Anyone here build their own home, as opposed to buying a pre-built one?

[fuzzybabybunny]

My parents just bought a 2.4 acre plot of land and they're going to be hiring a builder to build a house. They are completely clueless. It looks like they're just settling for a cookie cutter model home. Any pointers?

They bought the land before even talking to a builder about what kind of house can be built on it.... *smacks forehead*

 

[Alienwho]

Here's a free bump just because I spent about a half hour looking at all the amazing pictures in your sig.

 

[skyking]

Originally posted by: fuzzybabybunny
My parents just bought a 2.4 acre plot of land and they're going to be hiring a builder to build a house. They are completely clueless. It looks like they're just settling for a cookie cutter model home. Any pointers?

They bought the land before even talking to a builder about what kind of house can be built on it.... *smacks forehead*

Tell them to take some time. There is no rush, if they are truly inexperienced with this process. If they must get out of where they are, it would be worth every penny to rent for 6 months and consider the possibilities and options, rather than rush in and make a hundred thousand dollar misstep.

Send me a PM with some details if you want more specific advice. I did develop my own properties.

 

[SampSon]

I know a bunch about it, but rules and regulations vary from area to area.

On your typical 2.4 acre plot you should be able to build just about any typical single family residential structure. Unless the lot is some ridiculous, unbuildable size like 20' x 5000'.

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

Thanks for the input guys

I don't even have specific questions to ask because I don't know what to ask

They've been looking at houses for the past 5 YEARS. And now they buy a plot of land without even a builder to inspect it and give them options of what kind of house can be built on it. Kinda like buying a used car and having a mechanic inspect it afterwards, rather than inspection first, then buy...

I know that they'd like a walk-out basement since moving stuff in and out of the basement would mean not having to go up stairs in their advancing age. But or course they have no idea if a walk-out is even possible with the land because they never asked. They said they were conscientious of having a builder follow them to the lot without actually knowing if they'd want the builder's services in the first place. They didn't want to lead him on.

Originally posted by: Alienwho
Here's a free bump just because I spent about a half hour looking at all the amazing pictures in your sig.

:heart: Alienwho!!!

 

[skyking]

Get a scan of the plot map and obliterate the identifying data. If the topographical data is not in there, go take some pictures to suppliment it. You Do take pictures, right?

Daylight basements do require a bit of slope or gradient on the property, otherwise you have this massive phony excavation at the back to create the grade change. It also happens to channel all the water off the lot into this "daylight" basement.

 

[DrPizza]

I doubt the land will be a problem which will prevent them from building one type of house vs. another. However, as stated above, if they want a walk-out basement, they'll need land that has a natural slope to it. On the other hand, there was a problem caused by the land for many homeowners in Amherst, NY. Due to the geology, a lot of the homes are settling - too much. If I recall, there are construction methods that would have prevented a lot of the damage, but few contractors went to the trouble of the necessary soil tests before building.

 

[Nik]

Don't hit your thumb when you're hammering nails? That's about the only advice I can give, sorry. :beer:

 

[B00ne]

Originally posted by: SampSon
I know a bunch about it, but rules and regulations vary from area to area.

On your typical 2.4 acre plot you should be able to build just about any typical single family residential structure. Unless the lot is some ridiculous, unbuildable size like 20' x 5000'.

Well here in Germany you would build between 10 and 16 homes on that kind of building land. Here the typical (affardable) lot size is between 500 and 1000 sqm that is 0.13-0.25 acres.
The price per acre would be around 1-2 million US$

So 2.4 acres is insanely huge

 

[amol]

My neighbor did it. Tore down his 60-year-old 1700 sqft one-story house in July 2003 and moved into his brand-new 2850 sqft two-story house in December 2003, complete with new front and back yards and new detached garage.

The tip? Have your own contracting company .

 

[Lonyo]

Originally posted by: Amol
My neighbor did it. Tore down his 60-year-old 1700 sqft one-story house in July 2003 and moved into his brand-new 2850 sqft two-story house in December 2003, complete with new front and back yards and new detached garage.

The tip? Have your own contracting company .

Yeah, good luck getting a house up in that time without a contracting company

 

[jpeyton]

The first thing you want them to do is start asking around the local area for good general contractors.

