I love this website, it is incredibly useful... Bryan in Reynoldsburg, OH

Aimee's Forum Posts: 1
Journal Entries: 11
Interview Answers: 226
Average Forum Rating: 4.00



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Final Entry...

Posted to BeehlerHome by Aimee in Kalamazoo, MI on 1/3/2007

Well, after two months of no Internet, we're now online, so I figured I should finally wrap up this blog up with some pictures, which as you'll notice were taken before Christmas.  Our poor Christmas tree looked so full in our old, small house, but is pathetically small in this new one (as is our tv).  Time for an upgrade on both :-)

We've been in the house for a while and are loving it.  Window treatments will have to be custom ordered, and we still haven't bought towel/toilet paper holders.  Closet organizers are in all the rooms that get used, but we have 2 to go.  Also, I never really appreciate how much cleaning goes into Parade of Homes houses before they get shown, but can really appreciate that now.  Everything needed a very detailed cleaning.

I am so happy that we owner-built this house.  Even having no trade experience I am proud of the way the house turned out and would do it again in a heartbeat.  Using the same floor plan again would make things easier.  The housing market in our area is really bad right now, but if it perks up in the next five years, we'll do it again.  We never intended to have a step-up strategy to begin with, but that's a real possibility now.   

Oh, and for the best news.  We are incredibly energy efficient.  During a week of freezing temps. and gusting winds in late November we turned the furance off at night.  In the morning, we had lost only 4 degrees in a 4000 sq. feet house (including the basement).  Plus, with the southern exposure along the wall with all our windows, we actually gain temperature without the furnace running.  On a typical sunny day, our thermostat reads 73 when it's set at 68!  The other day, I actually had to open a couple of windows because it was too hot (in Michigan in December!)  With sunny days and mild nights (as has been the story of our December), our furnace kicks on only twice a day.

Signing off, Aimee

Photos

Posted by Lynnette in Orlando, FL on 1/3/2007 Lynnette's Forum Posts: 43 Journal Entries: 26 Interview Answers: 62 Average Forum Rating: 3.68 Lynnette's Selected Image 1/3/2007	Congratulations! May you enjoy many, many, many happy years in your new home.  It looks beautiful. Lynnette in Orlando, FL
Posted by David in Keller, TX on 1/5/2007 David's Forum Posts: 1 Average Forum Rating: 4.00 Randomly Selected Image 1/5/2007	Love the cabinets and wood floors! What kind of wood is that and did you buy it on the internet?
Posted by Lisa in Groveland, FL on 1/5/2007 Lisa's Forum Posts: 122 Journal Entries: 101 Interview Answers: 94 Average Forum Rating: 4.01 Lisa's Selected Image 1/5/2007	Many, many congratulations and very well done.  SO good to hear you had no trade experience, (like us) it just goes to show what can be achieved with a little determination and a lot of tenacity.  We wish you the very best for the future your house is beautiful. Lisa.
Posted by Cara in Orlando, FL on 1/7/2007 Cara's Forum Posts: 38 Journal Entries: 136 Interview Answers: 59 Average Forum Rating: 4.04 My Construction Website Image from Cara's blog 1/7/2007	Ditto David, the floors are stunning... What are they?! Congrats on a job well done! :)
Posted by Aimee in Kalamazoo, MI on 1/8/2007 Aimee's Forum Posts: 1 Journal Entries: 11 Interview Answers: 226 Average Forum Rating: 4.00 Image from Aimee's blog 1/8/2007	The hardwood floor is Berkshire Country Maple.  We got it through a local flooring store, but I'm sure it's out there online somewhere.  It actually has much more character and diversity than even the pictures can portray.  Be sure to mix up the pieces in different boxes well before installation.  We love it!

What We Would Do Differently...

