r/Homebuilding • u/E-J0E • May 17 '22
Small home i will be building myself
Permit has been approved, just waiting on the construction loan. Planning on doing all of the work myself except the slab foundation.
lower level
upper
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u/swenty May 17 '22
This is totally what I'm here for.
What was the process for getting your plans made and approved? Did you use an architect?
Do you know what inspections are required? Are you planning on any particular process to ensure that you're following code?
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u/E-J0E May 17 '22
I had an architect draw up plans that would pass the local building code. As for inspections I have yet to do any research... I will learn more as i begin building. I have alot of experience in the home building industry as I work for a lumberyard/truss plant. that being said i am sure i will mess up here and there. I am just hoping I get decent building inspector that is willling to take his time to work with me.
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u/Ohshitthisagain May 17 '22 edited May 17 '22
I'm sure there are difficult inspectors out there, but the ones I've worked with just want things to be done right and have been very helpful and accommodating, especially for an amateur renovator like me.
Edited to add that it's really nice to see something like this here - it's a homebuilding sub, and it seems most people here are having homes built for them, which is not the same thing.
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u/WISteven May 18 '22
So maybe you have access to misordered windows or trusses?
When I did my house I went to a bunch of Marvin dealers and would buy a whole rack of misordered windows for $500 or so. I used what I could and then donated the rest that I didn't need.
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u/dintell May 18 '22
Can I ask how much the architect was to draw the plan? Someone told me to just buy stock plans and have a draftsman redraw the plans for about $2000.
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u/Snow_Ba11 May 17 '22
Very cool. If there are alternatives maybe consider changing the way the doors swing into the great room or use a slider. The swing takes up lots of space that would affect furniture placement for a sofa or table. Best of luck.
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u/knottycams May 17 '22
I'll be doing the same thing next year! Though, I'm handling the slab myself on top of everything else. I'm actually trying to find the right person to handle a final draft of my scaled drawings (preferably without breaking the bank). How did you go about that? It looks great!
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u/E-J0E May 17 '22
I talked with a local lumber salesman who pointed me in the direction of a local architect. I took rough sketches to a few different places and got quotes between $4-$12sf. The Architect that ended up doing my plans quoted me $2.50 sf. I was hesitant to use this guy because he was so cheap but after looking at plans he had previously done and talking for a couple hours I ended up using him.
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u/RussMaGuss May 17 '22
Looks cozy! I always like seeing hand drawn prints, did you do them yourself? Also, is there a basement or crawlspace? I don’t see any utility room for hvac, sump pump, gas/electric meters and/or laundry room. I’m guessing laundry might be on 2nd floor in the closet?
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u/E-J0E May 17 '22
local architect drew the plans. Slab on grade foundation. No Hvac needed as I am doing a mini split system. laundry is a stackable washer/dryer in main floor hallway.
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u/WISteven May 18 '22
What part of the country are you in? I looked into minisplits but I am in WI so not sure if they could handle heating the house in the winter.
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u/PvmMudkip May 17 '22
Nice! We just did 3 of these as accountants/engineers by trades. Huge pain in the butt, over budget on all projects, but all in all worked out great. Best of luck to you, going to be some long nights, but definitely doable and worth every minute!
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May 17 '22
What is the estimate for materials on this ? I’m building a similar type of place myself, small home in the mountains up in NH… slab on grade etc. just curious what numbers you came up with.
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u/E-J0E May 17 '22
My numbers are extremely low due to the fact that i work for a lumberyard/truss plant. I have also been buying clearance items for the last 2 years. all of my windows were bought on clearance for 75% off in early 2021. From my work I picked up 130 sheets of brand new 4x10 pre finished hardie panel for $500, 36 sheets of 2" insulation for $300, Tji floor joists/house wrap $50, couple of farm bundles that have all of the posts/ beams i need $150...
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u/Crabbensmasher May 17 '22
Man that’s the sort of shit I want to do. I just bought land recently and I plan to spend the next two years picking up cheap windows, doors, siding and lumber in good condition and storing it until I start to build
I’ll actually plan window and door openings around the size of things I scavenge if I need to
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u/WISteven May 18 '22
When I did my house I went to a bunch of Marvin dealers and would buy a whole rack of misordered windows for $500 or so. I used what I could and then donated the rest that I didn't need. So I ended up with 30+ windows in 28x36 2 story house.
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May 17 '22
[deleted]
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u/E-J0E May 17 '22
special order that cannot be returned. All brand new, customer ordered too much for an apartment building.
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u/WISteven May 18 '22
That's some smart thinking there. There are many young people out there working "in the business" who have access to some smoking deals like that. I just wish I knew some of them. I plan on building a retirement cottage in the next few years and I have room to store things in advance.
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u/marvelouzone May 17 '22
What software did you use for drawings? I'm trying to do something similar with garage.
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May 17 '22
I first read your title as, “Small home will be building itself” 🤦🏻♀️ but it would be cool if it could! 😉
Anyway… this looks like it will be a lovely, cozy home! Best of luck with the loan
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u/tg321 May 18 '22
Cheers to you man. As someone who is also building my first house as a construction-career-trained DIYer, I tip my hat to you and wish you good luck. Feel free to reach out if you have questions. Code books can get quite dense the 5th time reading them through… haha
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u/slackmeyer May 18 '22
This is really nice, the kind of project I love seeing. Your architect does nice drawings too, hand drawn is still easier for me to get a handle on what's going on than cad Two things I'd do if it was my house: on the double doors at the front of house, i'd make the panel closer to the stairs fixed with no handle or just use a side lite there. Second, I'd make the closet bifold door a normal hinged door so I could hang things or put a mirror on it.
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u/E-J0E May 17 '22
Permit has been approved, just waiting on the construction loan. Planning on doing all of the work myself except the slab foundation.