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In 1985 I took a year off and built my own house in England, ok so not that unusual! but I self-built it, I didn’t act as the contractor, 90% of the work was completed by myself. (It was a oaked framed house, 1100Ft2, leaded light windows, terecotta floors etc, etc.)
Now I want to go through the whole thing again here in the USA, but I have questions concerning legals, finance and insurances.
*Who out there has done this Self-build thing before?
*There are a ton of books out there dealing with ‘acting as your own contractor’ but none that I can find that deal with
b Self-building
Anyone know any?
*How helpful (yea right) are banks, mortgage companies, and lenders to self-builders?
I’m in California, (sunny and 70). I know what I want to build, know my budget and my limitations but realise (and know) I have to get ALL my ducks in a row before I start.
In anticipation, Many Thanks
Replies
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Hi Barry and welcome to the US
Having lived in Oxfordshire for 3 years, I have some feel for houses there....and having lived in the San Fernando Valley for another 3 years and been a homeowner....well....I've got a feel for where you are...
And, yep, I've daydreamed mightily about self building our house...but have found nothing on the subject in print...except small outbuilding projects. Its is generally recognized that most Americans don't have the experience, tools, time or wherewithall to self build. With today's technology, this is a fairly accurate statement. To self build, you will need a considerable collection of tools and knowhow....not to mention, lots of time. Even the guys who build for a living usually hire out much of the work, such as excavating, foundation, framing, drywall, electrical and plumbing. Building inspectors are hard on the privateer as a general rule, so be prepared to be patient and deal with setbacks.
Also, get as informed as possible on CABO building standards. They will be different than what you are used to in England. There is much more dimensional wood (timbers) used in American residential construction than you are used to...and little masonry, except for footings, foundations and partial building facades. Magazines like This Old House and Fine Homebuilding are good starting points, as are watching Hometime, TOH and About Your House (if you get these in So. Calif on the local PBS station).
So....plan for future, don't let orthopaedics take you to hospital, realise you need good defence and feel free to come by and knock me up!
Ha....just jokin....
Best wishes
Bruce M
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Barry,
Tha banks will run and decent DIY literature is non-existent, unless you plan on building it out of cow patties, used egg cartons, or some other fringe material. Then the banks will really run.
I'll Email you direct with my experiences.
Mongo
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There are a number of DIY building books.
George Nash Do-it-yourself Housebuilding (Sterling Publishing ISBN 0-8069-0424-0) is one of the better ones (Same author as Taunton Press, Renovating Old Houses).
Also check out places like the Shelter Institute in Bath ME. They have some advice for dealing with banks and such. I found the building inspector very helpful -- probably because I made it a habit to ask his opinion _before_ doing things; he could hardly come back then and tell me I did them wrong! He also pointed me at relevant code books, etc.
It can be done. Now I'm renovating; believe me, building fresh was easier. Good luck.
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Barry,
We have a rich self building tradition in this country and in many locations the building regulations (not the codes) provide exceptions for self builders. For example, in the area of Arkansas where we will be building shortly all plumbing and electrical work must be done by licensed tradesmen or by the owner. No other exceptions. Think you need to talk to the building authorities in your jurisdiction to find out what you can and can not do your self.
You should also talk with an insurance broker. At various points you will have folks on site working directly for you or volunteering. If your best friend breaks his leg helping you raise a wall and can not work for six weeks watch out.
Finally, the bank. You might be surprised. Particularly if you own the building lot. Small banks in rural areas may be more interested in your business as they see more of this kind of thing.
May be useful to assemble a portfolio of pictures showing the work you did in England. You will also need plans. Building officials are not going to allow anything that does not fit in to its surroundings and banks are going to pass on anything for which there is not an active market.
Couple of years ago I picked up a used book titled "Will's Guide to Building the $9,000 House." Yes, it is an old book (1978 - Unity Press, 113 New Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95060). Describes a self builders experience constructing a simple home in Northern California.
