On Building a house

[Scarlett]

I need some success stories.  All I hear are the horrors of over budgeting and bad contractors/sub contractors.

 

A few things

 

We will be building on a city lot.

 

Dh works in engineering.  He will draw the plans, and have an engineer he works with sign off on whatever needs to be signed off on. 

 

Dh has extensive knowledge of building, and permit gathering and dealing with PTB.  

 

Dh will be our GC.  

 

With that set of facts and info can someone please encourage me that it can work out and we can stay on budget?

 

[Katy]

My DH likes to add a clause to the contract that the general contractor will get a bonus if they finish early, and starting at three weeks late will have financial penalties.

 

 

ETA:  Missed the part about your DH being the GC.  Since it's generally they who charge the most, I'm sure you'll be fine.  An aunt and uncle of mine couldn't afford a home big enough for their large combined family (think Brady Bunch) so they contracted it themselves and did all the work they could themselves (subbed out concrete, plumbing, most electrical, and the high stuff).  They financed it with a balloon mortgage, finished it early, refinanced, and ended up with a genuine mansion on great acreage in an amazing neighborhood for less than a new 4 bedroom in a suburban subdivision, and they already had a great deal of equity. With a 30 year mortgage their house payments were less than their previous home.

Edited November 28, 2017 by Katy

[Scarlett]

My DH likes to add a clause to the contract that the general contractor will get a bonus if they finish early, and starting at three weeks late will have financial penalties.

 

 

ETA:  Missed the part about your DH being the GC.  Since it's generally they who charge the most, I'm sure you'll be fine.  An aunt and uncle of mine couldn't afford a home big enough for their large combined family (think Brady Bunch) so they contracted it themselves and did all the work they could themselves (subbed out concrete, plumbing, most electrical, and the high stuff).  They financed it with a balloon mortgage, finished it early, refinanced, and ended up with a genuine mansion on great acreage in an amazing neighborhood for less than a new 4 bedroom in a suburban subdivision, and they already had a great deal of equity. With a 30 year mortgage their house payments were less than their previous home.

 

 

Yeah, I was having fun thinking about the  bonus I could offer dh to finish the contract on time.  ;)

[Scarlett]

Dh can definitely sub it all out.  He knows how to build a house.  There is no part of it he could not do himself if he 1) didn't have a full time job and 2) was not 50 and in not so great health.  So the physical work really needs to be done by others,outside of some painting and stuff at the end that the boys can help with.

[Garga]

I would go into it expecting it to cost thousands more and that there will be blips along the way.  Then it's not a horror story.  It's just how it is and is expected.

 

Sort of like how DH and I try to keep a few thousand in the bank.  Then, when the roof needs to be replaced--which is expected--it's just a blip.  We spend the money we've saved and then save up for the next blip (hot water tank, new fridge and dishwasher, etc.)  

 

If it's planned for and extra money is on hand, it's not a horror story.  It's just what is.

 

I don't think it's possible to build without some sort of problem that requires extra money.  I'm sure there are horror stories where someone was unreasonable and walked out on a job half way through and destroyed things, but most of the stories I hear are where there are normal snags that cost money to fix.

 

ETA:  Now that I read Artic Mama's post, mine wasn't very helpful.  I think her suggestion of a book is a good idea.  You ought to read a ton, in books or online, before jumping in so you know what to expect.

Edited November 28, 2017 by Garga

[Scarlett]

It can work out, but to stay on budget you must NOT have any change orders, and must have an extremely thorough and detailed contract.

 

Can I recommend this book?

https://www.amazon.com/Build-Dream-Without-Getting-Nailed-ebook/dp/B00SF72DH8

 

 

Thank you for the book recommendation!  Downloading it now....or do I want the hard copy?

 

There won't be a GC.....dh will be doing that work.  And I am not high maintainance....I really have a great idea of what I want and what I don't need.....mostly my needs are about floor plans and flow.  

 

How is your build going?

[Scarlett]

I would go into it expecting it to cost thousands more and that there will be blips along the way.  Then it's not a horror story.  It's just how it is and is expected.

