Did you build your own house? How much did it cost you and where do you live?

Question

We are in BC, Canada, and thinking about building. We have property but I'm thinking about big mortgage payments and chickening out. We have lived in a 12X60 trailer for too long though.

Answer 1

Depending where you live in BC (Vancouver, the mountains, Victoria), costs typically run around $60-$100 per SF, depending on the level of finishes in the house.

Best bet is to contact 3 local housing contractors & ask them for historical price per Square Foot (SF) for a single story house. They should be able to rattle the figures off the top of their head.

Take the price per SF, multiply it by the desired size of your house, and you should have a total cost. To be safe, and 15% for unforeseen items.

Answer 2

Nope, US prices don't work in BC. Lots of stuff is much cheaper down there, including labour. And they don't pay as much sales tax as we do. That adds about 10% to the cost of almost anything.The last figure I heard was about $150 a square foot for a basic average house in BC. Fancy features like granite counters will cost more. So a 1,000 sf house will cost you at least $150,000. That's after you buy the land. Sounds like you're aiming for at least 3,000 sf. That will be $450,000 or more. That price is for having someone else do it for you. It'll be cheaper if you do the buiilding yourself, but it's hard to say by how much and it would be an unusual person who didn't need to hire some help at some point. I built my own house back in 1993 in BC, me and a carpenter and assorted hired experts for things we couldn't do, like blasting rock to put the foundation in, installing the septic field, and so on. My best guess is that my $1,000 sf house cost about $100,000 in materials and necessary hired labour. And that was 20 years ago. Prices have gone up since then

Answer 3

Sounds like you are getting gloom and doom and survival of the fittest. I have built five homes. I use local sub-contractors, balanced between cost and quality reputation. Granted I live in Missouri, so there will be some cost variation. First you have to convince the bank you know what you are doing. You do this by making them think you know what you are doing. Take a little time and do some book reading on building from the ground up. Get familiar with terminology. example: floor joists, ceiling joist, sill plate, roof decking, footer (footing), foundation (could be basement walls). Be able to recall some contractors names.
Find out what permits you will need. Then take your plans to some lumber stores, for material cost estimates. The first time I went for a loan, I picked out five banks and rated them on a scale of 5-1. 5 being the least likely to loan me money for house building. I went to see the loan officer of this bank first, not to get a loan, but to learn what the bank was interested in as far as loaning me money to build. When I got to bank # 1, I sounded like I had built lots of houses. Building is both satisfying and frustrating, but the money saved (and earned when you sell) is worth the problems

Answer 4

Got you beat..a 39 foot trailer while building my log cabin.I live in SW Washington.Cost has been very high...most contractors raped me and did a lousy job..figured I could do better myself..I do it for pride and the know age that I did it myself..so am doing it myself..2 years and still not done, but am living in it.Needs more finish work and just starting on the basement now.Built my kitchen cabinets using Cherry wood from my land,most of the rock work is from my land too, kind of hard to put a price on all of that.A stick house is MUCH more cheaper to build

Answer 5

I entirely built all the homes I have lived in. Footings, foundation, framing, wiring, furnace,and ducts, siding, roofing, I mean EVERTHING. The thing I recommend hiring out is the drywall. My cost was always less than half of what you would pay a builder. You must keep in mind it is a huge job that takes all you spare time for a year or more. You will lose 10 to 20 LBS. I am in MI.

Answer 6

I designed and built my house 6000 sq ft ranch finished in 2004 18 months of pure hell no really it was allot of fun, hard work and at times frustrating but well worth it I cant wait to do it again I live in Missouri total cost about $320000 but I put allot of high end stuff in my house it can be done much cheaper

Answer 7

Well I am in New York City, I built up a new House first floor,large Living room-One Full Bathroom-Kitchen-Store room-Small home office with a Academical books and computer and small desk with a chair and two extra chair for friends.Self generating Heat I mean Solar energy-Centrally air conditioned.Second floor we have 3 Bed room and each bed room attached to a Bathroom one is master bed room-Second one is just enough for a couple and 3rd one is for Kids-Nice gallery in front and back.And one large room just like a living room which we call as Relaxation room-where we have Sporting equipments-threadmill etc.With a nice sitting comfortable sofa chairs.If you have a property-you can have it equity mortgage with normal interest rate.You can utilize this equvity mortgage money for constructing your home.The cost for building is $ 545,000 + furning cost.After building your home you can ask for refinance loan which you have to pay in a installment + interest.Your Bankers will helps you out with the mortgage rate and other informations.

Answer 8

I built my home a year ago. It is approximately 2010 square foot and it cost me around $160,000 that is not including the land I put it on....it was bought before I built my house. Also keep in mind that the price you get won't include seeding the lawn....a patio and side walks or landscaping. I did all of that my self and have about $5,500 in that.

Answer 9

Big Super is right on. I live in Boston and the rate is $100 to $150 depending on appliances kitchen and bath. If you want all the nice stuff you will be on the high end. If you don't care it will be on the low end.

Good Luck
Moskie 257

Answer 10

Central Florida, 5 bed, 3 bath, built and bought in 2002 for $300,000. Now worth $540,000.