Replies

1. 
   calvin | Feb 02, 2010 05:49am | #1

   Anything is possible.

2. 
   DanH | Feb 02, 2010 06:55am | #2

   Around here you could do that easy, so long as you kept it halfway simple and didn't go overboard on the fancy finishes.

   Or you could drop $200K on the kitchen alone. Depends.

3. 
   Snort | Feb 02, 2010 09:10am | #3

   How much work are you going to be doing?

4. 
   bgibson11 | Feb 02, 2010 03:01pm | #4

   Well - driveway we will take care of, excavating for the basement we will do as well as the septic.

   Basement and the entire shell will be contracted out including windows, doors, electric, plumbing, heating, insulation. The bulk of the finish work will be contracted out except for painting, moldings, maybe some flooring. Porch can be a do-it-yourself project too.

1. 
   Snort | Feb 02, 2010 06:13pm | #5

   Sounds like you're going gc
   Sounds like you're going gc it, also? If you understand the process, you may be able to pull it off. Good luck!

5. 
   junkhound | Feb 02, 2010 06:15pm | #6

   If you DIY 100%, and not counting permit and impact fees,

   IF one collects fixtures, etc for a year or so ahead of time and re-use salvage, etc. you should be able to build a good 2000 sq ft house including appliances for under $40,000.

   Myself, just using 40 years of stockpiled and squirreled away 'free stuff', 100% DIY labor, could build 2000 sq ft for less than the permits and impact fees cost here (PNW), about $20K fees and permits.

6. 
   bgibson11 | Feb 02, 2010 09:45pm | #7

   Yes, I am sorry VillageWoodworks I will be the GC. I do have background in home performance and what not and have seen my share of homes being built from the ground up. My family also has a strong background in construction so I will have their input to count on. However, I am not into doing it all myself - I want to pay someone to get the job done but I will surely GC the project.

   I have a lot of resources (framers, masons, insulators) whom I am familiar with in the industry and will use their services.

   So with that said - the general consensus is that around $100.00/sq. ft. is easily achievable?

1. 
   runnerguy | Feb 04, 2010 07:05am | #8

   We completed our own house in 2008 (third one we've built for ourselves over the past 20 years).

   The $/SF thingy is always a slippery slope. I tell my clients (I'm an architect and sometime builder) that that's like trying to buy a car by the pound. Big difference between a Lexus and a Chevy.

   That being said, figuring on normal finished space at full square footage and front porch, rear deck, detached garage with shop above at half square footage we built the house for $96/SF. House is on a crawl and included Hardi siding, Azek trim, mahogony front porch, Eagle windows, 100 lf of beadboard wainscot, 3 piece interior door and window trim, GE appliances, 3K SF of 3/4" Oak flooring, 50 year shingles. That price included everything but landscaping but includes stuff like 6K for the well, 5K to move a power pole, etc.

   I did do most of the tile work myself and still have some interior trim stuff to do (when we moved in we had no fireplace surrounds. I've since finished one and have two to go).

   I do regret not going with foam insulation. Reasons being that it's just my wife and I and we aren't big temp. freaks (66D in winter is fine for us) and that would have made the payback time just that much longer but it probably would have been smart money spent.

   And building a detached garage is more expensive than one incorporated into the house together with the fact I didn't even start the garage until the house was in the flooring stage (on a 50' wide lot and the garage and trees in front of the house I had to wait until everything heavy was delivered to the house (lumber, trusses, shingles, drywall, HW flooring, etc)before starting the garage).

   A couple of things that helped is being self employed, I was able to be here at anytime and it was basically a full time job. I usually got three bids from pre qualified bidders but didn't always go with the least expensive and I found I could greatly reduce the price if I got the materials and just got someone to install it. That worked out great for the siding and the HW floors for example.

   I'll be happy to send you some photos if you wish (tried upload photos here but no go. Send me a PM if you wish..

   Hope this helps and good luck.

   Doug

2. 
   Snort | Feb 04, 2010 08:28am | #9

   "So with that said - the general consensus is that around $100.00/sq. ft. is easily achievable?"

   Not exactly. It is achievable, but not easily LOL!

1. 
   runnerguy | Feb 04, 2010 09:31am | #10

   Snort's right. In my
   Snort's right. In my experience related above it wasn't easy. I mentioned for me it was practically a full time job but in addition to that, my wife spend countless hours on the internet and visiting showrooms comparing prices for appliances, light fixtures, flooring, gas fireplaces, hardware, cabinets, etc.

   Keeping waste to a minimun was no small effort and small things added up. For example, my wife found out that HD had a deal where if one bought stuff on a HD VISA credit card, there was a points reward program good for stuff at HD. I actually bought very little stuff at HD but ran practically everyting I could for the house through the card. For example, when I bought the lumber package at 84 lumber I put it all on the card. When everything was said and done, we got $3000 worth of free stuff at HD. For my house that translated to one $/SF.

   Doug

2. 
   DanH | Feb 04, 2010 11:16pm | #11

   New homes around here seem to be going for about $90 a square foot, INCLUDING LOT. You could argue, I suppose, that these are "distressed" prices, but builders are still building at those prices, so I have to believe that construction costs are somewhere below that.

7. 
   Jeff_Clarke | Feb 04, 2010 11:30pm | #12

   Haven't seen costs/SF that
   Haven't seen costs/SF that low around here since the mid 90s.

   We have to work hard to have things come in < $200/SF