E-mail me if you are interested in a loan (of the book). Not much from a technical standpoint but it may help you make up your mind about this. The point is that it can be done.
Think rural is more practical than urban but you have to live where you can work.
Good luck,
Steve
*Ah, another pyramid builder. Welcome to the club. I have been working on my monument, ahh, house for over 2 years. Other than the concrete pumper, the ready mix company, and the crane outfit, my friends and family have been the contractors and subs for this adventure. It's doable, but be prepared for a few side adventures. Banks will loan you the money, but you need to get your ducks on line in terms of schedules, quotes, estimates, and a list of subcontractors if you are not doing the work. Banks really get nervous if the project length exceeds 12 months. Mine is pay as you go which is in part why it is a multi-year endeavor.Most parts of the country will allow the owner to do the work but be prepared to invest some time getting to know the inspectors and the related codes. What ever you do don't get cross threaded with the inspectors, they can make your life miserable. In California, I understand, and for good reason, the big thing is sesmic loading.As for tools, building a house is great reason to buy them. In most cases you can rent the really expensive special purpose ones, like trenchers, and skid steer loades, and backhoes. I like to fix up old equipment so my tool collection includes a backhoe, dump truck and a small dozer.I haven't found any books that really cover all the aspects of building a house by yourself, at least doing the work by yourself. I have three books on concrete work, 3 on framing, 2 on roofing, and at least one each for plumbing and electrical. I subscribe to Fine Home building and the Journal of Light Construction magazine. Various discussion groups like this one are a good sources of information. Many of the articles in the magazines explain how to do things like build concrete forms, sheeting roofs, and so on. Get your self a quick reference to the building codes as well as copies of the actual codes. Don't be afraid to use the techincal support telephone lines from suppliers. I talked to the Trust Joist people quite a bit and got some good pointers on using and installing their floor joists. The roof truss people also gave good suggestions.Since you have already done one of these you know what kind of time committment is involved. Doing one of these can put a lot strain on relationships, especially marriages. If someone wants to do this just to save some money, I caution against it. If your are interested in the journey and saving some money, than go-fer-it. It is doable and highly educational.
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Bruce,
Many thanks for the reply. I do realise that things here are a lot different. I've worked in several different countries (Both in reinforced concrete construction and water treatment) accummilated a few good tools and a healthy respect for the local law/inspector.
My primary concern over the next few months is to get the financial ball rolling (My wife says it's to help her get her masters thesis finished....)and I hope to do this by getting a "contract proposal" together and then presenting this in the proper fashion (Knees?) to local bankers.
So what are CABO?
As for construction, I'm leaning towards reinforced concrete/foam blocks(with my background I understand the process) Anyone had any go round with this method?
Regards
Barry
*Claire,Some building inspectors have hearts of gold, some concrete! On my first house the BI even took his coat off a gave me a hand stabilizing the bottom of a footing that was suffering badly in the English rain! Well beyond the call of duty!I'll certainly check out the Shelter Institute.Many ThanksBarry
*Steve,I'm in Monterey where the house price average is $300,000!. No chance of building here, so I'll look further north for the more rural plot and put up with the longer commute.Yes the local building authority is a obvious one, (so obvious I havn't done it yet!) I just want to be a little further forward with 'where' and 'what' before I dig in with those guys.Thanks for the good luckBarry
*Gordon,Yes I'd heard from another source that the banks don't like long projects. As I already know the job will take two years, do you know why this policy of one year max may/is the norm.I'm lucky in that I can commit 40hrs a week to the job (I work 3 12 hr days as a water treatment operator) but having worked out what to build I can't see it taking less than two years.Thanks for the family advice, I'm blessed with a great wife!!RegardsBarry
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Most lending institutions buy and sell mortgages like most people change TV channels. A mortgage on a finished house is much easier to sell than on an unfinished one. There is also the perception that if you can't get it done in year, than it make take forever. If your project is multi-year then the lending institutions are concerned about accidental deaths, divorces and other things that may cause the unfinished project to land back in their laps. Unfinished homes are much harder to sell. And finally there is the insurance problem. Insurance companies won't write a normal home owner policies on an unfinished building. Construction insurance is really expensive if it is even available to the self builder at all. Lending instutions like to cover their bets so, no insurance, no loan.
