# Building a new home ????



## OmenHonkey (Dec 30, 2014)

I am in the early stages of starting building my home. It's going to be on our farm, so I hope to never sell or lose it!!! I know mostly what I want and have the plans I love! I have made some changes and a few sacrifices to keep down cost. But, my question is, are there some subtle things some of you may have in your home that make it great? Ya know "the little things". I had a folder many years ago full of things I wanted done to my house. Clippings from magazines, features from here and there over years. Gave them to a house designer and.... She lost it all.


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## Stonewall 2 (Dec 30, 2014)

Laundry room with a sink and big enough to iron in. Gas cook top, check during framing for any areas for extra storage or closet space. All masonry exterior especially if you staying forever more expensive upfront but will save in long run with painting.


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## gobbleinwoods (Dec 30, 2014)

vinyl clad windows--think no painting


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## sinclair1 (Dec 30, 2014)

Here are a few things I done very cheaply at build, that would have been a pain afterwards.

Wire for under cabinet lighting, wire for TVs to hang on walls, transom windows, put lots of can lights in the kitchen.


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## T-N-T (Dec 30, 2014)

When they are framing your house have the framer put a little extra "dead wood" at the top corners of the windows where the curtain rods mount.  
This is nearly free with scrap wood and you will be happy to change the drapes in 10 years when your wife comes home with an arm load of heavy cloth.


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## jimbo4116 (Dec 30, 2014)

sinclair1 said:


> Here are a few things I done very cheaply at build, that would have been a pain afterwards.
> 
> Wire for under cabinet lighting, wire for TVs to hang on walls, transom windows, put lots of can lights in the kitchen.



Self closing drawers on cabinets. Inside corner base cabinet with drawers, see photo.  At least one bank of base cabinets 32" to 36" wide with 2 deep drawers and a divided utensil drawer next to range for pots and pans. Walk in shower with no shower door to keep clean.


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## ryanh487 (Dec 30, 2014)

Wife and I will be building a house hopefully for our next home, and we have a list of definites that I think are pretty universally practical things:

-Large pantry
-Laundry room large enough for a sink and ironing board
-Kitchen counter space
-Laundry room on main floor (easier to move machines in and out of house, less damage if something leaks/floods)
-His & her closets
-Don't forget a good place to add a gun safe
-Ceiling fans & light fixtures in all rooms
-Whole house exhaust fan - great for those smokey kitchen mishaps or just drawing in cool air on nice days


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## RossVegas (Dec 30, 2014)

My wife and I were supposed to start this coming summer on our house on her mothers farm.  Gonna have to put off till next summer.  I've got the folder of ideas on my computer as well.  I've got a list of things to do when building, it's from some blog I found online.  It's the little things you don't think about.  PM me your email address, and I'll email it to you if your interested.  It's little things like putting outlets under the eaves of the house and all the windows of the house that goto a dedicated switch, so you can turn all Christmas lights on/off at one time, Charging station in the pantry, etc.

I want a dedicated A/V, mechanical room off from the family room.  All a/v will be in there with an IR repeated going in, and only one cable coming out to TV.  Probably will make it big enough for the gun safe as well.


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## Gaducker (Dec 30, 2014)

Mud room with washer, dryer, and water heater, with door to drive way, insulate very well so you don't hear washer and dryer.
36 inch doors everywhere, that's a selling point and a get old and need more room point for you if you retire in it.   Standing seam tin roof.


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## T-N-T (Dec 30, 2014)

Gaducker said:


> Mud room with washer, dryer, and water heater, with door to drive way, insulate very well so you don't hear washer and dryer.
> 36 inch doors everywhere, that's a selling point and a get old and need more room point for you if you retire in it.   Standing seam tin roof.



HE is right about 36 inch doors EVERYWHERE.  Wheel chair accessibility can be Very important.  
Lots of plans dont allow this without modification.


