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Previous Owner-Builder Survey
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What were the benefits of your time on site? Brian in Dome-ville, central, FL said: Kept thing going in the direction we wanted, made sure the work done was done right. Mike in Bonham, TX said: Addressing questions, issues, inspections
Terry in Santa Rosa, CA said: being able to answer any questions that may arise and fix any mistakes before it was too late.
Jeff in Hartland, WI said: I was on site twice daily -- at least. Early in the morning, Later in the evening. Because I was on site so frequently, I could answer questions and make decisions quickly enough so that subs weren't held up.
The last couple months, where I was doing a lot of the work myself, I worked my day job at the site. It saved me commuting time. Jack in Trumann, AR said: Probably the biggest benefit of being onsite is staying up on what progress is being made and catching any problems quickly. Mark in Provo, UT said: The good subs were facilitated. Materials were not wasted. Numerous
opportunities for improvement were exploited. The structure was kept
very clean. Money was not wasted that could have been otherwise.
Additional ways to save were found.
Brock in Walla Walla, WA said: Getting the house the way we want it now Pat in Round Rock, TX said: Your presence onsite keeps trades working instead of just standing around wasting time. If you see a problem you can solve it immediately. steve in anthem, AZ said: talk with subs they keep you up to date, they know you care and let you know what they need. any problems! Eric in seaville, NJ said: answer questions and catch mistakes Ken in Orangevale, CA said: I got things done properly. We were using poor drawings and suffering from misunderstandings caused by different cultures. The electric receptacles were being installed in all the wrong places. The backsplash on the cabinets was to be integral with the cabinet, but the receptacles were being installed so they'd end up behind the backsplash. The kitchen sink wasn't centered. That caused the cabinets to be off center, too. Roger in Petoskey, MI said: Quick build
Little rework/ saved money
ray in richmond hill, GA said: i new the qualty of my house, i could watch out for theft, Brian in South Burlington, VT said: I spent a lot of time onsite. The house got completed sooner than expected. Brian in Manvel, TX said: kept things from getting done wrong Jedda in Brighton, ON said: ensured things were done the way we wanted Craig in Green Bay, WI said: no short cuts by works (or at least fewer) If questions came up answered with out delay
Karl in Reno, NV said: Cost savings definitely in hampton, VA said: i am on site all the time the project is in progress Aimee in Kalamazoo, MI said: able to answer questions at the beginning of the day to prevent most mistakes Richard in malabar, FL said: Making sure that the work was done correctly. Max in OKC, OK said: able to answer questions promptly so things could be done my way instead of being redone or not the way I wanted Kenneth in Lees Summit, MO said: 1) Avoidance of rework and change orders.
2) Regardless of how detailed your plans are, there will always be questions. We could answer those questions. Our tradespeople knew that if they had a question, they could go to something else and we would be there before they left to answer the questions.
3) Bringing beer, soda, lunches. Nothing says thank you for hard work than beer at the end of the day, or lunch in the middle of the day for everyone on the jobsite. Never underestimate the power of goodwill with the trades.
Kathlyn in Orlando, FL said: none - the good guys did good and the bad guys did bad
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Latest 5-Star Post
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You can move a post to the front page simply by voting! Interesting topic. I finished my job five years ago, before “green” was all the rage.
1) I built on an infill lot that for some reason had never been built on. Roads in, utilities in, any development issues long since sunk. Interesting, the lot I built on was originally platted as two lots way back when; I have no clue why it was never built. When I built, it had been replatted as a single lot, again I don’t know why this would have happened, but my survey shows o
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Kenneth in Lees Summit, MO
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Previous Owner-Builder Survey
