I want to build my own 2000 sqft house in 20 years. What should I do?

[Flyover]

We've got a couple people here who built or are in the process of building their own homes, presumably just the way you wanted. What advice about that process would you give your past self 20 years before you built the house?

 

[Krich]

Start saving money! ( as in keep it in the bank and DON'T spend it! )

 

[Flyover]

Start saving money!

Okay, well that part's obvious, but how did you plan your savings? For example, I could price out my dream house if I wanted to build it today, but what about in 20 years when I don't know which piece of land I'll be buying and I don't know what inflation will be like and whether e.g. a lot more tradesmen will be skilled in building with CLTs or a lot fewer will know how to do proper timber frame construction, etc.? And do you just save in a bank account or did you use some kind of specialized investment account tailored for the purpose?

 

[Sparky617]

I've done a lot of building for a non-builder but my never my own house. I helped my parents rebuild a 1900 house in PA back in the mid-1980s, finished a few basements, built a deck or two, and two screen porches (both 10+ feet off the ground). With that as background.... Are you planning to GC the project or actually bang every nail, hang every sheet of drywall, etc?

My dad built my childhood home. He subbed out a lot of the work, but he was very involved in every step of the project. After he got out of the Army Air Force after WW2 he worked a lot of construction before starting with the phone company. His advice was when building a house two things you'll run out of are time and money. If you're working a job and doing the build during your time off, the build will like to kill you. Even being the GC will require a lot of your time on site and on the phone coordinating subs.

I've been finishing my basement as documented on a thread here. This has been a two plus year project that is coming to a close soon. I hope to be able to get the final inspection the end of the month or early May. With the basement, I can close the door to the mess and forget about it for the week. Materials are all stored in a dry secure space. Lowe's is 2 miles away, so I can run down and get the supplies I need for this week's work and not have to have it in the space for weeks on end. When building from the ground up you'll buy your framing package pretty much in one order. It will be delivered and sit on site for weeks while you assemble the framing. Will security be an issue? Weather? You'll want to protect it from rain and snow. You'll want it organized in a way that you don't have to pick through the sheathing and 2x4's to get to your floor joists. Is that the way it was put together by the lumber yard for delivery?

As a lifelong fan of This Old House I always fancied doing an old house renovation. My parent's project certainly cooled me to the idea. If I were to do it as a retirement project, like my dad did. I wouldn't try to live in the house while we renovate it. It slows everything down. By the same token, if you build a house resist the temptation to move in before it is finished. Once you're in there, everything takes more time.

 

[Flyover]

Are you planning to GC the project or actually bang every nail, hang every sheet of drywall, etc?

Thanks for these tips and helpful questions @Sparky617!

I guess I'd hire a GC, but I'm not well-versed on where all the different roles (architect, builder, GC, others I don't even know about) start and end. I'd like to be able to save on labor by doing by myself whatever I have time and ability to do, even learning on the job as a "free handy assistant" for a few days if need be. At the same time I'm happy to hire out whatever I'm not comfortable with or don't have time for--and try to factor that into the budget.

I definitely have opinions on the architecture and design of the house; I might have opinions on materials, methods, etc. too--would I have a say in that stuff no matter what?

With the basement, I can close the door to the mess and forget about it for the week. Materials are all stored in a dry secure space. Lowe's is 2 miles away, so I can run down and get the supplies I need for this week's work and not have to have it in the space for weeks on end. When building from the ground up you'll buy your framing package pretty much in one order. It will be delivered and sit on site for weeks while you assemble the framing. Will security be an issue? Weather? You'll want to protect it from rain and snow. You'll want it organized in a way that you don't have to pick through the sheathing and 2x4's to get to your floor joists. Is that the way it was put together by the lumber yard for delivery?

In other words: security/stability of materials, proximity to additional supplies/tools. Thinking about this throughout instead of at the end.

I'm curious: some companies offer packages and say they plan deliveries so that nothing is lying around for too long. Is there a way to plan it like that on your own?

