Possible to build a 1000-1500sf home for 45k?
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magicheater
Veteran Member
Yes it is but will be very plain, more like a garage with amenities.
Purchasing land and having ground work done will CO$T YA !!!
Location, location, location, etc.
Are heat AND A/C needed ?, that can have a big effect on cost.
If you have no better opportunities for your time you can save SOME money by doing some of the land work yourself.
There are many stories here of folk buying a dozer, clearing their land, selling it on, etc.
Same with excavators and hoes, but you need the TIME and at least some skills for it.
If you can make better money doing something else, then you probably should do that.
After that, supposedly modular is the best deal and they don't ALL look like cardboard cubes.
PS Just saw the "Central Wisconsin", I guess you NEED heat.
AC might still be optional.
Location, location, location, etc.
Are heat AND A/C needed ?, that can have a big effect on cost.
If you have no better opportunities for your time you can save SOME money by doing some of the land work yourself.
There are many stories here of folk buying a dozer, clearing their land, selling it on, etc.
Same with excavators and hoes, but you need the TIME and at least some skills for it.
If you can make better money doing something else, then you probably should do that.
After that, supposedly modular is the best deal and they don't ALL look like cardboard cubes.
PS Just saw the "Central Wisconsin", I guess you NEED heat.
AC might still be optional.
dave1949
Super Star Member
Money is tight, need a home. Something plain jane, even if it's just dried-in. Trying to avoid getting a mobile in central florida. Any ideas? Thanks.
That sounds like a challenge. Will you have town/county water and sewer? I assume your foundation will be a concrete slab? How about the Florida hurricane building codes?
You will have to make every inch of your building materials count.
From a purely financial aspect, the mobile may be a better use of your money if you end up skimping everywhere on a new build. Have to watch your resale value.
Dave.
buckeyefarmer
Epic Contributor
If you do most of it yourself, and you are building in a county with little building codes, and you already own the land.
Around here you get to pay "impact fees" of around $10K, not counting the permit fees which can be a few more K's. And you get nothing for the impact fee's, it's not a water tap or sewer tap, just an impact on your wallet.
Around here you get to pay "impact fees" of around $10K, not counting the permit fees which can be a few more K's. And you get nothing for the impact fee's, it's not a water tap or sewer tap, just an impact on your wallet.
A challenge indeed. I have a well and septic ready to roll but will need a slab. I peeked at the florida building codes but they are thousands of pages long and I don't understand any of it.
For around 33-34k I could get Kodiak Steel Homes | Autumn View Series this 1170sf model delivered. Red iron bolt-together steel construction with PBR roof panels and steel siding (no windows, doors, interior, or labor). I wonder what it would cost to erect this and put in "dry-in" condition?
Or the mobile might be a better idea? Concrete blocks are cheap here too, i wonder how much it really costs to put something small and simple together. Nobody will build anything here under 90k+ it seems.
I really don't know how to do anything myself
But my impact fees are already paid (came with land)
The county tells me that if a structure meets the florida building codes, its a-ok with them.
dave1949
Super Star Member
The price of getting the Kodiak assembled and adding doors/windows and minimal interior with plumbing could easily double the $34K would be my guess. A steel building could be more difficult to finish inside and more difficult to build than a conventional wood frame home as a do-it-yourself project. Plus, there is the resale thing. If you ever need to sell, and most do sooner or later, will a Kodiak building bring the same price as a wood frame building? You may save some upfront only to lose a lot later. I don't know the answer to that, but you should before you jump in.
For any kit home, the first thing to ask is 'does it meet Florida building codes'. If it doesn't or isn't certified by an engineer, it's a non-starter for you. For any company who says yes to that question, you will have to verify that by asking your local inspectors and building permit people what they require to show the structure will meet the Florida code.
How picky are your local inspectors about occupying a partially complete home? That would be a problem in many areas.
How did you arrive at the 1000-1500 sqft home size? Is there a minimum sqft required in your lot location? How many bedrooms do you need? Are you willing to have one bath versus 1 and 1/2 or two? How many people will live in this home? For one or two people, you can have a nice house that is under 1000 sqft. Getting the house sized correctly upfront is the surest way to maximize your budget.
My advice is to do a LOT of homework first on this. It will save you many $$$ and headaches down the road.
Dave.
crazyal
Super Member
I have a friend who was tight on money. He built a large garage and then picked up a used camper and parked it inside. He got around a lot of the building codes since a garage doesn't need the same permits as a house where he was building. As he has extra money he's been turning the second floor of the garage into a loft and has plans of someday turning some of the first floor into living space.
oldnslo
Super Member
Around here the Mason's charge a $1 a block or more tp lay them. Not sure what they charge in Florida. With cement block walls you will have to either run all of your electrical through the cores of the block in conduit or on the surface in conduit. All of these items make cemnt blocks an expensive option quickly.
Materials for a 800 SF addition including foundation are costing me around the $45K
Are mobile homes approved for hurricane areas?
Roy