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What was your planned schedule when you started out?| <4 months | | 5.31% (6/113) | | 4-5 months | | 6.19% (7/113) | | 5-6 months | | 9.73% (11/113) | | 6-7 months | | 16.81% (19/113) | | 7-8 months | | 8.85% (10/113) | | 8-9 months | | 7.08% (8/113) | | 9-10 months | | 10.62% (12/113) | | 10-11 months | | 1.77% (2/113) | | 11-12 months | | 15.04% (17/113) | | >12 months | | 18.58% (21/113) | Average: 8.88 Click to expand...Brian in Dome-ville, central, FL said: >12 monthsPablo in Mullica Hill, NJ said: 5-6 monthsMike in Bonham, TX said: 9-10 monthsTerry in Santa Rosa, CA said: >12 monthsAllen in Freeport, TX said: 8-9 monthsmary in shoreham, NY said: <4 monthsMichael in Ironton, MO said: 11-12 monthsFred in Kingston, Ontario said: <4 monthsJim in Gatesville, TX said: 7-8 monthsMary in Plano, TX said: 6-7 monthsSteve in Colorado Springs, CO said: 9-10 monthsJeff in Provo, UT said: 8-9 monthswilliam in woodstock, VA said: 6-7 monthsRoss in Hillsboro, OR said: >12 monthsOleg in San Diego, CA said: 6-7 monthsGail in Cupertino, CA said: 4-5 monthsJeff in Hartland, WI said: 8-9 monthsDana in Wilmington, NC said: 8-9 monthsDell in DeLand, FL said: 7-8 monthsBob in Ennis, TX said: 6-7 monthsLarry in DESOTO, TX said: 8-9 monthsMichael in Garland, TX said: >12 monthsMike & Carolyn in Smithville, MO said: 7-8 monthsJere in Ray Twp., MI said: 6-7 monthsJack in Trumann, AR said: 11-12 monthsKirk in Mansura, LA said: 5-6 monthsMark in Provo, UT said: 5-6 monthsCarol in Bellingham, WA said: >12 monthscharles in Anacortes, WA said: 11-12 monthsVictor in Ruckersville, VA said: 9-10 monthsChris in Chardon, OH said: 11-12 monthsEFRAIN in DEL RIO, TX said: 5-6 monthsBettie in Harlem, GA said: >12 monthsPeter in Springfield, MO said: >12 monthssue in carson, WA said: <4 monthsBritt in Prairie City, OR said: 7-8 monthsGrant in Jacksonville, AL said: 7-8 monthsTeju in brandywine, MD said: 11-12 monthsbob in deltona, FL said: 9-10 monthsBrock in Walla Walla, WA said: 6-7 monthsB in Munford, TN said: 6-7 monthsPat in Round Rock, TX said: 9-10 monthssteve in anthem, AZ said: <4 monthsSharon in Apollo Beach, FL said: 9-10 monthsBob in Gainesville, FL said: >12 monthsEric in seaville, NJ said: 7-8 monthsBarbara in Wilton, NH said: 11-12 monthsBrandon in Lafayette, LA said: 5-6 monthsDaniel in San Antonio, TX said: 7-8 monthsKen in Orangevale, CA said: 6-7 monthsRoger in Petoskey, MI said: 9-10 monthsJeff in Mobile, AL said: >12 monthsChris in East Hartland, CT said: 6-7 monthsray in richmond hill, GA said: 7-8 monthsMark in Holualoa, HI said: 11-12 monthsKirk in Mesa, AZ said: 11-12 monthsBrian in South Burlington, VT said: 6-7 monthsMark in Royal Oak, MI said: 11-12 monthsJennifer in Headrick, ON said: 4-5 monthsJoe in Sylvania, OH said: 5-6 monthsKelly in Catalina, AZ said: 10-11 monthsBrett in Logan, UT said: 6-7 monthsdan in Austin, TX said: 6-7 monthsToby in Abita Springs, LA said: 9-10 monthsJohanus in Edmonton, AB said: 10-11 monthsBryan in San Jose, CA said: 11-12 monthsLia in Wincheter, MA said: 9-10 monthsErnest in Port Ludlow, WA said: 11-12 monthsGabriel in Canyon Lake, TX said: 8-9 monthsWhitney in Saint Augustine, FL said: 8-9 monthsJan in Marmora, NJ said: 4-5 monthsPhil in Peoria, AZ said: 11-12 monthsTerry in Phoenix / Oracle, AZ said: 8-9 monthsEric in Roanoke, TX said: 5-6 monthswes in rio rancho, NM said: >12 monthsBrian in Manvel, TX said: 4-5 monthsJedda in Brighton, ON said: 5-6 monthsCraig in Green Bay, WI said: <4 monthsMalgorzata in Land O Lakes, FL said: 6-7 monthsTed in River Falls, WI said: 5-6 monthsKarl in Reno, NV said: >12 monthsdefinitely in hampton, VA said: 4-5 monthsAimee in Kalamazoo, MI said: 4-5 monthsDavid in Kalamazoo, MI said: 9-10 monthsDrue in Henderson, NV said: 11-12 monthsRobert in Reno, NV said: 11-12 monthsKarla in Silver Springs, NV said: 6-7 monthsTheo in Austin, TX said: >12 monthsLori in Reno, NV said: 11-12 monthsRodney in Mooresville, NC said: <4 monthsGreg in Palo Alto, CA said: >12 monthsGail in Burnsville, NC said: 7-8 monthsBob in Parma, OH said: >12 monthsjohn in smyrna, GA said: >12 monthsMolvie in Orlando, FL said: >12 monthsDavid in San Francisco, CA said: >12 monthsAdam in Olympia, WA said: 9-10 monthsRichard in malabar, FL said: >12 monthsBob in Clovis, CA said: 5-6 monthsMax in OKC, OK said: 5-6 monthsKarlie in Ogden, UT said: 6-7 monthsRoger Lynn in Spring, TX said: 9-10 monthsLisa in Rivesville, WV said: 6-7 monthsKenneth in Lees Summit, MO said: 11-12 monthsBrian in Bonner Springs, KS said: 6-7 monthsJeffrey Roy in Tok, AK said: >12 monthsArnold in Colorado Springs, CO said: 7-8 monthsRobert in San Ramon, CA said: 6-7 monthsKEITH in CARROLLTON, VA said: >12 monthsKathlyn in Orlando, FL said: 4-5 monthsHarry in Olathe, KS said: >12 monthsTom in Stroudsburg, PA said: 11-12 months
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Latest Post
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Laura,
Working (50 hours + / week) at my full time job, I knew I could not devote the time necessary to help make decisions or correct things that not up my satisfaction on the house.
