One thing you may want to think about is tools. There are many different types of tools you will need, some you may have already, others you may need to purchase or rent. Here is a list of what you may need. This is by no means comprehensive, but is is what you would need to at least get started. Just remember the skills to use many of them well, is acquired over time rather than inherent.
SAWS
circular saw, I prefer a worm drive
table saw, preferably portable
reciprocating saw, also known as a sawzall and most handy for remodel situations
hack saw for cutting metal
shovels
rakes
Hammers
framing and smaller hammer
Drills
larger drill, for more demanding jobs
Cordless
1/2 -- 3/4 auger bits
hole saw assortment
assortment of screwdrivers both standard and Phillips
tape measures, if you are like me you will need several
Levels long and short
plumb line
socket set
razor knives
in addition there are many specialty tools you would want depending upon just how much you wish to do yourself and how much you plan to hire out. There are specific tools you would need for Drywall, Electrical, Plumbing, Concrete, siding, roofing, Cabinetry and I'm sure many others.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Personal Experience
My memories of home building started when I was very young, I can vaguely remember as a very small child maybe 5 or 6 being with my father while he was building our first house.
Move ahead several years and two homes later built by Family and friends in which my parents played the part of General Contractors themselves. The whole process was not very quick. Following is the chronological order as I remember it.
Not being part of the whole planning and permitting phase I can not add that to the list, However you need to factor that in as well.
1. search several months for a suitable piece of property and purchase
2. Clear said property.
3. Grade and pour foundation
4. add utilities
5. start the building process with the floor, then outside, and load bearing walls and roof
6. non load bearing walls and windows and doors
7. plumbing, electrical
8. insulate
9. Drywall, hang, tape, texture and paint
10. install cabinetry
11. flooring and trim, toilets, sinks, lighting etc.
12. Move in
Remember as do it yourselfers any part of this that could be done without hiring pros was. this added greatly to the amount of time that it took to complete both homes, especially when you factor in the learning curve. Once completed the homes were very nice and everything was done to my parents satisfaction and at a much lower price tag than having it done by somebody else.
All this took several months and if I remember correctly, very close to a year or more. the order may not be exactly proper but it is the way I remember it and this is not counting the landscaping.
I have seen builders put up houses in very short amounts of time. if you are in a rush you may want to go that route instead of build it yourself.
My Brother is soon to start His own build which of course I will be helping I plan to keep and update here hopefully with some pics as well
Move ahead several years and two homes later built by Family and friends in which my parents played the part of General Contractors themselves. The whole process was not very quick. Following is the chronological order as I remember it.
Not being part of the whole planning and permitting phase I can not add that to the list, However you need to factor that in as well.
1. search several months for a suitable piece of property and purchase
2. Clear said property.
3. Grade and pour foundation
4. add utilities
5. start the building process with the floor, then outside, and load bearing walls and roof
6. non load bearing walls and windows and doors
7. plumbing, electrical
8. insulate
9. Drywall, hang, tape, texture and paint
10. install cabinetry
11. flooring and trim, toilets, sinks, lighting etc.
12. Move in
Remember as do it yourselfers any part of this that could be done without hiring pros was. this added greatly to the amount of time that it took to complete both homes, especially when you factor in the learning curve. Once completed the homes were very nice and everything was done to my parents satisfaction and at a much lower price tag than having it done by somebody else.
All this took several months and if I remember correctly, very close to a year or more. the order may not be exactly proper but it is the way I remember it and this is not counting the landscaping.
I have seen builders put up houses in very short amounts of time. if you are in a rush you may want to go that route instead of build it yourself.