Posted to BeehlerHome by Aimee in Kalamazoo, MI on 10/22/2006

We're down to our final three weeks. It's been a quiet couple of weeks since my last journal entry. We have a driveway, paint and lights now, and that's about the only changes. We've been waiting for gas for over a week (they said they’d be here 8 days ago!), which is holding up the hardwood flooring (we need the furnace on) and, thus, cabinets. Both gas and water are scheduled for Monday, then it's all downhill from there. The trim has been painted and is lying in the garage, the kitchen cabinets are done and waiting for flooring, and the tile guy is waiting for water. The only things left to buy are toilet paper holders, towel racks, utility sink and faucet, laminate countertop for laundry room, and hardware for the kitchen cabinets. Oh, and since we're moving from 1,000 sq. ft. to 2,000 sq. ft. some extra furniture would be nice too!

As I look back on this whole project, I feel an obligation to share our mistakes if for no other reason than to possibly help other owner-builders. Even so, many of these are specific to our particular project. Remember, neither of us have any experience with any building trade and this was our first project. Although we had fair warning about some of these things (especially though The Owner-Builder Book) we still made the mistake. Given that, I think we actually did fairly well. Here are things we would do differently next time if we build again:

• Scale back on the trades we have our builder do – no plumbing or garage floor flatwork, at least, and maybe siding. They came so highly recommended and did such a fabulous job with everything they touched that it was hard to go elsewhere for trades. Using them for so many trades, however, made for less than ideal allocation of their time. For example, after the house was framed and roofed, they moved straight to siding and soffits instead of plumbing – mistake – we should've had them work inside first. That slowed the interior progress considerably and my electrician didn't want siding up before he came in, which was already done. 
• Be even more than absolutely certain which subs we will use for the entire project before digging. Some last-minute changes during our build slowed us down unnecessarily or just made for a nuisance (e.g. contractors for driveway, gutters, and hardwood floors, tile shower). There's enough to do mid-project without having to find time to gather more bids.
• Dig the well earlier and budget for a one-horsepower well to begin with (we upgraded mid-project, but should've planned for that initially) in case we want a sprinkler system later.
• Remember sleeves for fireplace vent and well before concrete gets poured - I partially blame my builder for that, though. He should've known. 
• Pour the driveway as soon as possible (keeps dirt tracking into the house to a minimum) – also helps the house look more finished to passers-by.
• Ask the gas company to run the line from the road immediately after HVAC inspection. We thought the building department would fax over the paperwork after we passed inspection like they did for electrical. On that note, double-check that faxes make it to their destination as promised. 
• Hound the gas company like nobody's business. They have a monopoly and hence, no motivation WHATSOEVER to try to compete for our business by doing what they say when they say they will do it! Deregulation anyone?
• Cover the windows and doors before drywallers texture the ceiling.
• Make sure final grading is done before the wet season (Sept./Oct. for us) and boy was it a rainy season this year.  It still hasn't stopped raining.
• Secure the port-a-john to a structure of some sort; punk kids kept knocking ours over and our disposal company was getting tired of cleaning it up.
• Get a bigger dumpster.
• Explore floor plans with plumbing all clustered in the house.
• Plan for a sunroom or covered deck.
• Plan better for where to hang towel bars in the master bath (after switching the orientation of our pocket door mid-build, we were left with a pocket door frame where we should’ve had studs).
• Allocate more money for landscaping.
• Plan for taller baseboard trim due to higher ceilings.  Actually, we did make this change mid-stream for this project, but it would've been less trouble to have that planned out ahead of time.
• In general, buy and order everything earlier than needed and find a place to store them in the meantime.
• I’m sure there are other details, but that's all I can think of right now.

All in all, nothing really stalled our project for too long, and if time delays were our biggest mistake, we did okay (i.e., no one got hurt, no theft, all lien waivers accounted for, etc.) On another note, here's what helped us the most:

• Met with the building inspector before we even submitted applications for permits to pick his brain and establish good rapport; I also befriended his secretary who knew everything and seemed to be unusually helpful.
• Constant communication with subs.
• Being available to be on site on short notice and always being able to be reached by phone.
• Having good communication skills and being confident and assertive, yet friendly.
• Sounding like we knew what we were doing so people took us seriously.
• Asking for advice from a wide variety of people in each trade.
• When you think you're done planning and can't plan any more, go back and plan some more.

