Building a new home ????

[gobbleinwoods]

My dads house has a basement. It's flooded more times than I can count. Everything down there is on pallets. No basement for me. I will have plenty of room in the crawlspace .

my basement has floor drains should there ever be a water issue it will all be gone but for a small amount to wet vac up.

 

[Wild Turkey]

Toto high rise superflush toilet in master bath.
larger laundry room.
Wire everyhting.
House wrap and super insulation.
Foam every floor/ceiling penetration.
Caulk/foam framing around every window before windows installed.
Add tons of dead/blocking wood like the other guy said. I spent a week adding blocking after the framer finished. part time of course.
instant hot water heater for kitchen sink.

 

[shakey gizzard]

Position house to utilize sun/winter wind breaks, plant summer shade tree's, plumb exterior spigots to street pressure, grey water collection system would be a plus!

 

[Duff]

Yes, basement if at all possible

Do not skimp on windows. Get the best you can afford.

Do not skimp on insulation. Insulate all walls, interior as well. Cellulose or Foam.

Put in way more outlets, in each room, than you think you'll need

As someone mentioned, 3'0" doors if possible. At least on the exterior

Build as maintenance free as possible. Brick or fiber board
ext, vinal windows.......The less paint the better. I used hardi board 14 yrs ago and the original paint still looks great.

I wish I had 2x the closet space

I wish I had more bathroom space.


DO NOT use flat paint on interior walls. At least use a satin or eggshell finish. Much easier to maintain.

I used exterior semi gloss paint for my interior trim. It takes abuse and not as much touch up

About 3/4 of the way through, you will think you are under budget. Then you start the finishes.

Save on the inside with items that can be easily be upgraded years down the road-- Laminate counter tops instead of granite/solid surface--Not cheap, but cheaper appliances than the top of the line--Faucets, sinks........etc

 

[sinclair1]

I forgot my favorite, I took tons of pictures after wiring and plumbing was in, just before insulation/Sheetrock. I love knowing where everything is located in the walls.

 

[Duff]

1 more and if at all possible, this is a have to. If it has a garage, build it at least 25'x25' with 18' garage door. 2-10' doors are even better.

 

[jiminbogart]

I am in the early stages of starting building my home.

If you are not a builder and you are going to build the home yourself you need to find a local builder you can trust to give you advice.

Unless you are in the business you will find it a challenge to get subcontractors to do the work at a fair price.

Where a builder may have a framer to frame the house for $2.75 per square foot, the same framer may quote you $5.00 per square foot. He may also frame the house for the builder in 5 days and if he is working for the homeowner it may take 3 weeks(he may work a day or two and then leave the job to go work for one of his regular builders when they call).

Using the framer as an example, not only do you need a good framer, your builder(you) will need to know framing in order to walk the framing job before a check is cut.
All window and door openings will need to be checked for size, plumb & square, roof bracing checked, walls checked for straightness/plumb/square, sheathing properly gapped, ect.

You basically have to know how to do every trade so that you can go behind each sub and make sure they did their job correctly.

You will also need to make choices on systems that have big differences in price and performance. As an example, for a floor system you can use 2x10's, I Joists or trusses. They vary greatly by price(and plan) and each has it pros and cons.

I tell folks to find a cost plus builder(10%) and they will usually save money.

A builder will get subcontractors and materials at a much better price than someone building one home.

Make sure you require all subs to have Work Comp, General Liability and vehicle insurance(we had a car hit on a job 2 weeks ago).
Make sure you have a contract with each sub and make sure you are listed as an additional insured on their certificate of insurance.
If I was building one house I would make sure that I paid for the materials separate with any turnkey subs.
Use purchase orders so you have a paper trail of what is ordered. As an example. window orders are notorious for wrong sizes, wrong grill patterns and wrong colors(vinyl windows).

I try to use the same subcontractors for every house. As an example, my roofer has done 800+ houses for me in the last 15+ years. Most times when I have to find a new sub there is a process of going through a few before I get one that I can work with.
Every sub an owner/builder uses will be a new sub.

If you have got it all worked out good deal.

If you have any specific question I can help you with shoot me a PM.

 

[The Longhunter]

I'm not a builder, but I've dealt with their problems and everyone else in my family is in some phase of building.

JiminBogart is handing out some good advice. Unless you are very knowledgeable about the entire building process, you stand a good chance of getting hosed. It doesn't matter what the suppliers tell you, you're not going to get the same prices as a bona fide contractor.

And this advice is worth it's weight in gold. Unless you understand every word in this paragraph, you are in for a big shock when Julio falls off the roof, and you get one call, and that's all.

Make sure you require all subs to have Work Comp, General Liability and vehicle insurance(we had a car hit on a job 2 weeks ago).
Make sure you have a contract with each sub and make sure you are listed as an additional insured on their certificate of insurance.
If I was building one house I would make sure that I paid for the materials separate with any turnkey subs.
Use purchase orders so you have a paper trail of what is ordered. As an example. window orders are notorious for wrong sizes, wrong grill patterns and wrong colors(vinyl windows).

You wouldn't believe how much trouble is caused by allegedly unauthorized changes or upgrades. Very expensive trouble.

Plus you have to know how to clear liens (or prevent them from being attached) or you are going to have a mess.

 

[Hooty Hoot]

If you are not a builder and you are going to build the home yourself you need to find a local builder you can trust to give you advice.

Unless you are in the business you will find it a challenge to get subcontractors to do the work at a fair price.

