Did you build your own house?

[emmawade]

I have some questions for you awesome people who have built your own homes. I hope that none of my questions are offensive, I am just curious about the investment etc.

1. How much did it cost you to build?
2. How big is your house building construction materials?
3. Do you have a pic you mind sharing?
4. What was the most challenging thing about it all?
5. Would you do it again?

I'm asking because DH and I have talked about building our own. We have practically NO experience, but we love to learn and there is SO much information out there to tell you how to do just about anything you want to know! We started building our kids' playhouses (two separate deluxe play houses that we designed ourselves.. both different.. one is a girly house and the other is a cowboy lodge.. but they connect via a breezeway at the back.. too cute. They are approx. 350 square feet. So far we're doing great on them and it's a real confidence booster even though it's a 'smaller' project than building a house.)

Basically, we have tastes that we quite frankly cannot afford! HOWEVER, we believe we can do the work ourselves in order to afford the floorplan and amenities that we like. We are loving the building part, the planning, and all that. We also have some friends with various talents (such as homebuilding, electrical, plumbing experience etc... ) to help guide us if we get stuck.

Just wanted to hear your home-building stories!!!!!

 

[Skiff Builder]

We built a house in NJ 2014 -2016. After Storm Sandy damage- raised ranch on pilings. Basically tore down old building and built new in place.
Wife and I did it ourselves with a tiny bit of help from others on a few Saturdays. I am skilled in most facets of construction and she a bath designer with a network of connections through the trades.
We both held full time jobs during the build.
. I worked 65-70 hrs/week at my corp job, she 50 at hers.
Than it was every weekend/ vacation day on the build , which was 130 miles from our other house. 2.5 years non stop. Every free minute of time away from the build was spent planning/ sourcing material/ admin work.
Slept on an unheated boat onsite, camp style meals, etc through 10 seasons (2.5 yrs).
Lost 57 lbs, no injuries or accidents. We were in our mid 50's.

Our cost - $120/sq ft for material and permits
We kept it at 1200 sq ft. With 1200' shop underneath. Small for retirement use. Benefits are less than 5k tax in 2021/ saltwater front- boat dock. For NJ not too bad $$.
It took a serious level of commitment and effort. Very rewarding experience. I would do it again, but not while holding a 70 hr /week job!

Advice is plan well, but don't let planning bog down the actual work-there will be a lot for you to do- not all of it exciting. You'll need to be good at logistics and purchasing too.

 

[gungatim]

LGR!

 

[ive]

I haven’t built a home, but I renovated as much as I could. Like gugatim said, it’s about organization. Trial by fire.

A big factor is your timeline. If you have a open timeline, it won’t be bad as you can really think things through while working.

Another thing to consider is standards. Are you ok with your own or your friends concrete finishing, tiling or fine carpentry skills?

 

[HPRifleman]

I can't comment on costs but bear with me as this story may be similar to yours.

When I was a teenager (in the 1980's) my parents bought a 2 1/2 acre wooded property. They hired someone to clear enough space for a house, excavate, pour a foundation, put up a framed 4000 sq. ft. shell, and roof it. After that we were on our own.

We (my parents and I) built a large deck and balcony off the master bedroom, clad the exterior with cedar siding, put in plumbing, ran the electric (all in conduit), installed a boiler and radiant heat throughout, install insulation, put up drywall (we hired someone to mud and tape), paint, install hardwood flooring, appliances, fireplaces, etc.

In other words, we actually built a house ourselves with some occasional help from family and friends. Like the OP, the idea was to have more house for less money. My parents both had full-time jobs and I was in high school. Each weekday we would meet at the house and work on it for an hour or two. Then we would put in full days on Saturdays and Sundays. Week in and week out.

And after that experience........................I swear I would NEVER, EVER do it again. The process lasted from autumn 1987 until summer 1988 but if felt like it lasted for years. There is so much work in building a house that you never see on HGTV. All the details that a contractor has seen hundreds of times but are brand new to an inexperienced builder. My dad had experience and know-how but simpy the amount of hours that has to go into a project like that is astounding. A task that you think would take a couple of hours will take up the whole day because of the little things that have to be thought of or the special tool that is needed.

I will say that the amount I learned about construction methods by building a house have helped me immensely. I was able to renovate our first house using that knowledge and nowadays can at least have an intelligent conversation with contractors. But the price I paid for that knowledge was high.

If you really want to do it I wish you the best of luck. You will certainly learn a lot about construction as well as how strong your marriage is.

 

[bbbarracuda]

I haven't, but bought my house from someone who did. They ended up getting divorced during the build. We bought it partially finished. Not saying the build caused the divorce, but...
When we bought the house, they had been living it unfinished for at least 3 years. Only one interior door hang on a bathroom. No flooring (subfloors had been painted)
Tread cautiously. Are you prepared for the build to take literally years? Cause life get in the way.

