<p>After relaying my house-hunting woes to an architect friend, he suggested that I hire him and build something from scratch (assuming I can find a suitable lot). I’ve always said that I would never, ever do this because of the uncertainty, but my friend’s enthusiasm is contagious and I find myself seriously considering the idea. </p>
<p>So, what do you think? I want to hear all tales – the good, the bad and the ugly. Just how much over budget did your project turn out to be?</p>
<p>And is there actually more certainty in building from scratch than with a massive remodel, where unknown existing problems are lurking around every corner?</p>
<p>We hit within a couple thousand dollars on a half a million dollar house when we built. But we were super disciplined about staying within our budgets for various components, and when we made a few changes, we found other places to take out offsetting cost. Gotta say, once we made our last payment, every problem we ever had with the house was OUR fault (per the builder). Including the leaky basement, mold, leaking master bath shower, defective roofing material, etc. Are you sure you even want a house? Condos/town houses/apartments are a lot less work to maintain…</p>
<p>DH and I are structural engineers, and we were the GCs for our house in 1996. We hired a reputable builder. He did a good job, but even so, we learned we needed to keep a close eye on him. At one point, we realized he was not providing adequate support for some of the roof trusses. It would have been a disaster if we hadn’t spotted the error.</p>
<p>We were able to hold to the budget pretty closely. We did a lot of the finish work ourselves, including cutting and installing all the moulding.</p>
<p>We were fortunate that my husband’s day job at the time wasn’t too demanding, because he spent every evening and every weekend on site. It was exhausting. I was taking care of an infant and a 3-year-old at that point, so I wasn’t much help!</p>
<p>I would rather build from new than remodel, any day of the week!! As engineers, we look at lots of existing buildings and are happy we don’t have to deal with them! </p>
<p>You just want to make sure you get excellent subcontractors. Good workers make all the difference. When we put on a big addition in 2008, the drywaller turned out to be a dud. I still shake my head when I look at his work! We even got good references for him, so I don’t know what we could have done differently.</p>
<p>I’m glad we built our house, but I don’t want to build another one!</p>
<p>Mr. Fang and I had so much fun with having our house built. We hired a couple who are both architects, and with whom we are still friends. We loved the design process, because we are both engineers who like to think about design and usability: as we worked with the architects, we imagined how it would be to live in the house, and what we’d do. Then when construction started, we liked coming over and seeing how the house was coming along.</p>
<p>The whole process was expensive, but we love our house, which is perfect for our kind of living. It’s casual, airy, spare, full of light.</p>
<p>My husband is an electrical engineer specializing in design. We also hired a great builder in 1994. We came in within $1000 of our estimated budget. But we also got a bunch of things done gratis due to my husband’s work. </p>
<p>I will say…I will NEVER build a house from scratch again. Never. There were simply too many decisions to make. Every time I turned around, I was having to make a decision on something to put on this house…door handles, doorbell, light fixtures, carpet, hardwood, tile, sink, faucet, counters, outdoor plantings, window types, I could go on and on and on. I just got sick of it after a while! </p>
<p>In all of the decisions, I think we only made one error. I wish we had a bigger window in our hall bathroom. I stupidly listened to the builder…I wish the window was larger.</p>
<p>If you want to build a house, just be prepared for possible delays (our construction took twice as long as originally estimated…God knows why). And be prepared for all kinds of decisions, some which you would not anticipate. </p>
<p>We also looked long and hard for our building lit. We wanted a certain exposure, and a certain type of neighborhood.</p>
<p>In the end, we got what we wanted. But I would have been just as happy, or happier, renovating an older home.</p>
<p>We were also able to make the house super-insulated, and we included a second chimney flue for a future wood boiler. At the time, oil prices were very low, but we knew they would have to go up at some point. A few years after we moved in, we were able to get a wonderful boiler for only $200, from a homeowner who just the thing out of his basement! (I bet he regrets that decision now!) So we heat with wood, but the oil furnace kicks in if the fire dies down too far. We also put in an air exchange system, since the house is so tight. You can do that kind of thing when you build it yourself.</p>
<p>Be prepared for a million billion little decisions. Every day that you delay picking out something or making a decision the builder will tell you that you are holding everything up and causing schedule issues.</p>
<p>My husband and I have built and we have remodeled. Our first step on the last remodel (3 bathrooms and the kitchen) was a 13-page spec that took us three months to write. It talked about the views, the way we wanted things to work in the kitchen, the appliances–everything we could think of. Once we got the spec written, things went smoothly and within budget. Don’t start the project without knowing EXACTLY what you want.</p>
<p>Yes, research, research, research, and then expect things to come up that you and contractors didn’t anticipate, which will cost you change fees and require additional decisions. My sis and bro each built a house from scratch. Two others of them had extensive remodeling. It seems to always take MUCH longer than anticipated and sometimes cost significantly more than planned.</p>