 

Sort of like how DH and I try to keep a few thousand in the bank.  Then, when the roof needs to be replaced--which is expected--it's just a blip.  We spend the money we've saved and then save up for the next blip (hot water tank, new fridge and dishwasher, etc.)  

 

If it's planned for and extra money is on hand, it's not a horror story.  It's just what is.

 

I don't think it's possible to build without some sort of problem that requires extra money.  I'm sure there are horror stories where someone was unreasonable and walked out on a job half way through and destroyed things, but most of the stories I hear are where there are normal snags that cost money to fix.

 

 

And that is very scary to me....I really like having things laid out and nailed down.  

 

We just had new windows/doors/siding put on.  And painted.  And gutters.  We estimated 10K and spent 14K.  And I never believed we could do it for 10K honestly.  But just like you say there ended up being some hidden damage no one could have forseen.

[Katy]

Yeah, I think you should have an at least 10% contingency budget.  Maybe 15%.  If you don't spend it, fine, but I think you should expect to.

[LMD]

We just had our builder out this morning to mark out the house site! We break ground next week!

 

So far, there's been lots of little things that require just a couple of hundred dollars. Just $500 for concrete and $300 for port a potty etc. Fine print in mortgage loans eat away at the budget too.

 

We are owner building and should come in on budget, but you have to be decisive. Changing your mind, changing plans costs money - especially at the 'council approving plans' stage, that cost us quite a bit in both time and money.

[Scarlett]

I used the kindle version and it was fine!

 

Our build is....ish. We are supposed to put an offer in on land this week, but are having financing issues. Because of our high rent, we actually put an offer in last night on a ranch just east of here, that is full of 1970’s awesome from the original owner but really well maintained and in a killer location. So we are syphoning off 30k to renovate the whole thing on top of 40k down to avoid PMI, and will live there while we pay off the land loan and build.

 

We could have almost done the land in cash, but our rent is almost double what the mortgage will be. Even taking out a land loan AND mortgage our monthly payment is still $300-ish less per month - the rent to mortgage ratio in this area is insanity (very cheap mortgages and very high rents).

 

The downside of this is that now my poor husband has to psyche himself up for a major renovation (redoing all bathrooms and kitchen and fixing paint and flooring throughout the rest), only to turn around and have to build. And financially it pushes the build out. But we won’t have a home we dislike in the meantime, so the pressure to get it up quickly (and therefore expensive) will be alleviated. And it’s a ranch, not a two story like this home, so a lot more Benjamin friendly. It has really nice flow and enough space for us too - not too big, but enough (2150-ish square feet with big rooms).

 

 

That was probably waaaay more info than you wanted, it suffice to say I’m in the mire of construction for the next five years, maybe more 😱

No that is all very interesting!

[Scarlett]

We just had our builder out this morning to mark out the house site! We break ground next week!

 

So far, there's been lots of little things that require just a couple of hundred dollars. Just $500 for concrete and $300 for port a potty etc. Fine print in mortgage loans eat away at the budget too.

 

We are owner building and should come in on budget, but you have to be decisive. Changing your mind, changing plans costs money - especially at the 'council approving plans' stage, that cost us quite a bit in both time and money.

Owner building means the same thing as contracting it yourself?

 

I do think we would have an advantage because Dh can do all the plans and we can decisive on things before we break ground.

[Scarlett]

We just had our builder out this morning to mark out the house site! We break ground next week!

 

So far, there's been lots of little things that require just a couple of hundred dollars. Just $500 for concrete and $300 for port a potty etc. Fine print in mortgage loans eat away at the budget too.

 

We are owner building and should come in on budget, but you have to be decisive. Changing your mind, changing plans costs money - especially at the 'council approving plans' stage, that cost us quite a bit in both time and money.

It is very exciting to be building. Do you mind sharing what kind of house and how big? And how did you settle on a plan?

[LMD]

It is very exciting to be building. Do you mind sharing what kind of house and how big? And how did you settle on a plan?

It is exciting, it's been a long time coming!

 

I think owner building is the same thing, basically we manage the build and subcontract the jobs we can't do. So we have a builder who will do foundations and take us up to lock up stage, a plumber who will install the septic and other plumbing things (pipe, roofing, heating etc) and an electrician to install the wiring and solar system. Most of that Dh could do but legally isn't allowed to.

