What does your house....

or place of residence look like?

I thought it would be interesting to see where everyone lives (as long as you are comfortable posting such pics on line).

Here is my place. It was a custom built house completed in 1989, and we are the second owners. The people who built the house had an architect in the family who lived in Barbados, so there are styles/features in the house that have a different feeling from many houses in my part of the world.

We moved in near the end of April 1996, and unless something drastic happens, we will probably retire here. The house is a ranch (one floor), and has 2,500 square feet of living space, an oversized two car garage, and of course a full basement that is partially finished (adding another 2,500 square feet of space if we ever wanted to finish it - no need right now). The lot is 100 feet wide at the road, and 270 feet deep.

Now for some pics!

Here is the house from across the street. The lot was native bush when the subdivision was built, and our lot was one where a great deal of care was taken to preserve as much of that wooded area as possible. There is a small area of bush out the front, so the house is sort of tucked in from the road where you don't see most of it.



Here is a shot down the drive - it's a patterned concrete drive and I could park a lot of cars on it. It's also a lot to clear in the winter when the snow is 2 feet deep!



When you get closer to the house, you can see more of the front...



Here is the front door and gardens - won't be long until the planters are gone.



If you imagine walking around the left side of the picture above, you can see the side of the house as it opens up to the back yard.



There is a good section of bush out the back of the lot, so it insulates us from the farmer's field beyond - at least in the summer when we have leaves.



As you walk around the back of the house, you come upon the two level deck (yes, it's a mess with all the leaves down from the storm the other night).



This upper level of the deck is right outside the master bedroom (see doors to the outside) and we sit in the Muskoka chairs to have a coffee in the morning during the spring and fall (too hot in the summers).



Here is a shot showing the back of the house.



In this closer view, you can see the solarium area that is all windows (not an add on sun room, but a planned part of the house), and three sky lights in the roof. This is where we eat our meals most days and admire the view of the back out the large windows.



Here is a view of the small garden near the house, where the large branch fell and hit the house last week. The square thing in the photo is a backstop I use for archery practice.



Here is a shot from where I shoot at that backstop (from 30 meters, but I can get 50 meters if I need to).



Finally, here is a shot off the left side of the deck in the photos above, looking back at the yard.



So, that's the outside of my house. Hope you enjoy the tour!

Now, let's see where you guys live!

Al

[Mark]

This is my humble pad. 12 years old, 15 year mortgage ....

2500+ square feet, 5 bedrooms, 2 baths. Has a nice size 2 car garage and a backyard the size of a football field.

Can you even see the house behind the tree?

Backyard .... kids love playing soccer and football there. Also served as a motocross track once. LOL

Back Porch ... waiting for the "Fall" & cooler weather. I enjoy sitting out there and reading a book.

[JJ Irani]

Beautiful pics, Al and Mark. My little 2-bedroom affair would fit into your backyards with so much room to spare.

JJ

Here's my place. We took possession in late May and although it's our third house in five years, it's the house I plan on living the rest of my life in. We bought the house from the original owners who paid CDN$48,000 for it in 1970. When I saw that in the documents it made me cry cuz even if we ever sell this place, we won't see that kind of ROI. It's the only house of it's kind in the neighborhood and was built on land previously belonging to a convent.





It's approximately 2,600 square feet with half the basement finished (an additional 800 sq/ft or so). It's got four baths, four bedrooms, a huge eat-in kitchen, main floor mud/laundry room, two fireplaces (one in the master suite), double garage long enough for two 1970s era boatmobiles and then some, and in the back we've got a 36'X18' pool, a 10'X10' cedar pool shed and a raised deck that's over 60' long and 12' wide (at the widest).

[JJ Irani]

Beautiful place you have there, Johnny.....must love that cute pool....trying to picture all my grandkids having a blast in it along with little Charlotte!!

Thanks JJ. We have been very lucky to be able to have a place like we do, considering there's just the three of us in a large, four bedroom house. We are VERY fortunate!