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## 1gr8bldr (Dec 30, 2014)

Crawl space with many lights. I don't need a flashlight to work under mine. Highest seer you can afford, All entry doors covered and doors to have rot proof seals and brickmold. Go with all led lighting. Best framer you can afford. Everything exterior maintenance free. Best exterior boxer you can afford. Yard graded and dragged for smoothness. Instant hot water with timed recirculating in crawl. Any storage areas that have exposed insulation to be covered by cheap plywood. Insulated garage doors. Sufficient roof ventilation. A tri design kitchen. Don't tile or hardwood under cabinets, lay a piece of plywood to keep down sqft cost. 20 amp outside recp. Secondary heat such as remote thermo controlled gas logs, for when the power goes out. Twin large cabinet doors to hold at least a 40 gallon trash can. Dbl interior doors are attractive but don't have a convenient locking system. Recp in baseboard instead of walls


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## 1gr8bldr (Dec 30, 2014)

Things that are over rated and expensive.????? I see so much money wasted on things that have much cheaper alternatives. 

I will point out a few, round top windows are expensive due to interior trim.


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## 1gr8bldr (Dec 30, 2014)

RossVegas said:


> My wife and I were supposed to start this coming summer on our house on her mothers farm.  Gonna have to put off till next summer.  I've got the folder of ideas on my computer as well.  I've got a list of things to do when building, it's from some blog I found online.  It's the little things you don't think about.  PM me your email address, and I'll email it to you if your interested.  It's little things like putting outlets under the eaves of the house and all the windows of the house that goto a dedicated switch, so you can turn all Christmas lights on/off at one time, Charging station in the pantry, etc.
> 
> I want a dedicated A/V, mechanical room off from the family room.  All a/v will be in there with an IR repeated going in, and only one cable coming out to TV.  Probably will make it big enough for the gun safe as well.


LOL, I wired a dedicated circuit for front yard lights, for window Christmas lights, etc. And have never used them


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## mattech (Dec 30, 2014)

I'll never own another house without a basement, if I can help it.


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## mattech (Dec 30, 2014)

Don't go cheap on electrical/low voltage. When  you need light to see it stinks having one light Ina certain room, and when you want to redo the bedroom you don't want to have to run a new connection for the cable.


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## woco hunter (Dec 30, 2014)

Get a survey to seperate the home from the farm so they're not connected financially.


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## GB Young (Dec 30, 2014)

Plenty of exterior spigots.   I like to put a hot water one at garage.  It is handy.


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## OmenHonkey (Dec 30, 2014)

Wow! Thanks to everyone that replied! Just read all of them to the wife! Great stuff so far please keep em coming!!


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## NE GA Pappy (Dec 30, 2014)

full basement with 10ft walls.  So I can run the a/c vents and such. If I ever decide to finish the basement, I can still have 8ft dropin ceiling.  Great place for a man cave.  This is also were I put a laundry room big enough for a hotel.  The wife loves it, and if it flooded, no damage. Vac it up and keep going.


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## OmenHonkey (Dec 31, 2014)

My dads house has a basement.  It's flooded more times than I can count. Everything down there is on pallets.  No basement for me.  I will have plenty of room in the crawlspace .


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## gobbleinwoods (Dec 31, 2014)

OmenHonkey said:


> My dads house has a basement.  It's flooded more times than I can count. Everything down there is on pallets.  No basement for me.  I will have plenty of room in the crawlspace .



my basement has floor drains should there ever be a water issue it will all be gone but for a small amount to wet vac up.


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## Wild Turkey (Dec 31, 2014)

Toto high rise superflush toilet in master bath.
larger laundry room.
Wire everyhting.
House wrap and super insulation.
Foam every floor/ceiling penetration.
Caulk/foam framing around every window before windows installed.
Add tons of dead/blocking wood like the other guy said. I spent a week adding blocking after the framer finished. part time of course.
instant hot water heater for kitchen sink.


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## shakey gizzard (Dec 31, 2014)

Position house to utilize sun/winter wind breaks, plant summer shade tree's, plumb exterior spigots to street pressure, grey water collection system would be a plus!


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## Duff (Dec 31, 2014)

Yes, basement if at all possible

Do not skimp on windows. Get the best you can afford.

Do not skimp on insulation. Insulate all walls, interior as well. Cellulose or Foam. 

Put in way more outlets, in each room, than you think you'll need 

As someone mentioned, 3'0" doors if possible. At least on the exterior

Build as maintenance free as possible. Brick or fiber board
ext, vinal windows.......The less paint the better. I used hardi board 14 yrs ago and the original paint still looks great.

I wish I had 2x the closet space

I wish I had more bathroom space.


DO NOT use flat paint on interior walls. At least use a satin or eggshell finish. Much easier to maintain.

I used exterior semi gloss paint for my interior trim. It takes abuse and not as much touch up

About 3/4 of the way through, you will think you are under budget. Then you start the finishes.

Save on the inside with items that can be easily be upgraded years down the road-- Laminate counter tops instead of granite/solid surface--Not cheap, but cheaper appliances than the top of the line--Faucets, sinks........etc


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## sinclair1 (Dec 31, 2014)

I forgot my favorite, I took tons of pictures after wiring and plumbing was in, just before insulation/Sheetrock. I love knowing where everything is located in the walls.


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## Duff (Dec 31, 2014)

1 more and if at all possible, this is a have to. If it has a garage, build it at least 25'x25' with 18' garage door. 2-10' doors are even better.


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## jiminbogart (Dec 31, 2014)

OmenHonkey said:


> I am in the early stages of starting building my home.



If you are not a builder and you are going to build the home yourself you need to find a local builder you can trust to give you advice.

Unless you are in the business you will find it a challenge to get subcontractors to do the work at a fair price.

Where a builder may have a framer to frame the house for $2.75 per square foot, the same framer may quote you $5.00 per square foot. He may also frame the house for the builder in 5 days and if he is working for the homeowner it may take 3 weeks(he may work a day or two and then leave the job to go work for one of his regular builders when they call).

Using the framer as an example, not only do you need a good framer, your builder(you) will need to know framing in order to walk the framing job before a check is cut.
All window and door openings will need to be checked for size, plumb & square, roof bracing checked, walls checked for straightness/plumb/square, sheathing properly gapped, ect.

You basically have to know how to do every trade so that you can go behind each sub and make sure they did their job correctly.

You will also need to make choices on systems that have big differences in price and performance. As an example, for a floor system you can use 2x10's, I Joists or trusses. They vary greatly by price(and plan) and each has it pros and cons. 

I tell folks to find a cost plus builder(10%) and they will usually save money.

A builder will get subcontractors and materials at a much better price than someone building one home.

Make sure you require all subs to have Work Comp, General Liability and vehicle insurance(we had a car hit on a job 2 weeks ago).
Make sure you have a contract with each sub and make sure you are listed as an additional insured on their certificate of insurance.
If I was building one house I would make sure that I paid for the materials separate with any turnkey subs.
Use purchase orders so you have a paper trail of what is ordered. As an example. window orders are notorious for wrong sizes, wrong grill patterns and wrong colors(vinyl windows). 

I try to use the same subcontractors for every house. As an example, my roofer has done 800+ houses for me in the last 15+ years. Most times when I have to find a new sub there is a process of going through a few before I get one that I can work with.
Every sub an owner/builder uses will be a new sub.

If you have got it all worked out good deal.

If you have any specific question I can help you with shoot me a PM.


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## The Longhunter (Dec 31, 2014)

I'm not a builder, but I've dealt with their problems and everyone else in my family is in some phase of building.

JiminBogart is handing out some good advice.  Unless you are very knowledgeable about the entire building process, you stand a good chance of getting hosed.  It doesn't matter what the suppliers tell you, you're not going to get the same prices as a bona fide contractor.

And this advice is worth it's weight in gold.   Unless you understand every word in this paragraph, you are in for a big shock when Julio falls off the roof, and you get one call, and that's all.



> Make sure you require all subs to have Work Comp, General Liability and vehicle insurance(we had a car hit on a job 2 weeks ago).
> Make sure you have a contract with each sub and make sure you are listed as an additional insured on their certificate of insurance.
> If I was building one house I would make sure that I paid for the materials separate with any turnkey subs.
> Use purchase orders so you have a paper trail of what is ordered. As an example. window orders are notorious for wrong sizes, wrong grill patterns and wrong colors(vinyl windows).



You wouldn't believe how much trouble is caused by allegedly unauthorized changes or upgrades.  Very expensive trouble.

Plus you have to know how to clear liens (or prevent them from being attached) or you are going to have a mess.


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## Hooty Hoot (Dec 31, 2014)

jiminbogart said:


> If you are not a builder and you are going to build the home yourself you need to find a local builder you can trust to give you advice.
> 
> Unless you are in the business you will find it a challenge to get subcontractors to do the work at a fair price.
> 
> ...



Yep! And have all selections made prior to construction. Remember................the longer your home is under construction, the more interest you will be paying on your construction loan. Cost plus 10% for a reputable builder is money well spent.


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## OmenHonkey (Dec 31, 2014)

Thanks again for all the replies.  I am a maintenance supervisor and have wired and plumbed and totally remodeled the house I own now.  My fiance and her family were/are contractors.  Her dad still is licensed and he will be the GC. She , I and her brothers will be the Labor.And she works at a hardware store so hopefully we can purchase most things at cost. I'm about to dig and pour the footings, block the foundation, install septic, run line from well and pay cash out of pocket for it all. Should save a chunk without the loan at this point. I will start the construction loan after all of this is completed.


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## sinclair1 (Dec 31, 2014)

OmenHonkey said:


> Thanks again for all the replies.  I am a maintenance supervisor and have wired and plumbed and totally remodeled the house I own now.  My fiance and her family were/are contractors.  Her dad still is licensed and he will be the GC. She , I and her brothers will be the Labor.And she works at a hardware store so hopefully we can purchase most things at cost. I'm about to dig and pour the footings, block the foundation, install septic, run line from well and pay cash out of pocket for it all. Should save a chunk without the loan at this point. I will start the construction loan after all of this is completed.


 do a good job on termite treatment now when you do the footings before backfilling


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## bassboy1 (Dec 31, 2014)

Duff said:


> Put in way more outlets, in each room, than you think you'll need



Yes.

It'll be easy to figure out where certain pieces of furniture are going, so plan additional outlets around that.  For example, instead of putting on outlet on each bedroom wall, figure out where the bed is going, and put one on each side.

Heck, when my parents built years ago, they even put in a switched outlet for the Christmas tree lights.


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## rospaw (Dec 31, 2014)

Gaducker said:


> Mud room with washer, dryer, and water heater, with door to drive way, insulate very well so you don't hear washer and dryer.
> 36 inch doors everywhere, that's a selling point and a get old and need more room point for you if you retire in it.   Standing seam tin roof.



Mud room i think is a must. I few rooms with a 220v in wall mount electric heaters. They are about the size of a regular register with a on/off and temp control. (made by Markel) Switch gear wired to elec panel for any generator or a back up generator setup. All attic space decked for storage.


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## fireman32 (Dec 31, 2014)

I 2nd the termite job, get a reputable company. It could save many dollars in the long run.


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## Semi-Pro (Jan 1, 2015)

Icynene, spray foam insulation, wood stove... with a fireplace you lose 80% up the flue. spend money to make your house more energy effecient. save on hardware, fixtures etc. I have also seen some suntubes in a house that worked very well. http://www.solatube.com/


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## georgia_home (Jan 1, 2015)

High counters in kitchen AND bathroom. 

If anyone shovels stuff at you that 32" is standard, get another builder. The taller you are, and the older you get, the truer this is.


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## Jeetdawg (Jan 1, 2015)

Built a house two years ago and here are things we like and utilize:  Techshield Radiant Barrier for roof decking..keeps attic a lot cooler in summer, tall toilets and counters, dual fuel heat pumps (would consider a buck stove if had a place for it), under cabinet lighting in kitchen, close quiet drawers for all drawers, as much insulation as you can get, foam can be expensive, but blown in works well


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## georgiadawgs44 (Jan 1, 2015)

An in the wall fold out ironing board would be nice.


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## OmenHonkey (Jan 2, 2015)

Thanks Folks!!


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## jiminbogart (Jan 6, 2015)

OmenHonkey said:


> Thanks again for all the replies.  I am a maintenance supervisor and have wired and plumbed and totally remodeled the house I own now.  My fiance and her family were/are contractors.  Her dad still is licensed and he will be the GC. She , I and her brothers will be the Labor.And she works at a hardware store so hopefully we can purchase most things at cost. I'm about to dig and pour the footings, block the foundation, install septic, run line from well and pay cash out of pocket for it all. Should save a chunk without the loan at this point. I will start the construction loan after all of this is completed.



Good deal! Make sure and post some pics of the process.


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## greasemonkey1313 (Jan 12, 2015)

A few things that I didn't think about until after my house was finished...If you have a garage with an exterior walk in door, make sure you have a light switch at that door (mine only has a switch coming out of the house). Most of us here in the south tend to use a side door or back door for most of our entry, builder will probably only put a doorbell at the front. Exterior flood lights to light up all the way around your house. Things I have and wouldn't want to live without...instant hot water, (I have recirculation, but prices have come down now on the under counter water heaters). Separate light switch and ceiling fan switch. If you get carpet, spend the extra on the more dense padding...it WILL make your carpet last longer. Just a few from me. Take all of these suggestions and within 2 years I can promise you that you will find something that you forgot about or something you wish you had done different. Good luck. Oh yeah, the most important thing...let your wife have the final say on everything non structural on the inside of the house!!!


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## gobbleinwoods (Jan 13, 2015)

sinclair1 said:


> do a good job on termite treatment now when you do the footings before backfilling



speaking termites:  the common place for them to attack is at the garage doors.  The pretreat is disturbed when the driveway is dug and poured so have the company retreat that area before the concrete is poured for the drive.


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## 1222DANO (Jan 13, 2015)

I didn't read every post in the thread but we built one 5 years ago and i have some tweaks i'd like to have a redo on..

1. just one large room big enough for washer dryer and closet shelves and hangers for everyones clothes so she doesn't have to constantly walk around the house putting up clothes. she could just put towels and washcloths up..

2. a good mud room for sitting and taking shoes off and on.

3. i wish i had insulated interior walls to keep the noise down from room to room.

4. put the kitchen far enough you don't have to hear pots and pans clanging, cabinet doors shutting  during football.


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## hunt4em (Jan 21, 2015)

I am a builder,for over 20 years,there are many good things above,one hat was left out was put in 2 hot water heaters,in a series,you'll never run out,and is more efficient .subs will charge you more,I promise,they know it's one and done,and you really don't have anything to hold them to your warranty,depending on the price of your home,more times than not,you could pay a builder and still come out cheaper or the same price,and not have to deal with it AND have it done alot sooner.i hope it turns out good for you and your family.


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## GA native (Jan 27, 2015)

Minimum 9' ceiling in basement. Makes finishing the basement with 8' ceilings possible.

Minimum 200 amp load center. Because 100 amp load centers are never enough. Especially after you finish the basement.

Sink in the garage. To clean engine parts, or yourself.

24" soffits on roof. Reduces cooling costs.

Separate HVAC unit for top floor. Reduces cooling costs. Extends the life of the HVAC equipment.

Have it built with a moderate roof pitch. No more than a 7/12. Saves money on maintenance. The costs for roofers, carpenters, and painters increases as the roof gets steeper.


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## OmenHonkey (Jan 27, 2015)

I will not have a headache "I mean Basement" I grew up shop vac-ing a basement everytime it rained. I will have the 200 amp service. No garage, and separate HVAC for both floors. But thanks for your input. 

Next question. As I plan and figure some of the costs. I own the land, well and will layout and dig the footings myself. Outside of the septic install my starting cost should be fairly low. I will be living at my folks place during the build  so no costs there and free time to work on the house. Could it be feasible for me to do this under 60.00$ per square????? I know finishes are what get you Tile and such could I do it though realistically?


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## bruiserbuckgrower (Jan 27, 2015)

This is a preference but we actually design a lot of outdoor living "party pad" kitchen areas if not in the plan now plan for a lay out of the roof where it could potentially be added on in the future. We are debating building again in the next few years and we've had some of the same thoughts. I second the mud/laundry room that's large.


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## Duff (Jan 27, 2015)

OmenHonkey said:


> I will not have a headache "I mean Basement" I grew up shop vac-ing a basement everytime it rained. I will have the 200 amp service. No garage, and separate HVAC for both floors. But thanks for your input.
> 
> Next question. As I plan and figure some of the costs. I own the land, well and will layout and dig the footings myself. Outside of the septic install my starting cost should be fairly low. I will be living at my folks place during the build  so no costs there and free time to work on the house. Could it be feasible for me to do this under 60.00$ per square????? I know finishes are what get you Tile and such could I do it though realistically?




Man, idk omen. Maybe some of the builders will chime in. I built mine 12 yrs ago. Hired a great framer to dry it in. I did siding, painting, electrical, hardwood, porch railings, steps, fine grading, got hvac, trim, concrete finishing, and gutters pretty much at cost, even traded out some work for deals on cabinets, masonry work, concrete walls and still got $65 sq ft in it. 

Of course you'll cut that 12 grand without a basement. (I'm typing this sitting by my wood heater in my basement)


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## dslc6487 (Jan 28, 2015)

In addition to light under house in crawl space, I would put lights in the attic. Plenty of insulation everywhere and as much as you can.  Don't know what kind of heat you plan, but we have a heat pump that works great, HOWEVER, I would add a chimney with a wood burning insert in the fireplace.  I live in the country and we are on REA.  Power goes out rather frequently and the wood stove will provide adequate heat until you get power back for your heat pump. But, at my place, we burn the wood heater insert also for our primary heat.  Cost a whole lot less that hearing  that heat pump hum.  Power outlets on both front and back porch.  I would also add a good security system.  If you can't afford it initially, it would be one of my first add ons.  Make sure that your contractor gives plenty of support to your floor joists, and plenty of them.  Nothing worse that to walk through the house and have all of the furniture shakes as you walk.  Also, don't start to use your attic for storage space.  Mine needs cleaning out and it is a mess.  It seems to catch all of the "stuff" that we think we may need one day.  Get you an outside storage building for storage space.  You will never regret it.  Also, look at wiring your electrical panel to a breaker from the bottom into your crawl space with enough wire to reach the outside of your house.  This way you can hook up a generator to run your house when the power goes out.  Mine is hooked up like this and when the power goes out, I just hook my generator into the wire from the main panel, turn it on, and we are back in business.  This you will not regret either.  If you do this, make sure you kill main power with to panel so that you do not send power back out of the main line to someone that may be working on the line down stream from your house. Very much agree with building everything as much maintenance free as possible:  Brick exterior, vinyl clad windows, boxing, facia, etc..  Mine house is cedar sided, while it looks beautiful it is a pain in the b*** to maintain.  And, the carpenter bees love cedar.  Hopes this helps you some.  AND, also hope you have deep pockets because there will be many things that will pop up that will cost you extra money that you did not count on.  Good luck my friend.


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## OmenHonkey (Jan 28, 2015)

Duff said:


> Man, idk omen. Maybe some of the builders will chime in. I built mine 12 yrs ago. Hired a great framer to dry it in. I did siding, painting, electrical, hardwood, porch railings, steps, fine grading, got hvac, trim, concrete finishing, and gutters pretty much at cost, even traded out some work for deals on cabinets, masonry work, concrete walls and still got $65 sq ft in it.
> 
> Of course you'll cut that 12 grand without a basement. (I'm typing this sitting by my wood heater in my basement)





Ohhh Your killing me. LOL That's pretty much what I've been figuring is 65 per square....


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## Makeithappen01 (Jan 28, 2015)

Good luck with building your house. Right now IMHO It will be very hard to build a home for $65sqft even if u did all the labor. I'm building one now and like people say be ready for some unexpected cost.


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## tree cutter 08 (Jan 30, 2015)

Fixing to start building in a few months. Looks like going to be 50 a sf. Doing all the work except part of the wiring and basement walls and slab. Been having lumber sawed and stacked for a while now so that cuts down a good bit. Right at 30,000 bd ft!


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## OmenHonkey (Feb 2, 2015)

Treecutter I am having mine sawn for .70 a ft. In your experience is about the going rate?


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## tree cutter 08 (Feb 2, 2015)

Mines been running around 125 a thousand ft. That's anything from 1x's to the 8x8's and 8x12's. That's on a circle mill. Band mill stuff was in the 4-500 a thousand range.


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## OmenHonkey (Feb 6, 2015)

Well I talked to the owner of the sawmill. He assured me that TULIP POPLAR was hard enough to put down as flooring. He said he cuts it for flooring all the time and can show me numerous houses and cabins that have it. I guess it's a leap of faith !!! He also said the poplar in the southern part of the state is harder than that up north. (Kinda like the People) JK   LOL. But he advised me to cut the biggest trees I could becaue the grain is much more appealing on the larger trees!!! I will be sharpening and oiling the saws up shortly and try to beat the sap before it rises!!!!! I will update.


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## OmenHonkey (Feb 9, 2017)

**Update ** My how things change. When I started this thread I was engaged and about to get married. NEVER HAPPENED. lol thank goodness. Well anyway, closed on my construction loan yesterday. Much smaller home and got a GC that is working with me. Wish me luck and I will post pics when I can.


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## lagrangedave (Feb 9, 2017)

Motion flood lights on your house and a motion indicator at the gate ........................


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## lagrangedave (Feb 9, 2017)

Hardwood and tile with rugs where needed...............carpet is too much trouble.................


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## jimbo4116 (Feb 9, 2017)

From an old guy that built his home when he was 30.

Master suite downstairs with Walk in Shower with a big bench & built in shelves for bottles and shaving cream, the fewest stairs and steps possible.  Large laundry room with water closet.  Lower kitchen Cabinets with large drawers for pots and pans, etc.  The largest range hood you can make work. As many cabinets as you can find spaces for, i.e., laundry room bath rooms. Under cabinet lights.  Largest walk in closets you can stand.  Outlets, outlets, outlets.  Incorporate free standing out door NG or Lp gas tankless water heaters.  Two minimum, one for master and one for everything else.  Don't hang ceiling fans under can lights.  Run at least 2 electric circuits into attic junction boxes or 1 circuit into each attic space if more than one, and a couple into any crawl space.

And above all else, a minimum 16x24 outbuilding ready for conversion to a man cave as opportunity presents itself.  Under no circumstances make any definitive statements why you want such a structure.


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## GoldDot40 (Feb 9, 2017)

We just had one built. I watched a lot of things happen that I was absolutely scratching my head about...in the end, everything turned out great. I hired an independent inspector to come behind and look over everything. He was about as thorough as they come. He gave us a clean report and complimented my floorplan.

I was jumping the gun...being impatient about a lot of things. Turns out, I should've just let them do what they do. The ONLY 2 complaints I had when it was all done was that the tracks in all the drawers had paint gunked up in them. I cleaned them all out with a small flat blade screw driver so they open in close smooth as silk now.

The other thing I wish I'd done is go bigger with the back concrete slab patio. I'm gonna have to get somebody to pour me an extension to nearly double it's size.


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## Nicodemus (Feb 9, 2017)

Make sure to have two separate heat sources, and that one of them requires no electricity to heat the home, or at least a couple of rooms..

It is amazing that so few people have this, and don`t realize it until they lose power.


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## tree cutter 08 (Feb 9, 2017)

Nicodemus said:


> Make sure to have two separate heat sources, and that one of them requires no electricity to heat the home, or at least a couple of rooms..
> 
> It is amazing that so few people have this, and don`t realize it until they lose power.



Yep! Our primary heat is wood stove in living room, also have heat pump. Or vice versa, depending on the weather. Another thing if you can, put as many 3/0 doors in as you can. We put them everywhere, even the closets.


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## snookdoctor (Feb 10, 2017)

Expand your garage plans so that you can build a six surface reinforced concrete safe room that is easily accessible from the house or yard (next to an exterior door), large enough that can also be safe storage for your valuables/guns.


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## OmenHonkey (Feb 13, 2017)

Nicodemus said:


> Make sure to have two separate heat sources, and that one of them requires no electricity to heat the home, or at least a couple of rooms..
> 
> It is amazing that so few people have this, and don`t realize it until they lose power.



I have an old wood burning stove going in!!


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