 

[SteveCh]

Built mine. Took me six years of free time. Two years to pour the foundation [wheelbarrow and shovel]. I had so little money I could not afford to hire anyone. A number of friends and co-workers were very interested in my project and offered help. Not one ever showed up in that six years, so I just kept on. Had to come up with methods of doing it myself, of course. It's about 1100 square feet and includes a greenhouse and all solar electric, completely off-grid. [No utilities up here.] Worst part of it was dealing with the building departments. No one liked an "owner-builder", the electrical department said they'd NEVER approve solar electric [this was around 1980], sewer/water department said they'd NEVER approve the compost toilet system. [I was building on solid rock.] I had to go to the state government and get approval for both the solar and compost bit. The state gave me letters basically telling the county bldg. dept to pound salt, that the state was thrilled to have people build water-saving systems. That made the county despise me even more. But I moved in and we live here full time and don't plan to leave. I do not have mortgage payments and never have, no utility bills. Of course, I have property taxes and the cost of the solar electric system I put in.

The length of time it took me cost me my significant other. But a month after moving in, I met my wife and she loves it here. Friends will think you're crazy, your dogs will love it, you will have the homestead you yourself designed and wanted, built just like you wanted. I say, go for it.

 

[reader2580]

My brother just finished being the general contractor for building a very large house for his family. The garage is 1,200 square feet. (Garage is almost as big as my entire house.)

He hired subcontractors to build the basic shell although he did a lot of work along the way. My father (and myself along with others) helped him wire the entire house. He did all of the insulation, tile work, finish carpentry, painting, and flooring installation himself. The tile work alone took him three or four months for the five bathrooms. His wife worked on the house during the day while he worked for the last five or six months. My father is retired and was over there working an average of three to four days a week for months.

It ended up taking two years start to finish. He expected to be in the house at least nine months sooner than when they actually moved in. They moved in with a few things left to finish (They had the CO). I recommended he not move in until completely finished as the desire to finish the last few things fades fast once you move in. They had promised the kids they would move in before school started this past September.

The house was over 99% complete when they moved in. It looked pretty much like a finished house. It was just little things like some of the cabinet hardware was not installed and things like that. It wasn't like they moved into an unfinished house. I know from experience that finishing those little things like cabinet hardware is hard to get motivated to do once you're moved in.

 

[yeldogt]

I haven't, but bought my house from someone who did. They ended up getting divorced during the build. We bought it partially finished. Not saying the build caused the divorce, but...
When we bought the house, they had been living it unfinished for at least 3 years. Only one interior door hang on a bathroom. No flooring (subfloors had been painted)
Tread cautiously. Are you prepared for the build to take literally years? Cause life get in the way.

Major events that cause housing disruption is a factor for many to divorce ... it's common after a house fire or weather event

 

[Copymutt]

Built one & major additions to another. Built my own garage 1300sq.ft. Heated and plumbed as a home.
Most important advice i can pass on is you will be dealing w/ subs. How many depends on your skills/desires. Most common is concrete. You must be on site for their work. Be intimately familiar w/ your plans and whats needed during execution. Any subcontract needs to be clearly agreed to in an enforceable contract.
In todays climate of shortages in labor and materials many horror stories abound. Be dead certain you are dealing w/ an experienced honest man. You will encounter work arounds. Its part of the process. Communication skills are near the top of talents required. You will learn a lot doing this and your confidence to do more will serve you well.

 

[Skiff Builder]

I'll mention that in our case, the time and pace of self building, allowed us to pay for materials as we went along. No loans or credit.

Another point that surprised my wife, was the amount of materials that were moved on sight. You will touch /lift everything- some more than others, but it is a lot. That was no new thing to me but.... mind is 20 years old, body 55. You must make the mind lead the body!

Wife and I got along great during project. She always wanted more time to research, select and procure. I had to wait all week to go down and build- when I arrived it was balls to the wall- no change orders etc. She drew over 30 floorplans for the house. We worked it all out.

Now selling a house was a lot more stressful to us.

 

[Toolfool]

I realize the OP is not asking about "general contracting" your own house, but actually BUILDING it. I was a GC and did build my last three homes. The first one was when I had only framed a few projects helping another GC out ( I would strongly suggest this route). Spent over a year framing a 3600sf structure around paying jobs to get dried in ( I don't recommend this ). Decided to take time off to finish it. But completing a project of that size , pretty much alone, and learning the do's and don't's, gave me the confidence to take on larger paying projects ( up to $1mil+ custom homes).
There are companies/people out there who will "advise" you on your build for a fee. Choose carefully, I have seen too many that were useless money suckers. I have also "mentored" couples wishing to build their own home. I worked on an hourly basis and helped them sort through bids and proposals. This may be another option in your area ( you should add your location ).

