saimanyc

My husband and I have made house plans with an architect and recently submitted them to the City. We have a contractor who is a friend and he's basically going to supervise. But I'm acting as a sub-contractor to get the house built.

We decided to tear down our current house and build on the existing footprint of the house. So we're keeping the foundation and building everything else from scratch. I'm incorporating a number of eco-friendly elements into the house. But I'm curious if anyone has any tips on home building? We're working with a budget.

So far I know who will do our roof, our insulation, our windows, sprinklers, gas fireplace, our doors, kitcen appliances and cabinets, closet cabinetry, all exterior stone and interior stone-travertine. We're told that prices for everything (lumber, drywall, slate) are down right now because of the economy. And the bids I'm getting are proving that.

Has anyone been through the steps of building a house. Can you give me any tips on what to do or not to do in a house? Should I go for high tech wiring or Cat 5, Cat 6? What kinds of things are best in the long run?

TLK

because you need licensed people who know the building codes of your city, there is less you can do yourself to save money. I would suggest to go with the high tech wiring.

Gemini the Great

Just make sure, your contractor, electrician, builder, anyone who touches anything in the house is licensed otherwise city would not mind tearing it apart or not approving it!

Also, another important thing to remember if there is any sign of asbestos in your current house (old pipes are notorious for that) make sure you hire the licensed people to remove that part because I know people who were fined by the state for not handling it properly.

Just lil things to add in..

-Invest in a good vent for bathroom to prevent mold and mildew in the long rum.. humidity sensor are the best ones to get.. cost about $300 each but it's a good investement on your house.

- Try to have hardwood floor in the house.. much much better than carpet flooring.

- Invest in good quality kitchen appliances even if you are on a tight budget.

saimanyc

Good suggestions. Yes, actually we decided on dark, handscraped engineered wood floors because we want radiant heating under it.

I'm looking for all licensed people and signing contracts with them. And I'm not paying anyone up front.

I'm almost 100% sure that our house has asbestos. It's almost 100 years old. So we budgeted for that. The codes here are strict so we're going by every tiny detail including bathroom vents, window sizes and styles.

Kitchen appliances probably Thermador or Sub Zero. We're making sure the kitchen is beautiful, big and high end for retaining resale value.

One thing I found I should do is not deal with the big box stores (Home Depot). I'm finding that local craftsman and local businesses offer great details for superior products. They can customize items and offer greater discounts if you buy a lot at once. There is a local company that makes closet cabinetry and he can also do the bathrooms and kitchen. Buying all together would be a great discount.

This is a learning experience for me. I enjoy the process of building our family home so far. My husband is extremely busy at work so it's taken some stress off of him.

TLK

Looking forward to your updates saimanyc. It would be great if you keep this thread alive by posting updates, your experience, dos and donts, word of cautions, and maybe some pics as the construction is in progress ..