Building a house?

[MissB]

I’m sure some folks here have done it.

We are considering it. We are just too picky at this point to buy an existing home and want to downsize to a smaller house on a bit of property for our future retirement.

Any key tips to keep in mind?

The parcel we are looking at is about five acres. Houses are developed nearby- semi rural but more like large nice houses on largish lots. Private wells and septic. We aren’t looking to build a ginormous house- something along the lines of a one level 1500-1800 sf. Something that would fit into the neighborhood but not be huge, just nice.

[True Dough]

1. I don't know how to build a house, but I would recommend

hiring DUer LuckyCharms. Not only would you get quality work, he'll keep you in stitches!

[MissB]

21. he'd never get any work done

because I'd be laughing too hard.

[Phoenix61]

2. Get a nice 3 ring binder and section separators

Get one zippered pencil holder for each section and a box of document protectors. They make pages for business cards which could come in handy. Document protectors are for magazine pages as they tend to rip when you punch holes in them. Start clipping/printing things you come across for each room. Pencil holders are for fabric swatches, counter top samples etc. Having it all in one place will make it so much easier when you’re shopping or meeting with tradesmen.

[MissB]

20. a mobile project board!

great tip!

[Phoenix61]

22. Yep!

I renovated a 1948 house and that really helped. A trick for paint colors. Get a piece of poster board and cut into quarters to use as color samples to tape to the walls. Those little sample chips aren’t big enough for me to really see how the colors will look. Good luck it’s an exciting project!

[In_The_Wind]

3. Build one level on high ground.

Entry ramps can be lovely if done properly.

I avoid stairs when possible. Old hips and knees complain about my shopping trips.

[MissB]

19. One level on the top of the property

I currently have three levels (two stories plus a basement/garage). Only rule for new house is absolutely no stairs.

[Arkansas Granny]

4. Find a reputable builder. Check references, licenses and insurance.

I work for a General Contractor and we have been called several times to complete jobs or correct bad workmanship because of builders who were either incompetent or dishonest. Doing a little research can save a lot of time, money and disappointment.

[MissB]

18. my biggest fear for sure!

plus we'd be building outside of our current area, so I'm just not knowledgeable about the builders in that area. Definitely need some research.

[in2herbs]

5. A wrap around porch. This will allow you to sit outside in all kinds of weather and perhaps you

can even reduce the square footage of the house since you will utilize the porch as part of your living area.

I would suggest hallways and doorways that are at least 48 inches wide, 54 + is better. This will accommodate a wheelchair if required in any future event, allowing you to remain in the house. Also no tubs, only showers and make sure the shower floor is even with the rest of the floor so there's no bump to stop a wheelchair or walker.

When I was single I remodeled the inside of my house while working and raising 2 kids. Later, when married, tried to do it again but it came down to keeping the marriage or hiring a contractor. Chose the contractor route.

[MuseRider]

11. Those are great suggestions!

[MissB]

12. all very good points indeed

We currently have a wrap around porch, so outdoor covered space is very important to us.

We figured out the width requirement for sure - dh's dad is in a wheelchair and he left some serious dents in some new fir doors on one visit. Our architect has designed houses for aging in place.

But I have to say I'd kinda like a tub!

[Hotler]

6. Make sure the builder understands the the concepts of

straight, square, plumb and level. mention to them that you may spot check for quality. It's your dime.

[MissB]

17. I hope they're better than dh

I've had to have him correct a wall before. Um, hon, that's not plumb.

I would hope that a builder would have that experience.

[MLAA]

7. Have patience. It will likely take longer than you ever imagined.

Wanted a 240 sq foot addition. Even using a reputable, licensed general contractor it has taken about 7 months due to difficulty getting subcontractors to show up as they promised. I would have thought there would have been less competition for tradesmen during these difficult times.

[MissB]

16. I've done small projects over the years

Including a pretty good sized addition on our first house. I absolutely do not love having contractors in my home while I'm there, but luckily this would be different.

I think it took us 5 months once to get a floor installed. The contractor was an artisan, and very well recommended but we were warned about his tendency to not show up. He'd come, drop off the flooring and then a week later he'd come back and bring some tools. Then two weeks later he'd come back and put plastic up... it just went on and on. Loved that guy though - he was really quite good at what he did.

[abqtommy]

8. I've never built a house but I do know one important thing: don't put the well close to the

septic tank!