My Brother is soon to start His own build which of course I will be helping I plan to keep and update here hopefully with some pics as well
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Choosing the Right Home Building Style For You
Software for Homebuilders
Sell more homes with Sales1440 CRM Award-winning, online & easy-to-use
www.Builder1440.comAfter you’ve made the decision to build a new home the style of your home builder must be determined. Depending on your area the names and definitions of these styles of builders may be slightly different however the main points will be pretty similar. While most home builders will fall more or less into one of the categories below be aware that there will be niche builders in all categories. For example you may find a volume builder dedicated to green building practices, or a custom home builder specializing in homes over 8,000 square feet. Overall there are four main styles of home building...
Volume or Production Builder
A volume or big builder is one that often builds hundreds or thousands of homes per year either on a regional scale or nationwide. A typical scenario is the production builder will buy a large parcel of land, develop that land (put in place roads, services, amenities and so on), divide that land into saleable lots and build homes on those lots. The size of the home sites, homes and the price points will vary depending on location and the demographics of that area.
Semi-Custom or Track Builder
A track or semi-custom builder is in some ways similar to a volume builder however on a much smaller scale. Many will have several standard floor plans they offer on lots they own or they may build their plan on a home site you already own. Typically a home owner will have far more flexibility and options when it comes to the building of the home compared to a volume builder. Most semi-custom builders will offer their floor plans on their lots and some may also build their floor plans on land you own as well.
Custom Home builder
A custom home builder is one that builds a unique home for a specific client on a particular home site. Most often a custom home builder will build a home on land that you own rather than offering you a choice of lots in a planned community like a volume builder. If you’ve already got a home site you’ll probably be looking for the services of a custom home builder. Due to the nature of the one of a kind homes that this builder produces they typically will build a small number of homes per year, often less than 10. Typically you would have your own home site and your own floor plans drawn up by an architect or home designer. Custom home builders will, on occasion, build a home on speculation as well.
Building a Home Yourself (aka Acting as your own general contractor)
Many people looking to build a home consider acting as their own general contractor. The general feeling is that it’s not all that difficult and can save you some money on the project, perhaps 10% to 20%. The impression that some get is the general contractor shows up on a job site, looks around for an hour and leaves. Just what does that general contractor do anyway? Seems the other guys do all the work! What is not understood is the hours spent scheduling and negotiating, the understanding of the structural and acetic needs of a home, knowledge of which subcontractors to use for which jobs, the permitting and inspection process, ensuring that all insurance, workers compensation and licensing is in place for all suppliers and subcontractors (an uninsured worker being injured on a job can be financially devastating to the home owner). In most areas a land owner has the right to act as their own general contractor and completing a home can be a very satisfying experience. Check with your local town or county office to see the rules and regulations in your area.
No matter which style of home builder you choose the process will follow generally the same steps. The major differences will be the degree to which you can customize your home and the amount of involvement you’ll have along the way. The home building process can be very stressful and will typically take many months from start to completion. Be sure to employ a builder with whom you are comfortable, have confidence in and can deal with for many months! Best of luck!
After over 40 years in the custom home business Bill now maintains a website on New Construction Advice and enjoys sharing his knowledge and experiences. Thanks for reading!
By William P. Kelly
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=William_P._Kelly
Sell more homes with Sales1440 CRM Award-winning, online & easy-to-use
www.Builder1440.comAfter you’ve made the decision to build a new home the style of your home builder must be determined. Depending on your area the names and definitions of these styles of builders may be slightly different however the main points will be pretty similar. While most home builders will fall more or less into one of the categories below be aware that there will be niche builders in all categories. For example you may find a volume builder dedicated to green building practices, or a custom home builder specializing in homes over 8,000 square feet. Overall there are four main styles of home building...
Volume or Production Builder
A volume or big builder is one that often builds hundreds or thousands of homes per year either on a regional scale or nationwide. A typical scenario is the production builder will buy a large parcel of land, develop that land (put in place roads, services, amenities and so on), divide that land into saleable lots and build homes on those lots. The size of the home sites, homes and the price points will vary depending on location and the demographics of that area.