Where a builder may have a framer to frame the house for $2.75 per square foot, the same framer may quote you $5.00 per square foot. He may also frame the house for the builder in 5 days and if he is working for the homeowner it may take 3 weeks(he may work a day or two and then leave the job to go work for one of his regular builders when they call).

Using the framer as an example, not only do you need a good framer, your builder(you) will need to know framing in order to walk the framing job before a check is cut.
All window and door openings will need to be checked for size, plumb & square, roof bracing checked, walls checked for straightness/plumb/square, sheathing properly gapped, ect.

You basically have to know how to do every trade so that you can go behind each sub and make sure they did their job correctly.

You will also need to make choices on systems that have big differences in price and performance. As an example, for a floor system you can use 2x10's, I Joists or trusses. They vary greatly by price(and plan) and each has it pros and cons.

I tell folks to find a cost plus builder(10%) and they will usually save money.

A builder will get subcontractors and materials at a much better price than someone building one home.

Make sure you require all subs to have Work Comp, General Liability and vehicle insurance(we had a car hit on a job 2 weeks ago).
Make sure you have a contract with each sub and make sure you are listed as an additional insured on their certificate of insurance.
If I was building one house I would make sure that I paid for the materials separate with any turnkey subs.
Use purchase orders so you have a paper trail of what is ordered. As an example. window orders are notorious for wrong sizes, wrong grill patterns and wrong colors(vinyl windows).

I try to use the same subcontractors for every house. As an example, my roofer has done 800+ houses for me in the last 15+ years. Most times when I have to find a new sub there is a process of going through a few before I get one that I can work with.
Every sub an owner/builder uses will be a new sub.

If you have got it all worked out good deal.

If you have any specific question I can help you with shoot me a PM.

Yep! And have all selections made prior to construction. Remember................the longer your home is under construction, the more interest you will be paying on your construction loan. Cost plus 10% for a reputable builder is money well spent.

 

[OmenHonkey]

Thanks again for all the replies. I am a maintenance supervisor and have wired and plumbed and totally remodeled the house I own now. My fiance and her family were/are contractors. Her dad still is licensed and he will be the GC. She , I and her brothers will be the Labor.And she works at a hardware store so hopefully we can purchase most things at cost. I'm about to dig and pour the footings, block the foundation, install septic, run line from well and pay cash out of pocket for it all. Should save a chunk without the loan at this point. I will start the construction loan after all of this is completed.

 

[sinclair1]

Thanks again for all the replies. I am a maintenance supervisor and have wired and plumbed and totally remodeled the house I own now. My fiance and her family were/are contractors. Her dad still is licensed and he will be the GC. She , I and her brothers will be the Labor.And she works at a hardware store so hopefully we can purchase most things at cost. I'm about to dig and pour the footings, block the foundation, install septic, run line from well and pay cash out of pocket for it all. Should save a chunk without the loan at this point. I will start the construction loan after all of this is completed.

do a good job on termite treatment now when you do the footings before backfilling

 

[bassboy1]

Put in way more outlets, in each room, than you think you'll need

Yes.

It'll be easy to figure out where certain pieces of furniture are going, so plan additional outlets around that. For example, instead of putting on outlet on each bedroom wall, figure out where the bed is going, and put one on each side.

Heck, when my parents built years ago, they even put in a switched outlet for the Christmas tree lights.

 

[rospaw]

Mud room with washer, dryer, and water heater, with door to drive way, insulate very well so you don't hear washer and dryer.
36 inch doors everywhere, that's a selling point and a get old and need more room point for you if you retire in it. Standing seam tin roof.

Mud room i think is a must. I few rooms with a 220v in wall mount electric heaters. They are about the size of a regular register with a on/off and temp control. (made by Markel) Switch gear wired to elec panel for any generator or a back up generator setup. All attic space decked for storage.

 

[fireman32]

I 2nd the termite job, get a reputable company. It could save many dollars in the long run.

 

[Semi-Pro]

Icynene, spray foam insulation, wood stove... with a fireplace you lose 80% up the flue. spend money to make your house more energy effecient. save on hardware, fixtures etc. I have also seen some suntubes in a house that worked very well. http://www.solatube.com/

 

[georgia_home]

High counters in kitchen AND bathroom.

If anyone shovels stuff at you that 32" is standard, get another builder. The taller you are, and the older you get, the truer this is.

 

[Jeetdawg]

Built a house two years ago and here are things we like and utilize: Techshield Radiant Barrier for roof decking..keeps attic a lot cooler in summer, tall toilets and counters, dual fuel heat pumps (would consider a buck stove if had a place for it), under cabinet lighting in kitchen, close quiet drawers for all drawers, as much insulation as you can get, foam can be expensive, but blown in works well

 

[georgiadawgs44]

An in the wall fold out ironing board would be nice.

 

[OmenHonkey]

Thanks Folks!!

 

[jiminbogart]

Thanks again for all the replies. I am a maintenance supervisor and have wired and plumbed and totally remodeled the house I own now. My fiance and her family were/are contractors. Her dad still is licensed and he will be the GC. She , I and her brothers will be the Labor.And she works at a hardware store so hopefully we can purchase most things at cost. I'm about to dig and pour the footings, block the foundation, install septic, run line from well and pay cash out of pocket for it all. Should save a chunk without the loan at this point. I will start the construction loan after all of this is completed.

Good deal! Make sure and post some pics of the process.