 

[yeldogt]

Because some can ... many try.

I got into rehabbing while in college when the house we were renting froze while away for Christmas. The 5 of us moved to a new rental and three of us bought the damaged house and fixed it -- that's the quick story. The three of us became a business and we continued doing SIMPLE houses -- the first was not simple --- to rent for many years after. My initial personal properties were all major rehabs. My first all new build on land was a cabin kit and I learned much doing that project.

They all take longer -- are more work and cost more than anticipated. While we still did some of the work ... more and more was done by subs.

My first personal property was done when I was in my 20's and single .... learned quickly when I tried to do another a few years later when not single that the dynamics change .. dramatically. Trying to do a major "anything" while living in a house with someone is a nightmare.

With 50 odd projects in my past at this point .... I would never try and build myself. If that was the only way .... it would have to be very simple.

Most people who say they are "building a house" "building a new house" --- are more often than not ------ buying a house in a development. I can assure you this is not "building a house". One more thing about self built. You are covering the cost of everything from day 1 ... have to live someplace while constructing.

I actually like designing and building houses ... it's not as easy as it was.

 

[yeldogt]

I realize the OP is not asking about "general contracting" your own house, but actually BUILDING it. I was a GC and did build my last three homes. The first one was when I had only framed a few projects helping another GC out ( I would strongly suggest this route). Spent over a year framing a 3600sf structure around paying jobs to get dried in ( I don't recommend this ). Decided to take time off to finish it. But completing a project of that size , pretty much alone, and learning the do's and don't's, gave me the confidence to take on larger paying projects ( up to $1mil+ custom homes).
There are companies/people out there who will "advise" you on your build for a fee. Choose carefully, I have seen too many that were useless money suckers. I have also "mentored" couples wishing to build their own home. I worked on an hourly basis and helped them sort through bids and proposals. This may be another option in your area ( you should add your location ).

Over the years I have witnessed people follow your path. It's natural when young and starting out ....most true home builders (not remodelers or contractors) started out in some trade. Most found another liked minded trade person and grew a business ... some had an unusual spouse that helped them. Most home builders use the sub model .. with various in house speciality work. Contractors/ remodelers usually do more of the actual work .. that can be good and bad. It takes a lot of people to get a house up and finished.

"mentoring" is interesting. Was lucky to fall into a relationship with GC who was forced to retire in his early 40's due to medical issues. He started out as a stone/ concrete mason. He not only showed me the ropes -- but ... the mine fields. Also -- how the best subs made the job for you.

 

[Idahopotato]

I'm currently in process right now of building my house. I should say I am mostly GC'ing it with doing some work myself. We just finished framing and starting plumbing next week. I will be doing the window install, flooring, trim, painting. Even with just being the GC it takes a TON of time and can't imagine doing all the work. Though my house is about 4,000 square feet so it it a bit bigger. Also I'm a farmer by trade so I have been fortunate to spend lots more time now and the job is flexible enough to go over there to check on subs, etc.

Good luck!

 

[gungatim]

I haven't, but bought my house from someone who did. They ended up getting divorced during the build. We bought it partially finished. Not saying the build caused the divorce, but...
When we bought the house, they had been living it unfinished for at least 3 years. Only one interior door hang on a bathroom. No flooring (subfloors had been painted)
Tread cautiously. Are you prepared for the build to take literally years? Cause life get in the way.

LGR!

 

[WisJim]

We built our first house back in the 1970s, mostly on weekends, over more than a year. We had the foundation poured, a good friend and I capped it over on Thanksgiving day 1975 so it was ready for winter. Then wife and I worked on it for the next year on weekends (it was a couple of hours away from where we lived and worked). We did it all ourselves without electricity, just hand tools. We bought local lumber that needed to be cut to length, trimming both ends, so by the end of summer, my wife had muscular arms from all the sawing. It went pretty well since we could plan all week for the upcoming weekend.
Hard to talk about cost compared to today.

 

[yeldogt]

funny, the property I bought was the same, it had a house on it but they got divorced before it was done. She got the land, He got the house in the settlement. He tore it down and had it hauled somewhere else and reassembled. similar style to what I built so that must have been a huge PITA...
I had to rip out the old foundation since it sat and was cracked...but one of the reasons I got the land so cheap.

Have bought two properties from couples getting a divorce and another from the guy post divorce. In all cases the project caused the break up. I'm an old house guy .... but, I like unusual as well. Bank, firehouse, church ,,,, have done them all. People get into projects and don't understand how much work they are -- especially the odd ones. The post divorce guy was an artist -- very talented at being an artist ... not so at building. When I got into the project I discovered most of it had to come out and be redone.

