Building my home

[Amkeer]

Update!

We have permit in hand. Pad clearing will occur either this weekend or early next week. The truss manufacturer is 10 weeks out. We ordered temp power pole and lined up foundation/slab, block layers for April. We need to pass 95% compaction before forms can be set. Once those are set plumber can do rough in. We then set steel, inbeds, vapor barrier, termite treat.

More to come....

 

[drm7]

Really, 2240 is big? I consider the 3360 pretty big but around here 2240 is as small as most ranch style homes once the basement is finished. My last home was a ranch with full basement at 1324 sq ft / floor (2648 total). I fully finished the basement with a bedroom, office, laundry/storage, full bath, and a family room. The house actually felt small to me. I grew up in a 2000 sq ft home so it's not like I'm used to big homes. Within the year I intend to finish the basement with a full bath, guest bedroom, kids play room, craft room for the wifey, and a storage room. Most homes have basements around here that get finished out as living space. It's cheap footage.

I'm looking at this place as part of my retirement planning. I hope to sell it in 22 years for a nice profit and build a craftsman on a slab that's just the right size for my wife and I. I'll have between $250-265k when I finish in June. I hope to sell for over $500k one day.

Thanks for the tips on the paint. I really dred trying to paint all those studs on 3 sides. I'm thinking I'll put up drop cloths on the house & porch and do something like you said. BTW, where do I get Porter Acri-Shield? I don't know anything about it. Thanks!

 

[Amkeer]

Porter paints is exclusively what I use on exterior applications. Benjamin Moore in the interior with the HC series or Historic Color collection which you may want to look into. Porter is a PPG Company and their paints are super tough!

http://www.porterpaints.com/

 

[drm7]

We are going with historic colors. Trying for the late 1800's, early 1900's look. Seems I'm a 2 hour drive from the nearest Porter distributor.

 

[drm7]

Be sure to post your pics as you progress. It will be fun to watch. My wife and I are enjoying building our own home.

 

[Amkeer]

Will do!

 

[Amkeer]

Home pad will be scratched Monday. They will add dirt and compact. This pad should be completed by Thursday. The state will then do a test to make sure soil is at 95% compaction. The forms will then be roughed in.

Pictures to follow later today or sometime this weekend.

 

[drm7]

I don't think they do compaction around here for residential. I know commercial stuff has to be tested. They just filled a large gully a few miles from here and kept going back and forth on it after every few inches of dirt. They are building a grocery store. We have red clay soil and it packs tight. Will your home be on a cement pad? Do they do basements in Florida or is it too wet? I live in the mountains so we have natural drainage and it is easy to landscape the dirt to make the water flow around the house.

 

[Amkeer]

D,

The slab is a monolithic slab which means the foundation and slab are one pour. You can do basements where my home is since its about 180 feet above sea level, but the majority of Florida you can't.

What siding are you going with?

 

[Amkeer]

Uploaded some pictures of the lot before the pad is cleared. One of the photos shows you where the entrance of drive is to the home. You can tell by seperation in ribbon.

http://photobucket.com/albums/c186/amkeer/

I will try to get the site plan uploaded.

 

[drm7]

We're going with vinyl. Just don't have the budget for anything else. We love the look of Hardiplank but it gets expensive due to all the caulking and painting once installed.

That's interesting how they do your pour. I haven't seen that around here. They pour the basement walls then go back later and pour the basement slab here.

Your site is 1.3 acres. Do you have a lot of woods? That will keep your house private. Our lot is 95% clear and all grass. Haven't figured out how I'm going to keep up with the mowing. It's 5 acres!

 

[Amkeer]

D,

Pictures are in previous post, check em out. We have probably 40 or more mature trees on the lot. Lotsa woods! 5 acres would have cost me about $300,000 at least. Whats nice about our lot is its on a dead end so we have no through traffic. We also back up to the equestrian trail.

Hardi you just caulk the butt ends only. Your going to have less maintenance with hardi.

 

[drm7]

Love the build site! The woods around the house would be nice. I like to leave 75 feet or so between my house and the woods. Around here you get too many creepy crawly things coming in the house if you're too close to the woods.

Our build site was $50,000. We bought it last may and it's probably an $80,000 lot today. Love equity!

It wasn't just the caulking, it was the paint job. They recommend you paint even if you buy the pre-painted stuff.

I spent a few hours today putting in boxes, staples & ties, and drilled holes for the coax, phone, and network. I'll go back tomorrow and pull the wire.

The latest pictures have been added: http://dougm7.googlepages.com/home

 

[drm7]

BTW, I hope I'm not hijacking your thread. It's fun to compare build notes with someone. None of my friends are currently building although a couple may build this fall.

 

[Amkeer]

D,

Looking good!

Exciting isn't it? I still need to figure out the network setup and am going to use advice given here. Keep posting all you want D its helpful for all. Its nice following someone else in the massive undertaking. My friends think I am nuts, they know me to well.

The closest tree to the home will be about 25 feet. Will post pics tomorrow of them clearing the pad.

 

[drm7]

It's a lot of fun for my wife and I.

As far as the network I settled on running 2 outlets in my office, 1 in the informal dining room, 1 in the formal dining room, 2 in the kitchen, 2 in the master bedroom, and 1 each in the 2 kid's bedrooms upstairs. The second outlet in the kitchen will be under a corner cabinet and will have 1 coax and 1 cat5e. We plan to put a swing down LCD TV for my wife. The other kitchen one is actually in a nook where she'll have a desk. All other outlets will have 2 coax (RG6 quad shield), 2 Cat-5e for network, and 1 Cat-5e for phone.

Can't wait to see how your pad is done. Never seen it done the way you described.

 

[Amkeer]

Uploaded some pictures of the slab clearing/lot. Five truck loads of debris removed. Estimate is for 10-15 truck loads of dirt. The will continue bringing the dirt in the morning. They dumped 2 loads the end of the day.

The front-end loader windshield was cracked due to tree branch falling.

Anticipate completing pad for slab tomorrow.

 

[drm7]

Looking good!

You are acting as the prime contractor right? I imagine being in the cabinet biz you know all the good subs??? This is why I chose to go with a general contractor. I'm fairly new to the area and just wouldn't know who to hire. What types of things are you going to sub out?

 

[Amkeer]

D,

I am the owner builder on the job. Since I moved to a new area I am coming in here not knowing any subs. The past 8 months I have reviewed local trades people and selected what we feel is a good list. I have alot of experience in the field otherwise it would be a builder and not me. The lenders wouldn't allow it.

From page 1.

This is what will be subbed out:

Site work
Slab
Plumbing
Electrical
Block work
Truss setting and sheeted
Roofing
Drywall
Stucco
Flooring
Insulation
HVAC
driveways and walkways
sod installation


My duties:

Cabinetry
Trim/millwork
Window installation
Conventional frame back porch
Interior framing
Paint

 

[drm7]

Sounds great. My paint estimate was around $7000 and being near the end I am looking for ways to cut some costs so I asked the builder if he could get the walls primed and I'd go back and paint. I've done a lot of painting and I'm pretty good at it. The painter decided that it looks better to have a top coat after the priming so he said he would prime and put one top coat for $2300. This is for 2240 sq ft of initial finished space. The $5000 difference is going towards cabinetry.

I want wide plank trim for my farmhouse. You free for a couple weeks?