 

We decided on a kit home in the end, it's a simple design just a rectangle, single storey, 4 bed 2 bath, about 17.5 squares including the verandah. A very simple design, open plan kitchen/living with the master bedroom/ensuite on one side and a hallway to the other bedrooms and bathroom/laundry on the other side. And a big verandah spanning the whole front side to watch the sunset from!

 

We both know the kind of layout we like and dislike from previous homes and friends homes. We looked through a bunch of floor plans in our price range and decided what we liked about them. Then we found a design that was close and just adjusted a few details. This works for us with owner building as we'll be finishing the interior ourselves so we really only needed to be certain on the skeleton at the beginning - we can decide on fittings/finishes as we go.

 

But mostly, dh is really good at this stuff and has a better eye for style than I do so I pretty much just trust him to do a good job. I do have a pinterest board with specific things that I like for him to work from!

[Scarlett]

It is exciting, it's been a long time coming!

 

I think owner building is the same thing, basically we manage the build and subcontract the jobs we can't do. So we have a builder who will do foundations and take us up to lock up stage, a plumber who will install the septic and other plumbing things (pipe, roofing, heating etc) and an electrician to install the wiring and solar system. Most of that Dh could do but legally isn't allowed to.

 

We decided on a kit home in the end, it's a simple design just a rectangle, single storey, 4 bed 2 bath, about 17.5 squares including the verandah. A very simple design, open plan kitchen/living with the master bedroom/ensuite on one side and a hallway to the other bedrooms and bathroom/laundry on the other side. And a big verandah spanning the whole front side to watch the sunset from!

 

We both know the kind of layout we like and dislike from previous homes and friends homes. We looked through a bunch of floor plans in our price range and decided what we liked about them. Then we found a design that was close and just adjusted a few details. This works for us with owner building as we'll be finishing the interior ourselves so we really only needed to be certain on the skeleton at the beginning - we can decide on fittings/finishes as we go.

 

But mostly, dh is really good at this stuff and has a better eye for style than I do so I pretty much just trust him to do a good job. I do have a pinterest board with specific things that I like for him to work from!

That is incredibly similar to what we want! Dh keeps talking about a pole barn. He assures me it is just a structural term and the exterior can look like whatever we want.

[popmom]

If you don't already have one, get an umbrella policy. And obviously a builder's risk policy.

 

We built our own house--as in dh was the gen contractor and subbed everything out. I don't have much positive to say about the experience other than--in the end it was worth it. Best investment we ever made.

 

[Katy]

I have a different aunt & uncle that built a pole barn home.  It's my favorite house ever.

 

And it's amazingly well built, DH wasn't kidding when he said he thought it was more sturdy than most hurricane shelters.

[Scarlett]

If you don't already have one, get an umbrella policy. And obviously a builder's risk policy.

 

We built our own house--as in dh was the gen contractor and subbed everything out. I don't have much positive to say about the experience other than--in the end it was worth it. Best investment we ever made.

That sounds how I feel about this house we just bought. Five years of remodeling. I am so over it but it is going to make us a lot of money.....so I guess it is worth it.

 

I think the house from scratch will be much easier to be honest. I hope.

[Scarlett]

I have a different aunt & uncle that built a pole barn home. It's my favorite house ever.

 

And it's amazingly well built, DH wasn't kidding when he said he thought it was more sturdy than most hurricane shelters.

And Dh says it is very cost effective.

[LMD]

That is incredibly similar to what we want! Dh keeps talking about a pole barn. He assures me it is just a structural term and the exterior can look like whatever we want.

Lol! We looked at some barn designs! We did like them but it was too expensive for not enough floorspace in the end. We will have colourbond steel cladding.

This is one we originally considered

https://www.sheds.com.au/kit-homes/rural-retreat/

[LMD]

Okay just looked up pole barn, that sounds really interesting! We are putting in steel stumps for the foundation (termite area!), they should go in in just over a week.

[Scarlett]

Lol! We looked at some barn designs! We did like them but it was too expensive for not enough floorspace in the end. We will have colourbond steel cladding.