When building new one can at least get plans. With the plans one can get details about costs. The one thing people don't understand is good people can often save you a lot. When I was really into doing the rehabs and had one or two going all the time for years I knew all the people I needed to know. Knowing what I know now -- don't have the people. Even if I tried to use ...say the subs on my current project. I'm not going to get the same price as the builder.

 

[ddawg16]

I Doubled the size of my house. I took it from a 3 bed, 1 bath (1027 sq ft) to a 4 bed, 3 bath, family room...laundry room...pub (2100 sq ft)....and did almost all of it myself.

A lot of existing stuff got upgraded.....we didn't cheap on of fixture, windows, etc. For example...all the interior doors are knotty Alder. About $200 more than a typical HD hollow core...but look a whole lot better.

As of now I think I have about $120K into it. Around here, new construction is running about $240 sq ft....and that is not for high end work. My build is much better quality than typical run of the mill stuff.

All the details here.

2-Story Addition...Trials and Tribulations

www.diychatroom.com

 

[jetnow1]

Been there, done that, got the t-shirt also the divorce, though I do not blame the house on that. Cost wise there is some savings but not as much for most people as you would think. Remember that builders offer subs a continuing income stream, you are once and done so you have very little pull. You can save considerably on materials by looking on line,
buying closeouts etc that professional builders may not be able to take advantage of. The value of your labor will be determined by the quality of the work you are able to do, in many cases a professional will be much faster but not any better. Where you are makes a big difference, some areas are very easy to work with, some will make your pull your hair out. I built a house with my ex father in law that the building inspector was such a pain in the ### every sub said a 20% premium to do a job there.

 

[Ak Jim]

I'm currently in process right now of building my house. I should say I am mostly GC'ing it with doing some work myself. We just finished framing and starting plumbing next week. I will be doing the window install, flooring, trim, painting. Even with just being the GC it takes a TON of time and can't imagine doing all the work. Though my house is about 4,000 square feet so it it a bit bigger. Also I'm a farmer by trade so I have been fortunate to spend lots more time now and the job is flexible enough to go over there to check on subs, etc.

Good luck!

Really like that floor plan!

 

[MushCreek]

I designed our house, and did 95% of the work single-handed. I was in my early 60's at the time. I am NOT a contractor, although I've done many smaller projects over the years. Our house is ICF, which is more expensive, but makes for a very strong and energy-efficient house. I hired out excavation, concrete, and drywall. Our house is about 1400 square feet on one level, but we have an insulated, finished basement of the same size, so it's really more like 2800 sq ft. Our house is so tight and well-insulated that we heat it and cool it with one 12K BTU mini-split. We probably spent about $120K, with a lot of bargains found on some building materials, but also higher end finishes such as premium windows, fiber cement siding, and a tin roof.

It took me about three years, working on it 6 days a week, but there were a number of delays for various reasons, such as weather, waiting on the concrete contractor, and traveling back and forth to FL to get my old house ready to sell. Building a house single-handed is very inefficient. I could only physically handle doing 15 sheets of roof sheathing in a day. If I had had a strong helper getting the sheets up onto the roof, we could have knocked it out in a day instead of a week. Weather can be a major factor. I can't function much below freezing. One year of my build was the rainiest year on record here. It was a huge job, but an experience I wouldn't trade for anything. I never got discouraged or regretted building our house. It was truly a labor of love. My wife was onboard 100%, and she kept working, keeping up the income stream while I built the house.

I was fortunate in that I was building out in the country, with easy, cheap permits, and a friendly, not-too-fussy inspection department. Some areas have very strict rules and expensive permits. Our permit was $400, and was a single page form that they approved in 15 minutes. They don't even need to see the plans! As long as you show 'progress' every 6 months, you can take as long as you want. Getting insurance was tricky, though. We only found one company (State Farm) that was willing to insure an owner-build during the process. They only wanted to cover us for one year, but the local agent somehow talked them into covering the whole time.

Our house took a long time to build, and was more expensive than it could have been. All of the interior cabinetry is custom made, from raw materials. Building kitchen cabinets is time consuming. Making your own moldings and trim is time consuming. Extensive tile work in the kitchen and bathrooms is time consuming. The floors are vintage heart pine from an old textile mill. Installing it and finishing it (5 coats) is time consuming. BUT- we have a very unique, custom home for less than the cost of a cheap tract home. Everything far exceeds code. The feeling of satisfaction is the best part.

