Building your own house *questions*

[glittergurl]

My husband and I would love to get our own house built. We have already made some sketches and rough plans of our ideal home, and I guess we now need to go see an architect who could help us improve the design some.

 

Have any of you built their own house?

 

I have no idea where to start. Is it cheaper to build or to buy? How long does it take? Basically, what are the pros and the cons?

 

Any advise on the subject will be VERY welcome!

[Art_Critic]

Building your own home prematurely ages you

 

Get ready for the ride of your life.. Dealing with builders and contractors is fun and the most common phrase they use will be " that'll cost ya xtra "

[933KJL]

I had my first house built off of a floorplan I found in one of those book/magazines. You can buy the pland as is for a couple of hundred dollars, but they all offer some customization done by their in house architects. So if you can find a basic idea of what you want, you can save a LOT of $$$. Architechts are expensive.

 

Where you want to concentrate your money is on the General COntractor and the Project Manager. Hire a project manager and he will oversee all the other trades. Make sure your contracts are fair and are not front loaded with payments--make sure the work is gonna get done before writitng the check. Also, get a time clause in there...house must be done with U&O permit by whatever date or there will be a penalty of X dollars per day late.

 

An old rule of thumb I heard was nationally, expect to spend $100 psf for the house. THis included land acquisition, permits, variances, and construction and finishing including carpets, floors, appliances, and fixtures, and basic landscaping.

 

As for time it takes---always longer than anticipated. Depends on the size and complexity, but I would plan to not move in till 3 to 6 months after planned!

[glittergurl]

As for time it takes---always longer than anticipated. Depends on the size and complexity, but I would plan to not move in till 3 to 6 months after planned!

 

Well now, that doesn't sound bad. I thought it would take at least a year. We want a 2 story brick house; I guess that would make it slower than a wooden house (?)

[933KJL]

Wait you misread me.....it won't take three to six to build..that all depends on the complexity of the house....plan on moving in three to six months after you had originally planned to move in. Expect a time overrun of 3 to 6 months.

 

Sorry I was not more clear!

[glittergurl]

Ahhh! lol okay. Yeah, I thought that sounded pretty optimistic

[933KJL]

They rarely do brick any more...usually a framed house with brick facing. But when I built my house in PA, it was a 4 BR 2.5 BA with basement and 2 car garage fireplace, front porch, and about 2300 SF it took the builder about 7 months to build from start to finish--he told me 4 to 5. The house was move in condition but the yard was a mess--it was early spring and we opted to NOT sod the lawn but to seed it so we started with mud and dirt.

 

 

Oh, and this house was in the Philadelphia suburbs..on the Main Line--you know what that is don't you? The most desirable street! With multi million dollar homes lining the streets. THe Wanamakers and the Strawbridges were neighbors but none of them had their toys in the front yard. Oh yes and I paid cash for the house $2.9 Million way back in 1990. LOL

[glittergurl]

They rarely do brick any more...usually a framed house with brick facing. But when I built my house in PA, it was a 4 BR 2.5 BA with basement and 2 car garage fireplace, front porch, and about 2300 SF it took the builder about 7 months to build from start to finish--he told me 4 to 5. The house was move in condition but the yard was a mess--it was early spring and we opted to NOT sod the lawn but to seed it so we started with mud and dirt.

 

 

Oh, and this house was in the Philadelphia suburbs..on the Main Line--you know what that is don't you? The most desirable street! With multi million dollar homes lining the streets. THe Wanamakers and the Strawbridges were neighbors but none of them had their toys in the front yard. Oh yes and I paid cash for the house $2.9 Million way back in 1990. LOL

 

Hahah :lmao:

 

Well that sucks that they don't do brick anymore We live in a solid brick house right now; from the early 40's; but it's way too small and I cannot stand the area. However, it is VERY solid, and I'd definitely like our new home to be as strong

[933KJL]

Today's construction materials are just as strong. That is not a concern I don't believe. I suppose that people will still build with brick, but I cannot imagine the cost. I have a moderate sized brick patio installed and it was close to $8000. I imagine that it woudl add $70,000 to $100,000 to the cost of your home--thats a SWAG--silly wild ass guess!

