Houses and plans (was Re: Language with a flourish)

[pengolodh_sc at yahoo.no]

--- In HPFGU-OTChatter at y..., Sheryll Townsend <s_ings at y...> wrote:
[snip]
> Oddly enough, I prefer the first description. Granted, the
> language is a bit flowery, but I found details there that
> weren't in second description (for example, the second makes
> no mention of the laundry room, or the fact the guest room has
> a 'full bath'). Maybe it's just me, but I like to know these
> things.
> 
> Sheryll, who went through the whole house-hunting
> thing 4 years ago

I see your point, of course, though the description of course came 
along with a plan.  

I was intrigued when I learnt that in USA there was a tradition for 
buying only the plans, and then make individual arrangements with 
builders and contranctors - in Norway, when you buy a house from a 
catalogue, you buy the house - finished to the key in the entrance-
door.  You do meet with a consultant from the company, and you're 
allowed to make requests for changes in the layout, which generally 
does not cost much if it does not interfere with the load-bearing 
structure.  

One result of this is that there is less diversity of models, since 
the company has to be stocked with the materials to build the 
different designs.  All the plan-makers have to do is to make sure 
that the plans don't fall foul of whatever new nationwide building-
codes that are introduced - otherwise I would think they can keep the 
drawings in their archives for ever.

In general, Norwegian houses tend to be in a pseudo modern-
traditional style, normally taking traditional elements from empire, 
which in Norway expressed itself most oftenly in houses rather 
similar to Cape Cod-style (clapboard-siding, 1 1/2 or 2-story simple 
building, steep roof, etc.).  Seeing that plans are readily available 
in such a great variety of traditional styles in USA really 
fascinated me, and many of the have much more appeal than the designs 
available here.

In general, I find that for some reason the hosues that were 
offered/designed before the 90s generally are more appealing - recent 
designs seem somehow bland - this is true (forme, at least) both for 
Norway and USA.

Best regards
Christian Stubø