Building a house
- Thread starter Ron Mehico
- Start date
A good electrician can do it. Otherwise, find a company that specializes in high tech. Often companies that do whole house surround and/or home theaters will do this type of work.
Thought you said Dream House
I used to work construction. You are absolutely spot on.
GO TO THE SITE ALL THE TIME. Take the workers coffee/donuts, get to know their names, etc, etc. Observe and ask questions. It's ridiculous how people cut corners or just make mistakes. light switches will be cross wired........hot/cold water lines mixed up......etc. etc.
We did it because Lumber and R-23 was much cheaper than to foam the walls but that is before Lumber skyrocketed. I would have it priced out both ways and see what the difference is. You may be right that foam in 2x4 walls is the better option now.
Even with high r value, there is still infiltration with batt unless you caulk the hell out of your wall assembly. It's an obsolete method if you really want to improve efficiency.
That is part of the equation. If you have leaky sill plates or improperly flashed doors/windows you will end up with the same issues. Poorly installed insulation, no matter what type, will also cause lowered efficiency.
I've built several Energy Star rated homes in the last couple of decades. The blower door tests don't lie.
My buddy built a nice house two years ago......the GC put a 6'0"x 6'4" dbl door on the back of the house.....my friend who at one time many years ago worked for our company told me the GC ordered the wrong door? He let it go because him and his wife are both 5' people.......I had to duck my head to get out of it.......I thought I had been transported back to England when I saw that door.......
As a retired contractor........check on the job every day.......be cordial and mostly look around......those guys have a job to finish and if they are talking with you..........make sure that every change that is made (if any) is noted and signed on a master blueprint........changes are where we make our money...........if something isn't right........demand it is changed.......don't be like my friend and be a "settler".......it is in reality "your" project........
LOL, As a member of the profession, Sadly, there are a good number of Architects who are just like that. But by and large it's a decent profession and you can find good ones who will have your back. I like to think I served my clients interest well when I was on my own. Currently I work for a large restaurant franchisee as their Corporate Architect, so since I'm a direct employee of the Owner, I HAVE to have their best interest at heart. Best job I've had so far in my 27 year career.
Better go ahead and install a wind turbine and an acre of solar panels while you're at it.
And I can promise you there are not too many people who appreciate someone critiquing their work before it is finished.....especially when they really don't know what they are looking at....this is where it is important to go look at some of their finished work and speak to past customers.........if you don't trust me to do the job I sold you then you are not very smart......That is the very reason you hire a GC........he is in charge of quality control....and contrary to what I have read here......I was General Superintendent for a long time before I went into business.....we had a better than great file with the BBB and NO blemishes......I was in business for almost 10 years with no blemishes........my deal was.......we did a walk through with the customer after we did a punch list.......if they were not happy we addressed their issues.........if they were, then we handed them a final bill.....hold back 10% until 30 days after acceptance of completion.........money talks, bullshit walks........the best way to get problems fixed is to hold money.....no fixy....no money............GC's that operate like this will bend over backwards to get that last 10%.....their share is in that 10%.......demand this detail in your contract......also demand a scope of work........if they don't want to do these things that is a sign...........tell them to walk......there are also some great GC's........the key is to talk and listen to past customers..........I could probably go on for days...but my fingers are tired.. 🙄
Reminds me of something silly we used to do on occasion to make sure bidding contractors were reading the Specs. We would always insert a section for "Perforated Pastry Units" that required the G.C. to provide doughnuts at all job site meetings.
Exactly.......what made me think of the English doors is the 4' threshold that it had.......I grilled my buddy but.....he didn't have any idea at all where they got it........all they told him it was on the blueprints.......my best guess is the GC picked up a mis-ordered replacement door of some sorts for the cheap......crazyiest thing I have see in a long time......I told my buddy that I would help him take it out and fix the brick work around it.......it would be a deal but it is doable.........like I said, "they are short folks" and he said they was OK with it rather than change it......