Like you, I read these in every owner-builder resource we found before we began, but couldn’t quite appreciate how true they are until now.

Posted by George in Wharton, TX on 4/12/2007 George's Forum Posts: 33 Journal Entries: 2 Interview Answers: 63 Average Forum Rating: 3.45 George's Selected Image 4/12/2007

Thank you for taking the time to post your mistakes. Although it did not look like you made many, it was very helpful for me to read about. You should do this again; you guys are naturals.

Eager and Tired

Posted to BeehlerHome by Aimee in Kalamazoo, MI on 10/1/2006

Our drywallers were speedy, tidy, and well priced.  The basement walls had to be drywalled to cover the exposed ICF, which we knew going into the project.  It still doesn’t make any sense to us, though, as the ICF foam is no worse at deterring fire than drywall.  We also had them drywall the exposed stud walls at the bottom of the stairs so the space looks finished from the main floor looking down. 

Attic insulation is done.  I think we’re right around R-48, which should be sufficient.  Some fiberglass batting was also set in place in the wall between the master bedroom and the living room to filter sound from the TV for late-night watchers (yours truly).  I actually keep the volume really low at night, but because it’ll likely share the wall that the head of the bed is against, it’s more of a precaution than anything.  

I have been changing my mind about paint colors since the inception of planning this house 18 months ago, and only today did I settle on them.  I’m actually so tired from working two jobs, getting this house built and raising a 2-year-old that I literally walked in the paint store, stood there for a whopping 10 minutes and decided on 3 colors.  Done.  The painters are starting on Tuesday so there was absolutely no more procrastinating to be had.  I picked neutral colors all around - a beige for the majority of the house, a darker shade of the same hue for the master suite, and a sweet, soft yellow for Morgan’s room.  

We’ve been dragging our feet on finding a concrete driveway contractor.  Our builder really wants to use rebar in the driveway, which we think is overkill and can be substituted with wire mesh.  In fact, I think a fiber reinforced product would even be enough.  So, we’re shopping bids around and haven’t made a decision yet. 

So far, I think the best change we’ve made to our plans was actually something our framer convinced us to do, and something we’d recommend to others.  He put in a 10” tread on our stairs instead of the standard 9.”  You’d be surprised at how a small change makes such a huge difference.  It gives your foot more room, of course, is safer, and actually feels like a shallower step, even though it isn’t.  It’s all about the details.  Highly recommended.  We only lost 18” of floor space to do it and had to slope the ceiling for headroom going down the stairs. 

We’ve got to call the gas & electric companies this week to get lines into the house.  The well is also scheduled for this week.  Trim has been milled and is supposed to be delivered this week so our painters can do that too.  We opted for poplar wood as it’s easy to work with and cheaper than oak.  Had we decided to stain it instead of paint, we would have used oak.  Electrical and HVAC are coming back right after paint which should be done by next weekend, then hardwood floors & tile.  I’ve not been as happy with our HVAC crew as I was hoping, so won’t use them again after this project.  Our cabinet guy is hoping to be ready by the 16^th, but thinks it might be closer to the 20^th.

Picture captions:

1. septic tank started

2 & 3: retaining wall; the 2^nd tier will be filled in with top soil

4. backyard with final grading done – Chad is planting trees and grass seed this weekend

5 & 6: family room

7. mud room (rear entry door from garage on left)

8. laundry room

9.standing in living room looking through eating area into kitchen; cased opening on the right goes into mud room

10. hallway; 2 bedrooms on left, bath at end of hall, master bedroom on right

Photos

8 Week Countdown?

Posted to BeehlerHome by Aimee in Kalamazoo, MI on 9/13/2006

We’re officially through our rough-in inspections, and, weather permitting, drywall was to be delivered today.  Haven’t checked yet this evening. That’s all supposed to be primer ready in 2 weeks, but if I’ve learned anything throughout this project it’s not to count on deadlines that aren’t imposed with a financial threat attached.  Regardless, insulation, paint, hardwood flooring, and cabinets were notified today of the tentative deadline.  Each will come on board in that order.  A friend of mine is doing our tile work, so he also came out yesterday to tentatively measure. 