[TUDOR]

We built our house last year. We took our time picking out the builder because the right builder can make all the difference. We got a lot of ideas for our house by visiting many model homes all over the area and looking at other floor plans and drawings.

 

We did an all brick house so you can still do that if you want but yes it much more expensive and really just a matter of prefences. It took about 6 months for our house to be built. I visited the house almost every day during the contruction phase to make sure it was being done right and that all the fixtures, brick, cabinets, etc....were all the right ones as they were going in.

 

It is a fun and miserable experience all at the same time. Just do you home work first on a builder it can make the experience fun or a disaster for you.

[Craig]

Don't forget storage. Closets and other storage spaces in a house are often overlooked by beginners but a good architect should spot that for you. Your house may not look exactly as you think it will. In other words the plan you have on paper may not match your expectations when it is built in 3-D.

 

Start looking into extra features right now. You'll want to have doo-dads built into your house so you don't have to retrofit later on. Think about sound systems, alarms, networking, telephone lines, energy efficiency (go for high quality triple glazed windows--do the research there are hundreds of options for windows). Think about sound insulation as well, there are lots of options, the materials you decide on will make a difference in the sound quality of your sound systems.

 

There are so many things you can do to make an otherwise ordinary house into a super comfortable house. Don't get caught in the trap of getting the most square feet or the trendiest finishing. Think quality and comfort. If you can get a Realtor friend to take you to see other houses that can give you ideas on what to include in your home as well.

 

Sometimes you'll need to do your own research to find what you want. Don't rely solely on contractors or architects to know everything.

[glittergurl]

Great, thanks for all the advise, guys! I realize it's a massive job, and it's easy to overlook some things as there is so much to plan and think about.

 

Have any of you ever visited earth homes (those houses that are partially built underground)? I read a lot of good things about them; especially about how it saves tons of heating and cooling energy.

 

Anyway, just brainstorming. It's not something we're going to rush into.

[a4a]

Hey Glitter I have a good and well trusted friend in NC that builds custom homes. Lots of experience and a variety of homes... also deal with construction on other levels from carpenters, framers, those handy dandy vacs, plasmas, smart home techie stuff.

 

I would be happy to point you to a few of them and know who some of the cons are..... NC is regular stomping grounds for our associates.

 

You can save quite a bit of money if you can do some of the simple things yourself..... but you have to really commit to doing it. Some areas you will save more money by having your own supplies (sinks, toilets, ect). Just be sure that you know what you are doing.......don't get over your head when doing home improvement or working on your own home.

 

I can also point you in some direction to find quality supplies that are not the run of the mill for a new home. "Standard fixtures" and lighting that come in new homes just don't cut it for me. It is worth it to start shopping a year ahead for cabinets, flooring, ect....... don't buy it tho unless you are positive you can use it in your new home (budgets and floorplans can change in a year) Start getting ideas now.... document them with photos so it is not so overwhelming and you don't have to be pressured into decisons on the spot.

 

a4a

[Outcast]

Oh, and this house was in the Philadelphia suburbs..on the Main Line--you know what that is don't you? The most desirable street! With multi million dollar homes lining the streets. THe Wanamakers and the Strawbridges were neighbors but none of them had their toys in the front yard. Oh yes and I paid cash for the house $2.9 Million way back in 1990. LOL

 

 

I would first check into the state of contractors and building supplies in your area. This summer's hurricanes have caused severe shortages in both, meaning that it's harder to hire skilled help and that lumber and other building materials jumped in costs since this summer so Tudor's experience may be nothing like yours.

 

You do have to keep a close watch on the proceedings. You can't just put it in the hands of the contractor and then forget about it. As for contractors, try to get recommendations. I've heard too many stories of incompetent contractors - or worse, crooked ones.

