change of plans... (Framingham, Uxbridge: for sale, rental, refinance)

[bc02eagle]

Well, I had posted a while back about my wife and I looking to a home that would be a doable commute to burlington, ma where I work. We do own a home out in Uxbridge Ma, that is a rental property. We have tennants moving out in the spring and we plan to move back there while we search for our future home. Yes, I know it is a lonnnngggg commute but this will give us more flexbility to find the right place.

I had one question. I am very picky when it comes to homes and one idea I have been kicking around is for us to build our house. I know it can be a huge headache and the savings are not significant unless you can general contract it yourself. My father is retiring next year and has GC's a handful of homes in his life and wants to do ours. Also, it seems that there are a lot of decent pieces of land sitting around that have been on the market for a long time. To anyone that has any experience doing this or is currently a contractor - are there any areas out there either south shore or metrowest that tend to have more available land for sale where we might be able to find a real deal???

[brightdoglover]

All I can suggest is that you investigate the septic permit situation for any land that isn't on town or city sewer (likely to be "a deal.") The septic laws in the state are very tight, and each town and region has its own schtick about septic permits- you cannot assume you will get one.
That said, I had my dream house built on the shredded ruins of my crumbling cottage. Guy down the street is a contractor and he built it. Of course, everything ran higher than expected (especially because I was open to "change orders") but it's great to have only what you want- to only pay for what you want and not have or pay for what you don't want.
My house is about 1250 sq.ft. and was custom designed by an artist, not an architect, from out of town. I cannot say I recommend this, but it's a stunning house! For me.

[bc02eagle]

I would make sure that any lot purchase is contingent on passing a perc test and meeting all of the required zoning/building req's.

[bc02eagle]

does anyone know of reputable sites where I could look at house plans? There are tons of them out there but I have read of people buying plans only to have the contractor tell them they are no good.

[mmyk72]

Any thoughts on modular homes (I mean high quality ones). Some are built with better standards than onsite stick builds (2x6 rather than 2x4's, well-insulated, etc). But then there are the sketchy companies that give the rest a bad rep.

[purpelina]

I would throw in a couple of things to reflect on:

as others stated, expenses might run higher than expected, and project will take longer than expected, just keep that in mind, and don't overstretch your budget and timing from the start.

What kind of house are you planning to build? Good thing about starting fresh is that you can have a green design for example (if that rocks your boat, of course), but to incorporate these means spending more now (and saving money later)

I personally wouldn't buy a plan from a site. We were doing a pretty standard remodeling - cathedral ceiling and couple of skylights, nothing major. In existing house. Contractor is awesome, (based in Framingham, not too far from Uxbridge, so if you want I can pm you his info) - well, there were few times when he had to contact the person who drew plans AND the engineer to discuss things, make few changes. There are also more and less costly options for things you don't necessarily think about. Say if you put a support beam here or there, will this be an eyesore for you? Would you be willing to pay 1K extra so that the beam is moved by 2 feet? Maybe you will, maybe you wont, but you need to be able to discuss that, make changes in plans, and adjust the cost. Another question, will they even tell you if there are different options for different price? That applies more to remodeling than building new, of course.

How long are you planning to live in that new house that you build? Thing is: resale. It might be an amazing house, but it will be quite personalized and unique. It'll be hard to find comps when calculating list price, if every other house around you is cape and colonial...
I know a person who couldn't even refinance, because they significantly remodeled their property, and it became unique.

All in all, building your dream home is a wonderful thing, you are lucky that you have this option. Greta resources and EXTREMELY detailed plan will be your best friends in this process.

[bc02eagle]

Well, I would general contract the home myself with the help of my father. I would not plan on building anything especially unique or wild. I am a big fan of traditional capes. I am just very picky and I am think designing it and picking the finishes myself would allow us to have a home that would could stay in for the next 10-20 years. Of course this all depends on being able to find land at a decent price. If that is not possible then it probably makes more sense just to buy something.

[purpelina]

What is it about other capes that you don't like? is it layout? Choice of materials? Craftsmanship?
If you are thinking about a cool cape, it still might be a good idea to renovate an existing one. You can be at better commuter location quickly, you can find a house that you can live in while renovating it, and get extra income from the rental you have, and in terms of taxes it's supposed to be cheaper to pay for renovated existing construction than brand new home. Consult a knowledgeable tax person though.

Personally, I would keep my options open, and look at both - land for sale, as well as properties in need of renovation. Buyers these days seem to prefer something that needs least amount of work, so you can get a decent deal. it kind of a slump now with all the Holidays, but soon enough there will be more properties on the market, and hopefully something speaks to your heart, and you'll find your gem.