Thankfully C LOVES the pool. It would really suck if she was afraid of the water. However, it does eat up the majority of the back yard and provides a hazard (it's law we have to have it 100% fenced and gates locked). So this time of year, when it's too cold to swim, it kinda sucks having it in the back. However, with all those 25C and hotter days in the summer, it sure is nice to jump in after work each day!

And JJ, if you're ever over this way... you're always welcome. I'll even get a cot from the YMCA and let you stay in the pool shed!

[JJ Irani]

I'd much prefer the kitchen so I could be close by to a well-stocked fridge. I could then eat you out of house and home!! LOL!!

Originally Posted by JJ Irani

I'd much prefer the kitchen so I could be close by to a well-stocked fridge. I could then eat you out of house and home!! LOL!!

You're probably right... KING TOSSER!

[AJC]

Hey Guys,

Nice places and its great to see green grass.We are in huge drought conditions at present and most watering has been banned.

Never really affectted us as we are on tank water only so water conservation has always been on the cards.

We started building this place 15 years ago and still going.(Don't want to rush into these things ) Most likely move on as the town is slowly creeping in on us and I really like having my own space.



Aaron

Hey guys - great pics!

Mark - nice to see you still kept some danger in your back yard (those trampolines are killers). Have we seen your family on America's Funniest Home Videos with that thing?? Very nice place you have there!

John - I see you have some evergreens. Looks like a nice place, and lots of room. My wife and I rattle around in our 2500 square feet, so I know what you mean by being lucky to have some space. No plans for us to finish the basement more than it is (insulation and drywall) as it's my indoor archery range in the winter, and also where I do some woodworking when I have time (which means never).

Aaron - if I show your place to my wife, she will get homesick for sure! Love the gum trees - we tried to grow one inside but it never did look like more than a stick - it would never survive outside here. So where are you in Qld? I tried finding on my huge map of Oz, but without something more specific it's hard to find your town.........in the 4 times I've been there, I have never set foot in Queensland. We were close last time, about 30 or 40 kms from the border when in Lightning Ridge, NSW.

[AJC]

Originally Posted by Avalon

Hey guys - great pics!


Aaron - if I show your place to my wife, she will get homesick for sure! Love the gum trees - we tried to grow one inside but it never did look like more than a stick - it would never survive outside here. So where are you in Qld? I tried finding on my huge map of Oz, but without something more specific it's hard to find your town.........in the 4 times I've been there, I have never set foot in Queensland. We were close last time, about 30 or 40 kms from the border when in Lightning Ridge, NSW.

Al,

It is about 40 km from Brisbane and about 50km from the Gold Coast.It is what they call the Gold Coast Hinterland.Some towns nearby are Canungra,Beaudesert and Tamborine Mountain.It is in a region called Beaudesert Shire and the surrounding area is rural and national parks.

Main claim to fame was the beef cattle industry but now its more the horse industry (Thorough bred racing) and trendy bloody wineries and cafes .Being so close to the city people have realised it is close by and has become a popular tourist area in its own right.(Hence why I need to move further west and a few more hundred acres. )

The only problem with all those beautiful gum trees is that they attract those darn Koalas.(I'll tell you they are killers. )

Aaron

Originally Posted by Avalon

Hey guys - great pics!

John - I see you have some evergreens. Looks like a nice place, and lots of room. My wife and I rattle around in our 2500 square feet, so I know what you mean by being lucky to have some space. No plans for us to finish the basement more than it is (insulation and drywall) as it's my indoor archery range in the winter, and also where I do some woodworking when I have time (which means never).
.

Thanks Al. I have two large pine trees on the front lawn and one is rather ill. It's got lots of brown needles and it's been dropping needles big time over the past week or two. Sunday I got my tree saw and sliced off as many of the sick branches as I could reach.