Two very simple, inexpensive suggestions:
Run electrical wiring to every corner of the house, and install "floodlights" at each corner for lighting at night for the kids outside after dark (or yourself, of course).
Also, we had a "pocket" door put in to separate our kitchen and den when we want to.
I have called realtors on two places in Washington county.........both had offers on the first phone call...sight unseen.......I put in back up offers......just in case.........we have been scouring the countryside for 8 months.......we are about ready to give up and purchase more guns and stay in the city........
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Code calls for electrical outlets every 12 ft......when I renovated our house a few years ago I cut it down to 8'.......also use 12ga wiring.........you will never blow a circuit breaker with the wire upgrade...put in a 150amp panel.....and break you house down to as many circuits as you can afford.......I put can lights in our place.....(46 of them).....just make sure they are where you want them.......my wife had me put two in the dining room to shine down on a 14th century sideboard........she gave the sideboard to my daughter before the house was completed......I had to move two can lights after the fact...😵.......when we started the project it was to tune the old place up for our old age......we found a lot of sketchy shit with the wiring and plumbing and it turned into a complete renovation....now we are looking for a place out of Louisville.........I pulled a little over 6.000 fut of wire in our house.....and finally........we have been married for 45 yrs......our only rough patch was when we did the renovations.........use a tape recorder.......
We turned our daughter's bedroom into a in suite master bath......but I guess she didn't get the message I was sending.......In 2015 they got out of the service and moved in with us for 8 months......try adding 12 people to your household........
My friend who I hired as a laborer in 1989 now owns said company......they are building a nursing home in Fla......the material cost was $1.64 million dollars.......his lumber salesman called him a few days after they was awarded the bid.......the material package went up $440K........I would hate to eat that......
Electric panel, go overboard and get one that is larger than what you need right now. My prior homes never had enough slots for extra breakers so I made sure our current home had several open slots if I ever need them. Also, make sure you get the right amp for your needs now or possible future needs such as a pool, hot tub, etc.
When we renovated our house I put insulation in "every wall", floors and ceilings......when it was gutted I even lined the block foundation with 2" styrafoam board....it will be worth the money.......our house is really tight....doesn't cost much to heat/cool......cost a little more for the extra insulation.......but you don't hear people in the bathroom.......and you can close the bedroom door (solid core doors) and not hear too much of what is going on in the rest of the house......
We started our project about 2.5 years ago and moved in this past May. Luckily we had a really good builder that did high quality work so there was no need to look over their shoulders. From my experience here is what I recommend:
1. Assume you haven't chosen a builder yet. I did an lengthy on line search of builder reviews and was amazed and how many complaints many of them had, including ones with beautiful websites and personal testimonies. The builder I chose had about 25 reviews and all of them were 5 star. Stay away from the one horse guys that operate out of their homes. I got 3 bids on my project and the best builder who was also the largest, had the best price. A professional builder with the brick and mortar location can not only do a much better job but they normally have the best crafts working for them as they provide continuous work. They can also take advantage of the economies of scale in building materials costs. My builder had a full time draftsman and a designer that helped with all the interiors for us - without those assets we would have gotten a much inferior product IMO.
2. Take notes of every conservation or meeting you have with the contractor or interior designer you are working with. We discovered after moving in that there were a few things that were not what we had asked for but there was no written record - they were minor in nature and were just honest mistakes IMO. Find out who your project manager is and how often he will visit the construction site and inspect the work. Find out how he communicates (email, phone, text) and talk to him frequently.
3. If you can, get the builder to agree to a 5% retention payable only after all punch list items are complete that will save you a lot of issues later. Once the builder gets paid there isn't as much motivation to fix anything that is an issue.
4. Bare in mind that you will almost certainly request changes or additions. Normally a builder were quote this to you on a cost plus percentage of cost fee, and will expect you to pay for those up front. Even though we thought we had everything close to the way we wanted it, we still wound up with $60K of extras.
