Sometimes we design around a story. The story of Molly the Cottage is about Molly the homeowner. Her 92 year old mom is coming to live with them. Molly has strength of character. She takes care of her family, and takes care of herself. A new home that exactly fits their needs makes more sense than buying one that's bigger than they need just to get that first floor bedroom. At the same time, Molly knows better than to get on the "Gotta Wanna Railway".
For Molly and her family, we have Molly the Cottage. It may be modest in size, but it has a place for everything and everyone. We consider a porch nearly essential for the elderly. It's fresh air and a connection to the world, even when home alone, and even if walking on uneven terrain is difficult. The kids' bedrooms are a decent size, and we snuck in a little computer nook.
It's cost conscious: All windows are available in Andersen Silverline 1400 series, their most economical. Without the drive-under garage, all the framing is dimensional lumber, not a single LVL (engineered beam) needed. With the drive-under, use of LVL's is minimal. Molly is a Free & Honor plan.