Build Your House Yourself University

Most people know that the square footage of a house will affect the cost of construction, but many people don’t realize that how a house is designed and laid out will also affect the bottom line. And since many of us are unaware of what design choices we can make to reduce our construction costs, I’ve compiled a list 20 money-saving design and layout ideas.

The easiest way to save money DURING construction is to figure out how to reduce costs BEFORE construction even begins—during the design and planning phases. The cost to build two houses with the same square footage can vary greatly depending on how the houses are designed and constructed. Great savings can be hidden in small details, and a few dollars saved here and there can add up to thousands of dollars over the course of construction.

Show notes at www.BYHYU.com

As we plan to build our homes, I thought it would be a good idea to scour several blogs and forums to get advice from those who have built before. I specifically wanted to find out what mistakes people had made in building their homes—what they would do differently if they were to build again. So I’ve compiled an extensive list which details the things that homeowners would do and DID DO differently when building their second, third and even fourth houses.

Let’s learn from the experiences of others, so we don’t make similar mistakes. Now, some of what others consider “misses” won’t matter to you in the least. Some features you’ll hear about today should not be included in YOUR house plans because they won’t enhance the way you live. And many of the suggestions are pretty luxurious in nature, so they may not fit everyone’s budget or style. Take suggestions that resonate most with you and the vision you have for your home. But listen with your current AND future lifestyle in mind. Think about how you CURRENTLY live in your home AND how you might live in 5, 10 or even 20 years.

Our Pro Terms for today are Eave, Fascia, and Soffit. Two of the main parts of the eave are the fascia and the soffit.

Go to www.byhyu.com for show notes.

We talk about one of the main ways you can save money when building your dream home… by being your own general contractor or builder. But CAN you build your own home, are you allowed and SHOULD you? Some pros and cons of being your own builder are outlined. We’ll also discuss some things that owner-builders can do to increase their chances of success.

Show notes at BYHYU.com

Most of us want to get the biggest bang for our buck, and, if possible, we prefer making purchases when items go on sale.  And that goes for things that we’ll need for our homes. So, I read a few articles on the best times to purchase certain homebuilding and household items. 

To be honest, after reading many sources on this subject, I found no solid agreement as to the exact best times to find sales prices on different items.  One source would say sales occurred most often in May, and another article would say November, but what I’ve compiled for you in this week’s episode, is a list of the most often sited best times for buying things for the home.  Although there will be sporadic sales throughout the year for different homebuilding and household items, there are certain, predictable times of year when specific products and materials can be bought for significant discounts.

Show notes at BYHYU.com

As I go through my homebuilding process, I’ll be letting you know what I learn in my preconstruction and construction meetings and what tips I pick up on the job site from contractors.  Last week I met with my architect and construction manager to clear up a few last details before sending plans off to more subcontractors for bids.  Although my experience and my house will obviously be different from yours, I’m hoping what I learn through my process will help you with yours.  So this week I have a short list of quick tips that I picked up in my meeting.

Show notes at BYHYU.com

Well, we’ve made some progress.  We finally got our foundation and structural plan from the engineer and our building permit has been approved.  Hallelujah!

I’ll tell you more details about our progress, plus review a couple of construction terms.

Show notes at BYHYU.com

Putting in some time and effort to get organized before we break ground will help the construction process go more smoothly and be less stressful, for us and our contractors.  It’s important to get information out of our heads and out of our numerous piles of magazines and papers and off of our scattered sticky notes and instead, organize all of our design and construction information into an easy to use system. This week we’ll talk about how we can organize all the information we’ll gather before and during the construction process.

Show notes at www.BYHYU.com

During Design and Construction Week, the International Builders Show (IBS)and the Kitchen and Bath Industry Show (KBIS) come together for one huge trade show that showcases the newest products and materials for residential design and construction.  This year the show was in Vegas and despite the very cold weather, I made my way to the convention center to check out most of the exhibitors.   If you go to the show every year, as I’ve done in the last several years, you’ll see many of the same tried and true products on display each year. But there are a few things in this year’s show that caught my eye.

Show notes at BYHYU.com

Radiant heated driveways, also called snow melting systems, are installed just beneath a driveway’s surface and used to melt snow and ice without having to shovel, plow, snow blow or salt the driveway.   They keep the pavement warm enough to melt falling snow so it doesn’t accumulate.  They also keep the driveway too warm to allow water to freeze into slippery, dangerous ice. 

Even if you don’t live in a region that gets lots of winter storms, you might consider a heated driveway if the limited amount of snow and ice you do get causes unsafe passage to and from your home— if you have a sloped driveway that would be difficult and dangerous, to drive on or clear, or if you have a sun-starved, north-facing driveway where snow and ice might not melt for many days, or even weeks. For those who get any amount of snow and ice, but don’t have the time or physical ability for adequate removal, you might at least consider a heated driveway.  Keep in mind, in areas that get less snow, it’s harder to find someone to hire for snow and ice removal.  A heated driveway could even be considered an aging in place feature.

Show notes at BYHYU.com

Last week, we went over 8 things you should never say to your contractors.  I’m a little hoarse this week, but I want to do a brief episode so we can complete our list.  This is, by no means, a comprehensive list.  If you can think of some other things we should never say to a contractor, let me know in the comment section of the show notes at BYHYU.com.