Semi-Custom or Track Builder
A track or semi-custom builder is in some ways similar to a volume builder however on a much smaller scale. Many will have several standard floor plans they offer on lots they own or they may build their plan on a home site you already own. Typically a home owner will have far more flexibility and options when it comes to the building of the home compared to a volume builder. Most semi-custom builders will offer their floor plans on their lots and some may also build their floor plans on land you own as well.
Custom Home builder
A custom home builder is one that builds a unique home for a specific client on a particular home site. Most often a custom home builder will build a home on land that you own rather than offering you a choice of lots in a planned community like a volume builder. If you’ve already got a home site you’ll probably be looking for the services of a custom home builder. Due to the nature of the one of a kind homes that this builder produces they typically will build a small number of homes per year, often less than 10. Typically you would have your own home site and your own floor plans drawn up by an architect or home designer. Custom home builders will, on occasion, build a home on speculation as well.
Building a Home Yourself (aka Acting as your own general contractor)
Many people looking to build a home consider acting as their own general contractor. The general feeling is that it’s not all that difficult and can save you some money on the project, perhaps 10% to 20%. The impression that some get is the general contractor shows up on a job site, looks around for an hour and leaves. Just what does that general contractor do anyway? Seems the other guys do all the work! What is not understood is the hours spent scheduling and negotiating, the understanding of the structural and acetic needs of a home, knowledge of which subcontractors to use for which jobs, the permitting and inspection process, ensuring that all insurance, workers compensation and licensing is in place for all suppliers and subcontractors (an uninsured worker being injured on a job can be financially devastating to the home owner). In most areas a land owner has the right to act as their own general contractor and completing a home can be a very satisfying experience. Check with your local town or county office to see the rules and regulations in your area.
No matter which style of home builder you choose the process will follow generally the same steps. The major differences will be the degree to which you can customize your home and the amount of involvement you’ll have along the way. The home building process can be very stressful and will typically take many months from start to completion. Be sure to employ a builder with whom you are comfortable, have confidence in and can deal with for many months! Best of luck!
After over 40 years in the custom home business Bill now maintains a website on New Construction Advice and enjoys sharing his knowledge and experiences. Thanks for reading!
By William P. Kelly
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=William_P._Kelly
Custom Home Building Process in a Nutshell
Remodeling? Find a new home for your reusable building materials
www.seconduse.comWith so many details to think about, where do you start the custom home process? While it's easy to get overwhelmed, we like to simplify the custom home process by starting out just looking at only two things.
What are these two things? I can't tell you because that would give away our competitive advantage.
All right. You twisted my arm. Here they are:
Our process starts with two things: 1) you and 2) your lot. That's it. Pretty simple.
So I like to start things off playing Columbo. When we meet I'll ask you questions that fall into just a four categories. Here's a small sample of our routine:
A. $MONEY$ category
- How important is resale to you?
- Is return on investment your number one motivation or is it a lower priority and you just want to make sure you don't do anything someone else would think odd when you sell?
- How are you going to finance your new home?
- If you are going to use a lender, is a construction loan, new first mortgage or new second mortgage best for you? Can you use collateral of other assets to improve your options?
- How much cash do you have to put into your new home?
- How much cash do you want to put in to the new home?
- Have you spoken with a lender (we prefer you use ours I'll
explain some advantages in future post)? - What tax bracket are you in? There could be some tax benefits
related to the project that may apply to your situation.
B. Lifestyle category:
- How long do you think you want to live in your new home? This usually factors in to energy efficiency and "green" options and calculating the pay-back period.
- Are you there for 5 years and then on to the vineyards of Oregon or is this your last home and you want us to design a master suite on the first floor or an elevator to get to the 2nd floor?
- When do you want to see the home started by? This can be a big factor when jurisdictions like Arlington, D.C. and Montgomery County are constantly changing zoning and building codes. Montgomery County just passed a law that takes effect in four months decreasing height and density in many neighborhoods & sprinklers will be required in all dwellings in two years (I'll verify the exact date).
