Finishes are definitely the best place to save money (at least for us!)

Our builder is building a couple of spec homes that are similar to ours and since he's planning to sell them for a huge profit, he's putting in all of the high end finishes - stuff that all in is WAYYYY over our budget.

So in order for us to stay ON budget, we've shopped around for flooring ourselves and expect to save about $20K from what builder is doing. We didn't do nearly as many built ins so we're saving about $50K there. We didn't go for the super high-end designer appliances for a savings of about $10K there. We're not doing as much rock inside as builder did so we're probably saving about another $10K there. We decided to NOT do the antique stucco finish on the exterior for a savings of $8K (I couldn't believe it was THAT much more!)

Basically, our rule of thumb is - spend the money on things that will be difficult or more expensive to add or change in the future (wiring, plumbing, etc) and then save the money on things that can be upgraded later.

Congrats on starting this new adventure!

Kaydles, what type of stucco application is on your build? The reason i ask is because our stucco contractor was pushing for a medium sand finish and was going with that when all along we wanted an old world finish which is what they will be doing at no extra cost. That 8k finish sounds way too out there. We are doing a standard 3 coat stucco with the acrylic top coat.

We found that shopping around was the best way to save money. Like many builders, ours had his favorite subs and vendors that he liked to use. We went to "his" flooring shop and got a quote. Then we shopped around and found another shop that was closer to our site and their bid came in $5000.00 less. (We did not tell the second shop what the first shop bid, we just said we wanted their bid on these materials and they easily came in lower) The builder sent us to "his" lighting shop and the lighting person there did the layout, we bought a few nicer / more expensive fixtures and then went to Home Depot and got the rest. Ceiling fans and bathroom light fixures were much cheaper and there was more selection in our price range. Unfortunately, the plumber the builder hired refuses to install "outside" fixtures so we had to use the supply shop he uses. That was very expensive. We went over by about $2000.00 and I'm not exactly pleased with all our plumbing fixtures. We could have saved a lot of money by getting them at a Home Depot type shop. We also used the builder's cabinetry sub and while I like their stuff, I would have been just as happy ordering from KraftMaid or some other similar outfit.
When we started, I thought the way to save money was to choose less expensive finishes - like laminate floors instead of hardwood; laminate countertops instead of solid surface. While we did those things, I also found that you can save a a significant amount of money by shopping around. So much that you may be able to get those more expensive finishes if you just find the right supplier. If I could do it all over again (and I probably never will) I would start with a builder who would be very open about letting us go to any supplier we wanted. While our builder was "open" to this idea, I think he sort of resented it. He didn't encourage it, we pushed for it. In retrospect, we should have pushed even harder. I think the GC / builder should make their money building the house (foundation, structure, drywall, roof, etc.) and let the homeowner shop around for finishes.
Good luck with your build!!

Jan-that's too bad your builder wasn't open to you shopping around.

I'm very glad that my builder is okay with us doing our own thing. In fact, he's open to it because we may find suppliers that may be better than the ones he's using so it's all good.

Sierra-
I really do not know the technical terms of the stucco applications that my builder is using for his home and our home.

But below is a picture of one of his spec homes where he did pay extra for the antique finish. The style of this home is similar to ours. We'll have the same stone on the exterior.

Thing is...I don't think he's all that happy with how his stucco turned out.

There's only one home in my neighborhood where I think the antiquing looks really good. On others - it can look REALLY BAD...like the colors are running or something. To us, it wasn't worth the extra 8K for something that may NOT turn out the way you hope!

Our builder suggested we do some type of textured stucco so that it has more dimension. Is that what you're talking about?

If not, I'd love to know more so I can relay it to my builder. If you have pics of what your process is, that would be great!!! THANKS!

We also opted NOT to have the copper on our turret like he did (again saving more $$!)

Thanks kaydles.The antique stucco in your pics does look a lot more involved so i can now see the extra effort and cost involved.An old world finish is a slight texture but doesn't have the shading variances shown in your pics.The old world is pretty much monotone or one shade (solid color).

Cant help you out with pics. One of these days we will get set up for it but thanks for sharing. I can see the 8k based on the amount of material alone. That's a big house with a lot to stucco.Best of luck with your build!

definitely shopping around. We ended up with a more expensive travertine at a lesser price than "cheaper" ceramic tile, all because we shopped around! We also found a recommended tile setter crew, rather than using the local tile store, which wanted a small fortune (and you had to buy their outrageously priced flooring. They would not install anything but their own (seriously marked up) products.

We've decided to wait on planning a pool and having it installed, so of course that is a massive savings right there. LOL!

Also, watch holiday weekends (the one coming up!) and sale flyers for savings on appliances, plumbing fixtures, lighting, etc. Many online stores (or regular stores) have sales for the holiday weekends, and you can save a bundle!

Something I am doing is trying to shop in neighboring states, rather than our own, for big ticket items (like our kitchen appliances). I found a store in a neighboring state that will deliver for free, because I have a large order. AND, I don't get charged sales tax as I am out of state. That is a very big savings right there!

I shun credit cards, but just yesterday I opened one at a store I was shopping in, to receive the discount they offered me by opening an account. They rang me up. I put it on my new "temporary card". I then walked over to Customer Service and paid the "card" off. So I still won't pay interest, but I saved almost $200.00!! To me, it was worth it. Just remember to close those accounts so you don't raise eyebrows with your lender at all of the newly opened accounts. LOL!

