So we're thinking about building another house.

Disclaimer: NO, NOT BUILDING IT WITH MY OWN HANDS, AND I DON'T CARE HOW MUCH A CUBIC FURLONG OF AFRICAN PURPLE HEART COST IN 19 NITETYSOMETHING.

We have found a couple incredible deals on some huge acreage, and are considering building a new house. We have a really good idea of what we want, but we need to get a price firmed up on what the house will cost, and therefore need to figure out who we're going to get to build it, in the interest of figuring out how much land we can afford.

Any suggestions on finding a good builder? If I show said builder basically what we want, should he be able to find plans from there, or will I need to find my own? I know the plans exist somewhere, because what we're looking for I've seen a million times in Florida; ranch-style, main bedroom is on one side of house, 2 bedrooms/bath are on the other side, with living room, kitchen, family room, and dining room in between and a covered porch the length of the house on the back.

Cool. So, are you going to build this yourself?

Be aware the inspector may make it hard on you but...

I have had a hell of a time getting contractors to do anything. I call/email/carrier pigeon them and they don't return contact and don't show to meetings. I just want to give them money what gives.

Good luck with the contractors

We used Tilson Homes here in Texas. I HIGHLY recommend them. I don't know if you're in Texas or not. If not, look for a builder who doesn't require a construction loan. It's by far the easiest thing to do. They build a home, custom for you, and then you purchase it from them. Just like a regular mortgage on an existing home. I had one General Contractor that I'd call or text every Monday morning and he had the whole week planned out and we'd go over it. Absolutely fantastic experience.

Where are you located?

Try www.eplans.com and there's a TON of floor plans for you. You can search there and make the search as detailed as you want.

Here is a floor plan you might like, just missing the back porch.

http://medallionhome.com/images/new-home-models/Aruba/Brochure%20inside%20Aruba.pdf

We LOOOOOOVED this one...

http://www.eplans.com/house-plans/epl/hwepl69293.html?from=search

And this one...

http://www.eplans.com/house-plans/epl/designers/designer-9909/hwepl73227.html

nocones wrote: Be aware the inspector may make it hard on you but... I have had a hell of a time getting contractors to do anything. I call/email/carrier pigeon them and they don't return contact and don't show to meetings. I just want to give them money what gives. Good luck with the contractors

You have noticed that too? Yet new home/refurbs are at an all time low

Congrats. I think you will find self-building your own home to both difficult and rewarding. Best of luck to for getting in there and building it with your own hands.

nocones wrote: Be aware the inspector may make it hard on you but... I have had a hell of a time getting contractors to do anything. I call/email/carrier pigeon them and they don't return contact and don't show to meetings. I just want to give them money what gives. Good luck with the contractors

QFT

mad_machine wrote:

nocones wrote: Be aware the inspector may make it hard on you but... I have had a hell of a time getting contractors to do anything. I call/email/carrier pigeon them and they don't return contact and don't show to meetings. I just want to give them money what gives. Good luck with the contractors

You have noticed that too? Yet new home/refurbs are at an all time low

I suspect its because a lot of them have gone under.

nocones wrote: I have had a hell of a time getting contractors to do anything. I call/email/carrier pigeon them and they don't return contact and don't show to meetings. I just want to give them money what gives. Good luck with the contractors

+1. We had a hell of a time getting a contractor to seriously consider the renovation work on my g/f's house. Some of the quotes were laughable.

Contact SVreX. He KNOWS this stuff.

cwh wrote: Contact SVreX. He KNOWS this stuff.

Yes, but don't bring up religion or politics.

http://www.lthsteelstructures.com/steel-home-packages/garage-apartment
http://www.archwaypress.com/catalog/?target=product&product_id=2057
http://www.archwaypress.com/catalog/?target=product&product_id=2070

I know this isn't a valuable post... I just want you to build these

This guy built my house - Patrick O'Gorman. http://www.creekviewbuildersinc.com/aboutcrkv.html

All his carpenters were straight from Ireland and they built an outstanding structure. Ehhhh communication was a little bit of a struggle.....

ProDarwin wrote: http://www.archwaypress.com/catalog/?target=product&product_id=2057

oooh... I like this one alot. The double height bay for lift seals the deal.

estimated cost to build something like this? (I didn't see where to find that on the page)

A guy can dream.

Anybody in your area built RTM (ready to move) homes? Basement is built on your property, house is built at their yard, making life simpler for them. Mover comes along and plants the house on your foundation.

