What are the three best things you did?

What is the air conditioned or heated size of the home you owner-built?

by Mark A. Smith

We highly recommend "immersing" yourself in self-contracting information before your build. Very often a single idea can save you more than the cost of your last vacation. By becoming familiar with the good books on the subject you will find unexpected ideas to help you build a better house for less.

One such good book is The Complete Guide to Contracting Your Home by Lester and McGuerty. (See our Bookstore.) Here are a handful of ideas that might make a difference to your project, culled from just the first 100 pages. Aw, what the heck, how about a double handful:

Page 11 "Have materials delivered early so they can be exchanged or corrected before they are needed."

Page11 "Put payment amount and payment schedule in writing and have it signed by both parties."

Page 12 "Don't try to do too mych of the actual physical work yourself. Your time and skills are often better used managing the job."

Page 23 "Look for any situations that can void Worker's Compensation coverage. For example, in some states, drywall subs experiencing accidents while using drywall stilts are not covered."

Page 24 "Don't build in an area where homes are more than 15 or 20 percent lower in value than your planned home."

Page 24 "Don't attempt to save money by buying a less desirable lot. Curb appeal can affect the value of your home by 25% percent or more."

Page 29 "Eliminate as many hallways and walls as possible. Hallways waste building materials and add to heated space while making a house seem smaller."

Page 40 "Most material suppliers will be glad to store purchased items for you and deliver them when ready for use."

Page 42 "Pay schedule: 45% afer rough-in. 45% after finish work complete. 10% two weeks after finish work."

Page 48 (Regarding taking out interior walls) "Air is the cheapest building material you can use."

Page 50 "[Self-] Work can distract you from your more important job of overseeing the work of others. Your most valuable skill is that of boss - scheduler, inspector, coordinator, and referee."

Page 52 "Use a glued-and-screwed tongue-and-groove plywood floor to increase the allowable span of the floor system. This system stiffens the floor and eliminates squeaks. It also eliminates the need for a separate underlayment."

Page 54 "Use 22 1/2 inch windows if your studs are 24 inches on center. No header needed. Use several for a big window effect."

Page 56 "Burn or bury trash if you can. It is cheaper than hauling off the material."

Page 96 "If you do not own a pickup truck and can't borrow one, try to buy an inexpensive trailer than can be attached to your car. You can sell it later after the project is over."

Page 99 (If you cut down trees yourself) "...Cut them four feet from the ground: the bulldozer needs a good piece of the tree to pull the roots out of the soil. If you don't have a fireplace, consider selling the wood."