[campy]

Would you do an all open layout or go for the wall in the kitchen? Why?
Want to stretch the garage and lanai. Can the house be stretched to make the kitchen and/or dining room wider? If so, how much?
What did you do that you are happy with and could recommend. What didn't you do that you that you wish you had if you were to do it again?

[graciegirl]

I have been in some stretched side to side Lantana's and the concept of space is awesome. You need to find the right lot for that.

We have friends who own a side to side stretched Lantana with a view of a huge expanse of a championship course. I always feel a bit envious at their home.

The front bedroom can become a lovely private space for office and TV watching too and with a pull out couch can become a guest room..

It never hurts to stretch the garage if you can. The garage is more than a place to park your vehicles here, it is storage and basement too.

[shcisamax]

I am in the same place as you. I see the smallish dining room/living room as a design flaw in their plan. I have been told they can stretch it front to back by two ft which is what is seen on the model tour A. So far, I have gotten a very nebulous response about the lateral increase. But GracieGirl: You give me HOPE. With luck, my lot will accommodate a stretch and hopefully I won't stretch it so much that the roof falls in...
As for the open kitchen or wall, I think that depends entirely on what you are comfortable with. I am looking for an open feeling so will not close it in. That said, it defines the area nicely with the wall.

[entemedor]

Forgive my going slightly off-topic but there's a couple of things I wish my lantana had:

1. Add an outside hose faucet (hose bib?) on each corner of the house.

2. Add a phone jack behind where your TV will be. Also, add another above the kitchen counter, in a corner.

3. Take a look at the floor plan, figure out where your TV will be and where your couch will be. Look at the floor plug. You may want to move it back so it'll be under the couch (instead of sticking out like mine does).

General thoughts: You are having a golf cart garage? Right?

Expand your lanai and expand the concrete pad outside the lanai.

good luck...

[shcisamax]

By all means go off topic. Those are things I never thought about.
So you add the outside faucets so you can water your plants?
Add a phone jack behind the TV because????
Where do they put floor plugs?
I am expanding the lanaii and I think it will extend across the back of the house. But all will be encompassed by a birdcage. Is there any reason why we wouldn't do that?
And as for the golf cart garage, that is probably the most important according to my husband .

[campy]

Originally Posted by entemedor

Forgive my going slightly off-topic but there's a couple of things I wish my lantana had:

1. Add an outside hose faucet (hose bib?) on each corner of the house.

2. Add a phone jack behind where your TV will be. Also, add another above the kitchen counter, in a corner.

3. Take a look at the floor plan, figure out where your TV will be and where your couch will be. Look at the floor plug. You may want to move it back so it'll be under the couch (instead of sticking out like mine does).

General thoughts: You are having a golf cart garage? Right?

Expand your lanai and expand the concrete pad outside the lanai.

good luck...

Thank you for this helpful information! Would you share your reason for the hose faucet at each end?
Does the floor plug need to be moved closer towards the kitchen?
Absolutely for the golf cart garage and hope to expand the lanai. Do you know if they allow a horizontal expansion? Do you have a wall in your kitchen or is it open? Are you happy with it?

[jojo]

I have a Lantana and concur about the outside faucet. I have to drag a hose from way around the side back to water flowers out front. I also added a phone jack because I created an office area in the dining nook. Had to get architectural approval because they had to run the wiring in through the wall. Added a solar tube in the kitchen - added a lot of light. I also agree about moving the floor plug back toward the dining nook.

[shcisamax]

Where exactly is it that they are putting the floor plug that you need to move?
So you need to ask them to put in a faucet outside your birdcage maybe halfway back on each side so you can get to the back and the front on both sides. Do they automatically put in a faucet in the front?

[shcisamax]

So TV puts in the phone jacks, not the service provider?

[Carla B]

My husband installed a faucet in the front "courtyard" of our Lantana. It comes off the water shut/off in the garage and is a great convenience.

The 2' stretch that is offered now solves many problems and I wish that had been an option when we built. The "open" kitchen without the wall wasn't an option either, but we're happy to have the wall to support the cabinet for glasses and cups. Otherwise, where do you put all the dishes and utensils (unless you eat out all the time?)

[shcisamax]

Yes, the kitchen in the Lantana is pretty small compared to the Gardenia which has probably 1/3 more storage.
In fact, I was going to take the option A which allowed for a half bath but I was going to make a small office with the space but it, too, takes away space in the kitchen. It is a dilemna. Not quite sure what to do...still trying to figure out how the Gardenia makes such a lot of space for the kitchen...

[cricket1]

We closed on our lantana in August 2012. There are different options available already! TV changes their option list all the time, so the suggestions coming to you from TOTV may not be current-but always food for thought.

I chose to have the "wall" in the kitchen, simply for storage space. I love having that extra wall cabinet-and floor space on the dining room side for a sideboard. I also chose to have the washer and dryer walk-by so that the bulk of the laundry room was open for storage. Ikea had some cabinets that fit in there perfectly. I consider that my "basement". The kitchen is too small to store some of those things you just have to bring. We stretched back 2 feet (that was the only interior stretch allowed then). The extra space is really nice all through the nook, living room and the master bedroom. The lanai is also as large as allowed. But the biggie was to have the stacking sliding glass doors installed in the living room and the nook areas. When someone comes in through the front door they are blown away by the "forever" view looking all the way through with no doors to block the view.

Those were my "wants". The real reason we finally built was that 3 car garages became an option! That did the trick for my husband. And of course we stretched the garage 2 feet also. Because the fronts of all the homes are lined up as you see them, the bonus of all the stretches is that the back of your home might be offset compared to any side neighbors you might have. One more way of buying your privacy.

If any of these ideas work for you, the first thing to do is find a lot that will accomodate them. That's the hard part. After that, let the fun begin! And it is fun...

[shcisamax]

Did you try to get a lateral stretch? Or did you try and they said no. We are getting the golf cart garage so I would like ot move the kitchen and nook outside wall back in that direction to be even with the outside wall of the garage. Certainly if the garage fits, there should be no problem unless it is a roof line issue.
The kitchen is a problem too and for the life of me I can't figure out how the Gardenia has such a big kitchen and two walk ins and is 100 sq ft smaller..
I was going to use option A so I could get a small office in there across from the laundry but it takes even more of the kitchen. I have to decide which I will use more. I suspect although I will use the office more, it would be a problem if I ever wanted to sell.

[cricket1]

A lateral stretch was not an option when we planned our home. I had a HUGE kitchen with lots of cabinets when I lived up north. I had it arranged just the way I liked it. I took pictures of the way it was arranged. I used those photos to duplicate my setup, and with a lot of paring down (the 40 year old faded blue pyrex bowls did NOT move to TV), my lantana kitchen is just fine. I made it my mission to only have foodstuffs in the pantry. If it doesn't fit there, I don't buy it. There are several places to buy groceries, and I have plenty of time to shop, so if I need it-I go buy it then. Everyone here has had the same dilemmas. Eventually you'll make it work for you too!

[shcisamax]

So they only let you stretch it length wise. When did you build? I don't know why I am concerned about the kitchen...It isn't like I am Julia Childs...I will figure it out just like everyone else did. But I sure would like that lateral stretch