I am GCing, but not physically building and swinging a hammer. As the previous poster mentioned, it has been a full time job. We started work in July. Should be mostly finished at the end of this month, some stuff will trickle over to April. As also mentioned, I started out getting bids from GC's and also from subs so I could try to figure out how much it was going to cost to build. Then at some point, I had all the bids from all the subs that I would need, I could cost and service compare, and when added together, it was less than the GC's bids. I was waiting on one GC in particular that I really thought I would go with but his bid never came. So finally I just decided let's get this party started. I think I have saved a lot of money, but can't really say how much for sure. I found an Amish crew and they do most everything, except plumbing, electric, and hvac, so that relieved almost all of my stress. I gave him the blue print and they have done it all. So really they became my GC on the build part but I still had to line up my other subs and suppliers although they made reccommendations of people they have worked with before. My main job has been that of tending to the shopping. I bought most supplies at the local lumber yard. They delivered when we needed, they came out and helped measure for things like trusses, for the supplies for the wrap around porch, help with measuring for windows, they come out to count the doors, just anything and everything. I think they are happy to get out of the store once in awhile. I found a great buy on doors online, and my local matched it. So they really have tried to go above and beyond. All other stuff, like bathroom fixtures and lighting fixtures, all my appliances, I bought online. I saved a TON of money I think, and had it delivered to my door. If at times when the savings wasnt all that great or even if I didnt save, I still ordered online because it saved me time and gas and the hassle of hauling something home and lining out help to unload. I should also add that prior to digging a hole, I researched for months and months and months. So by the time it came time to build, I pretty much knew everything I wanted even down to the finishing touches. Now some of those ideas have changed of course, but my point is, there were things I knew I wanted or didnt want, so we could plan ahead for them. Most every sub needed to know something about the next phase, and I was able to answer it, so they were able to do things to make the next phase easier. Would I do it again? At first I said no way, now I am thinking I might but on a much much smaller scale. Next house will be a two room cabin or something, in maybe 15 - 20 years, so I might tackle that. Okay, so what was the question? Pitfalls and savings. I think had I built in the boom time, I would have had a terrible time getting subs here. They would have been loyal to the contractor that would be giving them their next job also, and I would have taken a backseat. I really feel my Amish crew made this possible for me to do. While they didnt hire subs, they made reccommendations of other subs and supplies that they have and will work with again, and also made sure things were lined out and ready to go. Savings? I think so, just not sure how much. But we have about 7100 sf under roof. Now that includes wrap around porch that is under the standing seam metal roof, and garage and safe room in a full basement, but everything under roof is about 7100 sf for a cost of around 420k. We did geothermal, extra tint low-e argon windows, some spray foam, some blown in cellulose, some pink stuff, we have lightning rods and a security system that added a few bucks. We have 5 miles of wiring. I have enough lights, ceiling fans, and spigots and a hot/cold spigot on my porch that a family of 4 could live there. So I have some bucks in the bones. We also have a new pond and an on-ground pool in those numbers. BUT - I tried to save money in other areas like our custom cabinets are Amish built, my flooring is a little engineered hardwood and mostly laminate that I got anywhere from .79 - 2.49 sf. A little crown in a few rooms, but nothing over the top. Saved some bucks on the exterior. I won't have granite countertops - going to try something new this week, will see how that goes. I won't have fancy decor inside as I tried very hard to stay on budget and not finance, but I tried to get the bones right, the other stuff we can upgrade later if we want, although right now I am pretty happy with how everything is coming together. Here is a link that might be useful: Our Home Page

