[Jim 9922]

Another very important consideration when selecing a lot and home footprint is the exposure to the sun. If you like sun in the AM with breakfast, make sure that area faces east; want a cool afternoon lanai, face it east or north; want your deck warm for afternoon swims, face it south or west, etc. Your intended model has one of the better designs of the major living areas (windows or sliders on 3 sides) so your major rooms will be light most of the day long. Many models have "inside" living rooms/great room areas and basically depend on outside light from either end of the building. Inside brightness gets even worse if the home is facing the wrong way to catch the outside sunlight. We've been a few that end up as glorified caves! Hence the need for addition of solar tubes. Punching a hole on your ceiling for a solar tube in a general living area (not a closet, or laundry room, etc) is usually indication of a basic design error - and there are a lot of solar tubes in TV! So "design" for your sunlight carefully.
Personally, we love light, so we made sure our garage, bath and closets were on the north side of the home. and our general living areas follow the sun all day.

[CarGuys]

My salesman said we did good for sun position?

I did not understand at first nice explination.

Our Garage is facing North and the Lani and Living Area facing South,

So Sun should track across the back of the home correct?

[Jim 9922]

Originally Posted by CarGuys

My salesman said we did good for sun position?

I did not understand at first nice explination.

Our Garage is facing North and the Lani and Living Area facing South,

So Sun should track across the back of the home correct?

Unless you are an owl or a vampire, you done good!! Let the sun shine in.

[getdul981]

Originally Posted by graciegirl

I think the advice to stretch anything you can afford to stretch on your new home is good advice. The extra space will help you with storage for one. Remember your garage is now your garage and your basement. (And maybe your art room too)

Yep Gracie, our garage is going to by my "art" room. I just haven't found it yet. Soon though!!

[Tom Hannon]

Originally Posted by Yorio

The stretch where you can is good but remember there is a restriction based on the size of the lot. This includes the lanai but bird cage is not considered a permanent strcuture and have little more of a leeway. This goes for the concrete pad as well. They are very strict about putting a ceiling for extended lanai as this will be considered a permanent structure.

Hi Yori

A bird cage is not a permanent construction? HMMM. Does that mean I can extend on the back end of my property? I am 34 feet from Triggerfish and zoning say's I can't expand. If I can go out with a bird cage great. Something to consider.

[Happinow]

I believe our lot is situated so that the sun comes up and goes down side to side. So, we won't have direct sunlight coming in the front or back of our home. We thought of this as a positive even though we won't get direct sunlight on our pool. We think it should keep the house cooler since we are not use to the very warm weather, being from up north and all. Hope this works to our advantage. We think Florida is warm enough not to have direct sun coming into the house. We'll see once it's built.

[graciegirl]

This is our second west facing home. The first was built and we loved it and this one; there were only three lots left in Laurel Valley when we were ready to buy.

BUT...and please don't call me a cheerleader, BUT...the sun shines into our sliders for a couple of hours and that can be remedied by closing your vertical blinds...and at this time of the year, it is warmer to sit out there.

And the sunsets are gorgeous. I know who does those and that is NOT the Morses.

[Happinow]

Originally Posted by graciegirl

This is our second west facing home. The first was built and we loved it and this one; there were only three lots left in Laurel Valley when we were ready to buy.

BUT...and please don't call me a cheerleader, BUT...the sun shines into our sliders for a couple of hours and that can be remedied by closing your vertical blinds...and at this time of the year, it is warmer to sit out there.

And the sunsets are gorgeous. I know who does those and that is NOT the Morses.

The beautiful sunsets over the golf course.....

[RichieB]

Originally Posted by graciegirl

And the sunsets are gorgeous. I know who does those and that is NOT the Morses.

It's not ?

[rodie]

Originally Posted by graciegirl

This is our second west facing home. The first was built and we loved it and this one; there were only three lots left in Laurel Valley when we were ready to buy.

BUT...and please don't call me a cheerleader, BUT...the sun shines into our sliders for a couple of hours and that can be remedied by closing your vertical blinds...and at this time of the year, it is warmer to sit out there.

And the sunsets are gorgeous. I know who does those and that is NOT the Morses.

Gracie: we too are going to have a West facing lanai. Did you extend your lanai, and if so, to how many feet, to help with the deflecting of the sun into your house. Did you do anything else to help with the issue, we are just now starting to figure out our design. Thanks.

[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by rodie

Gracie: we too are going to have a West facing lanai. Did you extend your lanai, and if so, to how many feet, to help with the deflecting of the sun into your house. Did you do anything else to help with the issue, we are just now starting to figure out our design. Thanks.

Our lanai is 12' wide. We so enjoy it.

[CarGuys]

Jim,

Thanks and after being in the dark for years! Thats called Syracuse NY I now see the light!

[HelenLCSW]

Originally Posted by RichieB

It's not ?