[r1racer]

I am seriously considering looking into buying land and building my own home if it makes financial sense. I am from the overpriced DC area and what you get for 300k is absolutely ridiculous. I would much prefer an empty shell that I can work on and live in at the same time if necessary. I would end up outsourcing the foundation, plumbing and framing (minimal) and pretty much do everything else myself. Not sure how much, if any savings that can be realized but I refuse to pay for builder grade crap, crappy and congested neighborhoods at 300k and up prices.


So my question does anyone have experience or have any advice on the matter?

 

[cwoods]

I live in Anchorage Alaska but it sounds like our prices for homes are compatible to what you are experiencing. While I bought my home back in 94' I recently demo'd the garage and rebuilt a larger one and added a second level. I found a GC who would take care of all the permits/plans/engineering and yet let me put my hands into everything else.
I basically got the foundation and framing done through his sources then just took over using all the contacts I had to get better pricing and work discounts for materials. When we were framing I was buying materials with my work discount getting better prices than the contractor discount he could get. It's a great way to do it and get your money stretched further. Anchorage Municipality is horrible with codes, paperwork and hoops that go with it so I knew I wanted a GC for at the least that portion.

 

[ddawg16]

I just did it....

Click on the link in my signature.....take your pick...2-story addition...or 2-story garage.

On the house....I added about 1100 sq ft....I figure I came in around $80/sq ft. That is about 1/3rd of what it would have cost me to pay someone.

 

[SeniorSitizen]

Your plan is often contingent on the money. If a loan is necessary your avenues will often be very restricted to non existent. If you have the cash that's a different ball game.

 

[r1racer]

I just did it....

Click on the link in my signature.....take your pick...2-story addition...or 2-story garage.

On the house....I added about 1100 sq ft....I figure I came in around $80/sq ft. That is about 1/3rd of what it would have cost me to pay someone.

Heck...why don't I just hire you! That's good work and seems a bit more difficult than new construction.

 

[WhatRnsdownhill]

if you dont have the cash you can get a builders loan, as your structure goes up the bank will send an inspector and you will get more money to go onto the next step, instead of giving you all the money at once, they will give you what the new house is worth at the time of inspection, and yes if you gc and do some of the labor you will save alot of $$..

 

[NickTheGreat]

Do you have experience being a GC? Most people think that they can do anything cheaper/better/faster than the pro's.

Permitting, environmental stuff, coordinating schedules of the different subs, safety, liability insurance, etc.

 

[r1racer]

Do you have experience being a GC? Most people think that they can do anything cheaper/better/faster than the pro's.

Permitting, environmental stuff, coordinating schedules of the different subs, safety, liability insurance, etc.

I am most definitely not a GC. I am an accountant and very anal when it comes to budgeting and planning. I do have experience finishing basements and remodeling bathrooms from start to finish but more than anything I simply enjoy DIY and have a small passion for remodel work.

A few years back I even got an online degree in construction technology just for the heck of it because I enjoyed learning and doing remodel work so much...not that this comes close to hands on experience.

But like I said I am more interested in the savings that can be realized with a finished shell built the way I want and on a lot of my liking vs. buying an existing old & overvalued piece of crap in the 250k-350k price range. In other words if I can manage to build a decent home without the cheap crap builders throw inside for under 350k I much rather go that route. If I can build a shell and save even more and get the satisfaction of finishing it myself over the course of a year or two with my family then even better.

 

[Aggie67]

if you dont have the cash you can get a builders loan, as your structure goes up the bank will send an inspector and you will get more money to go onto the next step, instead of giving you all the money at once, they will give you what the new house is worth at the time of inspection, and yes if you gc and do some of the labor you will save alot of $$..

I'm one of those inspectors. It's called construction loan monitoring (CLM).

 

[SeniorSitizen]

Better do some serious checking of the actual loan costs with CLM. Also there may be time restraints and that's where any money savings sometimes ceases and the not so fun a project begins.

 

[Rough Rooster]

Good points have been addressed.
I have built from dirt up. Currently in a home I built in 1980. Did it all but rub the slab. Definitely need help there.
A house is built "one piece at a time". Don't skimp on bracing and blocking.
Plumb, level, and square are required.
Check it out, weigh the options and if you feel qualified then go for it.