The loan hassles along with lots of other things lead us to go to the pay-as-you-go route. We have borrowed some money from my 401k retirement plan but mostly we saved enough up to get started and it has worked out so far.
*Go see the building inspector and if you know how to make friends... The blocks should be easy, the companys and dealers offer lots of help, find out the details to watch out for from someone who has just finished one successfully. As for banks, again, make friends...Post your completion.
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Barry,
I am currently building my own house in California. One of the biggest challenges in building your own house is getting the structure sealed up in a single late-spring,summer season. Especially in California where wood structures are the norm. I subcontracted most of the framing, the roofing and the stucco. This allowed me to get the houes dry so that I could work on the wiring, plumbing, interior finish.
In my part of CA you can do an owner-builder permit which doesn't require you to have a contractor's license. I have found the building inspectors to be very freindly and helpful and good for advice. You will need to check out workman's comp insurance if you hire anyone, even a friend. I checked into a couple of companies and found it very expensive.
I was fortunate to not need financing so I can't advise there. I have noticed, however, that telling the mortgage broker's telemarketers that my house is currently under construction gets rid of them in short order - a nice and unsuspected side benefit!
Good Luck.
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I'm not sure this thread has distinguished some of the financing issues. You should talk to knowledgable people in your area such as bankers, mortgage brokers, builders or homebuilders associations to get the real dope before pluging in.
Will you be looking for construction financing to get going or building with your own money and then mortgaing the finished structure? The bank needs security, a finished product they can sell if you default. So you won't get a permanent mortgage until its finished w/certificate of occupancy and then for some %age of appraised value. Your construction money will cost more per period (higer interest rate) which gives you an incentive to get it done and finance out. You may or not have a forward commitment for the perm. Construction funds will only be disbursed in increments as materials are deliverd and work is completed and inspections are passed. So the bank has a good mechanism to keep you on track to a code passable and mortgagable finished house. You may need plans stamped by architect and or engineer before getting a building permit and if you can demonstrate your ability to build according to plan it may make the bank happier.
Proably easier if you already own the land and you'll proably have to use it to help secure the construction funds.
Good luck.
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It's good to know that I am not the only one looking to finance a project like this. I have just started doing research and am woring on the design of my future new home. I hope to do about 50% or the work myself on a 2100sq. ft. 2 story mid to late this summer. With the little research I have done I am finding that the farther away from the big city I get the better responce I am getting from the banks.
CraigM
*Barry,If you haven't already come across it, I'd recommend the book Homing Instinct by John Connell. He's the founder of the Yestermorrow School in Vermont, which is dedicated to pointing owner-builders in the right direction. His 400-plus page book demystifies the design process, emphasizes the power of each individual building site and piles on reams of construction details. Get the second edition, due out soon. McGraw-Hill is the publisher. Good luck with your project. Building your own house is just about as good as it gets.Chas
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In 1985 I took a year off and built my own house in England, ok so not that unusual! but I self-built it, I didn't act as the contractor, 90% of the work was completed by myself. (It was a oaked framed house, 1100Ft2, leaded light windows, terecotta floors etc, etc.)
Now I want to go through the whole thing again here in the USA, but I have questions concerning legals, finance and insurances.
*Who out there has done this Self-build thing before?
*There are a ton of books out there dealing with 'acting as your own contractor' but none that I can find that deal with
b Self-building
Anyone know any?
*How helpful (yea right) are banks, mortgage companies, and lenders to self-builders?
I'm in California, (sunny and 70). I know what I want to build, know my budget and my limitations but realise (and know) I have to get ALL my ducks in a row before I start.
In anticipation, Many Thanks