I want to build my own house. How crazy is THAT?

In My Humble Opinion
1

I am somewhat unimpressed with the quality of new houses I see for sale. Examples:

• cheap construction - supposedly permenant fixtures working themselves loose on brand-new homes.
• inside walls look like painted cardboard and you can see the joint tape through the paint.
• formica fireplace inlay instead of marble (or at least some kind of polished stone).
• Inside doors made from what apears to be plastic that has been textured to look like painted wood.
• Trivialities, like the house doesn’t sit in exactly the right place on the lot, or the kitchen window faces west instead of east, etc.

I have been toying with the idea of building my own house with minimal help from so-called professional contractors or architechts. Just what kind of hell am I setting myself up for?

I’m inspired by a comment from Dave Barry in one of his books that says something like “my dad built the house I grew up in, and he was but a presbeterian minister who knows only the basics of carpentry”. But the follow-up worries me: “Unfortunately, the house looks as though it was built by a presbeterian minister who knows only the basics of carpentry”.

I’m resigned to the idea of having no free spare time for the next 5 years, and I’ve accepted the idea that I’ll need to pay the pros for things like:

• bringing the utilities onto the property & into the foundation, e.i. a water main into the basement & 240V service up to a breaker box.
• excavating the foundation
•

I left the third bullet blank because, aside from the two already mentioned, I can’t think of any really BIG part of home building that I wouldn’t be afraid to try tackling myself, or with the help of a few close friends.

I’ve installed fixtures like bathtubs & kitchen cabinets with great success. I can run electrical wiring like nobody’s business. I’ve installed hardwood flooring. I’ve built wood furniture & replaced rotted wooden window sills in my current 103+ year-old home, and helped a friend build a rather extensive deck behind his house over the course of three weekends. I know at least the, er, basics of carpentry.

One possible source of consternation: I don’t know building codes like the back of my hand, but I am smart enough to know not to “jury rig” something if I can’t do it the right way.

So hit me with your best shot. What hurdle do you think might be too high for me to jump over? Are there places I can go to buy pre-drawn plans to use as my blueprint (kind of like going to the craft store for a simplicity pattern)? Do you think I’ll realize any net savings from doing it myself, and only calling in the pros on an as-needed basis?

2

My brother just did that last year. He built it himself, did the plans, etc. The biggest problem for him was waiting for other people. If you need to wait for something to be delivered, and it doesn’t come, it can push your whole schedule (and all the other people you have lined up waiting to deliver, or do something) back.

I know he saved money doing it. Example: his siding would have cost $18,000 if someone else did it, he did it himself. But the company he bought the siding from (half- logs) got it from California, and the shipping schedule was very erratic. It took most of this last summer to get all the material delivered, so for most of the summer, his house was only half-sided.

If you can handle the stress, go for it!

3

Go for it!

Another idea to think of first though (as it is indeed a massive undertaking)

If you look in the yellow pages under “Custom Built Homes” you’ll almost certainly find some small, independent contractors that will build a house completely to your spec. The added bonus with this is that they will almost certainly have a great working relationship with other contractors for jobs they don’t do themselves (wiring, plumbling, gas, etc) so it should ease some of the problems that Boscibo mentioned. As well, they have experience which is tough to put a price on.

When we had the Chateau Bernse built last year, we went with a well respected small builder that has no more than 2-3 homes on the go at the same time. We went with a basic floorplan that he is used to building, but customized it (enlarged the ensuite a foot to make room for a soaker tub, finished the basement, 2 fireplaces, take out a wall here, yadda) worked out really well.

I’d recomend doing that as opposed to going with a ready made “spec” home anyday.

4

Where do you plan on building? I suspect most counties around you have rather specific building codes, planning/permit process, etc. Don’t be surprised if they aren’t thrilled at the prospect of a DIY house.

You will need plans - very detailed plans, showing all the “file under duh” stuff - 2x4’s on 16" centers, etc. just to get a permit.

Then there is the issue of local codes - some will not allow ABS waste pipes, some get nasty about roofing materials, etc.

Eventually, you will have an inspector come around - they can be quite nasty, so follow the rules (I dealt with a lawyer who got a nastygram from a hick inspector re. snap-in window “lights” not being on the plans - being a lawyer, he simply mentioned the county’s possible liability should a court find the windows acceptable. If you are not a lawyer, you don’t have that option).

I would suggest you talk to a licensed contractor, use/modify a set of plans he has used before, then see how much you want him to do - I would suggest all the concrete, and the the first floor platform, at least (including all utilities roughed-in, temp. power tap).

Some builders will construct the shell (waterproof - roof, doors, windows) and leave the interior to the owner - see if that is available.

5

Well, given your list of skills, you could probably do the job – nothing in building a house (except maybe figuring out angles for roof rafters) is really rocket science. But there’s a lot of specialized tricks and knowledge, and everything goes much slower for the amateur.