This is where you win or you lose, so get as many references and see as much work of theirs as possible.

A good general contractor will assist your parents with the next steps they need to take, like bringing in a civil/design engineer, looking at plans, complying with local codes, etc.

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

Two point freaking four acres. Must cost several million if this were in the Bay Area.

My parents bought a quarter acre lot and we tore down the 3 bedroom house and built our own mansion. Ok, not a mansion, but it's ~4400 sq ft, so whatever that means to you.

Start with a design.... Design took my mom over a year. Then you start working on finding a general contractor. You want to know the area, so a good way to do this is to find out about all the real estate development in the area and what contractors are good.

I remember I was in fall of my 3rd grade when we bought the house. We didn't start construction till November when I was in 5th grade. Didn't move in till June/early July.

My parents now talk of selling this house, but once you've gone through all this work, I don't think youcould ever do it. I don't think they're too serious about it, but I know that once they get older they'll want to abandon that house. Anyways, my goal is that once I graduate and start working, I'm going to do everything financially to keep that house, and that means taking on the 600,000 mortgage we have =).

 

[Cristatus]

One thing is for sure: once the house is made, it will be hard to change stuff, so make sure you take your time with planning the house, even if it may take 5 years just to plan it.

 

[fitzov]

The lumber has to be graded and inspected.

 

[xSauronx]

my dad went with a modular a year and a half ago and loves it. 250k in a home and lot that he could sell for 600k-ish if he wanted to get out of it.

quality build, looks good. the company he worked with, as all others, had their base models. but after talking to them, he ended up working within their size limits for the modules to create *exactly* what he wanted.

he likes to be involved in this kind of thing himself, and oversaw all land clearing, foundation work, mounting of the home, and electrical and plumbing work that had to be tied up afterwards, which probably saved him alot of cash.

but he loves the home and doesnt have any regrets. i think its ~4200sq ft or so. i think the project took him about a year to complete, since hes very picky and was constantly tweaking things on the plans up until the last minute

 

[Red Dawn]

They should get in contact with a good architect and tell him what they want and need for a house and work with him to design a house. My father was in the trades for 40 years and that's what he did. They have themselves a beautiful 3500 sq ft house on 1 acre of land.

 

[iamwiz82]

One thing to be aware of is that there are a LOT of shoddy contractors out there who will do the minimums. The most important thing is to find someone you trust and who loves his/her work. Idea today is to skimp where ever the buyer cannot see. Thinner decking on the roof, 1/2" drywall, etc.

Case in point: http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview.aspx?catid=38&threadid=1906865

If you can find a builder who cares as much about the house as your parents do, everything will go just great.

 

[ValkyrieofHouston]

Your photography is beautiful! Great job!

By the way I built a home from ground up. So long as your parents take it slow, and have a good reputable builder, you all should be fine. It is really important that during the stages of construction that they pay for some type of building/structural inspector to check each phase of the work. Example: Once the foundation is poured you want someone to inspect it, make sure it is done correctly. Frame put up, have the inspector make sure everything is to code, no short cuts. Electrical, and so on...

When it comes to the final stage of the walk through prior to the closing let them take the inspector with them to go through it slowly and check everything. Don't finalize anything until everything is done right.

Good luck to you and your folks! Having a new home built is exciting.

 

[Pikachu]

Coincidentally, while your parents were buying that property, my dad was mentioning to me about how builders were buying "perfectly good houses" bulldozing them, and replacing them with "big buck" homes. He was kind of shocked at the waste, but I'm not.

The very best locations already have houses sitting on them. Frequently, those houses have been there for decades, and have none of the features people want today. I've always been amazed that people will pay half a million dollars or more for a small home in CA, or NY, then set about tinkering with remodeling and crap. Hell, at that price the cost of demolishing the existing structure and rebuilding, seems like pocket change compared to the cost of the property itself.

I went with an existing home for this reason. It's the very best location, and I figure I can add the extra features over time. Demolishing it would NOT be cost effective in this area, which is where my dad's perspective is coming from.

Does your parent's property have city water, storm drains, sanitary sewers, gas and/or other improvements? Is it in close proximity to where they work, shop and other family members? There's nothing stopping them from selling it and starting over. A good foundation starts before ground is ever broken. That point is when the location of that foundation is chosen. Don't screw that up!