The septic tank is in, but not yet inspected.  When I called for the inspection the health department says my guy is only licensed in the county immediately to our south and has to pass a test and pay $104 to get licensed in our county before they will allow an inspection.  Gotta love bureaucracy!  He’s also our excavation guy, and said since his excavation license is good statewide, he assumed his septic was too.  I might be bothered that he didn’t know that ahead of time except for the fact that he’s been absolutely fabulous to work with so far.  It’ll get inspected and covered shortly.

The retaining wall IS finally in!  It’s a steeper window well then we envisioned, but it will serve the purpose of allowing more light into the basement than egresses.  Other things that we did, or had done by others, this week included:

• Installed basement windows
• Built toiletries shelf and stoop in shower
• Installed door from the garage into the mudroom & 2 pocket door frames
• Re-keyed all door locks the same
• Installed gutters
• Selected and ordered trim & interior doors

Also had fun picking out more lighting fixtures.  A few months ago I managed to buy a $500 gift certificate from a large local lighting store for $310.  Fortunately, we don’t have caviar taste, so with the certificate was able to find a large pendant light for the main entry, vanity lights for both bathrooms, and 4 overhead lights (for hallway, stairs, mud room, & laundry).  Other lights are already purchased.  Guess now that I look at our numbers, we aren’t over budget on lighting fixtures.  We’re actually under.  Makes me think I’m forgetting something.

As of now, we are officially in extra innings on this project.  Our initial, very optimistic, projections were to get this house built in 3 months, which would’ve meant a move-in date around now.  Oh well.  What are you gonna do?    

You're Fired!

Posted to BeehlerHome by Aimee in Kalamazoo, MI on 8/30/2006

We were hoping we wouldn’t have to do this, but we fired one of our subcontractors today.  I guess you could call them landscapers.  They were supposed to dig/set our retaining wall, and have been dragging their feet for nearly a month, promising to “be there today” one too many times.  Unfortunately, this was such an important component of our project that it will postpone our 4-way inspection.  We can’t put the basement windows in until the wall is up, hence we are not ready for our building inspection.  This has been very stressful.  What is so frustrating about it is that the main floor is ready to go for drywall except for one 36” vent sleeve for the fireplace that will be done Friday.  But until our inspection, we cannot proceed.  I so want to wring their necks, and have spewed enough foul tirades this week to last me a lifetime.  But other then that, everything is going very well J   Their replacement can start the wall next Wednesday. 

We confirmed today that our excavator can do final grading and septic next week, and since he’s always so booked, we don’t dare try to push him off.  We’ll work around the retaining wall area for now and use a bobcat later.  The well is scheduled for the week after, and we need to get the driveway scheduled now too.  Friday, I’ll pick out and order trim.  Our garage floor has been poured.  Our front door is on sight, but to save it from being beaten up by the drywallers, we’ve got a crummy old temporary one up for now.

Overall, we’ve not made any major changes from our original blueprints, just minor things here and there.  The hallway had a closet that, once framed in, just made the hall look too closed in.  That closet was removed.  The hallway is also 6” wider, and the wall between the 2nd and 3^rd bedrooms was shifted over 6” to even the rooms sizes out.  The framework for the fireplace looked too small in scale for the space it was built in, so that was enlarged.  The toilet in the master bath was reoriented 90 degrees, and linen closet shelving in that same bathroom is being moved into the master closet, eliminating that closet too.  The master shower was enlarged.  The surrounds we found that fit our alcove are atypical enough is size that it’ll cost the same to do that as tile.  Because we’ll recoup the cost better in resale value with tile, we’re going that way.

