Has anyone built their own house?

[smithx9]

Hey, I was wondering if anyone out there in self sufficient land has built their own home...and if you managed to do it and 1. keep your sanity, 2. paid as you went.

We are contemplating this and want to stay as debt fee as possible. Any input would be appreciated....

 

[Beekissed]

What type of structure are you wanting to build? Alternative? Or just a regular, wood framed structure?

 

[2dream]

We built our house and have no mortgage.
What type of input are you looking for? Are you talking about actually building it yourself or doing the contracting and paying someone as you go?
(I ask that question because I always hear people say they are thinking about building their house only to find out later in the conversation they meant being their own general contractor).

 

[sylvie]

We bought a summer home/cabin. It was very small so we contracted a large unfinished addition shell. We studded rooms, wired, dry walled, floored, plumbed, built stairs and even added large cross beams.

We argued over nearly everything. That just went with the territory.

We paid cash as we went, including the cabin and the shell. It takes longer but we don't owe anything and that is a great feeling!

 

[PamsPride]

We remodeled our bathroom ourselves...tore the one off the house and built two new ones. We swore we would never remodel/ build ourselves again!! I don't think our marraide would survive it!

 

[DrakeMaiden]

We are planning to build a house on our property. My husband will do most of the work himself, but probably contract out plumbing. He has experience and technical know-how for doing it himself. We will probably stock-pile materials for a while before we get going. We will keep our existing home on the property probably after the new place is built to use for guest housing/storage.

I think the thing that will save your marriage is having a place to live that is not under contruction at the time . . . we've lived through a few remodels, so we know what that can be like. We met a couple that was living in a travel trailer while they did a major re-model on their home. They were very smart. As uncomfortable as that can be, you would at least have the advantage of being one step away from the construction.

 

[smithx9]

We are looking at doing as much of the work as possible.

Right now, we are considering a Jim Walters home that is actually already complet. Jim Walters is no longer doing housing, so they are getting rid of the existing models they have at their sales sites. The one we are looking at was their sales office, so I'm thinking they would have paid more attention to details than they might other wise done. One plus in this, is that it is handicap accessable, (we have a son with CP who gets around in a scooter or wheelchair). Another plus, is that for about $30,000 you have an almost completed home, it needs a shower in one bathroom.

The Downside is the house has to be moved at about $12,000 to $15,000. AND I just learned that the roof may have to be taken off the house. Of course, it needs a foundation, and possibly a new septic system, so my $30,000 deal of a house just jumped in price to nearly $60,000.

Soooo, to make a long story longer....we are thinking we could maybe build at that price, exactly what we want....of course doing much of the labor ourselves. (My husband is a perfectionist carpenter/jack of many trades....he sees the flaws in every other place we go...so I am wondering, if we do this, if I will manage...him!)

Our basic plan would include 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, an open kitchen living area, with a cellar room for storage...

For those who built their own and paid as you went, how long did you spend building, and what was your 'limit" before you said, "OK, lets get this part paid for?"

Thanks, for responding!

 

[DrakeMaiden]

I would think you would be much happier with a place you built yourself.

Moving one that is already built sounds like a headache to me. JMO

 

[TanksHill]

I bought a really old house. Worked on it to make it liveable. Tile, doors, plumbing etc... Lived in it for two years and then knoced it down and built new. Paid as we went, and basically played the general contractor role. It still took almost two years to complete. A couple things you may want to condsier.

If building yourself, do you have a place to live while building? It allways takes longer than you think. We were in a 30 ft camper with a toddler.

If your not on the property will you have two payments? land and current home. Not easy.

If using sub contractior you may have a bit more in cost but it gets done faster. Usually!

If I move again I think I am going pre fab. Roll it in and be done with it. Unless I can convince my husband to live in a yurt.

 

[2dream]

Our house took 3 1/2 years to complete. No contractors or subs. Just DH and friends working nights and weekends.

On moving a house. Been there done that. A friend gave me a house once that had to be moved. Yes the roof had to come off.
Not all the roof but about half of it. The house movers neglected to inform them we would be back for the remaining roof section.
It took all day to move the house. Next morning when we went back to get the roof it was gone and lot was cleaned up.

8,000 for the move, 6,000 for new roof and I have blocked the rest from my mind. Foundation, plumbing, repairing cracked wall board, and on and on. This was 20 years ago.