mississippi tornado, many hurricane events, or falling tree deaths. These all clearly demonstrate that the "typical built" home is not really very good.

So with our emphasis now on the structural interior of our home, and not curb-appeal only . . .

Our proposed home's interior is below . . . how is yours?

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