This is one we originally considered

https://www.sheds.com.au/kit-homes/rural-retreat/

I like the simplicity of it but the one thing I want to avoid is the bedrooms coming straight off the main room.

[Scarlett]

Okay just looked up pole barn, that sounds really interesting! We are putting in steel stumps for the foundation (termite area!), they should go in in just over a week.

You aren't in the states are you? Some of the terminology is off and I just remembered why. :)

[LMD]

No, I'm in Australia. ☺

[LMD]

And yes, I wanted the bedrooms to come off a hallway rather than the main room too.

[Corraleno]

I designed (including drawing all the plans myself) and built my previous house. I had a GC, but he was worse than useless, and I wound up having to manage most of it myself. It was super SUPER stressful, and honestly I don't think there's any way to avoid that, so you should go into it with eyes open and a good contingency fund. Even if you know exactly what you want and don't make any changes, things will go wrong. Subs get behind on other jobs and push yours off. People make mistakes that have to be fixed before the next stage happens. Someone will measure wrong and need to redo something. When the plumber gets sick or goes awol for a week because he's trying to finish another job, the kitchen cabinet guy has to be rescheduled, and then the granite guy gets put on hold, etc. You WILL get behind schedule and go over budget, because you just can't plan for everything. 

 

To you it's a labor of love, but to the guys doing the work it's just another job. If you don't want to spend the next 20-30 years of your life looking at misaligned tiles, or a gap in the floorboards, or mitered corners in the crown molding that don't quite meet, you or your DH will have to be there every day and watch like hawks to make sure stuff is done right, or is redone on the spot, and you can't be wimpy about it. It's not for the faint-hearted! But in the end you will have a house that's exactly what you want, just the way you want it, for a price that's just a little higher than you planned, with a move-in date that's a little later that you expected. You'll be so glad you did it — and you'll swear never to do it again!  

 

Good luck!  :thumbup1:

[shawthorne44]

Since your DH is the GC and he has more than a clue, you will be fine.   I agree with the above post to watch the contractors like a hawk.  But, with your DH as the GC it wouldn't be like you are re-doing the GC's job.   

 

One story that might be pertinent.   I had some friends that built a house and paid for it with their Am Ex card that had nice rewards.   In their case, they hired a general contractor.   But, the contractor used their Am Ex card to by the raw materials.   That made the contractor more patient for payments since he was only out for labor.   They used their down payment to pay the early Am Ex bills, then later the house loan kicked in to pay the contractor and the Am Ex bill.  At the end, their loan was a lot less than they thought it would be, because they'd spent less on non-house stuff while it was being built.   Getting 5 digit credit card bills tends to curtail unnecessary spending.  And, they also had some really nice Am Ex Rewards from all the purchases they'd put through it.  

[Garga]

Yes, watch the subcontractors like hawks!  I've never built a house, but the couple of tiny things I've had done have all been done slightly wrong:

 

The fence I was having put in, they put it in the wrong spot, so that the fenced in part of the yard was too small by a couple of feet.

 

The electrical socket for the dryer was put in askew and above the top of the dryer, and my dryer is in a main part of the house, so every time I walk through there, there's a big askew plug staring at me.  Why didn't he put it under the height of the dryer??? Seems obvious to me. 

 

The screen door wasn't installed correctly and now it catches on something or other from time to time.

 

I figured they knew what they were doing, but they didn't, or they just didn't care because it didn't affect them.  The screen guy sort of weasled off saying, "Your dh can fix that, right....?" And I was like, "I don't know....!" but by then he'd made his escape and it turned out my dh didn't have the tools to fix it.  I didn't know that I needed to stand my ground and tell him, "Um, no.  YOU need to fix that.  Now."

 

So, I've had a too small fenced in part of the yard, an unsightly plug staring at me, and a screen door that catches every now and then because I didn't know to watch what they were doing before they started putting holes in the wall or pouring cement footers for the fence (chain link with metal poles sunk in cement in the yard.)

 

 

And those are all tiny little things.  I'd imagine you'd have to be VERY clear on how you wanted big jobs done.  And watch that they're doing them right.

Edited November 29, 2017 by Garga

[Scarlett]

Thanks everyone.  