Don't be afraid to ask for a discount if you are purchasing multiple items from one supplier. Not all will oblige, but some will, and it's a good feeling to save a bit. Our lighting store is giving me 20% off because I have a large order, and I asked for one. They didn't offer it until I asked. And I didn't ask until they saw how much I was ordering! It worked like a charm. Stores need your business. Try to entice them to give you a savings. If it means a large sale for them, they are more willing to accomodate your request. If you only buy one item, probably not so willing to negotiate price with you. Just ask politely, but like you expect it. I say something like "Great. Our order looks perfect. I like the selections we made today. What discount can you offer me for my large order"? It's not offensive. They don't have to give you one at all. But I find that many, if asked politely and with a kind smile, are more than willing to give you a deal. Makes them feel good that they made a sale, makes me feel good that I saved a few dollars. Happy all around. So just ask!

My last savings thought is related to design. Most photos in higher end design magazines show really expensive finishes. And building a home helps you quickly realize that all of those expensive finishes add up to one horrendously expensive home.

So, do your homework. If you really love a certain tub, check around and just get a price range. Then you'll know right off if you need to give up your dream of the fancy light kits in your bathtub, or the disco ball in the game room... whatever it may be. I find it easy to give up some of my wishes when I prioritize what is most important to me. I can do without some things (an expensive chandelier) when I remind myself that by choosing a less expensive fixture (still pretty, just not as ornate maybe) I can put the flat screens in all the rooms we had planned on. Or by running our own speaker wire to the 1st floor rooms, we can still get a whole house music system on the 1st floor (the only place we really wanted it) and save thousands of dollars. That saved money can buy the best stereo system components for the best sound system available. Things like that.

I guess I'd put it in a nutshell by saying "doing without unimportant things, to get the most important ones on my list". Yes, I'd love smart home capabilities. Yes, I'd love an 8 stall horse barn and lighted outdoor riding arena. But perhaps my money can be better used to buy a piano for the children to take music lessons on, for furnishings in the various rooms that will make our home a cozy, comfortable space to live. I've lived in "empty rooms" when first out of college and in 1st apartment, and it was neither cozy nor comfortable. Remembering that, I'll take the furnishings over the horse barn that would possibly sit unused since we are so busy!

Okay, enough of my rambling thoughts. Enjoy your process, and I'm looking forward to seeing photos of the cabin as it goes up! Don't forget to share. I don't see enough timber/log homes go up on this site. That will be a fun one to watch!

My husband can lay tile. He completely remodeled our last bath from top to bottom for under 2,000. So instead of paying over 10 grand for a tiled floor and tiled shower/tub surrounds to be professionally installed, my hubby will do it next year.

We saved 1000's and 1000's and 1000s by using Armstrong cabinets. People compliment them all the time. They are really pretty to me too. But I guess this would be a personal preference...you might not like them or maybe you just want custom.

Lighting is overrated IMO. Make a budget and stick to it. Save money and pay cash at a later date if you find something that costs 1000s that you just can't live without. No reason to finance something for 30 years that will be replaced in 5-10 anyway. That actually applies to a lot of things.

We were on a very, very tight budget and still went over. I think it's awesome that you already have 12% planned for overages.

Thanks, all, for the thoughts and suggestions. Will definitely be back to visit for more suggestions down the road, I'm sure, and assuming I can figure out how to upload pix, I'll load photos when we get started. We were out at the property today to approve where the builder had staked out the location! How exciting! We have 12+ wooded acres and a private 2.5 acre lake, and the fall colors were beautiful. The great room of the house will overlook the lake. I took a camera phone shot looking out from what will be the great room, and it was so awesome. We can't wait...

Looking forward to sharing it with y'all!

One of our biggest savings is we went w/ a ventless fireplace gas system rather than a real fireplace. I may miss the smell of the wood burning but the remote convience will be nice. I'm hoping too to save on light fixtures, I don't need high end and no one is going to know what brand or how much the fans cost that are 15' above thier heads.

In addition to trying to save on finishes, ask EVERYONE and get the fill donated. We too had a large slope in our lot. We needed a minimum of 85 loads to look OK. We had that amount in our budget. We have had over 160 loads delivered FREE and now I am spending my fill allowance on upgrades:) We got about 40 loads from town and county by calling and getting on a list (this was good heavy stuff that went in first.) We got most (120+) from a local dig on a commercial project. It's beautiful quality too. Came from a local University doing major work...said we could have "400 loads if we needed it". The contract the University has with its sub is that it must be donated or placed on their off site spoil location. Since our project is the same distance as the off-site (20 min.) there were no trucking charges either. So, for the cost of a lot of phone calls, (coffee, donuts and pizza for the sub doing the delivery) we have 40K for fill for free.

We put a laminate floor with a 25 yr. warrenty in, in our log home instead of hardwood. Interior walls were mostly dry wall in bed/bath area, but trimmed in pine. I am not sure if you can see the laminate here.

{{gwi:1514281}}

I'm at the dry-wall phase of my new home construction.
Here's some tips that I've found valuable:
1.)Google !!
shop on-line... no tax & many times free shipping
2.) ask for quotes from 2-3 suppliers
my example: plumbing fixtures from Lowes $8500, from plumbing supply house $4800; on-line about $4600 (no tax)
3.) buy local when possible -
my home exterior will have approx 400 sf of stone... I checked on the man-made stuff (est $6/sf) got a quote from the quarry for the real stuff - (est. $2-3 - including delivery)
4.) ask the guys in the trade... the electricians doing the rough in knew where the best prices were.....

Love that big beautiful home in the pictures!
Good luck !

Byrdlady -- is yours a log home? It's lovely - that's what we're building (if all goes as planned!)

Byrdlady -- sorry, just realized that your post already said yours is a log home! Anyway, it is lovely -- did you purchase a package from one of the manufacturers? If so, which one? How did your build go?

Love to see more pix and hear more about your project!