 

[yeldogt]

I designed our house, and did 95% of the work single-handed. I was in my early 60's at the time. I am NOT a contractor, although I've done many smaller projects over the years. Our house is ICF, which is more expensive, but makes for a very strong and energy-efficient house. I hired out excavation, concrete, and drywall. Our house is about 1400 square feet on one level, but we have an insulated, finished basement of the same size, so it's really more like 2800 sq ft. Our house is so tight and well-insulated that we heat it and cool it with one 12K BTU mini-split. We probably spent about $120K, with a lot of bargains found on some building materials, but also higher end finishes such as premium windows, fiber cement siding, and a tin roof.

It took me about three years, working on it 6 days a week, but there were a number of delays for various reasons, such as weather, waiting on the concrete contractor, and traveling back and forth to FL to get my old house ready to sell. Building a house single-handed is very inefficient. I could only physically handle doing 15 sheets of roof sheathing in a day. If I had had a strong helper getting the sheets up onto the roof, we could have knocked it out in a day instead of a week. Weather can be a major factor. I can't function much below freezing. One year of my build was the rainiest year on record here. It was a huge job, but an experience I wouldn't trade for anything. I never got discouraged or regretted building our house. It was truly a labor of love. My wife was onboard 100%, and she kept working, keeping up the income stream while I built the house.

I was fortunate in that I was building out in the country, with easy, cheap permits, and a friendly, not-too-fussy inspection department. Some areas have very strict rules and expensive permits. Our permit was $400, and was a single page form that they approved in 15 minutes. They don't even need to see the plans! As long as you show 'progress' every 6 months, you can take as long as you want. Getting insurance was tricky, though. We only found one company (State Farm) that was willing to insure an owner-build during the process. They only wanted to cover us for one year, but the local agent somehow talked them into covering the whole time.

Our house took a long time to build, and was more expensive than it could have been. All of the interior cabinetry is custom made, from raw materials. Building kitchen cabinets is time consuming. Making your own moldings and trim is time consuming. Extensive tile work in the kitchen and bathrooms is time consuming. The floors are vintage heart pine from an old textile mill. Installing it and finishing it (5 coats) is time consuming. BUT- we have a very unique, custom home for less than the cost of a cheap tract home. Everything far exceeds code. The feeling of satisfaction is the best part.

My dad had an old friend who retired early and built a house at the shore ... it was something he always wanted to do. Thinking about it now: Would it have been better for him to keep working and pay someone to build the house? It's a math problem in my mind ... Some people want to attempt it.

Working 6 days a week is a job. Obviously -- that's not possible for most. Same w/ keeping the momentum for 3 years. The insurance is a good point .... it's mush more expensive and not as comprehensive vs a typical homeowners policy.

 

[firebirdparts]

I don’t get the meaning of any of your questions except the last one. The answer to that one is yes. They’re fun, really. I mean until or unless you burn out, and while you have good help. You can take time to do all sorts of “nice stuff” to your future self like careful insulating or blocking for curtain rods and cabinets. Designing your own house is more fun than building it.

good company, if you have it, is the best part.

okay I think I understand a 2nd question, the most challenging part. To me, the most challenging part is striking a balance between the administrative and frustration burden of hiring others who will invariably do something you don’t want and the fatigue burden of doing it all yourself.

 

[nadogail]

I have liked every post in this thread. I purchased an old house in another country and learned a lot about life and myself while being my own general contractor. I found everything winds up being a compromise. The main problems were being able to make a balance between material prices, availability and budget. I had visions of building my own house since I was 12, 70 years ago. I am in a hospital bed at the moment and will continue this post after lunch.

 

[meathooker]

my back ground - I’m a mechanical engineer who works at a heating and cooling company. So I know some stuff about construction but it’s mostly commercial. I’d never framed a wall in my life.


I had a buddy GC my house with the intention of performing a fair amount of work myself. i dug the trench for power 1/4 mile, ran conduit for power, erected shop, wired house and shop, paint, ran gas lines, and on and on.

people that know me would laugh at this statement but I didn’t realize how **** I am. Example - The excavator graded for the footings and was not perfect so I came back on the weekend and fixed it. When I was buying lumber I couldn’t stand how crooked it was so I went to LSL. Used 14” tall TJI and 1 1/8” subfloor because it was better than what was spec’d. Also did mass weight vinyl, green glue bathroom, made linear drains from my shower because the stuff you buy seems super cheesy. Stuff that few people the time to do But it’s hard to half *** it when it’s your house and you’re in the weeds on it.

about half way through I got the GC a lead on a large project so i had to finish mine myself. then i got put in charge of a large project for work 2 hours away from home so went from working weekday night and all weekend on the house to weekends only. with my buddy leaving and my work schedule it took about 8-9 months longer than planned.