 

I guess what it comes down to is that I fear my dh will work too hard because he will be on top of it all like a hawk.  He works 45 minutes from where we want to build and although his hours are flexible he does have to actually work to make money.....

 

He is going to price it out soon but for now we aren't sure of the lot situation and that may affect whether we build or just buy.  

 

 

[shawthorne44]

Is it possible for you to sometimes be the hawk, at least sometimes?   The quality check can be done by anyone with eyes, measuring instruments and knowledge of what the contract says should be there.   So, your husband could tell you that this wall should be X inner distance away from that wall.   That the sand should be 5" deep, etc.    

 

Another thing if you buy a new house that someone else built, you are likely buying unseen shoddy workmanship.   Even with a well-respected developer.  For example, a friend of ours has a house in a hoity-tioty development.   Stonebriar in Frisco, Texas.    I think houses start at 5,0000 sq. ft.   They asked us to figure out why a shower drain had never drained well.   The drain was filled with hardened grout that the tile installer had just dumped down the drain.   That is just the example I can think of first, there are others.  

[Free Indeed]

We had a wonderful experience building our home. We used a general contractor we knew well from church and knew he could be trusted to use and watch, good sub contractors. I will agree with padding your budget 10-15%. I am frugal to the core and save money wherever I can, but we still ended up needing that padding for inevitables. If you don't need it- yea!

[Scarlett]

Is it possible for you to sometimes be the hawk, at least sometimes?   The quality check can be done by anyone with eyes, measuring instruments and knowledge of what the contract says should be there.   So, your husband could tell you that this wall should be X inner distance away from that wall.   That the sand should be 5" deep, etc.    

 

Another thing if you buy a new house that someone else built, you are likely buying unseen shoddy workmanship.   Even with a well-respected developer.  For example, a friend of ours has a house in a hoity-tioty development.   Stonebriar in Frisco, Texas.    I think houses start at 5,0000 sq. ft.   They asked us to figure out why a shower drain had never drained well.   The drain was filled with hardened grout that the tile installer had just dumped down the drain.   That is just the example I can think of first, there are others.  

 

 

Yes, I can be the hawk.  I work locally and have a lot of flexibility....so yes I could definitely be on site a lot.

[Scarlett]

We had a wonderful experience building our home. We used a general contractor we knew well from church and knew he could be trusted to use and watch, good sub contractors. I will agree with padding your budget 10-15%. I am frugal to the core and save money wherever I can, but we still ended up needing that padding for inevitables. If you don't need it- yea!

 

 

I could see a 15% padding....That would be doable.  

[Annie G]

I can tell you how NOT to do it. Dh has one sibling, a sister, who along w her dh, had a house building business until the housing collapse. So she knows how to do it. However....

 

She decided to build a house to share with dh's folks since they were getting older.  The lot was bought in August 2015.  And the house is not done yet. Yup. Over 2 years later she's still not done. Why? She has trouble making decisions because she insists everything has to be perfect. She's currently agonizing over what shade of beige to paint the walls. I'm not kidding. 

 

Next on the list is choosing the wood flooring.  She expects to spend about 40K on the floors but just can't decide what to put in. Still has cabinets, fixtures, and who knows what else to choose. 

 

In the meantime MIL has passed away from a year long cancer battle.   So if you have a little cost overrun or a minor time loss, at least you're not my SIL who lost months when she changed out the custom windows because she didn't like the finish or the shape.  

 

Good luck to you- I think your home reno experience is going to serve you well. 

 

[Scarlett]

It’s even okay if it takes two years - it often does if you’re doing almost all the work yourself and work a job, which is where my husband and I are on this. But having it take forever because of indecision equals big failures in the planning stage!

 

 

No kidding.  Dh says he can get it done in less than 6 months but he would allow for 6 months.  But we won't be doing the work.  Except dh will do the plans and such.

[Annie G]

It’s even okay if it takes two years - it often does if you’re doing almost all the work yourself and work a job, which is where my husband and I are on this. But having it take forever because of indecision equals big failures in the planning stage!

 

Absolutely true. SIL is hiring contractors to do it all. She's not doing the actual building.   

 

I give you big kudos for taking on a house building project while homeschooling and caring for Benjamin. 

