Build Your Dream Home for Less

I recommend this book; but I encourage you to read more. Learn more before you buy your first vacant lot. I believe the most problem you will encounter will be dealing with the RED TAPE. Getting your plans approved, getting your permits, inspections, zoning, community board, etc. These should all be researched before buying the lot and the plans should be purchased after the lot is purchased. You don't want to buy the blueprints and then buy a lot that will not support or allow for the house. <br /> <br />I have to say that the comments left by "JC" entilted "flawed but helpful" above seems to be made by a person who has a G.E.D education level. Any intelligent and educated person will find that building a modest house is not that difficult at all. And it can be done within a few days to a few weeks. This is even proved by shows like the extreme home makeover or "Habitat for Humanity" (a non-profit organization that creates homes for the homeless). The World record in building a home was 3 hours. Testing the soil is done by an engineer. Leveling the soil and creating the footings and forms is not difficult at all. Your plumber would then come in and insert the water and sewer lines. Pouring the concrete and utilizing the floats, helicopter and implementing a technic to avoid cracks in the concrete can be done by the concrete contractor as part of the bid. Your electrician and insert the wiring after. Those contractors can be held legally liable for any negligence. Framing is simple. A moron can do it. Just pay attention to the local codes and utilize Pythagoras' theorem to get your right angles to ensure creating the correcting frame lines. You can also get rid of the stick framing method and utilize Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs). This will allow you to finish framing, sheathing and insulating your house in 2 to 3 days depending on the size. All the doors and windows are already created in the panels that follow your blueprints. There are companies that will set up your entire SIPs house shell for about $14.50 sq ft, which includes the doors and windows and you just insert the rest (e.g. sinks, toilets, floors, drywall, electricity, plumbing, etc). For $14,500, you can get a 1,000 ft SIPs shell house. It will be one of the greatest and rewarding experience of your life. <br /> <br />So as for JC's 30 years of contracting experience and his feedback above, he seems to be behind the times and out of touch. Old ways and old thinking. And if he thinks building a house is similar to quantum physics, well, that just tells you how deficient his own brain is. In fact, JC is so out of touch that he doesn't even realize that you can get FREE house plans on the Internet. Especially from those non-profit organizations that are promoting GREEN HOUSES. I think it is time for JC to retire and allow the younger and smarter builders to take over. People like JC just annoy me because it is so obvious that they are not very intelligent people and they interject their negativity on everyone just so they can earn a buck from them. I mean if everyone built their own house, no one would need JC. <br /> <br />Keep learning about house building and you'll see for yourself that you can do it yourself. This is guaranteed. Research how many couples have built their own house and how rewarding it was. And if you are smart enough, you can do it better.

We are planning to general contract our own home, and I found this book to be a good resource. I'm a woman and have generally left "trade" stuff to my husband, but as he is working FT and I'm not, I'll be largely managing the project and I wanted to do a lot of homework. Woodson seems very knowledgeable and shares the information in an easy to follow format. He also explains many trade terms (certain types of joints, wiring etc.) that other books assume you already know - nice for us non-handy folks. One thing that this book could use is an update to include newer construction items such as insulated concrete forms, geo-thermal energy systems, and radiant floor heating. Also beware that Woodson, like all the other authors I've read on this subject, has his opinions on certain things (like you don't need air conditioning in Maine - it doesn't get hot often, but boy does it get humid and AC is really helpful). Take the opinions with a big grain of salt and read other books/articles to cross check things that you aren't sure about...however this book was a good foundation. Would recommend.