The finished part of our basement contains my wife's treadmill, my bike rollers, our computer and a big space for the little one to play with her numerous toys (and to ride her trike). We have an unfinished storage area off one side where I put the pool blanket, the lawn furniture cushions and clothing storage and on the other side of the basement I've got the unfinished furnace room, that I'm going to build a workbench in. It's gotta be 15'X30'. I also store my racing bikes in there. Heaven forbid they sit in the garage!!

Originally Posted by AJC

Al,

It is about 40 km from Brisbane and about 50km from the Gold Coast.It is what they call the Gold Coast Hinterland.Some towns nearby are Canungra,Beaudesert and Tamborine Mountain.It is in a region called Beaudesert Shire and the surrounding area is rural and national parks.

The only problem with all those beautiful gum trees is that they attract those darn Koalas.(I'll tell you they are killers. )

Aaron

Aaron, now I can picture where you are quite well. On my wall sized (giant) map of Australia, shown here:



You are around here:



Just so you know, my wife is from here:





Regarding the Koalas, we actually had a hell of a time finding any when we were there over last Xmas. In past trips we could wander down the road a ways and see them sitting in the gum trees, but we looked everywhere for them this time around. Even on our traditional trip to the Grampians we didn't see any. We ended up seeing some in a widlife park in South Australia (where my brother-in-law and his family live). Where did they all go?

By the way, I'm always on the lookout for ones that drop!

[AJC]

Now you got the spot. So the wife is from Ballarat,can't really hold that against her I suppose. .

I think all the Koalas have come up to my place,noisey darn things.

Aaron

You know your wrists are small when a JLC MM looks big on your wrist.

[Mort]

This is our humble little home, we desided to live kind of modest so I could afford my watch collection

[JJ Irani]

Originally Posted by Mort

This is our humble little home, we desided to live kind of modest so I could afford my watch collection

I'm still trying to picture a beautiful solid gold DD in that hovel!!

Originally Posted by Atomic

You know your wrists are small when a JLC MM looks big on your wrist.

Ouch, that's harsh! I would actually say it looks right, not big........

Until they offer wrist transplants, I'm stuck with what I have.........

[mailman]

LOL Mort

[G Shearing]

Photo of a painting done by a friend.


Yes, I'm a Seadweller!! lol
I bought this vessel 40ft LOA to do contract work for the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada and found I liked being a "seadweller" or sea gypsy. It is very comfortable inside with a stateroom forward, saloon midships and galley aft.
Vessel is a bit of BC history, well I guess so am I
I just opened one of my favourites, a McEwan's Scottish Strong Ale. Well, a guy has to splice the mainbrace once in awhile

[dman]

Originally Posted by Mort

This is our humble little home, we desided to live kind of modest so I could afford my watch collection

Mort, thanks again for buying that from me, I needed to supersize my McDonalds that night and you came through in a pinch for a friend.

LOL Daren!!

Originally Posted by dman

Mort, thanks again for buying that from me, I needed to supersize my McDonalds that night and you came through in a pinch for a friend.

[JJ Irani]

Daren, you're a funny nut!!

[Rockrolex]

Finally had a chance to take some pics of where I reside.

Front


Part of the back yard from the side


Back yard - No maintenance


Screened in porch. Great for summer eating.

[dman]

Home sweet home!! What time is dinner pops?

Very nice Casa Ed, beautiful!!

[Rockrolex]

Originally Posted by dman

Home sweet home!! What time is dinner pops?

Very nice Casa Ed, beautiful!!

\
Dinner? Cook? My wife makes the best reservations in town.

[Uncle-AJ]

Very nice and very colonial Ed.

[Rockrolex]

Originally Posted by Uncle-AJ

Very nice and very colonial Ed.

Thanks, Adrian. There's only one other similar to it in the neighborhood and we've done so much to ours that they don't look anything alike anymore.

The screened-in porch was a gift to me from Arleen. It was to have been a surprise. She contracted to have it put up while I was out of town for a two week trial. But the case settled on the courthouse steps. So I came home while it was still a work in progress. But I love it. It's a favorite place to eat breakfast and dinner during the spring, summer and early fall.

[BruceS]

WOW! Nice place