[Soror]

We've built twice, once from the ground up and the next after a house fire. We did a lot of work ourselves and were our own contractors. 

 

We were lucky that we didn't have any major issues but I'd say expect that sh*t happens, expect things to cost more and take longer than you expect. 

 

Sometimes that is inevitable because when building some things are weather dependent and you can't control the weather. Some things might be under budget and some things over. 

 

Since your dh is in building you are probably in pretty good shape. You really have to watch who you hire to work for you, I had friends that ended up totally screwed b/c they just hired some random contractor without getting reviews, just b/c people seem nice and like they know what they are doing doesn't make it true. 

[Scarlett]

We've built twice, once from the ground up and the next after a house fire. We did a lot of work ourselves and were our own contractors. 

 

We were lucky that we didn't have any major issues but I'd say expect that sh*t happens, expect things to cost more and take longer than you expect. 

 

Sometimes that is inevitable because when building some things are weather dependent and you can't control the weather. Some things might be under budget and some things over. 

 

Since your dh is in building you are probably in pretty good shape. You really have to watch who you hire to work for you, I had friends that ended up totally screwed b/c they just hired some random contractor without getting reviews, just b/c people seem nice and like they know what they are doing doesn't make it true. 

 

 

I am feeling pretty confident that we can get good workers.  The guys who did our doors, windows, siding and gutters are hungry for work and they worked fast and did great work.  Dh was very pleased and he is hard to please.  And they had a pretty good crew of guys who could do all sorts of things....a sheetrocker who came in to do the interior finish work from new windows....and the main guy showed us work where he has flipped a couple of houses and one he is currently living in.  Beautiful.   I have a friend who happened to have reason to be inside his home once recently and she  said it is absolutely stunning workmanship. 

[Soror]

I can tell you how NOT to do it. Dh has one sibling, a sister, who along w her dh, had a house building business until the housing collapse. So she knows how to do it. However....

 

She decided to build a house to share with dh's folks since they were getting older.  The lot was bought in August 2015.  And the house is not done yet. Yup. Over 2 years later she's still not done. Why? She has trouble making decisions because she insists everything has to be perfect. She's currently agonizing over what shade of beige to paint the walls. I'm not kidding. 

 

Next on the list is choosing the wood flooring.  She expects to spend about 40K on the floors but just can't decide what to put in. Still has cabinets, fixtures, and who knows what else to choose. 

 

In the meantime MIL has passed away from a year long cancer battle.   So if you have a little cost overrun or a minor time loss, at least you're not my SIL who lost months when she changed out the custom windows because she didn't like the finish or the shape.  

 

Good luck to you- I think your home reno experience is going to serve you well. 

Ya, expecting perfection doesn't work. Sometimes you just have to go with things. Some things really aren't that important. There are a gazillion decisions building a house. There has to be give and take. 

 

We went with slow and cheaper, it is like anything you either spend more time or more money. We really didn't have a horrible experience either time but we just rolled with it. The bigger stress was the fire itself the second time. But we are super duper insured now b/c after doing it twice and spending years working on finishing houses we don't want to do it again.

[Soror]

I am feeling pretty confident that we can get good workers.  The guys who did our doors, windows, siding and gutters are hungry for work and they worked fast and did great work.  Dh was very pleased and he is hard to please.  And they had a pretty good crew of guys who could do all sorts of things....a sheetrocker who came in to do the interior finish work from new windows....and the main guy showed us work where he has flipped a couple of houses and one he is currently living in.  Beautiful.   I have a friend who happened to have reason to be inside his home once recently and she  said it is absolutely stunning workmanship. 

Ya, with your experience you guys will be fine. It is rough for the people who have no knowledge or experience with building

[Scarlett]

Here is the part I can't quite decide on.  Do we sell first and rent?  Dh says yes we sell then we 'camp' in an RV while we build.  I just....no.  No way.  If it were just dh and me, MAYBE.  And that is a big maybe.  So do we sell and rent?  Rent is going to cost us $1200 to $1500 min per month.  And IF we can find a 6 month lease (vs 12 month) that is still a big chunk of change...7200 to 9000....But maybe worth it to not have the stress of selling when we need to close the build.  