<p>One thing we would want to be sure about is knowing how to get spare parts for windows and other things you install. My sis brought in windows from China and NO SPARE parts and some have already broken tho she has only lived in her new home for a few years.</p>
<p>My friend who did extensive remodeling did a TON of research prior to each remodel and was quite precise about what she wanted and didn’t want. It was a good thing that she was only working as a contractor part-time while the major portion of the remodeling was being done, as she was frequently consulted about decisions that had to be made and it was good for her to be able to be present with very little notice so the work wouldn’t be held up.</p>
<p>We have only bought existing homes, so have no personal experience with building or remodeling. Have heard from many that it can be MUCH cheaper to build new than remodel, as there can be a LOT of hidden damage that needs to be repaired that can cost substantially more than new construction.</p>
<p>We built a new house in 2001-2 (the whole project took about 15 months). We hired an architect who was a friend and neighbor. His design for our house was exactly what we wanted. He recommended several builders with whom he often worked and we went with one of those builders. It was a wise decision because the builder often caught mistakes that the architect made. Someone asked me if we were still friends with our architect–we are!</p>
<p>I thought one of the most difficult parts of the process was having to make so many decisions–often decisions that you never thought you’d have to make. As someone mentioned above–the builder is always pushing you to decide ASAP and telling you that if you don’t decide, the project is going to be delayed. iI I had it to do over again, I would hire someone to monitor the work on site–our architect didn’t do this, but some do. </p>
<p>I consulted with an interior designer right from the beginning of the process. She was really helpful when it came to making many of the decisions. We also used a kitchen design company that required us to use its contractors for the installation of cabinets and appliances. That worked out OK because the kitchen was one of the last areas of the house to be finished. </p>
<p>Someone told me that building a house was like childbirth–you forget the pain after a few years. I did an extensive remodel of a vacation home in 2010 and thought that the remodel was much easier. </p>
<p>We bought a house when it was just sticks and foundation, and I worked closely with the builder to pick out options and whatnots for the project. It was tiring! I dunno how I managed to handle that, kids sports, a full time job, and the sale of our old house! </p>
<p>We live in a house built in 1901.
We have friends and relatives with various age homes, from 50 yrs old, to built for them.
The newer homes have more problems, due to settling, moisture barrier issues, siding not of the quality that was available years ago, etc.
It seems like a lot of work to have a home built.</p>
<p>We built a house with a detached garage for 140,000 plus land back 15 years ago. Our building crew was a green-builder idea guy, who had no clue how to sequence or hire contractors. We had a good crew from Mexico to lay the concrete blocks, an alcoholic guy to help the carpenter, who smoked lots of weed and spent an inordinate amount of time chatting with the neighbors who came by 24/7 to watch our weird construction process. We know all the faults in the house and all the good things, too. I brought all the materials to site (doors, fixtures, windows everything) and shopped at the local habitat for humanity store to score our 8 foot stainless steel kitchen sink (never used - surplus from a newhospital for $45…). We hung the fixtures, painted, sanded, sealed, tiled all the things that we could do- all while raising two kids and working fulltime demanding jobs. Absolutely crazy, and I really don’t know how we managed, except that we really enjoyed the process and the planning. We have a very energy efficient house, due to the walls being HEBEL autoclaved aerated block and folks who visit say they love our house. (Upstairs screened in porch with ceiling fans, naturescaped lot.) I am so glad we built this house, and I would love to build another, much smaller and simpler for our older years!</p>
<p>As others have said, there are TONS of decisions to make. Our builder provided an interior designer for us to work with, and she saved us from a lot of mistakes. Our house ties together nicely from the flooring, tile, paint colors, carpeting, stain, countertops, etc. all the way through the house. It wouldn’t look nearly as nice if she had not been there to help out, well worth it.</p>
<p>We’ve built two houses. Believe me, we TRIED to find an already built house but nothing suited us. I studied every house design book I could lay my hands on and had pages and pages of wish lists etc. We knew what we were going for long before we hit paper.
Our first house was a basic 3/2 with a very hungry contractor. 90 days start to finish. I loved that house. We designed it ourselves with help from some architect friends. We hired our own carpenter rather than the builder’s carpenter at the time. He was meticulous and took longer to do his job (our contractor complained about him) but every sub following him said their jobs went really fast and were so much easier since everything was square and done right. Our contractor turned out very impressed and changed his tune. Price was figured out upfront and yes, in budget.</p>
<p>House 2 is MUCH larger. We searched for an architect by looking at every model, neighborhood, house that had the style we were looking for. Turned out one architect had built three or four of our favorites so that is who we went with.
Our contractor was actually a great carpenter (guess we have a pattern here) who was just getting started. Small crew but meticulous. We talked to several contractors for bids etc before deciding. And saw examples of their work.
