Is building your own home yourself a big mistake?

Answer 1

That all depends on your knowledge of carpentry, plumbing, electronics, etc. As a rule, if you have the knowledge and aren't in a big hurry to build your home, you can save money. However, there are many, many factors to building our own home. You need guidelines as to the lot, septic or public sewer, water, drilling a well or public water. Do you have a blueprint that you can read? Have you ever built anything this extensive before? Depending on the contractor you would obtain, you would probably select a better quality of wood, nails, windows, screens, paint, etc. We just moved into our new "contractor built home" last Nov. and the screens, windows, doors, etc. don't fit. We've called the contractor repeatedly , but to no avail, and the sub-contractors won't answer our calls because they aren't getting paid. My husband finally ended up finishing up things that were unfinished, but we would have to tear out the windows, outer doors, bathtubs, etc. So, I say if you have the knowledge, money and time, it would be a great idea. We plan to re-build this particular house on a lot somewhere else, in the general area, because we love the area and it's not like living in suburbia. We have plenty of trees, neighbors are great, and many other positive things. We lived in another state while this house was being built, and didn't get to oversee what was going on, but I don't know if we would have known the status of all of the things until we were actually in our home. We can't open the windows, because the screen fittings and door fittings are so gapped, that small to large bugs come right through the edges. I wish you all the luck. I personally think it's a great idea to buid your own home if you have the knowledge. Also, if you know how to do it, maybe some of your friends could help you with your direction.Make sure you use Tyvek or Typar for extra protection from the elements. Heat, cold, rain, snow, sleet. Also, your roof shingles are very important to all of these factors. And, don't forget the wind! Choose the direction you place your home very carefully. Sun in the East is not so great for bedrooms. Sun in the West is not so good for kitchens. I would love for you to let us at Yahoo Answers know what you decide to do, and if you really know how to build a house. Thanks [e-mail]

Answer 2

Building A Home Yourself

Answer 3

I did it, and I'm no youngster. I left my job and built my own and saved more money doing it than I would have made in the same period of time, but you have to be ready, have all the time consuming stuff done and be ready to build a house. Have the money available, you can't afford down time, you are building a home and paying for the one your living in at the same time. I built the garage and workshop first and finished it as an apartment and lived in it while the house was going up. It will be a full time and a very satisfing task.

I did all the design, so it would be what I wanted and then hired an arcitect to do the final design, he knows what really works and the changes we made were in line with my desires. It's more of a job than one man can do so I hired people that were knowledgable during different stages of the construction to work with me so I had the extra hands and a head to go with it.

When it was done I had the American Dream and the ego to go with it because I did it.

Answer 4

If you've never hammered two boards together in your life, then it could turn out to be the biggest mistake you'll ever make.
There are several versions of building your own home. Do you mean with your own two hands? or do you mean, hiring your own skilled labour & being your own contractor?
Either way, it is a venture that can turn into a nightmare for those who don't know what they are doing.
You'll need to know about reading building plans, getting permits, scheduling your trades (That's a big one) & have to be ready to handle delay after delay after delay.
For a 1st timer, I wouldn't recommend it, the heartache will never be worth the little you save in money.

Answer 5

Not at all, but you should read some books on how to do it first. You need to take on the job of a general contractor. If you don't feel comfortable with sub-contracts and all that, maybe it would be a big mistake for you. You should also have a job that's not real demanding since you will be practically working full-time on your house.
Here's some in-depth thoughts:
http://www.lendingtree.com/cec/yourhome/buying/should-you-build-your-own-home.asp

Answer 6

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RE:
Is building your own home yourself a big mistake?

Answer 7

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Research area businesses before you start. Look at how other's build their houses and what it will take. It will probably take years upon years, and you'll have to deal with costly mistakes if you don't know what you're doing. I suggest if you are big into building your own house, look into a steel framed house.

Answer 8

Nope, there are several advantages to building your own home.

1) You aren't paying extra labor and other silly costs for someone to build it for you.

2) You can design the house you want and know it'll turn out exactly the way you wanted it to.

3) If you need help along the way there are several books and places to go for the answers.

4) No high prices unless you're building a house that's going to take a lot of materials.

Answer 9

That depends upon what you know how to do. My ex was an experienced framer, which he did himself, but for roofing and drywall, electric, plumbing, we hired or bartered with experienced tradesmen. Remember that you need to pass all of the local building codes, etc, so if you are not aware of the laws you can really cost yourself a lot of money in fines and legal fees. Some lenders require licenced tradesmen before they approve a building loan as well.

Answer 10

It can be. Shortstopping major errors is the biggie. You can be the general contractor, but find a builder that you can pay an hourly fee for intermittent consultation. He'll help you avoid costly errors. The more exotic the project the more likely that there'll be headaches. Keep it simple. If you have lot's of time, can take a break from the project occasionally, and do not panic easily, go for it. Good luck.