Our HVAC contractor is having a fit that we have so many recessed lights in the kitchen (7).  He wants them all to have sealed trims, even though they are less than 2 CFM energy loss lights to begin with.  Seems like overkill to me, but we’ll look into it and decide when it’s electrical trim time.  We are planning on having a blower door test to get our $2,000 tax credit, but I’m having trouble believing the lights need to be sealed to pass that test given the concrete walls.  Plus, we’ll lose light out of them.  Not the end of the world either way.  

Sorry, no pictures today.  Nothing looks too drastically different except now we have wires, pipes, and ducts running everywhere. 

Mechanicals

Posted to BeehlerHome by Aimee in Kalamazoo, MI on 8/15/2006

We’re mostly dried in now and working on mechanicals.  Our entry door is taking longer to come in then anticipated.  Rough plumbing is all but completely done.  The bathtub in the master is a drop-in unit that needs a frame yet, which is on the agenda tomorrow.  Bath #2’s tub will also be secured in tomorrow, as will the fireplace (once it’s frame is built, that is).  HVAC started today and expects to be done at the end of the week, and electrical is scheduled for next week. 

Good news on the basement stairs.  Turns out, no pun intended, we were able to accommodate a straight staircase, avoiding our undesired landing and turn.  Unfortunately, the basement floor is a mess.  The landscaping guys were supposed to put in our landscape timber retaining wall weeks ago, and still haven’t yet.  Runoff from rain came in one of the window openings and muddied up the floor a bit.  We OSBed the opening until they can get the retaining wall up, but not soon enough.  Looks like we’ll be renting a wet vac in the near future.  Of course, we don’t have water yet, so that’ll have to wait. 

In the kitchen, we’ve opted for a 3’ deep peninsula instead of an island after seeing the space in full scale.  Our cabinet guy has measured and we’ve decided on specifics.  One unexpected extra is a spice cabinet that nestles into a 7.5” gap we have in our base cabinets.  I found solid surface countertops for $35/sq. foot installed, and finally settled on a color too.  The same countertop at Home Depot was $52.  We bought our refrigerator, range, washer and dryer this week too, all from Sears.  Am very excited to finally have a front-loading washer.

Although the pictures don’t show it yet, we went ahead and framed in the rooms in the basement.  Since we have to have drywall over the ICF to get a certificate of occupancy, we had to at least put in end posts for framing where interior and exterior walls meet.  It was barely a drop in the bucket to just go ahead and frame off the 4 walls we wanted, so we did. 

Our builder bid on drywall, but his bid came is $7K to $8K higher than all of the others we got!  Guess he didn't want to do it :-)  So he’s out, and the next guy is in.  We won’t be pocketing that savings though, because we forgot to include some pretty big expenses early on that couldn’t be neglected (pest treatment, pea gravel for radon escape, etc).  As much planning as we’ve been doing, it seems ridiculous that such basic things would’ve been overlooked.  Thankfully, that money appeared through drywall savings so we’re still doing okay on the budget.  Other things that are running higher than expected (appliances, lighting fixtures, masonry) are being compesated for with savings in areas such as gutters & excavation.  In an attempt to help offset this and other potential cost overruns we’ve paid cash for a few things such as door levers, tubs & shower surround, appliances, lighting fixtures, ceiling fans, fireplace, and all plumbing pipe and fittings.  Although we’ve kept all receipts and could turn them in for a draw, we probably won’t.

Cation for the pictures are as follows:

1^st picture – standing at the front door looking in (from left to right: hallway, stairs, master bedroom, corner where fireplace will go)

2 – hallway & stairs (bedroom 2 to left of hallway; master to right of stairs)

3 – standing at “kitchen sink looking over pennisula” through informal dining area into family room (front door is around the corner left of hallway; master bedroom just beyond family room; patio door just cut off on far right of picture) – Note slope and 11’ ceilings in living room

4, 5 – Morgan is very proud in her bedroom!  When we show people the house, she takes them to her room, points to the closet and says, "This is where all my toys will go."  Look how deep our window sills are too!