RR :smile::smile:

 

[rjniles]

You will not be allowed to live in it until it is finished enough to get a CO (Certificate of occupancy). That is pretty much totally finished.

 

[BigJim]

Don't make the mistake of splurging once you have the framing in the dry, that is when the real spending comes in. When contracting, I dealt with people who would think they were really further ahead, financially, once the framing, windows and exterior doors and dry in was done. They would want to add more expensive things which I discouraged. I have seen several run out of money before finishing the house because of that.

Another thing to keep in mind, when you make a construction loan, time is money, too long in building can eat your lunch big time.

 

[Bud9051]

A very big starter project with a lot more to learn than you will have time for. You can't frame a reasonable house by yourself in a reasonable time frame. A framing crew, and this applies to most professions, will complete in days what will take you a month. They can get a house dried out between rain storms while you will be covering everything with plastic or dealing with everything being wet.

Then, consider those sub-contractors you would hope to find when needed, they are busy working for other gcs who provide them with steady work so they can keep their crews busy. Will they squeeze you in and risk postponing their bread and butter? The ones that can fit you in are the ones that aren't busy and there are usually reasons why they aren't busy. The good contractors are busy. The crappy ones (and I don't care for that term) are the ones who will be available for your hit or miss work schedule.

There are a lot more good contractors out there than you seem to think. THAT is where your search should start and yes, if you are a really nice person they may work with you to help you improve your skills.

Bud

 

[123pugsy]

I'm currently doing it just like dawg did. Click the link in my sig to check it out.
I've hired all the sub trades and supervised them.

I also drew up my own plans. I took a long time to draw them as I researched all the code requirements of every aspect as I was drawing them.

Buy a copy of the building code. Expensive, but actually really cheap in the long run.

 

[ront02769]

I am living in a 2500 sq ft house that I built. Subbed out dozing a driveway 600' through the woods cuz I didn't have an excavator, septic (code), foundation(made sense), plumbing (code requirement) and drywall(because I wanted blue board with smooth plaster over all....and that is NOt do it yourself). Did everything else including living in it without a cert of occupancy for a year. In retrospect, a BIG job...and wife was not happy with a year of plywood floors , bare studs, kitchen appliances on plywood over sawhorses, and sh*t everywhere for a year while I worked in spare time whilst holding a full time job. Done, it looks and lives great....but without VERY understanding and long suffering wife....bad idea. Ron

 

[SeniorSitizen]

I am living in a 2500 sq ft house that I built. Subbed out dozing a driveway 600' through the woods cuz I didn't have an excavator, septic (code), foundation(made sense), plumbing (code requirement) and drywall(because I wanted blue board with smooth plaster over all....and that is NOt do it yourself). Did everything else including living in it without a cert of occupancy for a year. In retrospect, a BIG job...and wife was not happy with a year of plywood floors , bare studs, kitchen appliances on plywood over sawhorses, and sh*t everywhere for a year while I worked in spare time whilst holding a full time job. Done, it looks and lives great....but without VERY understanding and long suffering wife....bad idea. Ron

OH MY GAWD did you ever miss the chance to entertain us.

You surely have some pics of her appliances on ply on saw horses. We wanna see.

 

[TheEplumber]

You will not be allowed to live in it until it is finished enough to get a CO (Certificate of occupancy). That is pretty much totally finished.

You can have all the money you want, but without finished heat, plumbing, electric, life safety, and what ever your local code requires- you won't be moving in early

 

[kwikfishron]

I am most definitely not a GC. I am an accountant

So what are you going to do, work nights and weekends to build this thing?

If you're an accountant then work those extra hours doing what you know best to make the extra bucks to fund the project instead of somehow thinking that your productive time is better spent trying to learn the skills that it would take to build a new home.

Spending your time to become a CPA would get you more bang for the buck imo.

 

[craig11152]

I don't think anybody in here has the right to suggest what he should or shouldn't do with the 24 hours in a day we all get. Its his business how he spends his time. That is between him and anybody directly tied to his personal life. The rest of us should just stay away from that part.

People who are not general contractors by profession have built their own houses, I'm sure with varying degrees of success.
If he pays to have it framed, wrapped (and sided?) and roofed then he has a structure safe from the elements. Seems to me at that point he can plug away and if need be bail to professionals as needed.