Construction Cost in Jamestown TN (Monterey: house, job, costs)

[irbright]

Hi,
My husband and I recently bought 8.5 acres in a subdivision in Jamestown TN and plan to build our home there. Since it's going to be the last time we build a house (this will be our 6th), we'd like to build with upgraded materials and all the little perks and quirks that we've never had. We've been told that the cost for the house itself, with things like granite countertops, hardwood floors, fireplace(s), and other various and sundry upgrades will probably run about $100-125 per square foor. Does this sound reasonable? We'd like to avoid going through a builder to try and save money--has anyone done that? Did it save you much? Does anyone have any idea what construction costs per square foot are for a basement?

We are waiting for our house to sell so we can start building and just can't wait. Once we get some figures, we can determine whether or not we can build our dream home. Thanks for any help!

[TnHilltopper]

Originally Posted by irbright

Hi,
My husband and I recently bought 8.5 acres in a subdivision in Jamestown TN and plan to build our home there. Since it's going to be the last time we build a house (this will be our 6th), we'd like to build with upgraded materials and all the little perks and quirks that we've never had. We've been told that the cost for the house itself, with things like granite countertops, hardwood floors, fireplace(s), and other various and sundry upgrades will probably run about $100-125 per square foor. Does this sound reasonable? We'd like to avoid going through a builder to try and save money--has anyone done that? Did it save you much? Does anyone have any idea what construction costs per square foot are for a basement?

We are waiting for our house to sell so we can start building and just can't wait. Once we get some figures, we can determine whether or not we can build our dream home. Thanks for any help!

100-125 a sq ft is not an unreasonable price in this area. Just two years ago, you would be looking more at 75-90 a sq ft but with the huge jump in cost of building materials, the price they gave you is reasonable.

As to basements, well that all depends on the grade an slop, full basement, partial basement, etc... So I suppose this would depend a great deal on the size and shape of the perimeter of the home. If you are building a home that is something with amenities, then a basement is a must in my opinion, as the space gained per sq ft of cost is more than justified.

If you wanted to save on cost, you may consider having a shell built and then having professionals do what you are uncomfortable doing such as maybe electrical or drywall, whatever. Many things are quite easy but just labor intensive and it should be noted that some marriages will benefit from hubby-wife teams working on such a large project and others will suffer, as some things can get frustrating. If you are not on a time constraint you may find it most rewarding to do many things yourself and when you are finished you will have something just the way you want it with the added benefit of saying, "we did this".

ps, welcome to the neighborhood!

[irbright]

Thanks for the insight. As usual, we're a day late and a dollar short when it comes to spending on construction! Do you have any comment on whether or not we could save much by paying cash to the trades at each step of the construction process? We are looking forward to doing some of the work ourselves, but we'll definitely have professionals do the big stuff like the electrical and plumbing. Hopefully the marriage will survive.

We have a gentle slope on the property and plan on putting in a full walk out basement. We're hoping we don't run into any rock that will require blasting, but you never know. We found one contractor on line that looks like it would be about $25 per square foot which sounds very reasonable but I don't know if that's what we can expect from local talent.

Sounds like you're from that area. If you know anybody who is involved in any phase of the construction and are willing to provide a recommendation, we'd love to have some names. Thanks very much for your input.

[TnHilltopper]

Originally Posted by irbright

Thanks for the insight. As usual, we're a day late and a dollar short when it comes to spending on construction! Do you have any comment on whether or not we could save much by paying cash to the trades at each step of the construction process? We are looking forward to doing some of the work ourselves, but we'll definitely have professionals do the big stuff like the electrical and plumbing. Hopefully the marriage will survive.

We have a gentle slope on the property and plan on putting in a full walk out basement. We're hoping we don't run into any rock that will require blasting, but you never know. We found one contractor on line that looks like it would be about $25 per square foot which sounds very reasonable but I don't know if that's what we can expect from local talent.

Sounds like you're from that area. If you know anybody who is involved in any phase of the construction and are willing to provide a recommendation, we'd love to have some names. Thanks very much for your input.

Well, I don't know about paying cash but I know of many who have paid as they went. Of course I would make sure that everything was in writing as some will require a deposit before commencing work but never pay up front for the entire job in the construction industry.

25 a sq ft is not unreasonable but there is a fella down in Monterey who does basements for 20 as long as you say, you don't hit rock.