My niece and her husband went that way, and it worked well for them.

ProDarwin wrote: http://www.archwaypress.com/catalog/?target=product&product_id=2070

This one is my favorite. I copied the basic plan and modified it a bit. Imagine the house built into the side of a hill and the second floor porch being the entrance at ground level. Plus, I added a "daily driver" 2+ car garage to the left off at the living area level. From the front, the house would look like any other ranch with a 2 car garage on the end. From the back - a car lovers dream.

JohnRW1621 wrote: Congrats. I think you will find self-building your own home to both difficult and rewarding. Best of luck to for getting in there and building it with your own hands.

AH...HATE...YOU....GUYS...SOOOO......MUCH.

Yeah, I should probably email Paul (svrex) not much of a chance of us arguing about anything...unless I accidentally expose myself to his family again.

Oh, forgot to mention I'll probably do 2 car garage up top, then drive-under garage the whole size of the house on the side. My neighbor has this setup. I should've just bought his freakin house; it was $141k with the 1.25 acre lot when we built ours. Hopefully the new one will be on 75

Biggest thing is finding a good builder, and not knowing what the hell I should be expecting to pay per square foot. We are located in North Georgia. I am not a fan of the builder we used on this house. House is solid, but I had to fight him every step of the way, and he cheaped out on a lot of things (I have 4 outlets in a 1500 square foot basement.) Little stuff like that drives me crazy. I take a ton of pride in my work, and expect others to do the same. I also don't want a bunch of fresh from Messico never swung a hammer before guys working on it.

Honestly, I know enough subs that I might consider acting as the general contractor.

I suppose it's worth mentioning: No more than $100k (not including land) would be ideal for the construction cost.

David S. Wallens wrote: Cool. So, are you going to build this yourself?

Being your own general would maximize the headache, but would cut about 15% to 20% off the price of the home. There are organizations out there that help people become their own generals, but I don't have any personal experience with them. It is a complex job and not one to take on without a lot of self-education.

As far as builders go, we used to deal with a lot of builders in GA. Most are bankrupt or near to, especially around Atlanta. The biggest risk you run (besides getting someone that does a poor job) is that a builder goes under while doing your house. If I were you, I'd look for someone big and possibly publicly traded. They have generally lasted better than the medium to small size companies. Some of them have "build on your lot" programs. You pretty much have to accept their standard plans without a lot of modification, though.

Going custom is harder. Custom builders tend to be smaller and financially more unstable. Whomever you choose, check them out thoroughly. Get a bank reference, talk to RECENT customers. Look at their construction in process.

Cost is tough to pin down because it is dependent upon your area and the level of finish you are looking for. An "average" house might be $100 to $130 per square foot, depending on a lot of factors. That doesn't include cost of the lot and any improvements such as a septic system, well, tap fees, etc.

Don't start construction until you have a thorough plan. For example, you should know exactly how many outlets you are going to have and where before you start. It cost a HELL of a lot more to change things during construction than it does to plan them in up front.

We're having a new custom home built and it can be some fun, but it is also a headache. I've already got the 6 car garage designed, but the wife is on her 8th revision of the kitchen plan (sigh). Fortunately, we have a great builder that has patience and flexibility. (Sorry, doesn't build in GA).

Thanks very much. Exactly what I was looking for.

I'm paying the "labor only" Friend of a Friend contractor what amounts to $29/sq ft for an unfinished interior 1000sq ft garage (concrete and materials included). This was about $7/sq ft less than some other contractors and is on a flat lot so not a lot of concrete work.

If this is Virgin (Giggle giggle) Land you will need to factor in a large quantity for Septic, Well, Getting Utilities (Gas/Power) ran to the site, and what will be an expansive driveway. Depending on what you need this would probably be $10-40K for basic ready to build a $100-130/sq ft house.

Remember though your doing this yourself. Start collecting 2 liter bottles now because when your ready to build your own recycling plant you can easly save thousands making your own PVC pipes, Deck materials, and Linoleum floors. It's really crazy how cheap the raw materials are for those finished goods. Do it yourself and save

poopshovel wrote:

JohnRW1621 wrote: Congrats. I think you will find self-building your own home to both difficult and rewarding. Best of luck to for getting in there and building it with your own hands.

AH...HATE...YOU....GUYS...SOOOO......MUCH. Honestly, I know enough subs that I might consider acting as the general contractor.

Congrats on getting involved!

I heard you can save money by hauling all your construction materials with a Chevy truck with 450,000 miles on it.