Can a group of novices build a house with the help of books and dvds on the subject?

Question

I want to build a house with my own two hands, aside from foundation, plumbing, electrical, and Hvac, which would be contracted. And with the help of my family and a couple of friends, totaling about 6-7 people working on the house.

Answer 1

If you are up to the task, go for it. Make certain to follow the local codes. Get a copy from your Authority Having Jurisdiction, read it thoroughly and ask questions for things you do not understand. There is no such thing as a stupid question, especially if you do not know the answer.

As far as wasting time, not living in the house, etc.; you will waste time and make mistakes, that's part of life. Everyone does every day in their own work. No reason not to live in the house. When all is said and done, it will give you a great sense of pride knowing that you built your castle and now you are are living there. Go for it!

Feel free to email me with any questions you may have.

Answer 2

Boy...You have no idea how much I've thought about that question. We bought 22 acres about 7 years ago and built a tiny "mother in laws" house with plans to build a bigger home at a later time. We own two contracting companies, Natural Stone Fabrication and the other w/ a contractor's license does installations. We also own a nice Italian Restaurant. Need I say what the housing crisis has done to our contracting companies...ditto with the restaurant because NO ONE is spending right now. I would just build a one level three bedroom, three bath home with a huge backyard for the kids. Right now the kids share our bedroom and it's horrible. Our wood fence blew down during the Santa Ana's and we don't have the money to re-build it. I can't get a break from these kids to save my soul. I even had Mike cut my hair because it's too much of a hassle to get someone up hear to babysit for an hour to get my hair cut. YOU SHOULD SEE MY HAIR! OH MY LORD! *roflmao* I don't know if that's maniacal laughter or the laughter of lost causes!

Answer 3

Yes but you are taking a risk. The risk is not that the house will be unsafe. Your building inspector will see to that. The risk is that you will waste time, materials and money. Building a house is fairly complicated, and there are a lot of little details. A good idea would be to hire a contractor as an advisor. If you can get someone who is willing, work out an hourly rate and have him come by to make sure that each stage of the construction is being done correctly. This should save you from having to redo much and may also improve your relationship with the building inspector. Many inspectors take a dim view of homeowner construction, so I would strongly recommend that you consult with them, during the planning stage. They may even be able to give you the name of a contractor who would be willing to be your expert.

Answer 4

All I can say is, do not underestimate the value of DVD's, books will always have an important role, but to watch something as its being created is an awesome way to learn. A friend brought over a video of some German guy cutting dovetails (for box building). At first I thought I wouldn't learn anything from this guy, but after watching the video I know I learned it faster than from a book. So build your house, remember to stay plumb, level, and square at every stage.

Answer 5

When I got out of the army, I built a 40 X 60 two story house.I directed the excavating, did the foundation, laid the cinder blocks, all the framing, roofing, and interior finishing alone and without any previous experience or training.
I immediately went into house contracting, and supported my family until retirement.
All you need is a couple of books and a real good imagination in order to understand what is explained.

Answer 6

There is a lot more to building a house than nailing 2X4s together. You have to be familiar with your local building codes, know how to read blueprints, and most important know how to fix things when the prints don't work out. There is a lot to know about building a house, and you could really get things messed up. You could hire at least one professional and then they could point you in the right directions, but I would not try to take this one yourselves.

Answer 7

Yes you can do it.we built a 84 lumber kit home in the 80's.have to rent some equipment to put the truss up and lift the walls.get the shell up.and take your time on the interior.you will have fun and the money will go fast.get a seperate checking account for the home with business [page checks].keeping track of the expenses is more manageable this way.lot of fun.hanging drywall on the ceiling sucks.get some knee pads at home depot too!Have fun.

Answer 8

you could do it - esp considering you are willing to sub out the Skilled Trades - assuming you don't mind some flaws. It's takes a professional to have it *perfect*. Actually you could do the HVAC yourself too - not much skill required there. Just make sure if you are going to do it that you get yourself a GOOD ARCHITECT and STRUCTURAL ENGINEER. You wouldnt want the thing falling down.

Answer 9

My brother in law's cousin did it and he isn't the sharpest tool in the shed. But, he had about 8-9 people who helped him on a regular basis who had done construction work before. They did all of the framing, drywalling, roofing, etc. themselves though they were building a log cabin home from a kit that came with instructions and CDs showing how it went together.

Answer 10

Everyone had to start somewhere. It's definitely possible -- but it's crucial you have a building inspector pop in several times throughout the process. The inspector can help to keep you on the right track.