The Complete Guide to Building Your Own Home and Saving Thousands on Your New House
Buying a new home can be an expensive endeavor. Many people dream of building their own home but mistakenly believe that doing so is not cost effective. However, by building your own home you can save 20 to 40 percent or more. By reading The Complete Guide to Building Your Own Home and Saving Thousands on Your New House you will discover that your dream can become reality. \ From basic planning to construction methods, this new book will take you through all the steps of building your...
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Buying a new home can be an expensive endeavor. Many people dream of building their own home but mistakenly believe that doing so is not cost effective. However, by building your own home you can save 20 to 40 percent or more. By reading The Complete Guide to Building Your Own Home and Saving Thousands on Your New House you will discover that your dream can become reality. From basic planning to construction methods, this new book will take you through all the steps of building your own home. You will learn how to choose a site, draw up a construction time line, apply for construction loans and financing, obtain essential insurance information, buy inexpensive plans, find and negotiate with subcontractors, comply with building codes, select features and fixtures, choose the style of the house, decide on the size of the rooms, prepare plans, and get permits. You will learn about building materials and foundations, floors, walls, paint, windows, decks, garage doors, roofing, flashings, chimneys, plumbing, wiring, ceilings, floors, railings, and attics. In addition, you will learn how to design a home that will meet your needs, perform constructions tasks safely, and build amenities. We will inform you about common problems to watch for, including foundation, roofing, walls, stairs, sidewalks, driveways, heating and cooling, electrical capacity, and wiring. This book will detail money-saving options and environmentally friendly techniques, while at the same time allowing you to monitor the quality of the materials and the workmanship, fine-tune the design, and make sure the results are exactly what you had envisioned.
Introduction 13Chapter 1 Getting Started 171.1 Why Build Yourself? 171.2 The Benefits of Building Yourself 211.3 Misconceptions About Building Yourself 251.4 Your Role as the General Contractor 321.5 Finding and Managing Subcontractors 361.6 Going Green and Environmental Considerations 39Chapter 2 Preparing for the Process 432.1 Planning and Organizing 432.2 Budgeting Your Project 462.3 Hiring a Contractor 482.4 Dealing with Insurance Issues 52Chapter 3 Planning and Scheduling 573.1 Planning a Timeline 573.2 What Types of Schedules Are There? 603.3 Why Should You Plan Accordingly? 633.4 Act As If You Are a Business 653.5 Planning Steps 683.6 Essential Tools and Equipment 70Chapter 4 Financing Your Project 754.1 Types of Construction Loans 754.2 How to Use Debt to Your Advantage 784.3 Shop for the Right Terms 79Chapter 5 Finding a Building Lot 835.1 Location and Geography 835.2 Finding the Perfect Building Lot 865.3 What is the Difference Between a Lot and Land? 915.4 What is the Value of Your Building Site? 925.5 Should You Deal With Tearing Down Property? 955.6 Buying Your Building Site 98Chapter 6 House Plans 1056.1 Designing Your Home 1056.2 Determining Your Requirements 1086.3 Obtaining Accurate Bids 1116.4 Getting the Plans and Permissions 1146.5 Finding the Right House Plan 117Chapter 7 Heating and Cooling 1217.1 Types of Heating 1217.2 Types of Heating Systems 1247.3 Types of Cooling Systems 1277.4 Air Cleaners and Humidifiers 1327.5 Ceiling Fans 1347.6 Fireplaces 136Chapter 8 The Beginning of Your Castle (Phase One) 1438.1 Permits, Building Codes,and Inspections 1438.2 Groundwork and Excavation 1458.3 Foundations, Footers, and Slabs 1468.4 Underground Plumbing 1508.5 Backfilling, Drainage, and Landscaping 152Chapter 9 The First Nail (Phase Two) 1579.1 First Things First 1579.2 Frame Your House 1589.3 Cap it Off: Roofing 1629.4 Windows and Exterior Doors 1679.5 Decks and Porches 1719.6 Siding and Trim 173Chapter 10 It Looks Like a House! (Phase Three) 17710.1 Electrical and Plumbing 17710.2 Insulate 18110.3 Drywall and Trim 18210.4 Finish Off the Kitchen 18810.5 Finish Off the Bathroom 190Chapter 11 Working the Walls 19511.1 Flooring 19511.2 Kitchen Cabinets and Counterpoise 19811.3 Bathroom Vanities 20111.4 Finish Plumbing and Electrical 20411.5 Stairways 206Chapter 12 Lighting, Hardware, and the Accessories 21112.1 Types of Light Sources 21112.2 Home Lighting Uses 21312.3 Lighting Terms 21712.4 Hardware: Doors and Drawers 22012.5 Interior Priming and Painting 22312.6 Appliances 225Chapter 13 The Final Inspection 231Chapter 14 Landscaping, Your Drive, and Walkways 23514.1 To Pave or Not to Pave 23514.2 What to Know About Driveways 23614.3 Paving Materials 23714.4 Walkways 23914.5 Traditional or Xeriscaping 24114.6 Ponds and Pools 242Chapter 15 The Finish Line 24515.1 Preparing for Taxes 24515.2 Punch List 24715.3 Moving in and Managing Your Investment 24915.4 Setting up a Maintenance Plan 254Chapter 16 Spending Now or Later 259Case Studies 260Conclusion 263Appendix A Interview Questions 267Sample of a Subcontractor Suggested Interview Questions 267Sample of a General Contractor Interview Questions 268Appendix B Checklists 271Sample of a Financial Inspection Punch List 271Appendix C Worksheets 277Sample of a Budget Worksheet 277Sample of a Lien Waiver 278Sample of a Monthly Planning Worksheet 279Sample of a Weekly Planning Worksheet 279Bibliography 281Biography 283Index 285
