Having a House Built

Off Topic
1

So, long story short, for medical reasons my wife and I are considering having a house built with an attached in-law apartment/suite. Her parents will be footing a sizable portion of the bill with the understanding that the house is ours (basically my wife’s inheritance) and we will take care of all house related issues.

That said, I have no idea where to start. We know a realtor whom I am going to contact if and when we decide to do this to find the land. My minimum requirement is 3 acres. Ideally, I’d like 5+.

How do you go about finding a builder? Should I just look in the yellow pages or online? What about testing for well water and things like that? What about estimating the cost? Does anyone know of an online cost calculator or is there kind of standard guide? I realize the particulars will change the price, I’m looking for a general idea. I have a number in mind that we’d like to stay near, I know basically what her parents can put in, and what we can take a loan out for.

Any thoughts or information is welcome. Thanks in advance.

I know inevitably someone is going to say not to do it. Believe me, we’ve talked it through and it’s the best option the family has so, thanks for the advise, but at this point it’s more a matter of time than an if situation.

2

I would love to help, but I have no clue where to start, other than talking to a realtor that specializes in land. Use the realtor for the land purchase. Then find a builder that you like by asking friends, or even people in the area you are looking for land.

3

[quote]dmaddox wrote:
I would love to help, but I have no clue where to start, other than talking to a realtor that specializes in land. Use the realtor for the land purchase. Then find a builder that you like by asking friends, or even people in the area you are looking for land.[/quote]
I feel like the land will be the easy part. The builder on the other hand I feel like will be a pain in the butt.

4

I would recommend going with a reputable building company and not a single individual. At least that is my experience. The larger company will lay everything out allow you to pick and give you a fixed price via contract. So, if they go over it is on them.

All the builders I have talked to individually around me would quote a price and then however much was gone over you were left to foot the bill.

Just my 2 cents.

5

^ be aware of Toll Brothers. My sister contracted them to have her ish built and she was unhappy about them not completing the work within the appointed time period. She lives in NOVA btw so that could be relevant to your location.

other than that, the house is obviously wonderful.

6

[quote]Bauber wrote:
I would recommend going with a reputable building company and not a single individual. At least that is my experience. The larger company will lay everything out allow you to pick and give you a fixed price via contract. So, if they go over it is on them.

All the builders I have talked to individually around me would quote a price and then however much was gone over you were left to foot the bill.

Just my 2 cents. [/quote]

That’s good to know. How did/do you find a reputable builder? Internet, white page, etc…I was going to see what the realtor suggested since I actually know him.

7

[quote]Claudan wrote:
^ be aware of Toll Brothers. My sister contracted them to have her ish built and she was unhappy about them not completing the work within the appointed time period. She lives in NOVA btw so that could be relevant to your location.

other than that, the house is obviously wonderful. [/quote]

Looks like the closest home Toll has built to me in in VA so probably not an issue. Thanks though!

8

Any idea on a time frame? 6 months to a year or something else?

9

[quote]usmccds423 wrote:

[quote]Bauber wrote:
I would recommend going with a reputable building company and not a single individual. At least that is my experience. The larger company will lay everything out allow you to pick and give you a fixed price via contract. So, if they go over it is on them.

All the builders I have talked to individually around me would quote a price and then however much was gone over you were left to foot the bill.

Just my 2 cents. [/quote]

That’s good to know. How did/do you find a reputable builder? Internet, white page, etc…I was going to see what the realtor suggested since I actually know him. [/quote]

The first house I built went through a solo builder recommended by a few realtors. He was absolute shit. Took forever to complete anything, was never there, charged a % on top of everything via his fee and was a fat fuck. He was absolutely worthless and expensive.

The second house I went through Regency Builders based out of Memphis. They were absolutely fantastic and got everything done and done right. Up to a year if I find anything out of place or not working properly they will come and have it done at no cost to me. They set me a time frame of 88 days once the slab was poured to close and had it done in 73.

The builder assigned to me was always open for calls or texts and responded promptly and extremely professional. I can’t say enough good things about them.

With this he is employed by a larger company, so you have more recourse to go over his head if he tries to screw you or not act right. With a solo guy you have zero recourse but to hire a lawyer.

10

You have to be your own QA person. Make sure that the materials are right, everything plomb, square, level and properly located. Even in some high dollar custom homes you get goofy stuff like walls and foundations not being square (or even nailed into place), duct, pipe, and wiring conflicts and tons of other goofy crap.

11

[quote]Bauber wrote:

[quote]usmccds423 wrote:

[quote]Bauber wrote:
I would recommend going with a reputable building company and not a single individual. At least that is my experience. The larger company will lay everything out allow you to pick and give you a fixed price via contract. So, if they go over it is on them.

All the builders I have talked to individually around me would quote a price and then however much was gone over you were left to foot the bill.

Just my 2 cents. [/quote]

That’s good to know. How did/do you find a reputable builder? Internet, white page, etc…I was going to see what the realtor suggested since I actually know him. [/quote]

The first house I built went through a solo builder recommended by a few realtors. He was absolute shit. Took forever to complete anything, was never there, charged a % on top of everything via his fee and was a fat fuck. He was absolutely worthless and expensive.

The second house I went through Regency Builders based out of Memphis. They were absolutely fantastic and got everything done and done right. Up to a year if I find anything out of place or not working properly they will come and have it done at no cost to me. They set me a time frame of 88 days once the slab was poured to close and had it done in 73.

The builder assigned to me was always open for calls or texts and responded promptly and extremely professional. I can’t say enough good things about them.

With this he is employed by a larger company, so you have more recourse to go over his head if he tries to screw you or not act right. With a solo guy you have zero recourse but to hire a lawyer.[/quote]

Gotcha, and that makes perfect sense.

12

[quote]SkyzykS wrote:
You have to be your own QA person. Make sure that the materials are right, everything plomb, square, level and properly located. Even in some high dollar custom homes you get goofy stuff like walls and foundations not being square (or even nailed into place), duct, pipe, and wiring conflicts and tons of other goofy crap.
[/quote]

Any suggestions for a dumb accountant that has no clue how to be his own QA guy on a construction site?

13

is it going to be a full custom build, an existing plan, or an existing plan that’s being modified? contact an established architectural firm if custom or modified. they will know reputable builders.
you could look at modular homes and I’m not talking about trailers. there are some being built around here that meet hurricane codes. they can be built to spec for ADA or whatever and delivered to site and put up in a short time.
talk to other homeowners in the area you’re looking at about how the ground perked.

14

[quote]silverblood wrote:
is it going to be a full custom build, an existing plan, or an existing plan that’s being modified? contact an established architectural firm if custom or modified. they will know reputable builders.
you could look at modular homes and I’m not talking about trailers. there are some being built around here that meet hurricane codes. they can be built to spec for ADA or whatever and delivered to site and put up in a short time.
talk to other homeowners in the area you’re looking at about how the ground perked.[/quote]

Umm not sure. Probably a existing plan that’s being modified. Thanks!

15

Hello OP - We recently purchased a new construction home. It is important to decide if you want custom or semi-custom (as Silverblood mentioned). As you are looking to buy land it won’t be a production home.

Here is good book that I read prior to starting the process and it helps give a good foundation on all the basic questions:

16

[quote]usmccds423 wrote:

[quote]SkyzykS wrote:
You have to be your own QA person. Make sure that the materials are right, everything plomb, square, level and properly located. Even in some high dollar custom homes you get goofy stuff like walls and foundations not being square (or even nailed into place), duct, pipe, and wiring conflicts and tons of other goofy crap.
[/quote]

Any suggestions for a dumb accountant that has no clue how to be his own QA guy on a construction site?
[/quote]

You can use a pythagorean triple (3,4,5 in feet) to check the corners of the foundation and outside walls- 3 feet out from the corner on one wall, 4 feet out on the adjacent wall, 5 foot hypotenuse. A framing square is Ok-ish, for the inside walls but won’t tell the story quite like a larger measurement.

A 4 foot level will also give you a good idea about plumbness of walls. A torpedo level is a little too short.

Make sure that they use screw guards over in wall water lines. They’re a little steel mesh piece that goes over a stud where piping is running through to prevent a drywall screw from penetrating a water line. Eventually the screw erodes and seemingly random leak springs inside of the wall. A lot of drywall guys like to tear them off though, so it’s good to check that they’ve been put on before the walls are closed up, then immediately after (they’ll probably be laying on the floor if they were torn off). All drain lines need to be checked for fall running in the direction of the line they are going into. A quarter bubble on a torpedo level is the rule of thumb. Bad fall, either wrong direction or just flat will give you sluggish pipes or cause them to back up entirely.

Generally, all of the work should be done neatly. The ductwork, plumbing lines, and wiring should only bend where it needs to. Squiggles and other generally goofy shit, holes that are drilled to nowhere and stuff that looks like it has been hammered (dinged up badly) into place needs to be explained. There aren’t any very good reasons why a joist or floor board would be cut or have an empty hole in it, then scabbed over. No pipes or wiring should be running through (perpendicular or parallel) HVAC ducts.

There should also be a bill of materials specifying what type of materials are to be used (grade, thickness, lengths) along with the blueprints. That needs to match up with the materials actually being used. Sometimes there are differences. Some checks on the measurements between the blueprints and the actual place should be done too, just to make sure that the doors, windows, hallways and stairwells are where they should be.

Virtually all of this stuff has to be checked on in process rather than after the fact, which sounds like a pain in the ass, but you’re putting a lot of money on the line and it needs to be done right.

Hope that helps a little.

17

One thing you need to do very early is figure out what you want and stick with it. An old client of mine is a home builder who has a 50 foot yacht named “Change Order.” Also, the less “custom” you want things the less expensive. Reinventing the wheel costs money.

18

[quote]usmccds423 wrote:
So, long story short, for medical reasons my wife and I are considering having a house built with an attached in-law apartment/suite. Her parents will be footing a sizable portion of the bill with the understanding that the house is ours (basically my wife’s inheritance) and we will take care of all house related issues.

That said, I have no idea where to start. We know a realtor whom I am going to contact if and when we decide to do this to find the land. My minimum requirement is 3 acres. Ideally, I’d like 5+.

How do you go about finding a builder? Should I just look in the yellow pages or online? What about testing for well water and things like that? What about estimating the cost? Does anyone know of an online cost calculator or is there kind of standard guide? I realize the particulars will change the price, I’m looking for a general idea. I have a number in mind that we’d like to stay near, I know basically what her parents can put in, and what we can take a loan out for.

Any thoughts or information is welcome. Thanks in advance.

I know inevitably someone is going to say not to do it. Believe me, we’ve talked it through and it’s the best option the family has so, thanks for the advise, but at this point it’s more a matter of time than an if situation.
[/quote]

I just built my first home…I did everything myself from cadding the dwgs for a permit to laying the field bed to electrical to finishing, here’s a few points to consider:

  1. I didn’t originally plan on doing everything myself when I bought my land, and didn’t price anything out, once I started pricing shit out I realized contractors are very expensive, if you’re going to work with Contractors you should get pricing before you purchase any land, it will let you know how much you can spend on the land.

  2. Mortgages are hard to get for construction, you get less money, you get it in installments, and you pay a lawyer for every installment, get your financing in order first

  3. Septic fields - before purchasing the land you should test the soil for drainage, it can impact your field bed in a major way, if the T-time is not good enough you will have to import filter sand and the land area can become quite large, this can become quite costly. Also remember you need certain distances between your well and septic.

  4. Well - you should inquire into well depth, quality, and volume from potential neighbors before buying land, building a house on land with now water is a bad idea, drilling in my area is about 25/foot +15/foot for casing for a point of reference. 1gpm is pretty much the min for a house with a deep well, some people will say you need much more but when you think about it, it’s 1200 gallons per day, most people use 100-150gpd. The problem becomes storage, the lower the production the deeper your well needs to be. I waited to drill my well until I was half finished my house, I got lucky, if I did it again I’d drill it before building anything.

  5. the lay of your land is important, if you build into a side hill with bedrock it will cost much more for your foundation than say building on a flat area with sand, if you need to bring in fill the numbers will climb quickly, it can cost tens of thousands. A good lot is worth another 30-40k, think about where your well, field bed, and house are all going to go, where your driveway is, and where you will connect into power and gas lines. Hydro and gas providers will charge a premium for installing service in certain areas and past certain defined distances. If you need power poles you may end up owning them and footing the bill fr future maintenance.

  6. landscaping - this can represent a major cost, again, tens of thousands depending on what you want to do. put it in your budget.

  7. heavy equipment - I hired out my heavy equipment work, as it was just as cost effective as renting the equipment myself. I priced out a few guys and the best value came from hiring an operator right from a quarry, the guy was good and the quarry gave me contractor pricing on gravel, mantle sand, etc. IF I had of just gone with a general contractor it would’ve cost a fair bit more. Also, make sure you get the right tools for the job, digging a foundation is not a job for a backhoe. When you backfill your house try to have any additional landscaping (such as driveway gravel or topsoil) done at the same time, it will cut down on machine costs.

  8. don’t wait till winter to do your foundation, also try to seed your lawn before winter.

  9. make sure you buy dry lumber, if it drys out significantly after the drywall is on it can cause screws to pop and joints to separate

  10. check all the material you buy and the pricing, Initially I was ordering my material from a building centre, having them deliver it and putting it on a charge account for me. After seeing multiple screwups I had to go elsewhere.

  11. permitting and development fees - depending on where you live permits can represent a significant cost. building permit, plumbing permit, electrical permit, grading plan, check with conservation authorities, flood zone, septic, these are all things that you may need to look into to see if you can go ahead with your project, a building permit does not cover everything you need and the people there can lead you in the wrong direction

  12. allow for a 20% contingency fund for cost over run and surprises

  13. easements - check for registered and unregistered easements, get a decent lawyer

  14. don’t be a jerk off if you hire someone, no one likes someone constantly hovering over them, but at the same time don’t be a pushover, make it clear what you want done and get it in writing.

  15. the most important thing with your foundation is drainage, make sure you do it right, check the water table level.

  16. don’t assume contractors know what they’re talking about, while I did all my own work myself I did get quotes as I went along for various items to see if it would be worth hiring out, many do not know the codes.

  17. some people may disagree with me, but foundation and framing do not need to be that precise. if your footing form swells out 2 inches no one is going to ever know and it won’t affect shit. Same thing if you frame a wall out 1/4", no one is going to notice unless they’re breaking out the level and tape. Finishing work is where you want a high level of detail and effort.

  18. once you have floor down get the roof on as soon as possible, rain and snow will cause subfloors to swell and warp.

  19. even if you’re hiring out work it is much more cost effective to act as your own general contractor, however if you do this be prepared for it to consume alot of your time.

  20. include your wife in your decisions.

  21. don’t spend more building your house than it will be worth. building a house is a stupid idea in areas where housing prices are depressed, if you build a $400k house where everyone around you is selling for $100k your house is worth $100k

19

Also for high level ballpark contractor costs, I’ve heard anywhere from $120 to $200 a square foot for building costs, (not including land or permitting).

20

what are your home gym plans?

: )