We looked for four years until we found a piece of land that met our requirements and we could afford. We bought it in August using a home equity line of credit. Its 1.5 acres (4 lots in a 1950s plan that was never built) and we plan to split it with my sister and build two homes eventually. The primary thing holding us up is the fact that a sewage line is going under construction this year or next and it would be foolish to build before sewage was available. Also we need to pay off our half of the land and transfer the other half to my sister before we can move forward. Both of those factors puts us with an earliest build time of 2011. I find that no one wants to talk to us until were more sure about when we can build, and that is making it hard for me to get a firm idea of how much it might cost us to build. That said, my plans have been evolving as I try to get a handle on building cost. We did meet with a builder a year ago (before we bought the land) to try and get a ballpark idea. Based on that meeting, coupled with reading this forum and the house tours weve gone on since then, we have totally revamped our plans/expectations to try and make them as cost effective as possible. My husband got me Better Homes and Gardens home designing software, which has been really helpful. I started with the footprint and basic layout of a typical production builder home in this area figuring it must be cost effective for them to be using it, then modified it to our needs. Im happy with the results, but my husband tends to be a little unrealistic, wanting things and design elements that I dont think we can afford. I have an education in and inclination for art and design. Like you, Redloger, Ive spent years looking through magazines and also taking books out of the library and scanning pictures I like. Ive actually made poster boards for each room so that I can look at all my idea pictures together. My husband and I just got into a semi-argument about the whole thing last night. If we argue about pictures, I imagine trying to really do the whole project must be really difficult. Hes feels like well never be able to afford it (or what he really wants anyway) and therefore doesnt want to seriously consider the design. Hes not a numbers person or a plan ahead kind of person. I want to work on the project ahead of time like you, Loralee, and try to get a firm handle on the design and cost so that we can work to make it a reality. So I feel that his ideas tend to be out of touch with reality and he feels like Im not interested in his input. He doesn't want to pick anything, but because he can be opinionated about things, I dont want to pick out too much without his input only to find hes going to veto it down the road. He seems to think it will be easy to make all these decisions while the actual build is going on, but I think good design takes time and planning. The thing is that we really like the same style and basically agree about materials etc, but somehow it is always contentious when we talk about it. The other thing complicating this whole mess is the fact that we have some skills from working on our rental properties and remodeling our home. Wed like to put those skills to use to save us some money. My husband wants to take on the whole thing, just get the house built to drywall and finish everything ourselves. But with 2 full time jobs and young children, again I dont think thats realistic. Im trying to figure out what projects would be the most realistic for us to tackle ourselves. Im thinking the painting and staining and tiling. Then down the road after were already in the house and as we can afford it, finishing the basement and installing all the bonus cabinets and built ins in the mudroom, craftroom, family room etc. But I don't know if that's too much, too little, or if it would save us significant money anyway. So, considering all that, I have a few more questions. I know that a house cant be built from what I have designed on BHG, so where do I go to get working blueprints drawn? Some builders I talked to seem to work with certain designers, so when the time comes should I just take my sketch ups to builders for estimates or would it make more sense to get final blueprints first? Second, cost is often estimated on square foot, but what is considered in that square footage? The software says my plan is about 2500-2700 square feet, but the house that I started with which has the exact same footprint is quoted as only about 2100. How could there be such a big difference? And if Im also planning a 3 car garage, front and back porches, would that be figured into the square foot estimate? If not, how much does that add to the overall cost? Thanks for all your help. (And charliedawg, your situation sounds like exactly what we would do except for the fact that houses dont increase in value that much here and never did even during the boom years. So even having lived there for 5 years, if we sold our house and paid off our first mortgage, wed only net $20,000 if everything went perfectly. Certainly not enough to pay off the land, get 20% equity and a $20,000 cushion. It sounds like you did very well.)

Hi Kath, Congrats on getting your nursing degree! I'm sure you worked VERY hard for it! Use the DOLLAR STORES, esp. for laundry/cleaning items, Deoderant, toothpaste, misc. cutlery, glassware, plastic storage containers, etc. Get that crockpot out and use it! I work 2 jobs and I am so thankful for my crockpot! Plan ahead for meals, especially with you working. Get a FOODSAVER and make ahead meals and freeze them. Get the mixed salads at the lower cost grocery stores, roast some chicken...you've got dinner for that evening and a meal to take to work the next day! Take your own lunch and snacks to work. Refill water bottles. Buy a filter for the sink or a filtered water container. $10 at Walgreen. $5 to renew the filter every 3 months. Drink more water instead of fruity drinks or soda. You'll be surprised how you will get used to in and REALLY only WANT water. Buy secondhand clothing for yourself and your kids. CONSIGN any good clothes you need to get rid of, shoes, purses, belts. Our local Goodwill stocks underwear by HANES...'seconds' I guess. They sell for 80 cents apiece. Sell your nursing books you don't want to keep on the Internet (amazing.com half.com) Good Luck!

I still maintain that all these "laws" are a backlash to legislation passed by several states (including mine) which allow anyone to claim they are a transgendered person and then to use the bathroom or locker room they prefer, because of how they "feel" inside. I have no fear of transgendered individuals and as it has been pointed out, there have probably been times when I've shared a bathroom with people who are trans - the statistics are quite low, but I live in a community quite accepting to LGBT people and I believe there is a larger than average community here. My objection is to the open ended type of laws that would allow any man with perverted/voyeuristic purposes to be allowed access into women's facilities - simply by saying he "feels" like a woman inside. The laws, as written, provide no protection from that type of behavior. Of course, anything already illegal, like assault, is still illegal but hanging out to get an eyeful (how do you prove voyeurism in a case like this), or maybe even exposing himself is going to be much more difficult to prosecute, thus prevent. I've said before, I don't have a solution. Everyone should have the right to relieve themselves, but laws which inadvertently (because of their wording) allow any man into women's facilities, simply on their own word that they feel female inside is not the right way to go about providing a safe for all solution.