Building a house "to specification"

[MichaelD]

In the past five years or so, I've seen quite a few new homes in a few different housing markets; some of them costing a lot of money, no matter WHICH "market" they are in, that have a lot of "Boo-Boos."

I've noticed some disturbing trends:

1. Cheapass construction, primarily the use of 1/2" sheetrock insted of 3/4" or 1" sheet rock; I can put my ARM thru these walls if I lean on the wall, accidentally while chatting with someone

2. Little eensie-weenise doors; they are like 30" across! Most sofas and appliances wont' FIT thru the doorway!

3. Shoddy QC. I.E. no "final walkthru" done b/f delivery to the owner. I.E. light switches that do nothing. Stains on the floor/walls. Handrails that aren't fully bolted to the wall. Carpet MISSING from rooms. One wall in a room left unpainted, etc.

4. Cheapass wiring of electric, phone, cable TV and data cables. If you're lucky, those cables actually connect somewhere. :roll: If you aren't so lucky, break out that tone generator and VOM; you're gonna need'em. :roll:



You get the idea.

My question(s) is/are as follows:


How much extra does it cost to get a house built to my specifications? I want:

1. 1" thick sheetrock walls; don't have to worry that if I SNEEZE, the wall will come down

2. 36" wide doors: AKA "handicap accessible doorways" I want to make sure that I can actually get furniture thru the goddamn door w/o busting the wall around the door!! Also, being that I'm a rather clumsy person, I like WIDE doorways and hallways. 😱

3. A proper QC done before the sub-sub-sub-sub contractors say "It's done." No missing paint or carpet. A check that all outlets really work and at the proper voltage/amperage. A check that the sprinklers are really piped to each other, etc.

IMO, all this should be standard, especially the QC part. Sadly, it's not the case these days.

Suggestions or thoughts?

ps
I also know that Salespeople (aka "Realtors") will tell you anything you want to hear in order for you to "sign here" EXACTLY like the scum of the earth: Car Salesman.

I don't want lip service; I want to be able to HOLD SOMEONE FINANCIALLY ACCOUNTABLE!!!! :evil:

You screw up: YOU pay to fix.

 

[jagec]

It really, really, really depends on the house. Really. How big, where, what kind of layout you want, the mood of the contractors when you sign...

Needs more info. However, since you gave us none, I'll say 42,000. I won't say what currency.

 

[WannaFly]

I don't have suggestions for you - But I'd like to know this also as i'm in the market for a house. I've strongly been considering a new house and havent considered the possibility that they are built cheaply(I havent been looking, just researching). So consider this a bump 🙂

 

[MichaelD]

Originally posted by: jagec
It really, really, really depends on the house. Really. How big, where, what kind of layout you want, the mood of the contractors when you sign...

Needs more info. However, since you gave us none, I'll say 42,000. I won't say what currency.

Say 3K square feet. 3-car attached garage. Dual zone Central AC/heat.

 

[MichaelD]

Originally posted by: WannaFly
I don't have suggestions for you - But I'd like to know this also as i'm in the market for a house. I've strongly been considering a new house and havent considered the possibility that they are built cheaply(I havent been looking, just researching). So consider this a bump 🙂

What really prompted this is my ex-GFs' mothers' house. (sounds weird...but that's my life....)

In it's market, it's a upper-middle priced house ($300K). In a GATED, PRIVATE, SECURITY PATROLLED neighborhood.

The house came with all the above "options" at no extra cost. :roll:

That's such BUULSHIT!!!!! For that kind of money, it should come w/a genie in a bottle!

 

36" wide doors are now part of building code in many areas.

The market adjusts itself, you get what you pay for in most areas.
Usually the build quality is directly related to the building company that builds the structure. Many contractors have house packages that they put together and have certain allowances for deviation from thoes plans. A totally custom job will generally cost more due to everything having to be done from the ground up and not taken from a general mold.

Building costs are through the roof right now and it's not going to get better anytime soon. A truly custom job could probably be done for just a fraction more than a "cookie cutter" home if you shop around.

The QC can be done by the buyer by getting a trusted home inspector. The plans and specs can be consulted and contrasted against what is really there. A home inspection is usually worth the ~$500 you pay for it.

 

[zephyrprime]

I think you should try an appropriate usenet group because I don't think anyone here would know.

 

[jagec]

Originally posted by: MichaelD


Say 3K square feet. 3-car attached garage. Dual zone Central AC/heat.

