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Homebuilding Debt-Free: A Guide for the Owner-Builder
From the Introduction
Picture this: You're sipping lemonade, relaxing in the living room of a home you have built yourself. It's taken the better part of five years, but it's finished and you own it outright. That's right. No mortgage company has their hands on your domicile. Sound impossible? Are you convinced you haven't got the talent to build your own home? I'm here to remove those negative perceptions and introduce the concepts and practices of building your own home. You can achieve your goal of home ownership by building it yourself. I did, and hundreds of other people I know have done the same thing. They directed their ambition and took charge of their lives and their destiny.
It's frightening to consider that a residential mortgage will amount to as much as three times the purchase price of a house over the life of the payment schedule. A $100,000 house would cost more than $314,000 at 10 percent interest amortized over 30 years. Additionally, the monthly mortgage payment can amount to as much as half of a regular income. What would you do with an extra $873 every month?
Many families cannot afford to buy a new home, because the debt would overextend their economic stability. For those who need more space for a growing family, remodeling might be the answer. But when the estimate comes back from the contractor, the price is usually too high. Because of this, many individuals feel locked into a mortgage payment, and as a result, more and more people are considering doing the work themselves. Becoming the owner-builder eliminates most labor and overhead expenses.
I can hear your reaction now: "I can't possibly build a home. I may know some carpentry, but nothing about electrical plumbing or roofing." But read on and you might find that it's a lot less daunting than it may appear.
In a larger sense, an achievement such as building your own home gives you a measure of control over your destiny. Consider the self-fulfillment aspect of building and owning the largest single investment you're likely to have in your lifetime. Consider how you'll feel knowing that you'll have something meaningful to pass on to your family. No insurance policy can compare to the indisputable value of a solid real estate investment such as a family home. The peace of mind you have knowing that the biggest expense in your life is paid for is well worth the effort.
There are many other reasons to build your own home. The idea is not new, nor does it belong exclusively to the "back to nature" culture. Building your own home is an expression of yourself and your loved ones. Most tract housing projects, for example, have three or four basic plans, with minor variations in floor layout or elevation views. Very little expression of individuality emanates from such a cookie cutter design.
Having the type of home you want will not only add comfort, but a sense of fulfillment to your life. The home you design and build will be customized for you and your family. Whether your particular interests include gardening, cooking, artistic painting, special collections, or movies, your house will be unique. A traditional design can never incorporate all of those personal aspects within a standard plan. Nor will a builder ever organize all of your inner thoughts into just the house you want. Your personality and life's interests, and those of your family, should unfold into the house of your dreams.
Your home should also match your lifestyle. Some individuals prefer large bedrooms, or a country kitchen, while others dream of having a full-length porch, or three-car garage. When you have a house built, a contractor charges for even small changes to the original plan. By doing it yourself, you'll have the flexibility to make changes along the way for next to nothing.
Another very important reason for building your own home is your family. I cannot tell you how much building a home will do to bring a family closer together. The common goal of constructing a living space for each other is very unifying, especially for a family dedicated to the goal of attaining the independence and self-reliance home ownership provides. The greatest reward is that each family member will recognize that their contribution made a difference. The value to your children's self- esteem will last a lifetime.
Building your own home will also teach you about yourself. You'll discover that you can perform new and challenging tasks and that every experience improves what you do on a daily basis. After a short time, it will become evident that one or more of the construction trades unfolds naturally for you. In the long run, you'll develop a respect for tradesmen you never appreciated before, and in doing so, will build lifelong friendships. You'll also become accomplished in the art of conservation and recycling, and adept at using and adapting myriad building materials. You'll find yourself working on your home with enthusiasm, be it day or night. You're going to have a great time!
The purpose of this book is that of an inspirational guide. It represents an effort to inspire and advise a prospective owner-builder. There is, however, no substitute for experience. I strongly recommend that you gain as much practical experience as possible before you begin work on your dream home. Building a home is a huge undertaking, especially if you've never built anything before. Enlist all the help you can and practice on something small, like a shed or playhouse. Learn all you can from experienced tradesmen. This book will not be enough to teach a novice all of the skills required to completely build a home without making mistakes along the way. Indeed, builders with vast experience still make mistakes on every project. Likewise, this book makes no representation that everyone can accomplish these goals. However, individuals with a good head on their shoulders, some experience in manual labor, and a willingness to learn, can achieve success.
As with any undertaking, building a home is marked by overcoming numerous setbacks. These are learning tools. General contractors, subcontractors, tradesmen, and laborers all experience setbacks, even after 30 years of experience. However, they don't look at these setbacks as failures, but as learning experiences. You need to take the same approach.
Familiarize yourself with building laws within your community For starters, you must get a building permit so consult with your local building department for any legal issues that affect your plans to build the home of your dreams. When looking for a site be sure to review restrictive covenants that place conditions on the use of land. Ask pointed questions, learn your rights and obligations, and make informed decisions. Before purchasing land consult a realtor or attorney experienced in real estate and zoning.
