My husband and I are mildly considering buying land near where we live and building our own home. We interested in something small, perhaps a bungalow. He is an accomplished tradesman and is able to complete all exterior finishing as well as drywall, framing, flooring and basic kitchens. What else do we need? We have:An electricianA plumberA home inspectorWe're looking for:An engineer / architectI know I need a building permit of some sort but are there other legal fees and actions I need to take? Do I need to have the plot quot;re-zonedquot; for residential if it isn't already specified as such in the listing? Is this even worth it? How much of an investment should we be looking to make?
This depends upon government regulations. Most places will not allow you to build your own house; you know, keep the status quo. They claim it is for the good of the people; you know, building codes and all that baloney. My builder used used lumber in my house; the cement floor in the basement was cracked before I moved in, etc., etc., etc. So, IF, I mean IF you would be allowed to build your own house (depending upon the costs in your region) $30,000 to $40,000 is all. (It could be built for far less if, for instance, you live in the woods of Oregon, California, Montana, Arkansas, where ever, and you fell the trees and built a log cabin; or, in those places with abundant rocks of usable size, use used rocks, etc.) Half to two thirds of the cost is for labor. Fees, permits, etc., take up hundreds to thousands, even tens of thousands of dollars.
You need to have a perk test for placement of your septic system if you are not being hooked up to a town sewer system. You need to have a well dug in an area zoned legal in relation to your septic system (if you need well water). Your property will need to be cleared and graded You will need somebody to dig your foundation and/or basement and a mason. Most of the rest you seem to have covered assuming your husband will do the roofing and insulation Perhaps somebody to put in a driveway and sidewalks Landscaping, unless you plan on dong that