Photos

Looking Like a House

Posted to BeehlerHome by Aimee in Kalamazoo, MI on 7/19/2006

It's been a quiet week on the business end of things, but the crew is busy.  Concrete on the main floor was poured Monday, sill plates and garage framing Tuesday, and trusses were set today.  I've been taking snacks out to the guys every so often, and did donuts this morning.  But, the big hit so far has been my 'monster' cookies, as they're called, which they can't seem to get enough of.  I'm happy to fill their bellies. 

We decided to stick-build the garage as opposed to going ICF.  Since we aren't warming the space for a workshop it didn't make sense to spend the extra money there.  So, in the event of a tornado the house will be standing, but garage and roof will be gone :-)

The most pressing step now, well after the roof is done, is to get the interior wall to the kitchen framed so our cabinet maker can get out here and take measurements.  I'm a little concerned that he won't be done with the cabinets by the time we're ready for them as he has a lot to make.  Our patio door is scheduled to arrive this week and the windows next.  The entry door is still a few weeks out as the transom takes longer.  Shingle and siding decisions have been made, and both were ordered today.  I'll order the garage doors tomorrow as they take 2 weeks.   

The pictures are from left to right as you're looking at the front of the house.  I was too lazy to get out of the car, so they were taken from the road.   

Photos

Posted by Kim in Pasadena, TX on 7/21/2006 Kim's Forum Posts: 0 Randomly Selected Image 7/21/2006

I am amazed how quickly things happen after the foundation and basement were set. All of a sudden, a house is there.  It isn't that way for you, I know, given all the details that had to be worked out to get it this far. It must be very exciting to see all your hard work paying off so beautifully. Kim

Movin' Right Along...

Posted to BeehlerHome by Aimee in Kalamazoo, MI on 7/12/2006

Things are moving right along now.  The subfloor is in, walls are going up, and the footer for the garage has been poured.  Door openings were set Monday and window bucks are going in as the walls go up.  We've only got about 2 more layers of ICF blocks to set before we're ready for concrete, which is scheduled for next Monday morning. 

One glitch that we've run into is with the basement stairs.  The original plans accounted for enough steps for a 9' basement ceiling, but now we need more steps to accommodate the higher ceiling.  Due to space constraints at the bottom of the stairway, our only real option now is to build a landing and turn the staircase.  Unfortunately, that will cost more, and it compromises my vision for the basement, but it has to be done. 

I ordered our entry door today.  I used a certificate I won in an online auction to get a $1,600 door for $800.  I chose a fiberglass door with sidelights and a transon with decorative glass.  Deciding on one wasn't that difficult as Chad really could care less what the front entry looks like.  That's made decision making easy all along.  I think that's why people say building a house is so stressful on marriages - all the dissension.  Not here, thankfully.   

Photos

Basement Complete

Posted to BeehlerHome by Aimee in Kalamazoo, MI on 7/6/2006

The basement floor was poured yesterday as was the concrete to secure the LVLs.  I also got lien waivers signed in preparation for our next draw from the bank.  Lastly, I ordered the whirlpool tub for the master bath (a planned splurge) as Home Depot was running a sale and a gift card offer that both expired on the 5th (saved 20% together).  Since I don’t know much about tubs, I used Consumer Reports best buy to make my decision.   

Backfill is today.  Some our remaining fill dirt will be spread along the west side of the house to recreate the slope, albeit shallow, that existed on the property around the house before construction began.  Our topsoil is as high quality as topsoil comes and worth top dollar.  We’ve already had offers for it, but will likely keep most of it as Chad wants to build up the back yard higher in some spots and will use it for that.

