Construction Cost - Building a home. (Sandpoint: appointed, sale, apartment)

[Ghostrider16]

I spoke with a builder in the Sandpoint area who said to plan for about $125 per sq. foot with "middle of the road" amenities. Not the cheap stuff, but not the high end either.

[Lacerta]

Originally Posted by Nn2036

I don't know what work that we can do as a homeowner that would save much money. All I can think of painting and may be hardwood floor. I would trust myself doing tile.

That depends 100% on the buyer's abilities, though. Some people do a lot of the work themselves, and just hire people to do the parts they can't do. A lot of times, people will have the builder leave some of the rooms unfinished, just doing enough to pass inspection, and then finish things themselves over the next few years, to save on the initial costs.

[Iamasong]

Hi
to whom it may concern
My name is BK Song, I am interest to build new gas station with approx. 4000 sf. of convenience store in Atole area.
Is that possible to provide me rough construction cost?
If you can, send me cost breakdown to my following email address .
[mod cut] [mod note] Contact BK Song via DM if you can help him. [/mod note]

Thanks

[Sandpointian]

So very hard to say, depending on what exactly you are trying to build, both in terms of finishing and structure. Also matters where--in town or in country side, etc. I would extend Lacerta's post to a range of 1x-5x. If you have never built a home before, you would be shocked on the range of quality of builders. Some are careful and skilled and some are quite awful. This is caveat emptor country. Some are good at make changes on the fly some are not.

The more complicated a home, the more skilled the builder needs to be, the higher psf.

If you are on a flat lot on good ground, with easy access; no complications, building a box on slab; fine with OSB, hardiplank and MDF; house is 2000psf+, you might be able to get away with $125psf, maybe even $110psf. But it goes up from there. From what I have seen, once you get north of $250psf, the houses tend to be nice and done by crews with good reputations.

I am not sure where you are coming in from. I did a lot of work on a house in CA for the relative. The building requirements there are trivial compared with building in Sandpoint, where one better know what one is doing for heavy rain and snow years. You can get away with a lot in California because of just how tame the weather is.

a lot has to do with your house design, the materials you want, the features you want, and the expectations of quality you have.

Everytime, I went "cheap" I regretted it. I like great materials, lasting features, and quality work.

S.

[Cavalry_Chief]

The topic from the OP is personally relevant and something I have been researching for a few years. I am in the planning stages of having a log home built on some acreage I recently purchased in Bonner County. The costs per square foot seem roughly similar to what I have encountered. Though we are still researching General Contractors in the area, it seems like supply is not meeting demand. Hopefully that will level out soon and affordable construction will be available in the Northern Idaho area once again.

On a tangent: As someone that has been reading (lurking) these forums for many years and have used the input by many veteran posters here, I want to thank you for sharing and advising those of us that read these forums. Your dedication and openness had a significant impact on the decision to make Northern Idaho our new home (not moving from CA). I look forward to being a part of this community and feel that many senior posters are like old friends.

[javatom]

Log homes are some of the most expensive to build compared to other types of construction. The "shell" can at times be only about 25 to 35 percent of the total cost. Build a log structure because you like the look not because you think it will save money (they do look nice).

[Cnynrat]

Log homes also come with higher maintenance requirements. Some of that can be DIY, such as annual washing with a pressure washer. But you will probably find some parts of the house will need to be refinished fairly often. We have one SW facing wall, and a SE facing wall that get a lot of sun, and they get refinished every 1 or 2 years.

We do love the way they look though (obviously).

Dave

[banjomike]

Originally Posted by Nn2036

I don't know what work that we can do as a homeowner that would save much money. All I can think of painting and may be hardwood floor. I would trust myself doing tile.

Doing all the drywall finish work is one way a homeowner can save money.
Hanging drywall goes pretty fast, but all the joint taping, plastering, sanding, and then priming and painting the drywall is all labor cost and is all intensive labor.

The biggest problem for a homeowner who wants to take over that part of the construction is the time and the mess. If a family needs to occupy the new house as soon as possible, all that finish work can be pretty miserable to live in, and an amateur is nowhere as fast as a pro is, so it always takes more time to complete.

Other things like carpeting and furnishing the rooms have to wait until the drywall is done, too. So scheduling can become problematic.

But when saving as much money by doing it yourself is an important consideration, any problem can be overcome. Dedication and determination can be great money savers.

if I was ever to build a new home, I would plan on constructing more than one building on the property, kind of like the way a farmstead is built.

An attached garage, for example, may be cheaper in foundation and framing costs, but a short breezeway between house and garage is almost as convenient, and allows the garage foundation to be used as a parking pad while the home is constructed and then occupied. The garage framing and finish can be done later, as finances and needs permit. A garage can be more poorly finished than a house and it won't affect the home's value any.

This is true with other spaces that are now all built in a piece inside the house's boundaries. Modern homes are build to be very convenient, easy to keep clean, and other factors that can all become costly.

With careful planning and consideration of the occupant's needs, though, there are always do-it-yourself solutions that can save money. They all demand time and some skill, so it's all a tradeoff between cost, time, and physical exertion.

[Sandpointian]

^^.

I really think someone coming from the outside needs to spend a full season here with their lot. You will know the sun angles, the shadows, the sun trajectories, where the heat comes from and when, type of soil, how the water drains, how to park, what you want to look at from various spots, where you want to plant things, grow stuff, etc.

We are getting there. I would say we are 75% done with projects to get our property just right.

With more of a trophy property, I can only imagine.

You can then save the house that was tailor-made for you and seems just right from the get go.

[banjomike]

Originally Posted by Sandpointian

^^.

I really think someone coming from the outside needs to spend a full season here with their lot. You will know the sun angles, the shadows, the sun trajectories, where the heat comes from and when, type of soil, how the water drains, how to park, what you want to look at from various spots, where you want to plant things, grow stuff, etc.

We are getting there. I would say we are 75% done with projects to get our property just right.

With more of a trophy property, I can only imagine.

You can then save the house that was tailor-made for you and seems just right from the get go.

Yup.
If you plan to live in the country, it's best to know where it's best on the land you bought to situate your home. Things like drainage may not be thought of as a big deal in July, but they can be a big deal in March.

Knowing how the snow drifts on a property can be a vital consideration for getting out to the road in mid-winter.

The more time a person spends camping out on their little piece of paradise and gets to know it at all times of the year, the closer to paradise it will be when the home is built, especially one intended for year-round use.