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You can buy all the materials for a decent house the size you're looking at for $50K or so not counting the foundation or any additional work that would need to be done to the property (septic, etc). So from a strictly financial perspective it would make much more sense to build new.
Cool, I was hoping less..but I also am apt for a discount at the local lumber yard.
I'm having trouble with my floor plans when it comes to the stair type/location to the basement. Upstairs (ground level) I'd like it retirement friendly meaning 1 bed, 1 small office, full bath, laundry machines, kitchen, living room upstairs while downstairs would be cold room, then one giant living room space for the time being. Any tips, or critiques on that idea?
$50K is a middle-of-the-road ballpark. The actual cost will depend on what features you can and can't live without, type of flooring, millwork, cabinets, etc. Be sure to ask the lumber yard manager about what products he might have available in the "bargain area." I used to manage a big box home improvement store and it wasn't uncommon for someone to mis-order things like siding, roofing, cabinets, etc. In most cases if a customer refused to take a special order item we were stuck with it and would sell it for just a little above our cost just to get it out of our hair.
No critiques on your plan, it sounds like you have a pretty good idea of what you want to do. I do have a couple of tips, though.
Put a couple of egress windows in the basement so bedrooms could be put down there in the future. You may not ever have a need for additional bedrooms, but it's something a potential buyer would probably look at down the road if you ever sell. Consider a basement entrance from the outside, too, if it's feasible.
Go with a 200 amp electric service even if you plan to use gas heat and appliances and won't need it yourself. Again, someone down the road might want to convert to electric, or put in a shop with a lot of power tools, and the electric service might be a make-or-break point. Also, get the biggest breaker box available. One of the most common complaints I heard from people who bought new homes from a developer was that the builder had used all the circuits wiring the upstairs and they were going to have to install a sub-panel in order to finish the basement. The overall cost difference won't be that great.
Avoid gables on the roof (other than the ones at the ends, of course). They look nice but add cost without serving any functional purpose and the valleys are a good place for leaks to start.
Those are just a few things that come to mind. Everybody who has built a house will have opinions based on their personal experiences, my advice would be to listen to them all and do what seems to work best for you.
$50K is a middle-of-the-road ballpark. The actual cost will depend on what features you can and can't live without, type of flooring, millwork, cabinets, etc. Be sure to ask the lumber yard manager about what products he might have available in the "bargain area." I used to manage a big box home improvement store and it wasn't uncommon for someone to mis-order things like siding, roofing, cabinets, etc. In most cases if a customer refused to take a special order item we were stuck with it and would sell it for just a little above our cost just to get it out of our hair.
No critiques on your plan, it sounds like you have a pretty good idea of what you want to do. I do have a couple of tips, though.
Put a couple of egress windows in the basement so bedrooms could be put down there in the future. You may not ever have a need for additional bedrooms, but it's something a potential buyer would probably look at down the road if you ever sell. Consider a basement entrance from the outside, too, if it's feasible.
Go with a 200 amp electric service even if you plan to use gas heat and appliances and won't need it yourself. Again, someone down the road might want to convert to electric, or put in a shop with a lot of power tools, and the electric service might be a make-or-break point. Also, get the biggest breaker box available. One of the most common complaints I heard from people who bought new homes from a developer was that the builder had used all the circuits wiring the upstairs and they were going to have to install a sub-panel in order to finish the basement. The overall cost difference won't be that great.
Avoid gables on the roof (other than the ones at the ends, of course). They look nice but add cost without serving any functional purpose and the valleys are a good place for leaks to start.
Those are just a few things that come to mind. Everybody who has built a house will have opinions based on their personal experiences, my advice would be to listen to them all and do what seems to work best for you.
Oh for sure, I think 50k would be steep on materials cost (not including the foundation concrete) but that is because I would have the cheapest quality items available before it is junk.
Thanks for those design tips. They are all logical. Any more that you have are welcome, whether they are redundant or not! I figure I could have an egress on both sides of the large living area downstairs even though the practical locations for bedrooms would be where I have the 'cold room'. I was figuring simple modest design, four corners, divisible by four, long side facing south to take advantage of winter sun, etc. So far I have a decent little floor plan created...just need a little more work done to it before I think it could be considered finished.
I don't like either of your options. We looked into building this past year, and were amazed at how much would be required of us. We would be signing off on all work before the contractor would be paid. And, once we were in the house, we would have had to landscape, seed, plant. Adding septic system that meets the local code, having a well drilled, etc, is expensive, and will add to the construction costs. I've had a well and septic, and I would never do that again. If you must build, build where there is a water and sewer line, unless you just love having your well inspected and waiting for a report as to whether it passes. And if you love replacing the well pump after it gets hit by lightning. Or if you love worrying about whether the well will withstand the latest drought.
On a house that costs only $35,000, it must be a really small, run down house. I'd pass. Find another alternative. Otherwise you will live for years in a crummy place, and devote endless hours(years) of your life making the place habitable. And then, it might not be worth that much more if you listed it.
Start with a condo, or even a new manufactured home in a decent mobile home community. Or continue saving for a better first home. That's my advice as an experienced home owner.
I don't like either of your options. We looked into building this past year, and were amazed at how much would be required of us. We would be signing off on all work before the contractor would be paid. And, once we were in the house, we would have had to landscape, seed, plant. Adding septic system that meets the local code, having a well drilled, etc, is expensive, and will add to the construction costs. I've had a well and septic, and I would never do that again. If you must build, build where there is a water and sewer line, unless you just love having your well inspected and waiting for a report as to whether it passes. And if you love replacing the well pump after it gets hit by lightning. Or if you love worrying about whether the well will withstand the latest drought.