The quality of work that our crew is putting out is outstanding.  Our builder takes a lot of pride in his work and it shows.  We are very pleased.  But so far it’s been a slow go as they’ve had to spend five days finishing up an earlier project.  Fortunately, that project is very near completion and, as of right now, they are not planning to start another any time soon.  Another hold up was coordinating the pump and cement trucks from two different companies with a forecast for rain. 

The black platon wrap around the foundation wall is for water protection, just part of the formula that makes our basement walls warrantied dry for 30 years.  We intend to finish the basement only when the we start to feel crowded on the main floor.  Here’s the link to our ICF product for those interested:     http://www.phoenixicf.com/index.htm

Posted by Kim in Pasadena, TX on 7/12/2006 Kim's Forum Posts: 0 Randomly Selected Image 7/12/2006

Aimee and Chad, I'm so excited for you!  The work seems to be progressing quickly.  And the site looks tidy.  I don't know why that lseems good to me, but it feels like your builder knows what he is doing.  I think your ICF supplier should owe you some referral commissions for all the people who are  learning about ICF from your builder, ha! Kim

Foundation Walls

Posted to BeehlerHome by Aimee in Kalamazoo, MI on 6/26/2006

The window bucks are in.  A retaining wall to be built 4-6' beyond the windows will allow for more light and give the windows more of a daylight window feel than an egress.  The headroom in the basement is over 9' so we went with a larger window to maximize natural lighting. 

OSB is placed at all corners of the house to support the walls as the concrete is poured.  After dried, it'll be used again on the first floor then as roof sheating when we get that far to minimize waste.  We will be pouring the basement walls in two stages to keep them from bowing as there is nearly 12' of vertical wall cavity to fill.  Before the concrete gets poured, the walls appear to be weaving a bit, but this straightens out after.

We chose 14" TJI joists to free the basement of posts, which is more than the recommended weight of the ICF hangers for the first floor system.  So, LVL is being secured around the perimeter of the walls by hangers and bolts, both which will be secured by the concrete when it's poured. 

The underground plumbing and foundation wall inspections were today.  Plumbing is fine, and the inspector is super impressed with our builder's work.  This house is one of the only ICF houses in the area, and since we're building in a developing neighborhood with lots of construction crews around, we're getting a lot of attention.  Countless contractors keep driving by slowly, and many have stopped and actually talked to our building crew because they are so curious and want to get a closer look.

Photos

First Entry...

Posted to BeehlerHome by Aimee in Kalamazoo, MI on 6/20/2006

I'm a little late getting a journal started, but here it goes.  I'll start with some background.

Our land is 3/4 of an acre in a rural subdivision on what used to be farm land.  Purchased in early 2005, we initially intended to hold on to it for a few years before building.  But, we got the itch to build shortly after buying, so we threw that game plan out the window. 

An uncle of mine, who works for our lumber supply company, has been instrumental in getting us started in the early stages of planning to owner-build, including convincing us that we could do it, and helping us connect with exceptional subcontractors.  Without him I would have never tried to owner build.  Neither of us have experience in any residential trade.  But, I've learned so much and gained a lot of confidence over the year of planning that I feel that we've made the right decision. 

I found a floor plan online that was essentially what I wanted, then visited several Parade of Homes houses with the same basic layout.  Using features from those homes and our own family's needs, we had our plans drawn up by a designer/draftsman.  We are building a basic, ranch style home that is focused less on architectural detail and more on function.  Energy efficiency is also a high priority.

With that in mind we ran heat loss calculations and bottom dollar figures for just about every combination of heating sources and insulation available to us, settling ultimately on ICF construction from footer to eaves.  It helped that we got a sizeable discount on our forms and had a builder who was experienced with, and loved working with, ICF.  Once we decided on ICF, we went back and tweaked our blueprints a bit to even out width and depth measurements to minimize waste and speed up construction by avoiding excess cutting of forms.   

Now, a year after initially planning began, we are finally excavating.  Our budget looks in line to save 20% of appraised value without ever lifting a hammer. 

Photos