We paid the contractor for building but we bought just about everything so I spent loads of time price and comparison shopping.</p>
<p>We stayed in budget with this one too. But it was research, research, research. What brand windows (we have a LOT!), what prices? Sizes? What brand is the plan designed for? I ordered tons of things on the internet for the savings (easier now than it was then)–fixtures, lighting (another huge savings), carpet, wood flooring, sinks, porch railing–you name it after visiting every showroom to get ideas of what I was looking at. It was a “what comes next?” game to keep things under a semblance of control. Today is “Tuesday–tile day! Bathroom and what color grout?”
My contractor built his own home at the same time–he bought the same wood flooring (and fixtures) and we saved on the quantity discount for both of us. We pitted HD vs Lowe’s for prices. Bought close out tile at local places (keeping track of every measurement). We paid cash to subs for discounts–very substantial savings. We called on other architect friends for bits and pieces of the plan and advice.</p>
<p>H was there at site at least every other day. Good thing too. Some things can’t be undone. You just never know how things really are going until you show up no matter how good the workers are. I’d show up during a this or that discussion and make one more or 10 decisionx that would keep the work going.</p>
<p>Little things can blow a budget- color for the window turn knobs–we had bronze picked out—liked gold color better until they added it up–for an extra 2K! Uh, no thank you. Friend just ordered kitchen cabinet knobs at 17 dollars a piece–I went the 3 dollar route and have been very happy. Order 70 or so and it adds up! The lady at the showroom was pushing for the 600 dollar faucet for my tub–no thanks to that too.</p>
<p>Would I do it again? I hope I don’t have to–I love this house. Can’t imagine leaving. </p>
<p>If you decide to build go to every model you see. See what the new designs are, the features you love, and take pictures. Learn how big the rooms are–learn the spatial feel of a 10 x 12 room vs the 11 x 14 (34 sq ft bigger 25 per cent bigger). If there is an interior you love, check out who did it. Furniture? Check out where it came from. Same with cabinets, kitchens, shower enclosures, pools. Get your list of companies by examining their work. </p>
<p>Read home design books–know what the “kitchen triangle” is. Learn the basics of a well-functioning kitchen–how much space is needed for work area on either side of stove for example. Where should the refrigerator be? Dishwasher? Can two people work in it? Kitchens do not have to be large to be great–just functional. Know what a good kitchen on paper looks like. Can you fit your dream frig in it? My first kitchen was pretty tiny–and it was wonderful–I had tons of counter space (double height), lots of cabinets and great light to boot. Or you don’t cook. Research where the TV should be and what height is comfortable for viewing–that makes a difference too.</p>
<p>If you renovate–make sure that new codes don’t kill what you had in mind. Want to tear out that old bath? Make sure the new codes don’t require 6 more inches that require the wall go with it. And now you’re in the bedroom…Arggh!</p>
<p>All this advice is built on deal breakers. Pick what you really have to have and relax about the little things. A house with good bones and plenty of time to fix it up to standards is a great buy. A house that is livable on a great piece of property is a great buy. You can always change the paint, fixtures, flooring, baseboards etc pretty easily and sometimes walls so renovations aren’t always a huge deal and don’t take that long.</p>
<p>My parents built 6 houses, and did several significant remodels. On most of these they acted as their own GC. My father was a chemical engineer with significant design/building skills himself, which undoubtedly helped. (He could, and did, design and build things like the pool house solo.) My mother was able to be on site virtually every day to keep an eye on things, which makes a huge difference, also. I think that the project that gave them the most trouble was a remodel using a contractor. At that time my father was suffering from cancer, and not able to be as vigorously in control as usual. You can never be certain that things will be done correctly and that <em>some</em> subs will not try to sneak things by you. The tiled back porch of one of our houses cracked years after it was built, and when they demolished part of it to fix it, my father discovered that the concrete did not contain the rebar that he had specified for the job (and been charged for). He was mightily annoyed.</p>
<p>I’m with Thumper1 on this one…once was enough for me! It was fun in many respects and I loved that we got to pick out exactly what we wanted…but it was alot of work and you had to be very diligant. </p>
<p>One thing happened in our favor. Our master bedroom closet was over the garage…a 10 ft x 6 ft. We decided to extend it another 10 ft. for $800 (this was 1991 pricing). Well, the blueprint showed a 2 car garage with the entire closet over the garage. We decided to have a 3rd car garage built and the builders got confused and just built it out to the end of the top of the garage…another 10 ft! They didn’t realize what they did and we ended up with a 30 Ft x 6 ft. closet!!! It was magnificent and I really miss it after we sold it. I had such fun opening that door when showing the house…the women would just go bat crazy.</p>
<p>ek, you must have a good house! Like I said, we look at a lot of houses in Maine, and we are very happy we have a relatively new one! I would personally never want to own an old house - we see so many problems with them. Our previous house was built around 1920, and had uneven floors, old wiring, drafty windows, etc.</p>