If I work with one of those companies (random example), is their delivery planning/execution good on that promise?

By the same token, if you build a house resist the temptation to move in before it is finished. Once you're in there, everything takes more time.

To be in compliance with this advice, which house systems would you say absolutely must be finished before moving in?

Thanks again Sparky!

 

[Flyover]

Another question: if I want to get involved with a company like the one I linked (Golden Eagle Log and Timber Homes : Home / Welcome), when's the best time to reach out to them? What kind of research should I do first?

 

[Eddie_T]

A friend of mine (actually extended family) retired and worked as a carpenter's helper and carpenter for maybe a year to learn the ropes. Then he built his own home in a Summerville, SC subdivision. I know he did a mix of DIY and GC but don't know how much.

I was 36 when I started my house and built it evenings and weekends finding that I could pay for everything I could nail up in a monthly pay period. I subbed slab, chimney, roof, drywall and plumbing. It took me around three years to complete. It was a very short walk from where I was renting in the same subdivided farmland.

I considered a log or timber home but didn't know enough at that time about how to plan the foundation for one.

 

[Sparky617]

Keep in mind I don't work in construction and have never built a complete house.

I'd be surprised if a GC would take on a project with you trying to do some/much of the work. He has to maintain a schedule to make any money on a project. Trying to time other subs based on your efforts to complete X by a certain date is a recipe for long delays.

Acting as your own GC, you'd need to secure subs to do what you don't want to do, or can't do. The ability to get good subs depends a lot on the amount of construction going on in your area. In slow times sub contractors are hungry for work and will likely be able to work you in. When there is a lot of construction work in your area, they'll focus on the guys that feed them work on a regular basis. A GC isn't necessarily a guy who swings a hammer on a regular basis. He's a project manager that brings together subcontractors to accomplish a build on-time and on-budget. They might have started out as a framer or other trade, or maybe even as a project manager for a big national or regional builder.

My sister and her ex-husband built a log home back in the 1980s. As I recall the log home company delivered everything at one time. That would have been the pre-cut logs, 2nd floor framing system, and roof system for the main house. As I recall the garage used trusses, and might have come locally or from the log company. The first floor framing was traditional joists and plywood and was sourced locally. The second floor system was exposed framing and tongue and groove flooring that was probably 2x6 T&G lumber.

That all said, a kit of some type is a great way to go. If I was to self-build I'd look at SIP construction or ICF concrete form construction. The ICFs are like assembling a giant LEGO structure. A guy built one a couple of miles from my house, I'd pass it several times a week. It is a pretty cool way of building a very energy efficient home. Once you stack up the forms you bring in a concrete truck and a concrete pump truck and fill the forms with concrete.

As to moving in before it is finished. Resist with all your might. Once you move in the time it will take to do anything will expand exponentially. The biggest PITA on my basement project, and what kept me from starting it years ago was the stuff in the basement. Having to work around stuff is a pain. I didn't want to give up my garage, so I didn't move the stuff into the garage. I did take over one of the bedrooms in the house to store some stuff. I got rid of stuff that I wasn't using. If you insist on moving in before you're done, I'd want it to be heated (and cooled I live in NC after all) a fully functioning bathroom, and a functioning kitchen. Depending on who all will be in the house some doors might be needed for privacy.

 

[ekrig]

Random thought: If that's appropriate, have you considered building a shed first? And by that I mean something like a 8'x12' framed with 2x4s. Of course it is a much, much simpler and coarser build, and there's no plumbing and electrical work is minimal, if any, but I always thought of it as sort of trial run for the process of building a house.

 

[Sparky617]

Random thought: If that's appropriate, have you considered building a shed first? And by that I mean something like a 8'x12' framed with 2x4s. Of course it is a much, much simpler and coarser build, and there's no plumbing and electrical work is minimal, if any, but I always thought of it as sort of trial run for the process of building a house.

Another way to get some experience building is with your local Habitat for Humanity chapter. I've also worked with Appalachian Service Project and Carolina Coastal Ministries doing repairs on homes of poor and elderly.