The thing that will affect your cost the MOST is what part of the world you live in...

Originally posted by: MichaelD
In it's market, it's a upper-middle priced house ($300K). In a GATED, PRIVATE, SECURITY PATROLLED neighborhood.

The house came with all the above "options" at no extra cost. :roll:

That's such BUULSHIT!!!!! For that kind of money, it should come w/a genie in a bottle!

see, in my area that would be an incredible, INCREDIBLE deal.

 

Originally posted by: zephyrprime
I think you should try an appropriate usenet group because I don't think anyone here would know.

:roll:

 

[MichaelD]

Originally posted by: zephyrprime
I think you should try an appropriate usenet group because I don't think anyone here would know.

I think you're 90% correct. But I won't be buying/building for a few years (about....2008 or so) I'm just doing a head-check.

My ex lives in a REALLY nice part of town....really nice. Yet her house was "thrown up in a day" so to speak. :roll:

 

[Ns1]

Originally posted by: MichaelD

Originally posted by: WannaFly
I don't have suggestions for you - But I'd like to know this also as i'm in the market for a house. I've strongly been considering a new house and havent considered the possibility that they are built cheaply(I havent been looking, just researching). So consider this a bump 🙂

What really prompted this is my ex-GFs' mothers' house. (sounds weird...but that's my life....)

In it's market, it's a upper-middle priced house ($300K). In a GATED, PRIVATE, SECURITY PATROLLED neighborhood.

The house came with all the above "options" at no extra cost. :roll:

That's such BUULSHIT!!!!! For that kind of money, it should come w/a genie in a bottle!

300k for an upper middle priced house?

mother of god, 300k here will get you a slum in the middle of the ghetto

 

Originally posted by: NeuroSynapsis

Originally posted by: MichaelD

Originally posted by: WannaFly
I don't have suggestions for you - But I'd like to know this also as i'm in the market for a house. I've strongly been considering a new house and havent considered the possibility that they are built cheaply(I havent been looking, just researching). So consider this a bump 🙂

What really prompted this is my ex-GFs' mothers' house. (sounds weird...but that's my life....)

In it's market, it's a upper-middle priced house ($300K). In a GATED, PRIVATE, SECURITY PATROLLED neighborhood.

The house came with all the above "options" at no extra cost. :roll:

That's such BUULSHIT!!!!! For that kind of money, it should come w/a genie in a bottle!

300k for an upper middle priced house?

mother of god, 300k here will get you a slum in the middle of the ghetto

California doesn't represent a realistic market.

 

[MichaelD]

Originally posted by: NeuroSynapsis

Originally posted by: MichaelD

Originally posted by: WannaFly
I don't have suggestions for you - But I'd like to know this also as i'm in the market for a house. I've strongly been considering a new house and havent considered the possibility that they are built cheaply(I havent been looking, just researching). So consider this a bump 🙂

What really prompted this is my ex-GFs' mothers' house. (sounds weird...but that's my life....)

In it's market, it's a upper-middle priced house ($300K). In a GATED, PRIVATE, SECURITY PATROLLED neighborhood.

The house came with all the above "options" at no extra cost. :roll:

That's such BUULSHIT!!!!! For that kind of money, it should come w/a genie in a bottle!

300k for an upper middle priced house?

mother of god, 300k here will get you a slum in the middle of the ghetto

Please, let's not turn this into a "Real Estate Thread." I said "In that market." 🙂 BTW, "in that market" $75K/year is considered very comfortable and $100K/year is rich. 🙂

I grew up in NYC (not where I'm at now, obviously) where people that make $100K/year ride Metro North and the Evil Subway five days a week. Thank God I'm not in NYC anymore.

 

[myusername]

You forgot the toilet. Full length oval shaped toilet. Not one of those "Gee Can I possibly crap without leaving a skidmark on the back or wiping my genitalia all over the inside of the bowl" round things.

 

[conjur]

I like how sites like coolhouseplans.com or globalhouseplans.com give some estimates on costs to build (LOW/MED/HIGH) and also different for various parts of the country.

 

The worst are modulars.

 

[MichaelD]

Originally posted by: myusername
You forgot the toilet. Full length oval shaped toilet. Not one of those "Gee Can I possibly crap without leaving a skidmark on the back or wiping my genitalia all over the inside of the bowl" round things.

