Building a house on a budget
quinnsjoblom86
4 years ago
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devonfield
4 years agoMark Bischak, Architect
4 years agoRelated Discussions
Came in right at budget!
Comments (14)Awesome! We actually came in under budget on our current house. Although, it was pretty basic everything- not really a "custom" house. I know the one we're getting ready to do will be a different story, so I can't be too sure of my ability to repeat. But you give me hope! Thanks for sharing. Hope to see the finished pics-and the view- soon!...See MoreFeels like a bucket of ice water has been dumped on my head
Comments (33)Hi, If you are working with an architect and the architect has built homes in the area, then he would know the building costs. If he has not done many houses in your area, then he could be way off on the building costs. I built in New York, and hired one of the worlds best architects, my brother. If you go to Hong Kong, and look at the Shopping Area there, he designed it all and surpervised its constrution. At the time he worked for Foster Associates, headed by Sir Norman Foster. He has also worked for James Stirling in the U.K. He designed for me a house, but in the end I could not afford to build it. It was 2 x over budget. Why because the techniques used were "non-standard" it was a modern home and most builders were frankly scared of the project. So a few came in cost-plus, or at very high numbers. I still think by brother did a great job, and we are none the worse for it. It was fun also and if you are in need of a good engineer, I worked with one in Connecticut and recommend him too. We had a good team, just had no idea of local costs. So after three years, and $US 50,000 I was back to square one. We hired a local architect with experience in home building in the area. We build a "standard" home with standard techniques. The house came in over budget, it always does. However the bids were much closer. To give you some idea one builder was 20% below, and another 100% above. The other six were about the middle. Our architect knew all the builders and their histories. e.g. one GC had been through a divorce, needed work, and he bid real low. Our architect said avoid him. Others build for Martha Stewart, they were expensive, but were at the highest quality. In the end we stuck to the middle of the pack. Note if a GC or builder really wants to rip you off, there are always ways he can hide it. You need to trust your builder, and he needs to trust you. We moved in about three years ago now and our GC and builder was very good. Sure we had problems, but in the end it worked out. My recomendation is to do the following: 1) Figure out which bits cost what. Rough is O.K. Doing this will probablly get you a better idea of where possible cost savings are. If one part is a major cost component, that is where you can get the most gains. 2) Simplify the design. A square house of two levels upstairs and downstairs gives you the most bang for the buck. Yech that looks bad. Not to worry this is just the ideal goal. Maybe you can change some of your design a bit to bring it more in line. Get rid of all the doormers, the indents here gables there. 3) Do you have site specific costs which are blowing your budget. E.g. rock. I needed to blast and move rock. That was expensive. Are you siteing your house in the correct place. Maybe moving where you place your house will save on your foundation. 4) If you have an architect ask what he thinks. You have to be brutal sometimes. See this wing here, cut it out removing 1,000 sq feet. Dump the basement have a crawl space. I think if you budget for about $US 250 per square foot, then you will be O.K. Obviously this will vary across the US. But if you are way off this quick check then I think you will have issues later. Way off means at a minimum $US 170 per sq foot. Much below that for a custom one off house, I think is not a good start. 5) In your plans make them detailed as possible. However ask your architect for a pricing schedule for tile, and finishes. E.G. Hard Wood floors, schedule for $US 10 installed per sq foot. Lighting fixtures schedule for $US 6,000. These are no more than guesses at what you will spend, but at least they are accounted for in your budget and will lower the surprises later. There are always budget surprises, that is the nature of the beast. Just fewer surprises. Again be brutally realistic on these numbers. The advantage of schedules is that it removes these unknowns from the builders estimates, hence the estimate is easier for the GC and more accurate, and hence more competative. 5b) Get prices for house options. E.G. unfinished bonus room, you can finish later. West wing section [$US 80,000]. Porch [$US 20,000]. That way if the bids come in high, you can lop off chunks of house, brutal I know. Or have unfinished sections that you can finish later when funds allow. But at least your patient is still alive. 6) Bid out your design to a few builders. In the end I had eight builders bidding. If you are still off on your budget then it is redesign and regroup time. Good luck. All the best, Mike....See MoreThoughts on floor plan for modern house
Comments (13)My apologies for the lack of information. This is my first time posting and I definitely left out a lot of details. This house will be built in Denton, TX. Here, we do not have basements and the house will have a slab foundation. This is the very first draft, so there's a lot that can be improved on. The house will more than likely be a rental property, hence trying to squeeze a study / 4th bedroom into the plan, but I may move into it as some point, so it important to get it right. It is on a very small lot, just under 5,000 sq ft. (53' X 105'). I'm trying to go for an industrial feel. Think white, black, concrete, plywood, exposed beams, etc. The house is in an transitioning neighborhood and is about .4 miles from our small downtown. I'm thinking about maybe trying to squeeze a small balcony on the second floor to try and get a view of our courthouse (see picture) It's not mentioned, but both the first and second story will have 9' ceilings, with the living being the exception as it will be open to the ceiling. The plan is to have the kitchen have exposed beams from the second floor and look something similar to this picture: Kalenangel - Thanks for taking a look. I agree that the 10x10 rooms are tiny. Do you feel like an 12x10 makes a big difference? As for the study, yes. I am expecting that it may be used as a bedroom. Janniecone - Thanks for the feedback. I think moving the study upstairs may be a good idea. I need figure out how to do that and still stay around 1650 - 1700 sq ft. I am trying to squeeze a lot into a small place and I'm trying to figure out the best way to do that. Appreciate the comment on the echo for the loft area. I think I'll add a wall there, similar to the picture showing the kitchen, etc. above. My issue with an architect is that they are $$$ and I am trying to be frugal. I have had a person who is doing the drafting for me. He's done about 50 house plans that have been built, but he's big on ideas, etc....See MoreBuilding a house within budget
Comments (18)I agree with all the comments above. Be sure to have some contingency funds. Be sure to always keep in mind what amount you feel comfortable. You could go over budget if you feel comfortable (ie have the funds). However if you go over budget and cannot pay for the additional things, then you are treading in deep water. It's easy to go over budget, you have to be frugal about your purchases. Do not say that 'this is my dream home and i will only be building it once, so might as well buy what i want.' You'll find yourself in a bad position if you think like this. Sorry if that sounds awkward, like i'm lecturing or something. I just wanted to say how we thought when building the house. It's unfortunate to see people who build a beautiful house only to sell it later because they cannot afford it. I've heard of one story from a friend about this....See Morefunctionthenlook
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