 

[Flyover]

Random thought: If that's appropriate, have you considered building a shed first? And by that I mean something like a 8'x12' framed with 2x4s. Of course it is a much, much simpler and coarser build, and there's no plumbing and electrical work is minimal, if any, but I always thought of it as sort of trial run for the process of building a house.

I like that idea! Actually, maybe making it a tad more complicated by building a garage/shop, with plumbing and electric. Still much simpler than a house, but with the other systems so I can get acquainted with them, possibly with tradespeople who specialize in them too. Or if not that and just a shed, a very large one. Then I have a place to store materials while I build the house.

 

[Krich]

On the money part, just save as much as you possibly can... once you build, if any is left over that's extra gravy to buy a new truck or something.

So the only planning that needs to be done financially is to just save as much as possible!

 

[Flyover]

On the money part, just save as much as you possibly can... once you build, if any is left over that's extra gravy to buy a new truck or something.

So the only planning that needs to be done financially is to just save as much as possible!

There's no more specific strategy than that?

And what counts as saving? For example, I plan to ultimately sell the house I live in now when I move out of it (hopefully into this new house I want to build, or a cheap temporary place while I'm building it). At that time my current house will be paid off or nearly paid off. Should I count the expected sale price, even a conservative estimate of it, toward my savings?

Just putting money in a regular savings account, considering inflation, is tantamount to throwing out part of it, let alone not growing it.

 

[Sparky617]

Self builds can be a challenge to finance. Since you plan to have your existing home paid for when you start your new home, what you could probably do is take out a mortgage your existing home or a HELOC, and use that money to fund the build. Then when you sell your existing home use the proceeds to pay off the mortgage or HELOC. If the existing home is close to your new home staying there would eliminate a double move into a rented place. Some people self building have lived in campers on site, but they really close in on you if there is more than just yourself.

 

[Flyover]

I know for a fact the house I want to build won't be near my current one, because I want to live in the mountains. A double move is probably inevitable, though I'm brainstorming ways to make it easier, like buying land that already has a small home on it, that we can later turn into a rental or guest house.

I was thinking more about saving "as much as you can" and how that advice is intuitive but isn't actionable. Without a savings goal then it's impossible to prioritize, because there are other things I'm saving for too (retirement, family vacations, and --this one's at the insistence of my wife-- kids' college funds. Plus other stuff). How much I savefor any given thing is somewhat flexible, which begs the question of what "possible" means in "as much as possible".

So I need to understand how to actually budget for building a house so I can come up with a dollar amount and then save toward it.

 

[Sparky617]

Is your goal to build your house debt free? Would the sale of your current house today, not including your outstanding mortgage, cover a 2000 square foot home? Keep in mind, building in the mountains, at the beach, or at a lake is slower than building in a subdivision. Contractors call it "beach, lake, or mountain time." There aren't as many tradesman available at the those locations and scheduling them becomes a challenge. It also tends to be more expensive so I'd factor in 15-20% more for labor and materials.

 

[Flyover]

Is your goal to build your house debt free? Would the sale of your current house today, not including your outstanding mortgage, cover a 2000 square foot home? Keep in mind, building in the mountains, at the beach, or at a lake is slower than building in a subdivision. Contractors call it "beach, lake, or mountain time." There aren't as many tradesman available at the those locations and scheduling them becomes a challenge. It also tends to be more expensive so I'd factor in 15-20% more for labor and materials.

Yeah, I'd anticipated that would be the case. But, I'd say it's still worth it, because that's where I want to live!

In 20 years I'll be just a little under 60 years old and therefore probably still earning money...actually those are often people's peak earning years, so I'd probably be not-allergic to going into a little debt for it, so long as I can pay it off by the time I do retire. Still, the ideal goal is to have enough saved (including what's available in to-be-liquidated assets like my current house) so I can build it debt-free.

 

[Ron Van]

What advice about that process would you give your past self 20 years before you built the house?

