Vista 420
420 square foot stick-built cottage with optional dormers - 14'-0" wide
403 square foot premanufactured -13'-8" wide
420 square foot stick-built cottage with optional dormers - 14'-0" wide
The Vista 420 was specifically designed as a guest house for family or as a rental unit. It can be designed to be stick-bit onsite at 14'-0" wide, or buy one premanufactured at 13'-8" wide. We also show a standard cottage version with 1 bedroom and 1 bath.
About the plan
This 420 sq.ft. cottage and the Clearview 403 sq.ft. guest house present two house layouts that can be interchanged between a stick-built house (built onsite) at 420 square feet, and a premanufactured 403 square foot structure that can be trucked in and set on a pre-built foundation. The flyer shows a conventional cottage layout for permanent living, as well as an alternate layout that is optimized for use as a guest house or rental property (think Air BnB). The cottage layout can be designed into either the 420 sq.ft. stick-built house, or a premanufactured 403 sq.ft. house... or vice versa for the guest house layout. And don't forget the option of a loft with the steeper pitch roof on the stick-built house. Consider adding a dormer or two for more headroom in either the cottage layout or the guest house layout.
Big Picture Information
Study Plans
If you’ve found the flyer compelling, the next step is to get serious about building the house. Our Study Plans consist of detailed drawings that let you discuss your project with a builder and begin to work up semi-realistic costs. For more info, click here:
Construction Plans
Whether you’re building a code-compliant plan or chose to add our Enhanced Efficiency details to create a high-performance home, you will start by reaching out via the contact page so we can work up a proposal. We’ve found that selling stock plans and leaving you trying to figure out how to get them built is not a good experience. We know there will need to be changes based on local building requirements, and you probably want to tweak things a bit yourself. For a more detailed explanation for why we only provide custom plans, click here:
Customized Plans
We recognize that the best houses are designed to fit the site, local climate and the owner’s lifestyle. We are happy to customize any of our plans, so please contact us for an initial discussion.
Natural Homes
We do not sell pre-designed natural homes on our website--there are just too many variables to make that feasible. Whether you are already knowledgeable about natural home building techniques, or want to begin to educate yourself, contact us for an initial discussion. Click here to learn some fundamentals of Natural Home Design, or click on the “My Home” menu tab.
Phone Support
In this age of artificial intelligence, there’s no substitute for interaction with an actual human, especially with something as complicated as building a house. Study plans come with a 1/2 hour of phone support, and construction plans come with a minimum of 4 hours. Learn more here: