If it is very customised, I would work out a fixed price arrangement with the builder if you choose that route. I also wouldn’t ask for the specialised requirements, i.e. hand rails, wheel chair access, etc. you will be paying out your ass just to get these in. Make these your project after the building contract is complete. It will give you time to shop around and you will save a boat load.
I think if you’re going to build you should really look at modular homes. can be built ADA compliant at the factory and most can be delivered to the site in under 2 mths. lower cost of construction and will be erected and finished in less time. will be built to meet all existing codes in your area. can be slab, basement, or crawlspace foundation. don’t know what style you’re planning on building but here is a ranch.
http://www.modularhomeplace.com/modular-pictures-interior.html
Holy thread resurrection Batman!
So, we’re in the process of putting an offer down on a lot in Glenville, PA (east of Hanover). Is anyone here familiar with the area? From what we’ve read the schools are pretty good (Manheim Elementary School for example).
We’re meeting with a builder next week (http://zimmermanhomes.com/) for a consultation. My wife actually met with the builder this morning at the lot and got a very good impression. They talked for about 45 minutes about our concerns, house placement, septic (sand mount), etc…
Couple of questions:
They quoted us approximately $100 sq ft. He said they use medium grade materials as opposed to builder quality materials. Does that seem reasonable? I understand this does not include any upgrades we request.
My wife also mentioned we were on the fence about finish the basement because of total cost and he said finishing a basement is really cheap. Approximately $20 sq ft. Does that make sense?
Lastly, I’ve never had a sand mount septic system. The builder said it depends on the perc, but that the soil there is good so it may only be a few feet high if above ground at all. Does anyone have experience with sand mount systems? Any issues?
Thanks everyone!
-Chris
[quote]usmccds423 wrote:
They quoted us approximately $100 sq ft. He said they use medium grade materials as opposed to builder quality materials. Does that seem reasonable?
-Chris [/quote]
This seems very reasonable, although I don’t know your local market, and the devil is in the details of what you are getting.
[quote]usmccds423 wrote:
I understand this does not include any upgrades we request.
[/quote]
Whatever you decide on, decide before they start and stick to the order. I know a builder who named his yacht “Change Order.”
[quote]jjackkrash wrote:
[quote]Joe84 wrote:
[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:
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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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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landscaping - this can represent a major cost, again, tens of thousands depending on what you want to do. put it in your budget.
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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.
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don’t wait till winter to do your foundation, also try to seed your lawn before winter.
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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
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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.
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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
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allow for a 20% contingency fund for cost over run and surprises
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easements - check for registered and unregistered easements, get a decent lawyer
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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.
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the most important thing with your foundation is drainage, make sure you do it right, check the water table level.
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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.
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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.
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once you have floor down get the roof on as soon as possible, rain and snow will cause subfloors to swell and warp.
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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.
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include your wife in your decisions.
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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
[/quote]
Cliff notes: Buying an existing house is way fucking cheaper and much less of a headache.
[/quote]
That was my first thought too. I don’t know why anyone would go through all the bullshit and expense of building a new house. It’s a quality issue too. Houses nowadays are shit compared to pre-1950’s houses. My house is a 150 years old - deep foundations, high ceilings, double brick, huge veranda etc. They don’t build them like that anymore.
[quote]jjackkrash wrote:
[quote]usmccds423 wrote:
I understand this does not include any upgrades we request.
[/quote]
Whatever you decide on, decide before they start and stick to the order. I know a builder who named his yacht “Change Order.” [/quote]
Lol, ya I told my wife she’s gotta stick with what’s chosen period…
[quote]SexMachine wrote:
That was my first thought too. I don’t know why anyone would go through all the bullshit and expense of building a new house. It’s a quality issue too. Houses nowadays are shit compared to pre-1950’s houses. My house is a 150 years old - deep foundations, high ceilings, double brick, huge veranda etc. They don’t build them like that anymore.
[/quote]
What we are looking for has been difficult to find in this area. There are basically 3 of us that have to agree on the location, lot, and house(s). Trust me, we’ve looked a lot.
[quote]jjackkrash wrote:
[quote]usmccds423 wrote:
They quoted us approximately $100 sq ft. He said they use medium grade materials as opposed to builder quality materials. Does that seem reasonable?
-Chris [/quote]
This seems very reasonable, although I don’t know your local market, and the devil is in the details of what you are getting. [/quote]
I thought it sounded reasonable too. Stepping over the line into PA should save us quite a bit of money. Even northern MD is way more expensive.
Good thinking, but realistically expect some if you want to stay married. Before building get your real estate lawyer’s written advice for that state’s (a) building lien law and (b) new home warranty(ies).
One trick I’ve noticed in my area is having the builder both buy the lot and construct the house as per one contract, and then sell his finished product to you at completion. They like to do that to get comparables for higher appraisals in the area. This method usually requires a significant down payment, especially if the builder hasn’t got adequate credit. I saw one of these backfire and it was hell retrieving the downpayment.
Definitely go for a basement, you’d regret it later if you opted out. Plus it gives you YOUR space especially dealing with inlaws under the same roof.
I came within a RCH of having my wife’s father move in with us, but my wife came down with cancer right at the time he was having his medical issues in Florida. I was dead-set about having him in with us, unless we got a bigger house.
[quote]biker wrote:
Good thinking, but realistically expect some if you want to stay married. Before building get your real estate lawyer’s written advice for that state’s (a) building lien law and (b) new home warranty(ies).
One trick I’ve noticed in my area is having the builder both buy the lot and construct the house as per one contract, and then sell his finished product to you at completion. They like to do that to get comparables for higher appraisals in the area. This method usually requires a significant down payment, especially if the builder hasn’t got adequate credit. I saw one of these backfire and it was hell retrieving the downpayment. [/quote]
Lol, good point!
I’ll will look into the lien law and home warrant issue, thanks for point that out.
We spoke with the builder about financing options (to get another POV). He did mention something similar to what you’re talking about. I believe he called it an end loan where basically we would buy the land, but use it as collateral for the building of the house. At completion we “buy” the house from the builder. The only draw back is there’s a 1% fee (it might not be a fee I can’t remember. It is 1% though) on the assessed value. So we’d be looking at a few thousand extra for what’s basically a convenience fee. It’s not gonna break the bank, but $5K is $5K.
[quote]beachguy498 wrote:
Definitely go for a basement, you’d regret it later if you opted out. Plus it gives you YOUR space especially dealing with inlaws under the same roof.
I came within a RCH of having my wife’s father move in with us, but my wife came down with cancer right at the time he was having his medical issues in Florida. I was dead-set about having him in with us, unless we got a bigger house.[/quote]
First let me just say that I read your story in another thread and you have my deepest condolences. I’m very sorry for your loss.
Thanks for the advice. I definitely want to get the basement finished because you’re right I’ll need my own space. The good thing is we aren’t going to be sharing almost anything in the house. They’ll have their own kitchen, laundry, etc… We’ve discussed basically having common area’s like the deck, porch, and yard for example.
You may want to clarify with the builder whether the $100 per square foot rough estimate is construction costs only or whether that includes all the planning costs as well.
[quote]aeyogi wrote:
You may want to clarify with the builder whether the $100 per square foot rough estimate is construction costs only or whether that includes all the planning costs as well. [/quote]
Permitting and professional fees can get expensive quickly.
[quote]usmccds423 wrote:
[quote]beachguy498 wrote:
Definitely go for a basement, you’d regret it later if you opted out. Plus it gives you YOUR space especially dealing with inlaws under the same roof.
I came within a RCH of having my wife’s father move in with us, but my wife came down with cancer right at the time he was having his medical issues in Florida. I was dead-set about having him in with us, unless we got a bigger house.[/quote]
First let me just say that I read your story in another thread and you have my deepest condolences. I’m very sorry for your loss.
Thanks for the advice. I definitely want to get the basement finished because you’re right I’ll need my own space. The good thing is we aren’t going to be sharing almost anything in the house. They’ll have their own kitchen, laundry, etc… We’ve discussed basically having common area’s like the deck, porch, and yard for example. [/quote]
Thanks man. I couldn’t deal with my wife’s father being around in close-quarters. I really can only tolerate the guy for hours at a time and that’s it. You and your wife will need to get away from her parents. It sounds like you’re doing a good job hashing out the details.
[quote]aeyogi wrote:
You may want to clarify with the builder whether the $100 per square foot rough estimate is construction costs only or whether that includes all the planning costs as well. [/quote]
It does not.
Site work is 20-30K and that includes permits I believe. I’ll clarify for sure.
[quote]beachguy498 wrote:
[quote]usmccds423 wrote:
[quote]beachguy498 wrote:
Definitely go for a basement, you’d regret it later if you opted out. Plus it gives you YOUR space especially dealing with inlaws under the same roof.
I came within a RCH of having my wife’s father move in with us, but my wife came down with cancer right at the time he was having his medical issues in Florida. I was dead-set about having him in with us, unless we got a bigger house.[/quote]
First let me just say that I read your story in another thread and you have my deepest condolences. I’m very sorry for your loss.
Thanks for the advice. I definitely want to get the basement finished because you’re right I’ll need my own space. The good thing is we aren’t going to be sharing almost anything in the house. They’ll have their own kitchen, laundry, etc… We’ve discussed basically having common area’s like the deck, porch, and yard for example. [/quote]
Thanks man. I couldn’t deal with my wife’s father being around in close-quarters. I really can only tolerate the guy for hours at a time and that’s it. You and your wife will need to get away from her parents. It sounds like you’re doing a good job hashing out the details.[/quote]
No problem man.
We sat down and had a discussion about how we can’t make this move if it’s going to negatively affect us and I don’t think it will. .
[/quote]
Cliff notes: Buying an existing house is way fucking cheaper and much less of a headache.
That was my first thought too. I don’t know why anyone would go through all the bullshit and expense of building a new house. It’s a quality issue too. Houses nowadays are shit compared to pre-1950’s houses. My house is a 150 years old - deep foundations, high ceilings, double brick, huge veranda etc. They don’t build them like that anymore.
[/quote]
Why would anyone go through all that bullshit? I went through it and just sold my house for 100k profit (after closing costs) a year later, and it was sold within the first week of listing it in a town where real estate is not hot.
Your 150 year old house probably has wood chips for insulation, electrical wiring that is a fire hazard, and rotten pipes, among other problems.
We had our first meeting with the builder on Wednesday night. It went great. I was very impressed by the salesman’s knowledge and approach. We spent about 2 hours looking at various models and decided on the Bristol (attached) for the main house. It’s 2,100 sq ft with a base price of $190K (mid grade materials). That does not including site work (which does include permits, well (already there), & septic). He estimated the site work at around $20K, but possibly less since we already would have a well.
I thought the price was really good, any thoughts? We have not discussed upgrades, which will obviously increase the price. We did discuss ways we can save money and the builder had some good ideas. He was telling us a lot of the personal features (like cabinets) we’ll get an allowance for and we will go out and pick what we want to get. I thought that was pretty cool and a great way to save some money here and there.
The company is working on plans to show a number of changes we made (like we are going to the knock the wall out between the family room & living room so it’s one large room). They are also working on how to combine the main house with the rancher my in-laws want.
Any thoughts on the plan? Any changes you’d make?
One thing he mentioned, which surprised me is that granite is now one of the cheaper options for counter tops. It was linoleum → granite → then quarts or something… Does that surprise anyone else? His reasoning was that there are so many granite vendors now (because it’s so popular) that the price has come way down. Supply & demand, which makes sense.
So far the changes we want are:
-Knock the wall out (like mentioned above)
-Extended Master bath to accommodate a Jacuzzi tub and shower.
-Modifying the kitchen (the laundry room is going to be worked into a common area and will become a walk in pantry).
Any suggested changes or thoughts?
Gym is going to be int he basement and if I get my way it’ll be the entire left side of the basement!