Homemaking at Evans, Inc: New versus Old

I've always thought building a new house would be too intimidating. You have to decide everything! There is nothing set in stone (other than budget, of course, and even that has a way of flexing when you thought it couldn't or shouldn't). Floor plan, mechanical systems, fixtures, finishes, materials, it all requires weighing and choosing. I'm a good planner and researcher, but a terrible decision maker, so all that just seemed like too much.

Welcome to my "too much"! Our previous old houses have required some repairs, renovations, and remodels, but nothing on the scale of this one. We love that the farmhouse has so much potential, but that's also code for "lots and lots of work (and money)". I'm starting to realize working with a historic building (or any existing structure, for that matter), can be much harder than just starting new. Lots of people say that, but I never believed it. Now I do!

Take for example our heating and cooling decisions. No, we still don't have central heat and air. It was suppose to go in around November. But then we couldn't get the electrical and plumbing changes we needed for the kitchen done, so it had to wait. The ductwork will take up a lot of room in the basement and crawl space, so we have to think through all kinds of other wiring and plumbing decisions. Will we want extra plugs in the living room one day? Can we still get under there if a trunk line is in the way? Should we do it now instead of wait?

What about the size of the unit? Is 3.5 tons big enough for downstairs given our high ceilings and leaky windows? Too big? Should the cold air return go in the hall and use up our understairs storage? Or should we put it in the dining room but have to go in there just to set the thermostat? Should we go with a heat pump? Or will we be happier with the quick heat of a gas furnace? If gas, should we stick with propane or run a natural gas line? If we switch to natural gas, should we stay with our existing copper lines or install black iron to avoid regulators on every appliance? If we run new black iron gas lines, should we add a line to the firebox for gas logs eventually, since it will be hard to get into the crawl space later? If we're running new lines anyway, should we try to move the water heater out of the back entryway? Where would we put it? If we can't find a place, should we upgrade to a tankless hot water heater? But the natural gas company gives us a free regular water heater just for switching; what would we do with that one? And if we switch to natural gas, what do we do about the propane tank we just spent hundreds to fill? Can we use it up in the next month? Since they charge so much to pump it out, can we just give it to someone? If there is a chance we might do a heat pump and stay on propane, should we lock in rates now for next winter?

All this doesn't even include what brand unit, what efficiency, what installer, etc. regarding the actual HVAC equipment. That would be all we had to think about with a new build. But those questions come with their own issues, like what crew do we trust with our old house and what rebates can we get if we upgrade to higher SEER units and such.

So if you check in on the blog and wonder at our slow progress sometimes, it isn't just because so much of the work is DIY. It's often because I've spent months researching, debating, gathering info, interviewing contractors, calculating costs, weighing options, and am struck with indecision! I'm glad Jeff makes the final call on everything, but when it's thousands of dollars and he's asking for my input, I'm afraid I'm rather useless despite all my facts and data gathering!