 

I would spend time looking at what you have now and planning what you need in your new home. What sorts of activities do you do that might require specialized storage, for instance? Do you need space for winter clothes as well as summer clothes? Don't forget linen closets and broom closets and get involved with the kitchen design to be sure everything's convenient.

 

One of my homes was a terrific house but there were a couple goofy things; the kitchen had obviously been designed by a non-cook so there was no utensil drawer anywhere near the stove!

[glittergurl]

Hey Glitter I have a good and well trusted friend in NC that builds custom homes. Lots of experience and a variety of homes... also deal with construction on other levels from carpenters, framers, those handy dandy vacs, plasmas, smart home techie stuff.

 

I would be happy to point you to a few of them and know who some of the cons are..... NC is regular stomping grounds for our associates.

 

Ooooo, awesome! We were thinking about moving to a different state, but oh well, I don't know yet. Maybe just a different area in NC, we'll see. But hey, yes, feel free to send me an e-mail about those people:

Thanks

[a4a]

I will shoot the builder an email in a moment...They can spec out a home for you on spread sheet in a week or so... they did it for me... if you want the smart home high tech stuff I can deal with that. H does that work. I just try to push the right buttons LMAO! We know most of the trades, many will do work direct for you on weekends ect..... just be sure they are covered by insurance or you are.

 

a4a - off to drive the tractor and stack wood......YEE HAW!

[Israfil]

1. Hire an architect to design the house. Do not design the house yourself. Do not buy pre-designed houses from books. The architect then recommends a contractor, with whom you have a separate client-contractor agreement. The architect should then act as your legal agent in all matters, especially if you have no experience in design or construction.

 

2. Do not try to design your house, especially before you have a site that you have bought – title deed in hand. The site is the most critical aspect when designing a house, as the structure should be designed around the site, not the other way around. Preconceived notions are bad, and can often lead to disappointment, especially when the end result is not what you wanted.

 

3. Get information from cities / counties about water, electricity, and gas connections to the plot / site (their availability, cost to install etc.) BEFORE you buy the plot. Many estate agents will sell you a plot that has no feasible way to connect it to the municipal lines.

 

4. I would budget for at minimum $250 per square foot.

 

5. Water is the DEVIL. Keeping water out of your structure is the most important thing to consider, above anything.

 

6. There are many different building materials to consider, not just wood stud construction. Solid brick masonry is expensive in the United States, but there are other masonry, concrete, and semi-cementicious materials available. I would not recommend building in wood, especially in high wind, hurricane-ridden areas. Take a look at Florida. If those houses had been built using concrete, they would still be standing.

 

7. Size does not matter as much as you think. Quality and well thought out spaces far exceed quantity.

[Craig]

Have any of you ever visited earth homes (those houses that are partially built underground)? I read a lot of good things about them; especially about how it saves tons of heating and cooling energy.

Their not back if you like living like a mole.

 

There are a lot of technologies that can result in a conventional looking house that uses zero energy from outside sources.

 

Google: "structural insulated panels", "passive solar", "photovoltaic"

[glittergurl]

Well, not just energy. But I also heard they're perfect for tornados, etc. We've had a tornado here about 8 months ago, and it was the scariest thing I have ever experienced.

[Israfil]

But I also heard they're perfect for tornados, etc.

 

Concrete!!

[bunnzy]

Talk to a residential contractor. Most real estate agents get residential contractors to build the rentals from a templated floorplan. My fiance is a builder/owner of one of these companies. They usually have the know-how and contacts already set up. If you find a good contractor they will get it done fast. My fiance has almost finished a 4 bdrm with open plan living area already and he started it with his business partner about a month ago.

 

They can customise the floor plan to fit the block of land, and can assist you in picking schemes, roof tiles, kitchen and bathroom fittings. They are generally smaller businesses so you liason with the business owner and they know exactly what you want.

 

Its good to have a guiding hand. Underground homes make more sense in the desert, like arizona or cooper pedy. Alot of pipes and power lines are underground and it would be a pain to get council approval to dig yourself a 'cave'!!! It would be cool though.