I think you’ve already nailed the biggest problem when you said 'say goodbye to free time for the next five years". For the first year or two, you can run on sheer enthusiasm and obsession, but after the third year or so, you start resenting being bound to the house all the time. And once you get something “close enough” it might never get finished – I know more than one person with a self-built or remodeled house who is permanently stuck in “almost done” mode, e.g. missing trim, insulation showing here and there.

And don’t underestimate the design time – before and during construction decisions will have to be made, and the first-time builder may not know what will or will not work.

6

And if you’d like to practice doing all those finishing touches that will be the icing on the well-designed, well built house you’re planning–things like putting up light fixtures, doorknobs, bathroom cabinets, fans, hanging blinds, finishing wood floors, you know, the little stuff that means so much–well, if you’d like to, you could come to my house and practice. I’d let ya, mmhmm, yeah, any time you want to. Or landscaping–another overlooked area of house owning and building. I’d give you free rein, you can do anything to my yard except touch the roses or the rhododendrens

7

You’re not nuts.

I am hell bent on being able to build my own home.

Because I live in the frozen north I have decided on building a house using straw bale construction to minimize the construction costs while maximizing the size and insulation value.

A home like this would work in any climate as the insulation value affects cooling costs as well.

If you do a quick search you can find some outstanding examples of homes built using this method which is actually an old technology, not a new one.

8

We’re getting ready to build our retirement house - in about 2 years. I found a set of plans on line, used them as a basis, and modified them to suit our preferences. (Just Google on House plans - you’ll find lots of sites.) We will have the excavation and foundation done by pros. In fact, anything we don’t want to do, we’ll have done - like the roofing and the drywall (I hate drywall work!!). First step will be getting to know the requirements in the county where we intend to live. We’ve done a number of remodels, so we know we have the skills to build.

It also happens that I’m an HGTV addict - I’ve learned a lot by watching their building/remodeling shows. Plus, my FIL built a couple of houses in the last 16 years, so I got to watch the process up close and personal.

My unprofessional advice - study, research, prepare. Have a well-thought-out plan. Know when to employ professionals. Have good tools. There are tons of books out there - in fact, I have one somewhere that I would recommend - if I can unearth it, I’ll pass the name to you.

Go for it! Take pictures as you go along. Good luck to you!

9

I know a bunch of people who’ve built their own houses. In rural areas it is eminently doable by yourself (with help), if you don’t mind the process lasting a few years. I’m not sure about urban–there’s a much greater emphasis on speed and conformity there.

10

Not only do I not think it’s crazy, I think it’s fantastic. You will be able to say you built your own house. How many people these days can say that? Damned few. Home renovation, fie! You’re proposing home NOVATION. :slight_smile:

11

Do you live in the city or just outside, Feynn? I’d be curious as all hell to see it once you start on it.

12

One major hang up could exist. Many localities do not allow anyone other than licensed contractors pull building permits. This may be the same for certain trades like electrical or plumbing. Two ways to get around this are become a licensed contractor or hire a site manager who will pull the permits and handle the scheduling. Site or construction managers will work for a flat fee. Generally they are a small builder who would like a guaranteed income.

Also consider, your bank may not lend you the cash if you don’t have professionals doing the work or at least overseeing it.

13

My parents, a pair of physics/chemistry hard science types who had never built anything more complicated than a prefab utility shed back in the 1960s, retired to some empty farmland they’d bought in the middle of nowhere, northwest Georgia and proceeded to build a very impressive house. Six bedrooms, a one-lane Olympic-length indoor swimming pool, dual heating (water jacket heated courtesy of outdoor SERIOUS woodburning furnace + electric floor backup) for house and pool, intrinsic vacuum cleaner (hook up hose to suction connector in several places in house, engine sits in central location and SUCKS with lotsa horsepower), screened-in ventilated barbecuing area, etc.

I’m astonished, flabbergasted, that they actually did this. I mean, my Mom was walking out over empty space balancing on beams carrying joists and stuff. They dug trenches and poured foundations and put up walls and wired the electric and everything.

14

uhhm, northEAST Georgia. Not that it matters.

15

Mrs. the_mule and I built a 2000 square foot house out of used lumber from buildings we tore down. It is so nice people think we are putting on airs, and it cost less than $15,000. It was the first house we had done from start to finish (I had a hand in a few as nail-pounder and heavy materials hauler). It took us about five years.

Of course, we live in the back end of nowhere, so we didn’t have to bother with building plans or inspectors.

16

Try doing a search for building out of cob-- basically straw and mud. It’s pretty cool…

17

I’ve seen a few home built houses (mostly in the UP of Michigan) and they’ve uniformly been gorgeous. I say go for it. Just remember to post pictures when you’re done. :slight_smile: