Thinkin bout takin that plunge brehs 
Any of yall ever have a house built?
- Thread starter TLR Is Mental Poison
- Start date
I did in Jamaica .
From the ground up is gonna be hard?
What is the basic process... what are you glad you did, what do you wish you didn't do etc
Found an acre of land with a newish mobile home we can live in for a little bit for cheap.... seeing if we can build a basic 4 bedroom/3.5 bathroom for ~300K
Is it possible breh
I'd say about 90% of my clients that have done this say they'll never do it again. Overages and delays are 
Well you have to decide on direction of the house, water flow, complete site clearing, footings and foundation. As well if have yo check with the municipality whether the area is zoned for non commercial use.
Having a contractor helps immensely but make sure you get a good one.
Having a contractor helps immensely but make sure you get a good one.
What is the basic process... what are you glad you did, what do you wish you didn't do etc
Found an acre of land with a newish mobile home we can live in for a little bit for cheap.... seeing if we can build a basic 4 bedroom/3.5 bathroom for ~300K
Is it possible breh
There is already a house on the property and utilities and all that are good. The main challenges I am seeing right now are design and linking with a good contractor.
What is the basic process... what are you glad you did, what do you wish you didn't do etc
Found an acre of land with a newish mobile home we can live in for a little bit for cheap.... seeing if we can build a basic 4 bedroom/3.5 bathroom for ~300K
Is it possible breh
the specific neighborhood i knew i wanted to be in is all either brand new spec houses or old tear downs so i knew i was shopping specifically for a tear down. i got introduced to one of the more well known developers in the area thru a real estate broker i was working with and we sorta came to an agreement that he would get me an inside track on the tear downs before they hit the actual public market and when we found the right one i would hire him to build my house.
he called me one day to tell me to come check one out. i went, we liked the property, i made the owner an offer on the spot on the driveway and we all shook hands. i literally didn't even look at or inside the house because i knew i was just buying a lot. once the contract for the house was executed i hammered out an agreement w the developer to hire him as my construction manager. by hiring him i had access to all his "guys" (all his favored sub guys for sub jobs, his architect, his sruveyor/site engineer, plus all his expertise and rapport w the building dept and local municipality). in addition to that i also have family in
as the construction/development business as sorta a source of checks and balances to make sure i'm not getting hustled. so i was able to price check everyone he referred w some of my own guys.
i started first w a new site plan and started drafting plans w the architect. we went over a wish list, things we "need" in the house, things we "want" in the house. the architect and site engineer coordinate and help you squeeze what you can into the footprint, setbacks, sky planes you are permitted by code. the architect also got a feel for our taste and style and designed all the elevations of the house. once that was finalized we put together our package to be submitted to the town for approval and permits. this was the worst part because i was waiting in limbo for 5 months before i even heard back from the plans examiner who was assigned to my application. he finally got back to us w some comments and requests for minor changes.
once we finally got the permits we were granted permission to demolish the old house. they cleared that piece of sh!t off the property in like a week. then they started digging the foundation. shortly after that came framing. then the sheathing, then the windows, then the roofing, then the siding, then the stone.
inside the house we handled all the kitchen and bathroom design on our own. we picked everything out ourselves. this part took hours and hours and hours of repeated trips to tile, fixture, appliance stores, and countless meetings w the cabinet "guy."
at this point they have just finished the second coat of spackle on all the dry wall inside the house. my front door and garage door were hung over the last few weeks. they are starting all the tile work and installing my wood floors. the cabinetry and appliances are set for end of aug i believe. i think i have about 2-3 months left til everything is completely done.
everything that i did i am glad i did. i took my sweet ass time w decisions that i was unsure about. in the process i am sure i slowed things down. but at the end of the day i know i made the right decision. there are additional things i still want but couldn't swing money wise, but that's life.
in the beginning i let this thing stress me out more than anything has ever in my entire life. it took way more money, way more time, way more work than i could ever have budgeted for. there were times here at the office when i spent way more time working on my house than i did on my actual job. but i've sorta reached this point of zen where i refuse to let myself get upset any more. all in all it's been about 18 months since i closed. and w only a few months left i see the light at the end of the tunnel. it's almost over and it's going to be exactly what i want. i may be completely broke and unable to carry the mothefukker but it's going to be amazing
do you know anyone is your area who has done something similar? do you know anyone there who can help you find solid people in the real estate and construction business? are you looking to do this in an area where you will be able to get something back from the investment if you need to move again in a few years?
as far as budgeting goes you can just about build (in the ny area) a house for anywhere from $75-80/sq ft - $500/sq ft. it really depends on your taste in finishings. i'm sure down south you can get away w doing it cheaper but at the same time you don't want to build the cheapest house you can because all the money you save up front you'll be spending all that and more on repairs over the first ten years living there.
sorry, i've been typing pieces of this and coming back to it over the last hour or 2 so i'm sure it reads like sh!t, but feel free to ask anything more specific,
the "wants" vs "needs" will always be the culprits in pushing you over budget. the nicer appliances you fall in love w at the showroom, the marble tile when you budgeted for porcelain, the extra trim or molding in a room that really makes it look nicer but wasn't included in the first run. that sorta thing. and it happens to even the strictest mfs who go thru this. it is way too much easier to go over budget than it is to keep things under budget. i've actually never heard of anyone not going over their budget.@ocmfII
Thats a lot of good info. I'm scared about going over budget for real. That's my biggest nightmare. What kinds of things pushed you over? We will do our own paint and stuff and aren't super crazy on expensive finishes, at least to start. Also what did you do for HVAC?
HVAC was/is one of those things i'm still not really even that clear on what we did, but this is taken straight out of the contract i have w my HVAC guy:
Energy-Star 16 s.e.e.r.
Labor and materials to install at the above address:
16 s.e.e.r. RHEEM Equipment (410a refrigerant)
4 zones A/C & Hot Water Coils as follows:
1st floor 2.5 tons + 20x15 hwc, 1st floor maids area 1.5 tons + 20x15 hwc,
2nd floor 2 tons + 20x15 hwc, Master 1.5 tons + 20x15hwc
Thermostat Model # Aprilaire # 8463 (x 4)
Air handler model # RHLLHM3617JA and RHLLHM2417JA
[x4] Aprilaire Model # 2210 pleated HEPA air filters
Condensing unit Model # 14AJM30A01-2.5ton , 25- 2 ton, and 19- 1.5 ton [x2]
All copper Freon lines (r-410a), PVC drain lines, sheet metal duct work, R-8 duct wrap, R-8 flex duct, supply registers, Filters, Filter return grills, bath fan venting, dryer venting, Secondary emergency drain pan in attic, Energy Star duct sealing,
Duct leakage test guaranty.
“SPLIT MULTIPLE RETURNS FOR 2ND FLOOR BEDROOM’S”
2 year guarantee on everything 100%
Customer must register all RHEEM equipment on line for extended warranty
10 years on parts, 10 years on compressor motor