I hired an builder who had retired. He owned his own business for over 40 years, had a good local reputation, and missed the industry. He also gave me a few names of contractors who did good work.
I budgeted 10 hours / week for him average. When we had bigger events happening, he was t
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Ed in Rochester, NY
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Latest Journal Entry
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During initial discussions with the framer framer, I asked what things he wanted from us to help him to his job. I try to do this with all of the subs as it gives them a chance to provide input and educate me about the work flow. The framer requested we backfill before he started work. I readily agreed even though I didn’t see what the big deal was one way or the other. Now after working on the construction site myself, I completely understand the framer’s POV. Jumping back and forth over the
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Mary
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Construction Bargain Strategies
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116. Buy Early
In general, costs are rising. They must be, because Elaine's parents paid $600 for the home she was raised in, which is worth more than $100,000 today. Therefore, if you can anticipate and buy what you need early, you can save in the long run.
This applied very markedly to land that Elaine and I bought to build the Riverbottoms house. The land was going begging when we bought it at $28,500. But our local market began to saturate with housing, and open land took a jump in price. Two years later it was worth $50,000. Six years later it had passed $100,000 in value.
This does not obviate the need to buy smart. Occasionally we see items like tools and construction supplies at a discounted price which are heavily undercut a year or two later. Know your purchase, shop around and buy smart.
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Thought from the Book
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Success in residential construction is to come in on budget, on
schedule and on specifications. For owner-builders, I would add: at a
savings. The owner-builders I interviewed saved an average of 35% off
the estimated costs of construction or appraised value. To me this
dispels the myth that owner-builders can't save money over using a
general contractor.
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Package Plans
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by Mark A. Smith
There is gimmick in the construction business that provides
erstwhile owner-builders an "easy way out". It's called a package plan.
This is a way to "owner-build" your house with the help of a
company that sells you the materials and provides you a list of
recommended subs. One such company "DeGeorge Homes" went down
in flames a few years ago in a spectacular bankruptcy. Other well-known
companies Landvest Homes, Homestead Homes and Homeworx Partners. In our Forums there's lots of talk about BuildMax and UBuildIt. We counted five of these companies plying the
trade at our local Home and Garden show.
When I first heard about one of these plans, I signed up for the
free seminar to find out about it. Elaine and I went to a local hotel one
evening and joined 15 other people to hear rosy stories of beautiful
homes and successful owner-builders. They passed out information
packets and we began to see a few problems.
A fellow with a construction background who handled local sales
stood in front and started to take questions from the group. We asked
one of our questions, and the company president moved up from the back
of the room and took a seat in front of us to give us personal feedback. In
other words, to keep us from contaminating the rest of the group.
We left with five principal areas of dissatisfaction:
1. Why did they bundle the cost of the land with the cost of
construction? Answer: We charge a 10% fee on your whole project for our
services. Read between the lines: While the land has nothing to do with
construction, we need the extra percentage on that to get by. So we take
an extra $3,000 on your $30,000 piece of land, because we need the
money.
2. Why do your subs pay a fee? Answer: So we can approve
them and make sure they are good. Read between the lines: If a sub
wants to play in our market, he has to pay the freight so we can collect
more revenues. Naturally, he will get that money back from you when he
does work on your house.
3. Why can't I get a sub of my own choosing to use on the
project? Answer: So we can approve them and make sure they're good.
Read between the lines: We control the subs so we get our piece of
gratuitous profit margin.
4. Why do you admit to only a 15% savings on home
construction? Answer: That's an average of the savings of couples who
have followed our program. My guess: Since owner-builders in my
survey averaged 35% savings, the package plan must be making 20% in
overhead and profit on the average project. They make $40,000 on a
$200,000 house while I do the work.
5. Why do they provide all the materials? Answer: Because we
have great buying power and pass the savings on to you. My guess: If
they can save more on materials than the average owner-builder, they
must be pocketing more than the 20% figured above.
Add to this the fact that you have to use one of their designs, and
can't customize in any significant way. They help you get a construction
loan, but at a high cost - more profit again. Chapter 11 of The Owner-
Builder Book shows how anyone can get a construction loan at a
competitive rate.
We decided that the package plan added a middle man to the
process and pumped up the cost. What's your decision?
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