Good luck with your project
Like I said above find a high quality contractor with a professional staff and good reviews and you won't have to worry about the quality of the work . Also, I hear many people make the suggestion of going to the project everyday but unless you have expertise in construction methods and materials or have a civil engineering background you won't know what to look for anyway.
Avoid the hassles do you due diligence upfront and select a great contractor with a great reputation who will work to protect it. If you have to worry about the quality of work, than you choose the wrong contractor.
As an aside on using an architect, we though we would need an architect also, but we found a floor plan and a design in one of those home magazines that we liked but it needed many modifications to make it fit on the lot and to accommodate our lifestyle. Instead we showed the design to the builder and his draftsman made all of the modifications exactly the way we wanted for a about $1500 - it saved us a bundle on not having to use an architect.
I had a friend who at that time employed an architect.....he drew my plans up for me.....I needed to get a zoning variance for my project....we did a 3/4 wrap around and I needed a professional stamp....the front of our proposed house was 8' beyong the building limit line.........we was behind the set back limits..... and I replaced the bearing front and back walls and replaced them with LVL's......since I am no longer a licensed contractor......I couldn't pull the permits unless I had an "professional"...........now 8yrs later we are looking for a hobby farm.......
Washington County of which state? Idk. I would just wait man. It's crazy right now, and while the notion that "homes rarely ever go back down" has some truth to it.. this seems like its turning into a bubble.
A duplex around the corner from me is on the market for $199,000. Siding needs a lot of work, porch needs to be raised and maybe redone I. The not too distant future. One apartment is fairly dated but not terrible.. the other apartment? Not even shown (which means, its not good).. it was purchased in 2017, only 5 years ago, for $112,000. There was no noticeable work done as I walk by it almost every day.
This goes to show you how crazy the market is. I know this is an extreme example, and its a duplex which are very hot right now.. but thats almost a 100% markup in only a 5 years difference..
Id just ride it out. If you're in an apartment, just stay put for a while.
But id like to hear some other thoughts on the housing market, maybe I'm wrong. There's definitely a few here who know their stuff.
Washington County, KY.......we have been in this house since 1977.....we thought we had a place and the guy passed away.....no will, family all around the world....we have called realtors for several appointments and they will have a contract before we can get there.......the market is crazy........I am about to just bunker in here......
I love the character of old houses as it sounds like you do too, but the reasons you've outlined are why I won't commit to one until I've REALLY got the money to take care of the extra maintenance required of an older home. A lot to be said for that peace of mind with everything new.
A few thoughts;
10% over cost on the total build is a win.
If a garage bonus room is involved you can’t spend too much on insulation
Wire it fir everything you can think of, catv, Ethernet, audio. It’s SO much cheaper while you are building.
10% over cost on the total build is a win.
If a garage bonus room is involved you can’t spend too much on insulation
Wire it fir everything you can think of, catv, Ethernet, audio. It’s SO much cheaper while you are building.
If you don’t want to feel like a jackass showing up every day just to keep an eye on stuff, tell them you’re taking a bunch of pics and doing a time lapse video of the construction.
See if you can get "construction to perm" financing. You can always refi if mortgage rates are low when it's finished, but this will give you a hedge against the threat of rising rates.
Do you know if there are any differences between the way you finance and pay for a new build, which make take close to a year and a more conventional home purchase?
Were starting to get our savings rolling and should be able to do a 10% down payment on a house come this time next year (has to be 10% as I already have a home I won't be getting rid of). We wouldn't want to start the build then.. but maybe 6 months before so we have enough saved at time for the closing. Idk if thats how people finance new builds or not.
If you build it yourself or through an independent contractor, you can get a construction loan which will roll over to a mortgage after a set date (typically a year). If you buy from an established builder, they will often carry the construction costs through the build then sell with a normal mortgage upon completion.
Also, to avoid TP shortages again, just make sure to install an electrical outlet near the toilet. Bidet, ATKOT. 💩
I sold a house a few years ago to a Columbian buyer. He had an option request to add a kitchen sink sprayer next to his toilet so he could clean his ass. Seemed like a good alternative to splurging on a bidet.
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