The Complete Guide to Building Your Own Home and Saving Thousands on Your New House

by Corie Richter

Overview

Buying a new home can be an expensive endeavor. Many people dream of building their own home but mistakenly believe that doing so is not cost effective. However, you can save 20 to 40 percent or more by building your own home. In The Complete Guide to Building Your Own Home and Saving Thousands on Your New House you will discover that your dream can become reality.

From basic planning to construction methods, this new book will take you through all the steps of building your own home. You will learn how to: choose a site, draw up a construction time line, apply for construction loans and financing, obtain essential insurance information, buy or prepare inexpensive plans, find and negotiate with subcontractors, comply with building codes, select features and fixtures, choose the style of the house, decide on the size of the rooms, and get building permits. You will learn about building materials and foundations, floors, walls, paint, windows, decks, garage doors, roofing, flashings, chimneys, plumbing, wiring, ceilings, floors, railings, and attics.

In addition, you will learn how to design a home that will meet your needs, perform constructions tasks safely, and build amenities. This book will inform you about common problems to watch for, including foundation, roofing, walls, stairs, sidewalks, driveways, heating and cooling, electrical capacity, and wiring.

This book will detail money-saving options and environmentally friendly techniques, while at the same time allowing you to monitor the quality of the materials and the workmanship, fine-tune the design, and make sure the results are exactly what you had envisioned.

Atlantic Publishing is a small, independent publishing company based in Ocala, Florida. Founded over twenty years ago in the company president’s garage, Atlantic Publishing has grown to become a renowned resource for non-fiction books. Today, over 450 titles are in print covering subjects such as small business, healthy living, management, finance, careers, and real estate. Atlantic Publishing prides itself on producing award winning, high-quality manuals that give readers up-to-date, pertinent information, real-world examples, and case studies with expert advice. Every book has resources, contact information, and web sites of the products or companies discussed.

This Atlantic Publishing eBook was professionally written, edited, fact checked, proofed and designed. The print version of this book is 288 pages and you receive exactly the same content. Over the years our books have won dozens of book awards for content, cover design and interior design including the prestigious Benjamin Franklin award for excellence in publishing. We are proud of the high quality of our books and hope you will enjoy this eBook version.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781601385444
Publisher:	Atlantic Publishing Group
Publication date:	11/02/2009
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	288
File size:	2 MB

Table of Contents

Introduction 13

Chapter 1 Getting Started 17

1.1 Why Build Yourself? 17

1.2 The Benefits of Building Yourself 21

1.3 Misconceptions About Building Yourself 25

1.4 Your Role as the General Contractor 32

1.5 Finding and Managing Subcontractors 36

1.6 Going Green and Environmental Considerations 39

Chapter 2 Preparing for the Process 43

2.1 Planning and Organizing 43

2.2 Budgeting Your Project 46

2.3 Hiring a Contractor 48

2.4 Dealing with Insurance Issues 52

Chapter 3 Planning and Scheduling 57

3.1 Planning a Timeline 57

3.2 What Types of Schedules Are There? 60

3.3 Why Should You Plan Accordingly? 63

3.4 Act As If You Are a Business 65

3.5 Planning Steps 68

3.6 Essential Tools and Equipment 70

Chapter 4 Financing Your Project 75

4.1 Types of Construction Loans 75

4.2 How to Use Debt to Your Advantage 78

4.3 Shop for the Right Terms 79

Chapter 5 Finding a Building Lot 83

5.1 Location and Geography 83

5.2 Finding the Perfect Building Lot 86

5.3 What is the Difference Between a Lot and Land? 91

5.4 What is the Value of Your Building Site? 92

5.5 Should You Deal With Tearing Down Property? 95

5.6 Buying Your Building Site 98

Chapter 6 House Plans 105

6.1 Designing Your Home 105

6.2 Determining Your Requirements 108

6.3 Obtaining Accurate Bids 111

6.4 Getting the Plans and Permissions 114

6.5 Finding the Right House Plan 117

Chapter 7 Heating and Cooling 121

7.1 Types of Heating 121

7.2 Types of Heating Systems 124

7.3 Types of Cooling Systems 127

7.4 Air Cleaners and Humidifiers 132

7.5 Ceiling Fans 134

7.6 Fireplaces 136

Chapter 8 The Beginning of Your Castle (Phase One) 143

8.1 Permits, Building Codes,and Inspections 143

8.2 Groundwork and Excavation 145

8.3 Foundations, Footers, and Slabs 146

8.4 Underground Plumbing 150

8.5 Backfilling, Drainage, and Landscaping 152

Chapter 9 The First Nail (Phase Two) 157

9.1 First Things First 157

9.2 Frame Your House 158

9.3 Cap it Off: Roofing 162

9.4 Windows and Exterior Doors 167

9.5 Decks and Porches 171

9.6 Siding and Trim 173

Chapter 10 It Looks Like a House! (Phase Three) 177

10.1 Electrical and Plumbing 177

10.2 Insulate 181

10.3 Drywall and Trim 182

10.4 Finish Off the Kitchen 188

10.5 Finish Off the Bathroom 190

Chapter 11 Working the Walls 195

11.1 Flooring 195

11.2 Kitchen Cabinets and Counterpoise 198

11.3 Bathroom Vanities 201

11.4 Finish Plumbing and Electrical 204

11.5 Stairways 206

Chapter 12 Lighting, Hardware, and the Accessories 211

12.1 Types of Light Sources 211

12.2 Home Lighting Uses 213

12.3 Lighting Terms 217

12.4 Hardware: Doors and Drawers 220

12.5 Interior Priming and Painting 223

12.6 Appliances 225

Chapter 13 The Final Inspection 231

Chapter 14 Landscaping, Your Drive, and Walkways 235

14.1 To Pave or Not to Pave 235

14.2 What to Know About Driveways 236

14.3 Paving Materials 237

14.4 Walkways 239

14.5 Traditional or Xeriscaping 241

14.6 Ponds and Pools 242

Chapter 15 The Finish Line 245

15.1 Preparing for Taxes 245

15.2 Punch List 247

15.3 Moving in and Managing Your Investment 249

15.4 Setting up a Maintenance Plan 254

Chapter 16 Spending Now or Later 259

Case Studies 260

Conclusion 263

Appendix A Interview Questions 267

Sample of a Subcontractor Suggested Interview Questions 267

Sample of a General Contractor Interview Questions 268

Appendix B Checklists 271

Sample of a Financial Inspection Punch List 271

Appendix C Worksheets 277

Sample of a Budget Worksheet 277

Sample of a Lien Waiver 278

Sample of a Monthly Planning Worksheet 279

Sample of a Weekly Planning Worksheet 279

Bibliography 281

Biography 283

Index 285