[MissB]

15. ha!

yeah, water is my thing, so I'm good on not drinking my own waste.

[MuseRider]

9. Have a good, solid relationship

with your builder. We knew our builder for a long time, he did little to moderate things for us over the years. He had never built a house but we knew he could do it, he was just the right guy for our job. It was, because of my husband not wanting to move out to my farm, a big and complex house designed by us for him to move out here. I had the best time, just the BEST time doing it. My husband was not interested in the day to day but I was here every day and knew all of the crews and was able to help shape things as they came together.

Now is the time for you to think what you want inside of the house to look like. I spent around 8-10 years picking out lighting and plumbing and fixtures and waiting for the price to get into real range then bought them and had it all planned and ready to go. If you do that you will find you can come in under the budget that they set for you to meet your price range. It also eliminates all the little messes that can happen. I made certain that all the teams knew that I knew what was going on and when one of them tried to change things in a rather large way to save him money but still charge us what he bid on I had to put on my big girl pants and let him know that I was having none of it. After that there were no problems, my reputation was set.

Have fun! If I had known how much fun it could be I would have gone into some kind of business helping people do this. I was lucky but well planned. Find a builder, have lunch with them if Covid allows before you start. Take them out for drinks if you can and just get to know each other. Planning and talking money is easier when you do it under a good relationship and a meal. I really do not know anyone who had as much fun as I did, and we all got stuck in a flood out there during it!

[MissB]

13. very good tips!

I don't know if I'll have quite the amount of time to gather items, but there are Things that Must be Included, and I won't budge. I love the idea of taking out the builder- fabulous tip!

[Tracer]

10. Not a house, but an addition.

I'm a designer by trade, and so after much thought, I made a foam core model of my house and the future addition. This was very helpful to show to potential contractors what I wanted.

So I'd suggest hiring an architect or designer at the very beginning. You can then get your house customized to your liking and hopefully avoid expensive mistakes. Perhaps they could even offer recommendations for contracting the work.

Get the permits ASAP. These can take longer to get than you might think and can hold up progress for days, if not weeks.

Get a perk test for the land if you are planning on a septic system. One of my unexpected expenses was having to move the leech field (the old one was too close to the addition).

Good luck!

[MissB]

14. yep, we have an architect

he's worked on both of our houses over the years, and we really like the house that he built for his parents to age in place.

[flotsam]

23. I like a bungalow style

With a wrap around porch. The second floor with just a few dormers can be just an attic or future living space. Say 40x40 with a central utility room for a heat pump and washer and dryer. Square footprint ensures even heating throughout. Now would be the best time to plan for solar (think Tesla Powerwall). Most importantly get your home sited facing south for maximum solar exposure. I would want a 5/12 roof slope (minimum) if building in snow country but steeper is better...

[panader0]

24. I built my own house and many more.

It was my job for 40 years. Well over 100 fireplaces, miles of block walls, acres of concrete.
I'm building a greenhouse now, very slowly, because I'm a bit tired.

[hunter]

25. The custom built homes of my siblings, and of my wife's parents, are wonderful...

... but seeing what they went through to get them built discourages me from ever doing it myself.

I also like to recycle stuff. I have more fun fixing up an old car or house than I do buying a new one.

Even if you have plenty of time and money building a house is a huge undertaking and there will be many unexpected problems.

In rural areas you have to get to know the neighbors first before you commit to anything.

A dream home can become a nightmare if the neighbors hate you. One of my brothers and his wife experienced that. They had a neighbor who would threaten people with guns, damage their property, etc., but the sheriff wouldn't touch her because she was deeply embedded in the county's near-feudal political machine. The only thing she ever got in trouble for was repeatedly vandalizing their mailbox. That brought the Post Office down on her which only made her hate my brother more.

[Lars39]

26. Know where you want light switches, outlets,

and know whether a door opens left or right. Be specific about types of doors. We had a gorgeous view that would have been spoiled by the door with the pane dividers.
Also, it's really handy to know where you want your bed place so that you can have an outlet on each side of the bed.
Nothing more frustrating than having a single outlet smack in the middle behind the headboard.
Spring for stuff that will make your life easier as you age...like pull-outs for kitchen cabinets, etc.

We built (and are still married!), and would do it again if my husband has time he can take off work unexpectedly, 'cause there are times you just really need to be there.