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Old 03-04-2009, 07:53 AM
 
4 posts, read 17,330 times
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I am looking to buy a house in the near south suburbs of Chicago (Oak Lawn, Palos, Hickory Hills, etc.). Lately, I have been looking into new construction. I have found in other states that there are builders who have a bunch of models and they will build them on your lot. I haven't seen much of this in Illinois. Are there any RELIABLE builders who will build a home on your own lot in the Chicago area? Has anyone done this? I am not looking for a huge house or micromansion. I really just want a mid-size house with some character. Any thoughts?

Thanks!
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Old 03-04-2009, 11:45 AM
 
Location: Not where you ever lived
11,537 posts, read 29,713,743 times
Reputation: 6420
I think you will have a better response to your question if you ask the Chicago Suburb fourm.
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Old 03-06-2009, 07:00 AM
 
Location: Sugar Grove, IL
3,131 posts, read 11,491,626 times
Reputation: 1634
They are called custom builders. there are a lot of them out there and would gladly welcome your interest. You could check the Illinois Association of Home Builders to start. also, if you are looking more locally, check your chamber of commerce and the chambers of nearby communities.
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Old 03-06-2009, 07:33 PM
 
Location: Tulsa, OK
5,987 posts, read 11,505,931 times
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Leuck Construction, Inc.
9 S 030 Skylane Dr Naperville IL 60567
630-904-7755

Bill Lueck builds some nice custom houses.
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Old 03-11-2009, 09:35 AM
 
2 posts, read 7,446 times
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My husband has been building homes in the chicago area for the past 5 years(including Oak Lawn)and he is currently putting a bid on a new construction in northwest Chicago. He's licensed and a perfectionist when it comes to his work. If you are still looking for someone here's his contact info:

Mike Clifford
T&M Custom Builders,Inc
(708)715-6212
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Old 03-24-2009, 03:13 PM
 
24 posts, read 140,232 times
Reputation: 17
We started looking at new construction and then discovered "owner-building" and we ended up general contracting our own house and even doing some of the work ourselves. We bought a lot and then started looking at home plans on the internet and in books. We purchased home plans and then had custom builders bid our house and the cheapest bid came in at $235,000 for a 1900 sq. foot house and that didn't include the price of the lot. We ended up building the house for $190,000 TOTAL and that includes the price of the lot. See Owner Builder Guide: Better Manage Your Home Building or Remodeling Project for more information if this is something that interests you. We plan on building again in about 5 years. We love that we got to pick out everything in the house, even buying light/plumbing fixtures on ebay. If you're looking to buy/build a new home and you have some time to devote to the project, you may want to consider general contracting your own home.
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Old 03-28-2009, 07:17 PM
 
4 posts, read 17,330 times
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Thanks for all of your replies! Diana - very interesting idea! I am not sure I would trust myself to do that, but it is something to consider... So, you found your plans for the house first and then contacted builders for quotes? I am clueless as to how much this could cost. How did you have an idea how much the plans would cost to actually build? Could I ask what area you built in? Thanks!
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Old 04-02-2009, 10:05 AM
 
24 posts, read 140,232 times
Reputation: 17
We actually found the lot first and then we picked out home plans. You can see an architect to design your own but we actually bought our plans from homeplans.com. You can also look at houseplans.com or dreamhomesource.com as well as several others (do a google search for home plans). We had to have an architect "certify" the plans but overall, I believe it was a cheaper option than having plans drawn completely by an architect. You can order a price to build report from the home plans websites before you buy plans and it gives you an estimate of the costs to build the house based on the area you live. The cost they said it would be was pretty accurate as to prices we got from the general contractors who bid it out. In the end, we ended up generaling it ourselves just to have more control over the project and to save money. We're very happy with the house and how everything turned out. We built in Essex, a small town in Kankakee County. As a side note....this is an awesome small town environment with excellent Reed-Custer schools (Will County school district with LOW Kankakee county taxes!) There are 3 subdivisions being built currently and all have minimum 1/2 acre lots and the homes are being custom built, many families have built their own, just as we did. It's out in the country so depending where you work, it may/may not be an option for you. My husband works in Joliet and the commute is 30 minutes. If you decide to go at it alone as your own GC, send me a private message and I can give you names/numbers of the carpenters, electrician, plumbers, HVAC, etc. that we used and liked. Good luck!
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