Cost to build your own home?

[EddieWalker]

Banks can be tricky to deal with.

Another thing to consider is to know what you want before you go buy it, and then only buy it when you need it. Too many times I've had clients who went shopping for stuff long before it was needed, and then either change their mind after finding something they liked better, or losing it, or it gets damaged. Worse is those people who buy used items thinking they will save some money that way. It is very hard to beat the prices from the box stores. Create your budget based prices from Lowes or Home Depot, and the decide if you can spend more, or if you can really find a deal that is better.

I recently did a bathroom for a client who's wife loves finding bargains on FB. She paid $50 for a vanity counter and faucet that was an off white kind of color. With the lighting she had me install in the bathroom, the vanity looked a nasty yellowish color that reminded all of us of urine. The faucet leaked around the valves and is probably why it was removed. In the end, it cost them more in my time, and they got into a huge fight over what to get when they went shopping because I needed it the next day and that stressed them out. It came out fine in the end, but they where out the cost of the deal they got on FB, then had to get rid of it, which was more hassle, and they paid me to install the vanity twice.

Another client started buying insulation long before I needed it and stored it in a metal shed in their backyard. By the time I was ready for it, there had been several storms that ruined probably close to half of it.

Some clients have had lumber and sheetrock sitting around for years. Either jobs that where never finished, or they where stocking up before the job started. Rarely is it any good by the time I need it. Sheetrock does not store very well, and lumber ends up at the bottom of a big pile that nobody wants to dig through. It warps over time and is rarely any good.

Doors, windows and lights are all things that they have had that when it came time to use, they didn't like them anymore, or they didn't look right in the space after work had begun.

Planning is critical to stay on budget, but not being wasteful is even more important.

 

[newbury]

Curly Dave I have a neighbor in a similar situation you described. He started on his home late last fall before getting the financing in place with the idea that he would dry the home in and finish once his construction loan was finalized. Walls went up and no roof all winter long. This last month the roof and windows were installed but everything stopped again before siding. I ran into him last week and asked about the progress. He was finally able to get pre-approved for the construction loan/mortgage however when the bank came out and saw that construction was already well underway they pulled the plug. They would not finance on a property where existing construction was already underway. Now he's trying to at least get the outer shell finished and sealed from the weather.

I cringed just reading this - Unless it's ONLY poured concrete or tubs of tar, ALL construction materials need to be properly protected from weather. I've seen a house on one of my commutes that was a repo. It stood mostly finished inside with only Tyvek protecting the shell for about 2 years before sale. After it was bought they let it sit another year or two with ripped Tyvek wrap and exposed plywood. Someone finally put siding on it and it was up for resale. I shudder to think of the condition of the plywood.
I was taught to close everything in from weather.

Banks can be tricky to deal with.

Another thing to consider is to know what you want before you go buy it, and then only buy it when you need it. Too many times I've had clients who went shopping for stuff long before it was needed, and then either change their mind after finding something they liked better, or losing it, or it gets damaged. Worse is those people who buy used items thinking they will save some money that way. It is very hard to beat the prices from the box stores. Create your budget based prices from Lowes or Home Depot, and the decide if you can spend more, or if you can really find a deal that is better.

I recently did a bathroom for a client who's wife loves finding bargains on FB. She paid $50 for a vanity counter and faucet that was an off white kind of color. With the lighting she had me install in the bathroom, the vanity looked a nasty yellowish color that reminded all of us of urine. The faucet leaked around the valves and is probably why it was removed. In the end, it cost them more in my time, and they got into a huge fight over what to get when they went shopping because I needed it the next day and that stressed them out. It came out fine in the end, but they where out the cost of the deal they got on FB, then had to get rid of it, which was more hassle, and they paid me to install the vanity twice.

Another client started buying insulation long before I needed it and stored it in a metal shed in their backyard. By the time I was ready for it, there had been several storms that ruined probably close to half of it.

Some clients have had lumber and sheetrock sitting around for years. Either jobs that where never finished, or they where stocking up before the job started. Rarely is it any good by the time I need it. Sheetrock does not store very well, and lumber ends up at the bottom of a big pile that nobody wants to dig through. It warps over time and is rarely any good.

Doors, windows and lights are all things that they have had that when it came time to use, they didn't like them anymore, or they didn't look right in the space after work had begun.

Planning is critical to stay on budget, but not being wasteful is even more important.

That's why I think construction of the shed/apartment should be first. It allows one to stock up on "deals" that you KNOW you will use and store them for a while.
When a lumber store near me was closing down about 25 years ago they had a big stack of 1x1x10. The manager sold it to me for about $10. It filled my Dodge regular size van to above the windows. I'm still using some for projects, but I had plenty of room in a shed to store it. I found a sale on "masonite" 4x8 sheets which I use over 3/4 plywood for worksurfaces on my pallet racks. Stocked up, took me about 3 years, I'm down to a few sheets.

I'm redoing/putting on an addition on a house. It's go about 100 square feet of good oldstyle thick oak flooring. My son suggested we save and have the contractor reuse it in the addition. I think it will take more $ to recycle it than it is worth.

If you can store things so they are recoverable and usable it's worth it. Otherwise you might as well stock up on ice cubes and store them outside uncovered through a Texas summer.

 

[shibaura_4043]

I decided to call mueller and the concrete guy to get a rough estimate to construct a 40x60 shop with 15x60 lean-to. I was quoted about 42,000 total, That was me constructing the pre-engineered building myself. Had the same building quoted by a contractor and their quote came in at 41,000 including all labor. Did I miss something here? I was thinking I could save some $$ doing it myself (with the exception of concrete work), it's looking like its cheaper to pay the contractor to do it all? I never would have thought that would be the case. Anybody else have a similar experience when building their shop?

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Im guessing about $15k in material, plus concrete. Your mueller price was way high.

 

[EddieWalker]

I decided to call mueller and the concrete guy to get a rough estimate to construct a 40x60 shop with 15x60 lean-to. I was quoted about 42,000 total, That was me constructing the pre-engineered building myself. Had the same building quoted by a contractor and their quote came in at 41,000 including all labor. Did I miss something here? I was thinking I could save some $$ doing it myself (with the exception of concrete work), it's looking like its cheaper to pay the contractor to do it all? I never would have thought that would be the case. Anybody else have a similar experience when building their shop?

Mueller has a different levels of buildings, and wind ratings. Everything they sell is highly engineered and guaranteed. Steel posts and I beam trusses.

What is your builder going to do for post and trusses? It might be fine, but it will never be up to what you get from Mueller. Not that you need what Mueller sells, but you need to be careful on what your getting by comparing apples to apples.

 

[dalroo]

I did a lot of shopping before deciding on shop. These numbers are approximate (from memory), but the quotes for steel alone on my 32x40 building was between $13 and $15k including 3 12' roll up doors, and 1 man door. When I added extras, poured concrete, and insulation I was approaching $25k.

I found a local contractor who did the project, as designed above, but also included 1000 gallon septic and leach field. All in I was under $30k. When considering he could get it done in less than 2 weeks, and it would have taken me several months, with lots of friend help, tool purchases, and equipment rental it was a no-brainer to have it done. I could not be happier with the outcome.

 

[shibaura_4043]

Im guessing about $15k in material, plus concrete. Your mueller price was way high.

Mueller quoted me 26k for 40x60 with 15x60 lean-to pre-engineered bolt together structure. I'm still shopping quotes but I don't think I have to have the quality of Mueller for that price.

 

[joeu235]

I just a quote from Mueller for a 40 x 60 shop with 2 - 12 ft doors and 2- 10 ft doors for $16,000 with no insulation. I think now is the time to get a steel building as the commodity prices will be going up soon. Our plan is to live in the shop also while we build our home.

 

[shibaura_4043]

I just a quote from Mueller for a 40 x 60 shop with 2 - 12 ft doors and 2- 10 ft doors for $16,000 with no insulation. I think now is the time to get a steel building as the commodity prices will be going up soon. Our plan is to live in the shop also while we build our home.

That's a lot better price than I was quoted, do I need to ask for a different style? Mine was a bolt together kit. Was yours weld together kit? The lean-to added another $5400, my quote was still 5-6k higher and I only had 2- 12ft door.

 

[Redneck in training]

We bought a 48 x 90 Morton Building barn in 2004 and then converted it to a house. It cost about 150 000 including Pella three pain windows and doors, insulated R19, 36 ft wide garage door, about 1000 ft driveway, 6" insulated concrete floor, 500 ft electric and 1000 ft water connection and septic. The building as delivered as above was for 35 sqft. When the living space was finished DIY we spent additional about 50 - 55/ sq ft for 2300 sq ft of living space. Total cost was about 290 K plus land and construction of pond.