 

 

[Scarlett]

Do you need your homes equity to build? Would a HELOC work? We absolutely had to sell to have any money to work with, and we moved. Those two things together meant we needed to rent. But because mortgages were cheap and rent was expensive it means that when we ran the numbers renting was only cheaper for twenty MONTHS on the cost analysis.

 

You really have to run the numbers for your situation, it’s very individual and location specific.

 

 

We currently have a HELOC but no mortgage.  We have used 25K of a 40K HELOC.....

 

I am pretty sure the bank would work with us to do a bridge loan for construction and then sell to pay it off....but I don't dig that whole situation.  

[Scarlett]

On the subject of camping, a used 5th wheel with hooks ups and a separate bunkhouse for the boys in the back would probably actually be livable.

 

 

Shudders.  I am not saying I am too good for this if times called for the necessity of it.  But I can't even share a hotel room with my boys much less a 5th wheel.  My dh, ds and dss are all 6'3" or taller and just BIG men/boys.  

[Annie G]

I could sell and then rent. But no way could I live in an RV. I know my limitations.   But then again, if we were living in an RV while building, I probably would be out there dusk to dawn working on the house. 

[shawthorne44]

Another idea would be to build an outbuilding first.   Maybe something that could become your DH's tools/workspace once the house is done.  You could sleep in the RV and everyone could use the bathroom and kitchen of the RV, but the boys main space could be the garage.   Then being a Hawk would be easier and happen more often because you'd be living onsite.  

 

One idea we've been pondering, the steel building place near us will sell super cheap buildings that someone else ordered but cancelled.    So, you don't get to specify the dimensions or color etc., but they are cheap.  

[Scarlett]

I could sell and then rent. But no way could I live in an RV. I know my limitations.   But then again, if we were living in an RV while building, I probably would be out there dusk to dawn working on the house. 

 

 

LOL...I know right?

[LMD]

It’s even okay if it takes two years - it often does if you’re doing almost all the work yourself and work a job, which is where my husband and I are on this. But having it take forever because of indecision equals big failures in the planning stage!

So far we've spent 2 years just on paperwork...

Our loan requires us to finish within 12 months to release the final funds (owner builder loans are high risk and weird) so I have hope that it won't take too long. We should have the shell up by the end of January. Dh will still be working but he is amazing, he's done full time work and full time renovations before.

[OrganicJen]

Here is the part I can't quite decide on. Do we sell first and rent? Dh says yes we sell then we 'camp' in an RV while we build. I just....no. No way. If it were just dh and me, MAYBE. And that is a big maybe. So do we sell and rent? Rent is going to cost us $1200 to $1500 min per month. And IF we can find a 6 month lease (vs 12 month) that is still a big chunk of change...7200 to 9000....But maybe worth it to not have the stress of selling when we need to close the build.

I had friends who first built a detached garage with a little guest house area as part of it and they lived there while house was built.

[2squared]

If your boys are 16 and 17, I would wait until they are out of high school to build. It'll be a stressful period for everyone, and I would prefer to make the last year or two at home filled with family memories and closeness rather than the stress of moving and building a house. Seems like you only have a year, maybe two until they graduate. If this were my choice, I would table the entire thing until we moved into the next season of our lives since it is right around the corner anyway.

[Scarlett]

If your boys are 16 and 17, I would wait until they are out of high school to build. It'll be a stressful period for everyone, and I would prefer to make the last year or two at home filled with family memories and closeness rather than the stress of moving and building a house. Seems like you only have a year, maybe two until they graduate. If this were my choice, I would table the entire thing until we moved into the next season of our lives since it is right around the corner anyway.

Well good point. We want to be in town though so ds will be closer to college because he is commuting.

[MotherGoose]

Dh can definitely sub it all out. He knows how to build a house. There is no part of it he could not do himself if he 1) didn't have a full time job and 2) was not 50 and in not so great health. So the physical work really needs to be done by others,outside of some painting and stuff at the end that the boys can help with.

My dh is also a g c, but he doesn't normally build houses, so he doesn't know all the right people to bring into do the work. We have hired out the entire process and are very happy to have a builder who has contacts with the best framers, roofers, etc. to do the work. So I would caution you to make sure you have all that lined up before yOu start.