Totally agree about lighting conditions affecting the paint colors. Something else I learned the hard way—paint swatches on white poster boards first,...

Yeah, totally agree on the balance between prep and concrete quality. One thing I'd add from my experience—don't underestimate the curing process eith...

I've actually wondered about the sand or gravel thing myself... does it really make that big of a difference? I built mine last spring and just left i...

Fair point there, but I'm curious about how much solar gain you're really getting during cloudy stretches or shorter winter days. When I built mine, I...

When I built near a shaded valley, airflow alone wasn't enough. Ended up installing vents low on the shaded side and higher ones opposite—created a na...

Yeah, totally agree with this approach. I've found that sellers often price with a bit of wiggle room built in anyway. When I bought my last plot, I s...