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I recommend doing what we did- we originally planned to do what the first poster is asking about but ended up going with a modular home. The building process is MUCH simpler and if you pick the right house plan you can definitely get the house for a much better price than stick built. After they're built you can't tell the difference, they appraise the same and are often better built, too. I was surprised by this because before we started to have one built I was against them, thinking they were flimsy or a cousin to a mobile home or something. Boy was I wrong! They are actually quite nice.
The building process is much simpler since it's handled by the modular dealer/builder. All you have to argue about with spouse is what options and upgrades you want and what fixtures and colors you want. (Make sure you go with a reputable company though, a good way to find out who's not going to give you any problems or a poorly built home is to ask loan officers at the bank- this is how we knew that the company we're going through is ok, the bank finances a lot of these homes and knows which ones get complaints because they hear it from the customers)..
My husband wants to build our own home, being our own general contractor and finding subs to do the work. Neither of us are in the building industry. I am hesitant but he seems to think we can do it and build a house for much cheaper than if we were to go through a builder. Has anyone done this before? Or know anyone who has? HELP!
You say you aren't in construction, but you don't say what line of work you are in. Let's say that you are an accountant. If I had fairly complex taxes and you would charge me $500 to do my tax return but I decided to do it myself, even though I'm a builder and don't know how to do taxes, what would you tell me? You would probably tell me that, aside from the time and aggravation of me trying to do something I'm not familiar with, when all is said and done I will probably miss several deductions and wind up paying more that the $500 I allegedly saved in additional taxes.
Hire a GC. They have access to all of the subs and they know how much to pay the subs, and they are responsible for the job. If you figure in your time I promise you that you won't really come out ahead by doing it yourself.
hehe, i getcha riveree.
BTW, "point load" is where a bearing point of a beam / truss / floor above is putting direct pressure on the structure below,
"squash blocks" are placed under these point loads along the foundation's edge so the posts above dont punch a hole through the plywood of the floor. bassicaly bringing that point load above down to the foundation which is designed to handle the weight of the structure above.
Shux, I was gonna ask you if you used Butternut or Zucchini for your squash blocks but you headed me off with an actual definition!
My husband wants to build our own home, being our own general contractor and finding subs to do the work. Neither of us are in the building industry. I am hesitant but he seems to think we can do it and build a house for much cheaper than if we were to go through a builder. Has anyone done this before? Or know anyone who has? HELP!
Since you have zero experience, I do not recommend you do it since the housing industry is already so backed up. Even long time general contractors are having huge problems getting subs to their jobs. Plus, it is a full time job to do it right. Now, if you are going to pick up a hammer and do a lot of the work yourselves and have the time to do it, go for it, it actually isn't that difficult and all the information you need to learn is out there.
Last edited by High Altitude; 09-12-2018 at 05:04 PM..
I built a very large addition and did much of it myself. I hired a company to pour the concrete and I hired a company to mud and sand the drywall. Those were the only 2 that I hired. It was not difficult. The framing and boxing was a blast and was the most rewarding as it went up fairly fast. I did the roofing, shingling, etc. I started in the Spring and had it enclosed, roofed and painted by Fall. I finished the interior after. The electrical was fairly simple. Just take it room by room and understand some basic concepts. I had a couple of good books on how to do wiring. It turned out great and it has lasted very well. The plumbing was more challenging and I had some good books on it. Have had no issues with any of it. I paid for the supplies out of pocket as I went along and it cost about $25 a square foot when all was said and done. I think new construction was 90-100 at the time. I did some rough drawings on paper at the beginning to figure out the interior space. I adapted some of that as I went. It was completed by the end of the Summer, the following year. I think you should go for it. If you manage it right, there can be substantial savings..
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