On a house that costs only $35,000, it must be a really small, run down house. I'd pass. Find another alternative. Otherwise you will live for years in a crummy place, and devote endless hours(years) of your life making the place habitable. And then, it might not be worth that much more if you listed it.
Start with a condo, or even a new manufactured home in a decent mobile home community. Or continue saving for a better first home. That's my advice as an experienced home owner.
I am working on estimates, but I prefer to have a well and septic system rather than depend on the city and pay monthly bills for those utilities...eventually a well will pay for itself, I think it'll be 5-7k to be installed here.
I don't plan on having much work contracted out, and only at the start.
I love doing landscaping, wiring, and that sort so it doesn't bother me.
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Originally Posted by CTSNicholas
I am working on estimates, but I prefer to have a well and septic system rather than depend on the city and pay monthly bills for those utilities...eventually a well will pay for itself, I think it'll be 5-7k to be installed here.
I don't plan on having much work contracted out, and only at the start.
I love doing landscaping, wiring, and that sort so it doesn't bother me.
I am more along your camp that Silibran, but each has different expectations / objectives.
I have built several beautiful homes on View lots for <$50k, they are Maint free as possible. Plenty of stone / tile and 100% natural wood finish on interior. I have had VERY little trouble with wells and septics in my last 40+ yrs of dealing with them in my homes and rental places.
Duster mentioned many good points, SHOP for materials there are bargains. Habitat ReStore and Rebuilding Centers have saved me bundles.
I usually buy a trashed mobile home on a nice lot, to have 'FREE' well, septic, power, driveway ... but MOST importantly in my area NO IMPACT fees (which can exceed $20k for converting bare property to residential).
I have my own dozer and excavator and LARGE dumptruck; so can clean up a property in a few hours and start fresh.
I prefer to 1st build a nice sized shop with living qtrs for temporary or fulltime (Can do this within a month). I am compiling notes to re-write a 'Low Property Tax' House reference.
Whatever you do if building / using contractors. ALWAYS get a lien release and / or write any payments payable to ALL PARTIES materials, subcontractors, and contractor. Too many people get to pay twice by NOT being prudent and getting burned.
Rabbit, thanks for the info on your experience. It seems you have had a good amount of experience and quality of homes and well/septic systems. I see many old septic systems still in use without maintenance.
I am thinking of going for a metal shop and converting it to a home. The issue that arises for me is...wanting a basement! I never see shops with basements, ideally because you don't park vehicles on them. Ideas here? However, this shop would more or less be an enclosed building slowly converted to rooms. Size wise it would likely be 32' wide give or take 4 feet, and a little deeper than that. Possibly a good 20 feet deeper where as the very end is solid concrete floor for my truck. This would mean a desired basement dimension of roughly 32' wide and roughly 36' long, around 6 to 8' deep.
I am also curious as to what your notes on low property tax is.
When there is a place that can be purchased for 35,000 but needs many things done to it, is it a better option than to build your own modest home...assuming you do all work aside from foundation? I ask this because I have this option, but maybe it is not as practical as I think to just start fresh. The place that already exists could be lived in, but it's all old...has damage and such. Needs new windows, new window frames that have rotted, new siding or a paint that would stick to it, a new roof in 2-3 years, new wiring to replace knob and tube, and some foundation repair to basement wall so the settling cracks are not so serious looking. That all costs time and money, more time than money I assume. The other option it to just start fresh, worry free, with a small home design. Small to me would be something efficient but not crowded.
I cannot imagine that you could build a house for $35,000 even doing all the work yourself. Material costs have gotten outrageously expensive. You cannot even build a garage for $35,000 and that does not have any plumbing or upgrades like nice windows, adequate insulation, a kitchen, etc.
If the house is livable I would move in and fix it up as I went along.
I cannot imagine that you could build a house for $35,000 even doing all the work yourself. Material costs have gotten outrageously expensive. You cannot even build a garage for $35,000 and that does not have any plumbing or upgrades like nice windows, adequate insulation, a kitchen, etc.
If the house is livable I would move in and fix it up as I went along.
20yrsinBranson
I know home materials in lumber (roof, top plate, headers, wall studs, wall sheeting, sill plates, floor joists) would be a good portion of 20k if not, maybe even 25k. Then the cost of roofing, insulation, windows, drywall, flooring, plumbing and such would run along the same ~22.5k. Foundation work would be anywhere from 5k to 20k depending if I did the basement myself, myself with a tiny bit of mason help, or hired a contractor. So no I could not build the type of house I initially though of for 35k or near that really.
However, I think I could get a decently sized steel / metal building kit...or just metal with wood framing done by myself for a lot less of the typical home. Why? Because the average kit of 34'x52' is less than 20k shipped. I think I could do some basement work myself, and have half the shop be like a home and the other part a shop. The home half would be transformed to living quarters after the entire thing is water tight. I wouldn't want to have much if any plumbing going on until the place was insulated and had a heater. However...it could be a 'shop' with some outlets and just a couple windows for a while, I'm thinking. I like the location a good deal more than the existing place...and I feel that after the initial stress of groundbreaking, that I would have less stress in the long run with fresh building. I'm open to all input.
I know that the place that is around 35k has some issues. It's like fine print, or a contract that you don't read before signing. Previously had some termites...water damage at windows...bad siding (paint wise)...no wall insulation...old wiring...old windows - all of which can be fixed for likely less than the cost to homestead a new place. But...I think I could have more value or quality with the first option. It wouldn't be so...'cobbled' up. I know home renovations can go really well, and the idea is sticking in the back of my mind at night especially.
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Upstairs (ground level) I'd like it retirement friendly meaning 1 bed, 1 small office, full bath, laundry machines, kitchen, living room upstairs while downstairs would be cold room, then one giant living room space for the time being. Any tips, or critiques on that idea?