I only cared what I financed not what I spent. If I could bust out side work or trade for something it didn’t go on my loan I did not really track it. house only was around $85/ft

bought 13 acres in January 2017 and broke ground on the house may 2018. Moved in March 2020. Still picking away at small things but I’m 99% done on the house. Shop has a couple years left.

I’m so glad I did it but I would NOT do it again anytime soon. Between work and the house I was going 80-85 hours a week for a few years and missed on valuable time with my kids. on the other hand there is no way I could have afforded the quality of build and size of shop we ended up with paying someone for it.

 

[nadogail]

2nd Installment
Before beginning with any thing more than a pencil and paper, accept the reality that our dreams and desires are often well beyond our capacity to accomplish. Assess your strengths and weaknesses and adjust accordingly.
Houses are built with tools, materials and capital. To build a house will try the most committed person to what may be beyond their ability. We now have tools for building that were unthought of in my youth, learn about them and plan to have them at your job site. My father thought he was lucky to have decent crosscut and rip saws. When he put his hands on his worm dive skill saw; I am sure he felt very
Blessed. I watched a Grandfather and uncles build with nothing more than hand tools. They earned every cent of their money.
Work Smarter than Harder. The job will get done faster and better. Read everything you can from the excellent publications from the Department of Agriculture and various colleges and universities. I will continue later. I am getting weary .

 

[rsanter]

Please define "build your own house"
Do you mean you do all or part of the building or do you mean you act as the general contractor?

My dad was the general contractor for his house and we did a bunch of the works as well.
May dad and mom did the floor plan and overall design of the house. They paid an architect to take that base drawing and turn them into proper house plans.

He shopped around and hired out the foundation, general framing, siding, roofing, drywall, plumbing, and electrical

I did some light framing like finish framing closets and non-load bearing stuff.
We did most the finish work and hanging cabinets as well as the wood flooring.

We actually moved in before the close was completely finished and took the year after the move in to finish things like the bar and some of the custom woodworking (decorative) that did not take away from living in the house

I won't say costs as this dated back to 1979 but the cost to build the house was around half of the final value of the house.
I know my dad shopped for deals on stuff but he was also able to get some deals as he knows people

 

[toyotadriver]

I have built two houses. Technically I was the GC for both but I did finish them myself. Saved a LOT of money in the process.

1. How much did it cost you to build?
Last house and the current one I live in, we finished in 2016. Total cost of the build only but including the well and septic was around $60 per sq ft. Price doesn't include the cost of the 9 acres the land is on.

2. How big is your house?
2750 sq ft of conditioned living space with an attached 2 car garage.

3. Do you have a pic you mind sharing?
Sorry no.

4. What was the most challenging thing about it all?
Dealing with "professional" trades. Most of them **** and you have to keep an eye on them.

5. Would you do it again?
Do I want to? No. It was the second house we have built and I'll probably die here. Who knows what the future holds so I can't say never....but probably not. It was a LOT of work.


Few thoughts....
You can be your own GC but be aware, subcontractors aren't going to prioritize you since you aren't going to give them future projects. So, you are on the bottom of their priority list.

Over insulate. Cut corners somewhere but do NOT cut corners on your insulation. Yes you can't see insulation but you will "see" it on your utility bills. Utilities aren't getting cheaper and insulation pays off for the life of the home. We overinsulated and the house is very comfortable during extreme temps. The higher expense in insulation paid off within 3 years and we've been in the house for 6 years now. Our utility costs are 1/3 or less of equivalent size houses.

 

[MushCreek]

Considering it took me three years, based on what I was making at the time, I could have just saved up three years salary and had the house built. I woud have gotten 'a' house, but not the house I built. I look at what they build around here now. 2X4 walls with R-13 fiberglass insulation, cheap vinyl windows, three tab shingle roof, code minimum everything on a half acre, and they sell over night for over $300K. The houses they just built on our street have 'two car' garages that are less than 19 x 19 feet. We have less than that much money into a 100% custom home, a huge barn, and over 9 acres of land.

 

[spudley]

Built two houses and assisted on several others. I'm not in any construction trade but I worked for a year after High School with a factory carpenter who had extensive boat building experience and he was a treasure trove of info. Loved that guy.

First house just under 3000 sq ft started in June 1984 and moved in Jan 1985 (while working another 50-60 hours/week job). I subbed excavation, framing, elect., and plumbing. We insulated, sided, roofed and finished the inside. Biggest obstacle was securing financing as a owner/builder.

Second house a 1500 sq ft yr round lake cottage 200 miles away. After excavation, my boys (17, 15 and 13 at that time) and I, laid the footings, 12 course block basement, all concrete, framing and mechanicals. Only sub I hired was a hack who didn't know how to install shingles.

Three years ago I built a 1000 sq ft, two story garage at the lake, mostly on my own. (Kids are too busy these days.)

