Building Your Own Home For Dummies

Obviously, having instructions when building a new home is essential. However, because a house is a complex structure made of many different systems, your instructions (or plans) need to include many different drawings. A typical set of plans will include 30 to 50 pages of specific instructions on how to build your house.

Considering the design-build combo A number of companies today design the homes and build them for you. Such companies are called design-build firms in the industry. Many custom home companies have added architects to their staffs so they can provide you with a seamless process from start to finish. The main advantage of this approach is consistent

The surest way to make sure that all bids are assuming the same materials and labor necessary is to specify all the materials required for the project before you put the plans and specs out to bid.

Hiring a Contractor Most people building a custom home end up hiring a general contractor to do the job. In fact, 80 percent of custom home projects have a general contractor involved in some capacity. Many people find great comfort in having someone with experience manage the job while they earn the money to pay for the project.

Wondering what the biggest mistake made in the design process is? Underestimating the time you need and the sheer amount of decisions you need to make.

Ask the contractor for a complete address list of homes he has built in addition to a list of references. Make sure you look at houses built ten years ago as well as newer ones. Remember, just as a car with 50,000 miles drives much

Setbacks determine how far from the edges of your lot you must build. They’re generally determined by the property zoning restrictions and the CC&Rs. The side setbacks are generally closer to the property line than the front and rear setbacks, but not always. This information is crucial for figuring out where you can place the house on the lot.

Give yourself a break. Design a house that doesn’t stretch you to your limits. That way if you’re coming in on budget, you can choose to upgrade and splurge here and there without worry.

Identifying Insurance Issues If you arrange outside financing for your project, the lender requires insurance to cover several issues, including at minimum Liability Workers’ compensation Course of construction Even if you finance the project 100 percent out of your own pocket, you still want to protect yourself. This section outlines the different