The choices and strategies for building your own home are many, and hopefully this article will help you to decide on whether it is a good choice for you because building your own home can be one of the greatest accomplishments of your life, and besides, you can save 20% to 40%, or more, doing it. Here are some tips on Home Building:
There is a logical way to approach building your own home, by collecting as much information as you can about home construction and building your own home, as humanly possible, because the best way to make a good decision is to collect all the information that we can, analyze it, and move forward.
Here are some options if you plan to build your own new home, and you need to consider all the facts prior to deciding how you intend to start on your new adventure.
#1 You act as the General Contractor
You become responsible for everything from finding the lot, getting the plans, getting the financing, getting the permits and city buyoffs during the construction process, etc., and if you intend to act as the General Contractor, you need to read up, in detail, everything you can about the process.
#2 You Hire a Building Supervisor
A good Building Supervisor will get your new home built by doing all of the hiring of sub contractors, making up material lists, and many of the other detailed jobs that normally you would have to do, however finding a good Building Supervisor, who has the right experience and the references is another subject, because you must get good references on his previous jobs, and make sure that the person you are considering is not doing supervision on another several jobs somewhere else.
In many states a certified Building Supervisor is required to be licensed, as they bring knowledge and expertise and resources to deal with contractors and suppliers everyday and have a good list of them, however this can be good and bad.
This should be explained, because you ultimately are responsible for the construction of your home legally and financially, so if you totally trust you Building Supervisor and he or she brings in a bad contractor that does inferior work or does not finish, you have to make it right because the bank looks to you, not the Supervisor as being responsible.
Invoicing or bill paying responsibilities cannot be given to the building supervisor on your job, because if there is a problem, the bank or construction finance source will hold you responsible, not the Building Supervisor.
Remember that there are many legal problems involved with building your own home, whether you oversee it or if you hire a general contractor, and when you decide to hire a Building Supervisor, both of you must set up accounts for all materials required at local lumber yards, wholesale sources of hardware, appliances, concrete, etc..
#3 Join a ‘Local Owner Builder Program’
Many modern communities and bigger cities have these programs and you can join too, because there are unsurpassed resources for Home Builders and there are other options also, however the ones listed here are the most popular today.
When building any home, these are a few of the subjects you will have to deal with, IN DETAIL, before, during and after the construction of your new home:.
Pre Construction Details
Getting your Financing and How the money is paid out during the construction
Sub contractors to be hired
Materials needed, and when to deliver
The House Plans
Buying the proper piece of land
All of the building permits, and building inspections during the construction
Surveying the land
Utilities available
Driveway and access/egress
Roofing
Windows and Doors
Wiring for the house and electric use during the construction
Plumbing
Concrete needs
Insulation
Heating and A/C
Paints
Siding
Garage Doors
Fireplaces
Septic or Sewer Systems
Kitchen Cabinets, and countertops
Bathroom Cabinets, and countertops
Showers and/or bathtubs
Alarms
Flooring types
DecksInsurance needs during, after construction
Legal advice prior, during and after construction
Temporary housing for you or perhaps members of the construction crew like the Building Supervisor.