The lake project was an invaluable experience my kids often thank me for now, even though I worked them so hard they all finished college with advanced degrees. Guess they only liked the experience so much. That said, next year we're getting the band back together to build a mountain cabin in central Idaho for my youngest son.

I'd do it all over again in a heartbeat.

 

[reader2580]

Over insulate. Cut corners somewhere but do NOT cut corners on your insulation. Yes you can't see insulation but you will "see" it on your utility bills. Utilities aren't getting cheaper and insulation pays off for the life of the home. We overinsulated and the house is very comfortable during extreme temps. The higher expense in insulation paid off within 3 years and we've been in the house for 6 years now. Our utility costs are 1/3 or less of equivalent size houses.

My brother had two inches of spray foam sprayed on all of his exterior walls and then put in Rockwool insulation on top of the spray foam. I highly recommended he also have a layer of spray foam put in the attic, but he decided not to spend the money. I think he would have recouped the money within five years.

The attic insulation in my house was a mess when I bought. I had an insulation company remove all the insulation in the attic and put down a layer of spray foam and then blown-in fiberglass on top of that. My utility bills are dirt cheap even though the walls are 2x4 with old fiberglass insulation.

 

[yeldogt]

My brother had two inches of spray foam sprayed on all of his exterior walls and then put in Rockwool insulation on top of the spray foam. I highly recommended he also have a layer of spray foam put in the attic, but he decided not to spend the money. I think he would have recouped the money within five years.

The attic insulation in my house was a mess when I bought. I had an insulation company remove all the insulation in the attic and put down a layer of spray foam and then blown-in fiberglass on top of that. My utility bills are dirt cheap even though the walls are 2x4 with old fiberglass insulation.

I always foam. Fixes all kinds of problems ..... always check references prior

 

[yeldogt]

Considering it took me three years, based on what I was making at the time, I could have just saved up three years salary and had the house built. I woud have gotten 'a' house, but not the house I built. I look at what they build around here now. 2X4 walls with R-13 fiberglass insulation, cheap vinyl windows, three tab shingle roof, code minimum everything on a half acre, and they sell over night for over $300K. The houses they just built on our street have 'two car' garages that are less than 19 x 19 feet. We have less than that much money into a 100% custom home, a huge barn, and over 9 acres of land.

Quality can be bought. It's math ..... what did the value you gave the property amount to? What's our time worth?

When I was in my 20's I could run down at 7:30 and play a round of 18 with my dad and go all day .. as time went on I wanted something different. I also could not run on 4/5 hours of sleep.

Some people have no choice ... unless they do it themselves -- it's not going to happen.

 

[yeldogt]

my back ground - I’m a mechanical engineer who works at a heating and cooling company. So I know some stuff about construction but it’s mostly commercial. I’d never framed a wall in my life.


I had a buddy GC my house with the intention of performing a fair amount of work myself. i dug the trench for power 1/4 mile, ran conduit for power, erected shop, wired house and shop, paint, ran gas lines, and on and on.

people that know me would laugh at this statement but I didn’t realize how **** I am. Example - The excavator graded for the footings and was not perfect so I came back on the weekend and fixed it. When I was buying lumber I couldn’t stand how crooked it was so I went to LSL. Used 14” tall TJI and 1 1/8” subfloor because it was better than what was spec’d. Also did mass weight vinyl, green glue bathroom, made linear drains from my shower because the stuff you buy seems super cheesy. Stuff that few people the time to do But it’s hard to half *** it when it’s your house and you’re in the weeds on it.

about half way through I got the GC a lead on a large project so i had to finish mine myself. then i got put in charge of a large project for work 2 hours away from home so went from working weekday night and all weekend on the house to weekends only. with my buddy leaving and my work schedule it took about 8-9 months longer than planned.

I only cared what I financed not what I spent. If I could bust out side work or trade for something it didn’t go on my loan I did not really track it. house only was around $85/ft

bought 13 acres in January 2017 and broke ground on the house may 2018. Moved in March 2020. Still picking away at small things but I’m 99% done on the house. Shop has a couple years left.

I’m so glad I did it but I would NOT do it again anytime soon. Between work and the house I was going 80-85 hours a week for a few years and missed on valuable time with my kids. on the other hand there is no way I could have afforded the quality of build and size of shop we ended up with paying someone for it.

I call this "fixation". Every part of the house becomes important --- one tries to make the perfect decision with everything. I am guilty of this -- not as much today ... but, I have to catch myself. Somethings matter. I have a list of minimums. I'm a plywood, premium truss -- engineered studs in critical areas, spray foam and 5/8 sheetrock guy. All of my projects have designed custom trim made for them and I usually have Upstate Door in NY make my doors (the have decent prices for custom interior doors). You don't cut corners on plumbing. I'm a total nerd when it comes to HVAC .... that's just something I have to deal with. I love stoves.