*nods head*

Very important stuff, man!!! I saw the billing documents' you'd be AMAZED at what these builders charge for installing a "Bathroom Tissue Holder Within Useful Proximity of The Toilet Appliance."

IOW, screwing a goddamn toilet paper holder to the side of the vanity. $150. The fricking thing costs $2.50 at Home Depot. :roll:

 

[Shockwave]

One thing to remember is you'll probably need to buy the land. That can anything from $5,000 to $500,000 depending where it is. A house would depend on what you wanted, anywhere from around $100,000 to well over a million. Your best bet is to check what such properties are going for now in your area. Its very easy to see which houses are "custom" and which are subdivision builds.

 

[ArmchairAthlete]

I'm not old enough to worry about buying a house...

But I've lived in an old one and a relatively new one. Huge difference, the old one was built so much better. It was just solid. Hard wood floors, slate roof, brick, etc. As opposed to the new one with cheapy construction =(

 

[MichaelD]

Originally posted by: ArmchairAthlete
I'm not old enough to worry about buying a house...

But I've lived in an old one and a relatively new one. Huge difference, the old one was built so much better. It was just solid. Hard wood floors, slate roof, brick, etc. As opposed to the new one with cheapy construction =(

*ding!!* The Winner! I want the old "Bomb Shelter" construction, with the new wiring,heating, cooling and insulation. 🙂

BTW, thanks, SHOCKWAVE. I'm with you, man. It's that whole "half a million dollars" thing that gets me. 😉

 

[DrPizza]

In areas with rapid growth, a lot of contractors don't want to do the "custom" jobs as they can make far more cookie cutter houses (and profits) in the same amount of time.

Also, 1 inch thick wallboard? 3/4 is plenty thick. I'd chage you double on the labor for wallboard as a big FU for making me lift 1 inch thick wallboard (I've never even seen 1 inch for sale.. is it that common??) Plus, on your ceiling... do you want to have twice the weight being held up by the same number of screws??

 

[waggy]

go talk to a contractor. NOT a Realtor.

A buddy of mine's grandparents built a really nice house a few years ago. they bought the land then had a contractor build the house how they wanted. As you stated many go cheap. yet the price is still really high.

me and my wife were looking for a house recently (found one!) well we were thinking just buying a new build figuring that they would be nicer. Well we looked at a few but they were all the cookie cutter design. ALL the houses looked the same. just some were a mirror image. But the walls were crappy, the carpet was cheap, the kitchen was crap. it had a tiny toilet but a nice jacuzzi bath tub!

The place reminded me of a Modular home (which aren't bad per say. my parents have one) but it just seemed cheap. Not to mention they were asking $189k for it. The size of the house was only 1200 sq feet! for that price you should get a real nice house. bah.

but anyway. go talk to a contractor! you can build it how you want.

 

[waggy]

Originally posted by: ArmchairAthlete
I'm not old enough to worry about buying a house...

But I've lived in an old one and a relatively new one. Huge difference, the old one was built so much better. It was just solid. Hard wood floors, slate roof, brick, etc. As opposed to the new one with cheapy construction =(

yeah i have to agree with this.

I live in a farm house now. its about 100 years old but built solid. while looking at houses recently some of th enew builds just felt like they would fall if i sneezed.

 

[RKS]

My brother is a contractor here in the Cincy area. They build about 15 homes a year ranging from 400K and up. They use high quality material and have a service person dedicated to resolving post-closing issues. They are edging close to $200 per square foot for new construction.

Text

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: DrPizza
In areas with rapid growth, a lot of contractors don't want to do the "custom" jobs as they can make far more cookie cutter houses (and profits) in the same amount of time.

Also, 1 inch thick wallboard? 3/4 is plenty thick. I'd chage you double on the labor for wallboard as a big FU for making me lift 1 inch thick wallboard (I've never even seen 1 inch for sale.. is it that common??) Plus, on your ceiling... do you want to have twice the weight being held up by the same number of screws??

Perhaps MichaelD would like to amend that 1/2" drywall is suitable for use in the ceilings, as he obviously can't lean on them, and probably won't sneeze on them.

I do agree that 1/2" drywall is a bit weak, though - and who knows how often Micheal gets angry and punches the walls? I'm (quite truthfully) a weakling and don't even have to try my hardest to make holes in it (when mounted to standard 16" C-C spaced studs).