I wish you luck on this and I hope you see it through but a lot of things change in twenty years.

I have been inadvertently working on houses (mostly my own) for many years. I say "Inadvertently" because, in the beginning, I didn't want to but it was a necessity. I had a house in Sacramento that was built in 1949. We put new siding on it and sold it after 13 months for a 50% profit.

We then bought a new house that was still being built in a subdivision. We stayed in our old house and rented it from the new buyer for less than what our mortgage payment was previously. We rented for 9 months while the new house was being built.

I had the opportunity to go to the new house almost every night after work to see what had been done and what they had screwed up. I ended up having a good working relationship with the GC (who they called "The Foremen") and he turned a blind eye to me working on the house while it was being built (plus, our house was not visible from the foreman's temporary office trailer). This was a little risky for the builder because these houses (there were 6 being built and eventually many more) can fall out of escrow and then the builder would be stuck with whatever I had done.

I ran wiring for things I wanted to add later. I fixed HVAC ducts that were installed and then completely pinched closed by the next crew that came out (because they didn't care about someone else's work).

We lived in that house for 30 years and eventually rebuilt the kitchen and 3 bathrooms. We had the roof replaced, installed solar, replaced the HVAC, painted the exterior 3 times and replaced a big chuck of T-111 siding.

We sold that house for a tremendous 300% profit and bought a house on a lake in Alabama (as you know from other threads). We are rebuilding this house as we live in it. We have lived in a construction zone for so long, it would seem weird not to now. The kitchen is definitely the hardest room to have disabled because it is the center of activity.

I have friends who have/are building houses and have done it in many ways;

1) buy and old house and live in it while rebuilding.
2) I know a guy that had a slab poured and a steel building erected (Fast) and now he is building a structure inside of it to live in while he builds his dream house. The steel structure with the living quarters will eventually become a workshop with an apartment. But really, he could live in the apartment permanently if he never finishes the dream house.

As far as money, I don't know about new construction because there are many variables like, the utilities. If your property does not have electric, gas, water and septic/sewer, then these things are very expensive. I have a friend that bought a backhoe to dig his own utilities but he went bankrupt before finishing his dream house, then his wife left him...not a good story. When you rebuild an existing house, you already have utilities and a place to live while rebuilding (if you can work around the construction). It will cost around $150,000 to $250,000 to rebuild a house depending on what you want and how much you can do yourself. Personally, I wouldn't want to sub it out because people don't care as much about your house as you do.

When we bought our house, the kitchen was fully functional but ugly and had rot under the kitchen sink.




It helps if you can find some hottie to help you!



This was the worst phase because we had no sink for a while. Luckily, this house has a secondary kitchen.


I took a chunk of the old counter and put it on two Harbor Freight dollies and made a temporary rolling island. We used the kitchen all the way through the reno.







As far as saving for the future, I know Dave Ramsey would say to pay off your mortgage and bank your income until you become a millionaire! That never worked for me though, and I'm not even sure I trust banks right now. The banks won't tell you their real status until it's too late. Only the "Insiders", the deep state, what ever you call them know what's going on. The only way I've made big money is by selling real estate.

 

[Eddie_T]

When I was preparing to build my house I read a lot of magazines. Of interest were designs that were livable but could easily be expanded. None of them fit the overall plan we had in mind so we just forged ahead. My wife helped considerably. She designed the kitchen, did a lot of the painting and exterior staining and she (and our son) grouted 1500 ft² or more of primitive hexagonal ceramic tile.

 

[Flyover]

When I was preparing to build my house I read a lot of magazines. Of interest were designs that were livable but could easily be expanded. None of them fit the overall plan we had in mind so we just forged ahead. My wife helped considerably. She designed the kitchen, did a lot of the painting and exterior staining and she (and our son) grouted 1500 ft² or more of primitive hexagonal ceramic tile.

Would it be helpful if I described (or shared pictures of) my architectural ideas and you could tell me how they might be improved for e.g. simplicity & ease of building?