 

[cannuck]

Built first house with my Dad for his retirement from army 52 years ago. He bought what was then fairly new idea of a "package" home (from Nelson), typical 3 BR bi-level with attached garage. It was the last major project I got to do with him (cancer). A few years later living in Northern community I designed an A-frame that could have been very energy efficient. Couldn't get mortgage insurance the way I designed it so had to do more conventional envelope but still glue lam structure. Couldn't find a builder who would do anything other than a stick built box, so did it ourselves in off hours (running a busy car dealership then) with help from fiends and relatives. VERY cost effective. Not a really large house but was very different and perfect for our wants and needs and suited to its very cold environment.

Since then, design/built a few commercial buildings in steel and a bunch of tension fabric shelters for ag and industrial, but want to do 2 and ONLY two more major structures: my "final" and ultimate workshop on bare land and then a home beside it. Have spent years sorting out the construction methods (all new and mostly unproven). Will do all of the design but have to get some engineering support for approvals but most of all have to develop the methods of using materials. Have most of the stuff in place at farm to do this, but thanks to the RIDICULOUS cost of materials this year, will probably have to wait yet another to get full on in construction.

Shop will be slab-on-grade with steel columns and trusses to support 6" urethane MIPs with steel bifold door and non-structural lightweight/insulating concrete walls. Home will hopefully go 100% post tensioned, insulating concrete envelope (including roof) - thus a lot of engineering input required with concrete heat sink bearing walls inside. If I am still alive/well/solvent at the end of all that might make a passive greenhouse.

Aim to keep costs close to $100/sq.ft. since I will use little from outside other than raw materials. Looking for used steel columns and considering oilfield used tubular goods for shop trusses.

 

[Capt Crash]

I was the GC for our home build and did a lot of work as well. From buying the property, to choosing the floor plan, to getting the CO it took abut 3 years. We have been moved in for 15 months.
I hired a contractor who was also a consultant. He took care of the excavation, framing, and turned it over when it was dryed in. I used his plumber, electrician, and roofers. This saved me enough money to offset his consultant fees. The contractor usually is more worried about the bottom dollar, so they werent expecting me to want better stuff even if it meant paying more. The electrican was excellant, the plumber was good but not great, and the roofers were fine, but not great.
We went with SIP outer walls, and extra insulation. The house is well sealed. I did a lot of research and even educated the contractor on some things that he had always done wrong, like venting for the attic. I found the building inspector to be a great help. The contractors didnt like him because he didnt give them any budge, but he would help me with any questions I had. Same thing with the banks inspector.
We were able to buy lots of used/ discounted stuff and store them until they were needed. This helped us to have better products and saved some money. In the end the my price was about $285 per sf including the land which is cheaper than the local tract homes and built much better. I will never build another house, but will be building a shop.
Brian

 

[FMB4]

Keep in mind that construction and construction material costs are extremely high these days. Also keep in mind that some critical construction materials are simply not available. This, and the possibility of having little or no access to qualified electricians, HVAC installers, and lessor qualified roofers, and plumbers could cause you and your husband a ton of grief.

 

[Ashgrove]

Whenever the question of owner/builder comes up my mind goes into overdrive thinking of all the good, bad and ugly.
I will spare you from most of this. Building is in my DNA, nearby are houses built by three generations of my family. It
never occurred to me to NOT build our forever house. I am including a list of resources my wife and I found invaluable.
I believe they are useful no matter what construction model you decide to pursue.

1. "A Pattern Language". Incredible resource describing what makes built spaces functional, comfortable and beautiful.

2. "The Not So Big House" series of books. Architect Sarah Susanka takes the above and transforms it into prose and
images that are valuable to the layman.

3. Chief Architect Home Designer CAD software. Having used and trialed many programs over the years I found this to
be the most user friendly. It enables you to create 3D images of your floor plan, complete with furnishings and fixtures,
and look at the spaces from any perspective. When visitors comment on how everything seems to fit together in our house
my wife and I just smile and nod, we had seen every room a thousand times before construction began.

4. Building Science Corporation. They publish construction guides for each of the climate regions. Seems like most of the good
information in other publications originated here.

5. The Taunton Press. Publisher of Fine Homebuilding. They have books covering most of the trades, written by individuals who
have actually spent their lives practicing said trade !

Enough, Happy reading.

 

[m6z]

Fantastic work MushCreek! The kitchen is amazing. You'll never find a ceiling like that in a cookie cutter subdivision.

I love the custom aspect of building your own house. From the design to the material choices to the finished product and it's something my wife is on board with for our next home.

First we've got to find the right location and thankfully we're in no hurry.