- When do you want to move in to the home?
- "by Christmas" is always a lofty goal and as long as you don't mind me asking "which one?" (I couldn't resist) we'll always hit it.
- Where will you live during the construction (we have sources for short term rentals, but ask me early since they go fast)?
- Do you plan on in-laws or relatives coming back for any period of time? What bathroom will they use? What kitchen will they use? We just finished a home in Silver Spring with three kitchens
- one for the kids with 5 kids of their own, one for the parents and one for Aunt Lee, who visits during the summers.
C. Your Future Home (and little bit about your current home) category
- What are the features and amenities that you must have, or the project just isn't worth doing? - What are the features and amenities that would be nice to have?
- What style home do you love?
- What style home do you hate?
- What bothers you about your current home?
- What do you love about your current home?
- How important are energy efficient features?
- How important are green features?
- Do you like open plans with a ton of natural light and views from front to back or would you prefer something more intimate and cozy?
- What ceiling heights do you want? How do you feel about two story spaces?
- Do you want a basement? If so do you want it finished?
D. And Last but not least - Your Lot category - this is always a biggie, so big I'm adding these extra few sentences before I get to the.
It always surprises and shocks me, like a slurp of Red Bull, when people don't call us prior to buying a lot (I bet you can tell, it especially upsets me).
There could be so many restrictions on lots, for instance: easements, setbacks, alleys, lot coverage, height, etc., etc., etc., etc., etc., which you would never know just by looking at a piece of dirt with your eyes.
We just completed two subdivisions, on two separate projects, that probably added six (unexpected) months to each project. And added thousands of dollars in engineering and permitting fees. In each case the owners were not aware of the restrictions until we performed our zoning analysis. And in each case they had owned the lots for many years.
So checking the "buildability" of your lot is one of the very first steps we take. IF YOU'RE PURCHASING A LOT, please call me before you pull that trigger!
Here are some things we look at (this is so critical I'm tossing out the regular bullets):
Zoning category
Public utility easements
Building restriction lines
Established front yard building line
Setbacks on all sides of the property
Floor area ratio
Year the lot was recorded
Is the lot a conforming or non-conforming
Specimen tree issues
Tree Save issues
Water Run-off
Wetlands
Due to the complexity of some of these issues, complete research and answers may be a few steps into our process. And to paraphrase a soon to be ex-senator, this stuff is way beyond my pay grade, so, Kevin, our excellent and unflappable architect, handles most of this.
Well that's a brief primer on how we start the custom home process. It all starts with you and your lot, as it should be.
Next time I'll give you an idea of what we do once we get your answers. But it's 12:08 a.m. and I need to take out the garbage so I can earn my keep.
Please keep the comments and critiques coming and let me know what's on your mind. And I'd appreciate if you could tell me:
What would you love to see during the home building process that would make your life easier?
What frustrates you the most about the home design and building process?
Robert Maggin has an MBA and MS in Real Estate Development. He is owner of a Architect/Building Company specializing in custom homes. Go to http://www.ParamountConstruction.net
By Rob Maggin
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rob_Maggin
www.seconduse.comWith so many details to think about, where do you start the custom home process? While it's easy to get overwhelmed, we like to simplify the custom home process by starting out just looking at only two things.
What are these two things? I can't tell you because that would give away our competitive advantage.
All right. You twisted my arm. Here they are:
Our process starts with two things: 1) you and 2) your lot. That's it. Pretty simple.
So I like to start things off playing Columbo. When we meet I'll ask you questions that fall into just a four categories. Here's a small sample of our routine:
A. $MONEY$ category
- How important is resale to you?
- Is return on investment your number one motivation or is it a lower priority and you just want to make sure you don't do anything someone else would think odd when you sell?
- How are you going to finance your new home?
- If you are going to use a lender, is a construction loan, new first mortgage or new second mortgage best for you? Can you use collateral of other assets to improve your options?
- How much cash do you have to put into your new home?