By definition, the term construction pertains to the assembly of manufactured products and natural materials to create a building or structure. As such these materials are subject to the vagaries of nature and human error. Since it's not always possible to avoid problems in the construction field. I've created section termed "Uh, Oh" that deals with corrections and fixes for common construction errors. You'll find these sections at the end of strategic chapters. In my years as a contractor and building inspector, I have encountered thousands of problems corrected with a safe alternative that will pass inspection. These troubleshooting sections contain some of the most commonly made mistakes. Depending upon local jurisdiction rules, your project must pass several building code inspections. There may be some aspects of your design that trouble an inspector, and it will be up to you to offer an alternative that the inspector can accept. These sections will help you begin the dialog with your inspector.
The scope of this book is limited to the first-time home builder. You can use this book as a guide for specific portions of a project, or as a cookbook for the entire project. I will provide a pattern for designing and building a small (less than 2000 square feet) conventionally shaped, light weight, wood frame building. This is the easiest house for most people to build and the most forgiving of mistakes. It's also the easiest for a single person or small group to assemble and erect.
Read the entire book to get the overall picture before you begin your project. Part One includes a discussion of design principles, plan drawing, and permit acquisition. Part Two applies those designs to construction techniques, including foundation, framing, utility installation, and finish trim work. Where possible, pictures of construction will help you understand construction concepts.
Chapter 3 contains examples of building plans, including site, foundation, floor, framing, electrical plumbing, and mechanical plans, as well as elevation views. Use these as a guide to developing your own design. The foundation design can be either a monolithic (single pour) slab on grade, concrete masonry block (CMU), or concrete foundation wall You may use an interior bearing foundation wall to allow for a reasonable span for wood floor joists, instead of a monolithic concrete slab. This would allow for the option of building a basement.
The wall frame I recommend is a wood stud type with double top and single bottom plates. This is the most popular, conventional, and simple wall framing system. In this case the price is as much a factor as is ease of assembly. The framing I recommend is a 2 x 6 wood stud wall frame which must be sheathed with exterior grade plywood or hardboard siding. This will serve as the finish exterior wall surface, or as a substrate for a stucco or masonry veneer finish at a later date.
The floor framing system I recommend is solid wood joists or composite wood joists. Either is satisfactory, easy to install, and forgiving of mistakes. The solid wood joists are limited in their span by strength and size, while composite wood joists are a manufactured product with longer design spans.
The roof framing system I recommend is premanufactured wood trusses. Your first house is a tough place to learn to build a cut roof. Open-web wood trusses are the mainstay of modern production framing because of the price and speed of installation. For the most part, they are easy to erect, quick to install, and you'll have fewer complications.
The plumbing system I recommend is plastic drainage and water supply pipe. Only specific kinds of plastic water pipe are approved for interior installations, so review the manufacturer's conditions carefully. A beginner can install each with a little training and observational experience. Pressure testing of the plumbing system will verify that the connections are water-tight. You'll know right away if there's a leak that will require repair.
I also recommend an electric heat pump for heating and cooling. If you live in a cold climate, for example, you may need to add a heat strip to ensure adequate heating. You may need help from a qualified mechanical equipment installer, but you may be able to do much of the work yourself.
Another option for heating your home is electric baseboard heaters. Electrical service equipment rated at or less than 200 amps will be sufficient for a small home such as this, even for an all electric house. An all-in-one electric service panel will provide a means of service disconnect along with a load center and circuit breakers in one box. Wiring with copper type NM cable is most commonly used in residences. An all-electric house is easiest and cheapest for the first time home builder.
That's it for starters. There may be a lot to learn, but the end result is well worth the effort. Keep in mind that a home is more than just a place to keep your stuff. It's a place that provides a safe haven from both natural and social danger. It's a legacy that can be handed down from generation to generation. As mobile as modern society has become, a home provides a sense of stability. Simply put, it's the heart of the family.
Table of Contents
Foreword. Acknowledgements. Introduction. Part One: Planning and Design. Chapter 1: What it Takes to Build a Home. Chapter 2: Architectural Design. Chapter 3: Technical System, Design Plan Drawing, and Permits. Part Two: Building and Construction. Chapter 4: Soil Excavation and Site Development. Chapter 5: Foundation Construction. Chapter 6: Wood Wall Framing. Chapter 7: Floor and Roof Framing. Chapter 8: Floor and Roof Decking. Chapter 9: Roof Covering. Chapter 10: Wall Siding. Chapter 11: Plumbing: Rough-In and Top-Out. Chapter 12: Electrical Rough-In Wiring. Chapter 13: Mechanical Equipment Rough-In. Chapter 14: Pre-Insulation Pick-Up. Chapter 15: Energy Conservation. Chapter 16: Interior Wall Finish. Chapter 17: Final Trim: Exterior and Interior. Chapter 18: Septic Tanks. Chapter 19: Case Studies: Advice from Others. Part Three: Appendices. Appendix A: Useful Web Sites. Appendix B: HVAC Design Methods. Appendix C: Structural Design. Appendix D: Glossary. Index.
About the Author
Lynn Underwood is an owner-builder himself, and as a former licensed contractor, he has built several homes. He has been in code enforcement for more than 16 years in the states of New Mexico, Washington, and Arizona, and is currently a senior plans examiner for Oro Valley, Arizona. Lynn has a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering Technology and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from New Mexico State University.
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