| Trade secrets to high-value, low-cost construction
If you are a builder, developer, or homeowner intent on getting the most from your new home construction or remodel budget, you need Building an Affordable House. This book gives you the insider techniques used every day by the best homebuilders in the country to save thousands of dollars on the cost of every home they build. Before driving one more nail or signing one more contract, read Building an Affordable House.
Building an Affordable House will help you:
- Add curb appeal on a budget
- Cut costs and keep quality
- Build savings into blueprints
- Learn secrets of reducing material costs
- Get subs on board from the get-go
From the Introduction
If you want to know everything about using a high-value, low-cost approach to home building and remodeling, read this book from cover to cover. Or, if you prefer, skip around and read only the sections that apply to your specific project. Read the first two chapters thoroughly, because they provide an overview of the opportunities available for taking charge of construction expenses. The succeeding six chapters detail how it's done, trade by trade, and chapters nine and ten cover finishing details on the exterior and interior of your home.
The approach described here does not require sweat equity, purchasing schemes, or unproven technologies. It's a hard-dollar-cost, hard-nosed approach to saving money through knowledge. This is a book about empowerment that gives you the information you need to control every expense. If your home-building or remodeling contractor hasn't read this book, it's going to cost you thousands. One excellent way to save money is to have each trade read their corresponding chapter and then apply what they've learned to your home. I use every technique in this book, and I've never met a builder who could build better for less. Except, that is, until you.
Table of Contents
Foreword. How to Use This Book. Chapter 1: Money Matters
A Hard-Dollar Cost Approach; The Affordability Equation; Achieving Blueprint Democracy; Every House Can Be Built Better; Great Expectations. Chapter 2: Design Building a Better Box; Using a Modular Planning Grid; Inner Space; Lot Basics; The Language of Affordability. Chapter 3: Foundations Concrete Is the Traditional Choice; A Soils Test Is a Good Investment; Concrete: More than the Basics; Do You Really Need a Footing?; Consider Alternatives to Conventional Foundations; Slab-on-Grade Foundations Are Affordable; Sealing Foundation Walls. Chapter 4: Framing Optimum Value Engineered Framing; Building Walls the New Way; Prefabrication Is the Future; Alternatives to Wood Walls; Floor Framing; Stairways; Girders, Beams, and Posts; Installing Subfloors; Engineered Floor Systems; Framing the Roof; Installing Framing Connectors. Chapter 5: Plumbing: Less May Be Better
Smart Layout Cuts Costs; Rethinking Supply Lines; Choosing Drain, Waste, and Vent Lines; Saving with Stainless Steel Gas Tubing; Shopping for Fixtures. Chapter 6: Heating, Ventilation, and Air-Conditioning Take an Active Role in Planning; Selecting the Right Equipment; Sizing Equipment for the House; Planning the Network of Ducts; Fresh Air Is Important, Too. Chapter 7: Wiring and Light Fixtures Fine-Tuning the Site Plan; Devising a Smart Floor Plan; Reducing Lights and Switches; Choose Wire Gauge Carefully; Ground-Fault Circuit Interrupters; Consider Aluminum Wire; Recessed Fixtures Save Money. Chapter 8: Insulation Making the Building Tight; Plug the Small Gaps, Too; The Airtight Drywall Approach; Choosing the Right Insulation. Chapter 9: Windows, Doors, Driveways, and Walks Pitched Roofs Are Better; For Siding, No Maintenance Is Best; Economizing with Doors and Windows; For Walks and Driveways, Skip the Concrete. Chapter 10: Interior Finish Design One Detail at a Time; Making the Most of Drywall; Choose Paint Carefully; Installing Interior Trim and Millwork; Saving in the Kitchen; Flooring Makes a First Impression. Appendices. Index.
About the Author
Fernando Pages Ruiz is a builder with nearly 30 years experience designing and building high-quality, affordable homes. He is a regular contributor to Fine Homebuilding magazine and hosts a weekly radio show on home building and maintenance issues. |