- How much cash do you want to put in to the new home?
- Have you spoken with a lender (we prefer you use ours I'll
explain some advantages in future post)? - What tax bracket are you in? There could be some tax benefits
related to the project that may apply to your situation.
B. Lifestyle category:
- How long do you think you want to live in your new home? This usually factors in to energy efficiency and "green" options and calculating the pay-back period.
- Are you there for 5 years and then on to the vineyards of Oregon or is this your last home and you want us to design a master suite on the first floor or an elevator to get to the 2nd floor?
- When do you want to see the home started by? This can be a big factor when jurisdictions like Arlington, D.C. and Montgomery County are constantly changing zoning and building codes. Montgomery County just passed a law that takes effect in four months decreasing height and density in many neighborhoods & sprinklers will be required in all dwellings in two years (I'll verify the exact date).
- When do you want to move in to the home?
- "by Christmas" is always a lofty goal and as long as you don't mind me asking "which one?" (I couldn't resist) we'll always hit it.
- Where will you live during the construction (we have sources for short term rentals, but ask me early since they go fast)?
- Do you plan on in-laws or relatives coming back for any period of time? What bathroom will they use? What kitchen will they use? We just finished a home in Silver Spring with three kitchens
- one for the kids with 5 kids of their own, one for the parents and one for Aunt Lee, who visits during the summers.
C. Your Future Home (and little bit about your current home) category
- What are the features and amenities that you must have, or the project just isn't worth doing? - What are the features and amenities that would be nice to have?
- What style home do you love?
- What style home do you hate?
- What bothers you about your current home?
- What do you love about your current home?
- How important are energy efficient features?
- How important are green features?
- Do you like open plans with a ton of natural light and views from front to back or would you prefer something more intimate and cozy?
- What ceiling heights do you want? How do you feel about two story spaces?
- Do you want a basement? If so do you want it finished?
D. And Last but not least - Your Lot category - this is always a biggie, so big I'm adding these extra few sentences before I get to the.
It always surprises and shocks me, like a slurp of Red Bull, when people don't call us prior to buying a lot (I bet you can tell, it especially upsets me).
There could be so many restrictions on lots, for instance: easements, setbacks, alleys, lot coverage, height, etc., etc., etc., etc., etc., which you would never know just by looking at a piece of dirt with your eyes.
We just completed two subdivisions, on two separate projects, that probably added six (unexpected) months to each project. And added thousands of dollars in engineering and permitting fees. In each case the owners were not aware of the restrictions until we performed our zoning analysis. And in each case they had owned the lots for many years.
So checking the "buildability" of your lot is one of the very first steps we take. IF YOU'RE PURCHASING A LOT, please call me before you pull that trigger!
Here are some things we look at (this is so critical I'm tossing out the regular bullets):
Zoning category
Public utility easements
Building restriction lines
Established front yard building line
Setbacks on all sides of the property
Floor area ratio
Year the lot was recorded
Is the lot a conforming or non-conforming
Specimen tree issues
Tree Save issues
Water Run-off
Wetlands
Due to the complexity of some of these issues, complete research and answers may be a few steps into our process. And to paraphrase a soon to be ex-senator, this stuff is way beyond my pay grade, so, Kevin, our excellent and unflappable architect, handles most of this.
Well that's a brief primer on how we start the custom home process. It all starts with you and your lot, as it should be.
Next time I'll give you an idea of what we do once we get your answers. But it's 12:08 a.m. and I need to take out the garbage so I can earn my keep.
Please keep the comments and critiques coming and let me know what's on your mind. And I'd appreciate if you could tell me:
What would you love to see during the home building process that would make your life easier?
What frustrates you the most about the home design and building process?
Robert Maggin has an MBA and MS in Real Estate Development. He is owner of a Architect/Building Company specializing in custom homes. Go to http://www.ParamountConstruction.net
By Rob Maggin
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rob_Maggin
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