 

[iwantanewcomputer]

so are you off your acid trip from the other thread you started?

 

[49erinnc]

Originally posted by: Pikachu
Coincidentally, while your parents were buying that property, my dad was mentioning to me about how builders were buying "perfectly good houses" bulldozing them, and replacing them with "big buck" homes. He was kind of shocked at the waste, but I'm not.

Happens here all the time these days. I know of someone in the realty business who came across a really nice home on the lake a couple years ago, that he wanted to purchase for himself. I want to say he put in a bid of around $375K for a 1986 waterfront home with 1750 of square feet that listed for $395K. He didn't get the house but found out that not too long ago, the home sold recently for $735K. He rode out there to take a look and the home had been torn down to allow for new construction.

Crazy stuff...

 

[GuitarDaddy]

I've custom built a couple of homes, and lived with my parents thru 3 custom builds.
My best advice is to budget every aspect of the build and try very hard to stick to the budget.

It's always the amenities and finish (the little things) that blow your budget all to hell. The urge to upgrade is great and can be a killer. Oh, I want marble counter tops, and that light fixture I love is only $300 more, and wouldn't that jacuzzi look nice in the master bath, and that fabulous hard wood flooring is only a few thousand more, etc...., etc..., etc... And before you know it the cost of your home has double, and where do I cut back? Nooo, I can't give up the jacuzzi tub

Try and stay basic and realize that most of the upgrades can be done at a later time if you wish.

 

[RKS]

My brother is a GC/Custom Builder in the Cincinnati area and has a few homes that can be a starting point in designing an original along with your own architect or his. He is not cheap but does high-quality work. I'm not sure about his $/Square Foot but if you want contact info let me know.

The problem with 2.4 acres isn't the size but more than likely it doesn't have underground utilities and running those to the home may be expensive or cost-prohibative.

Here is an example of one market-home he has currently listed: Text

 

[vi edit]

Originally posted by: GuitarDaddy
I've custom built a couple of homes, and lived with my parents thru 3 custom builds.
My best advice is to budget every aspect of the build and try very hard to stick to the budget.

It's always the amenities and finish (the little things) that blow your budget all to hell. The urge to upgrade is great and can be a killer. Oh, I want marble counter tops, and that light fixture I love is only $300 more, and wouldn't that jacuzzi look nice in the master bath, and that fabulous hard wood flooring is only a few thousand more, etc...., etc..., etc... And before you know it the cost of your home has double, and where do I cut back? Nooo, I can't give up the jacuzzi tub

Try and stay basic and realize that most of the upgrades can be done at a later time if you wish.

Here's the honest truth when it comes to building from scratch. There are so many places that you can get nickeled and dimed that it will leave your head spinning.

9' walls in the basement instead of 8'. Bricking up the outside instead of vinyl. Going with high quality windows instead of cheaper ones. Putting in high quality HVAC equipment instead of entry level stuff. Countertops. Crown moulding. Tile instead of linoleum. Hardwood instead of carpet. 4" Oak trim instead of 3" pine trim. Plaster instead of drywall. Radiant heating. In-house vaccum systems. And the list just goes on and on and on on.

If there is *any* advice that I can give you it's this -

- If they want a walkout. Make it happen. It's one of those things that you really can't go back and easily add/change after the house is built. It might cost you $5,000 in excavating to have the ground scrapped to make it happen.

- Don't skimp on the garage space. Make it 5'-10' wider than you *think* you want it, and 5'-10' deeper than you *think* you want it. A tight garage is a MAJOR annoyance and it's a constant buyers/builders remorse item. Do it right the first time.

- Put in oversized walk in closets. Again, it's one of those things that's much easier to do in the building phase than overhaul later on. Plus there really isn't much more cost short of some blueprint changes to do it. You just lose a bit of square footage.

- Put in wider doors. If your parents are looking to retire in the home, you'll want 36" doors so that walkers and wheelchairs can fit through easier. Same thing with hallways. Make sure you make them wide so that those mobility aides can make them through.

- Do the math on alternative heating solutions (radiant, geothermal, solar). If they are going to be in the home for a LONG time, you may be better off going with a geothermal setup (depending on location).