Residential building costs around Huntsville? (Birmingham, Madison: HOA, movers, appliances)

[33458]

I've been looking in to this for several months but keep getting the general range of $80-120 per SQ FT because I can't narrow it down any better than that (by location).

Has anyone here built themselves something quasi-custom recently? I'm not talking McMansion (perish the thought) but would be working in upgrades like faucets, tile, real wood, fireplace, metal roof and a bonus room/garage...2500 to 3000 SQ FT farmhouse.

And, if any takers - how long did it take to build?

Down here, you wait patiently for a year.

Any offers of ISH-ish would be a great help as husband and I mull over this option. Have never built before but have seen family pull hair out of their heads. I know it can be...stressful.

[Bravo35223]

I have posted this previously.....

I live in Birmingham and have a trusted friend who builds 'home comummities" of the finest quality....he's actually a banker-turned-builder who has a great formula for homebuilding...

He has a community in Huntsville right now that you may want to consider.

Here is his website...you can navigate to the Huntsville development.

Dwight is an individual of the highest ethical standards....I havent a clue as to whether this community will suit your needs, but I CAN tell you that you would be dealing with people of great character and honesty if you looked at this community...

Signature Homes - Welcome

[harry chickpea]

We are doing something entirely out of the mainstream which might not work for everyone, but is possibly an option for you. Consider that a home has to have a core that works, and that the architectural details and finish serve an entirely different purpose, primarily for personal esthetics and to impress others.

We are of an age where impressing others isn't a priority, and where we are patient in getting the esthetics we want to have surrounding us. We focused on getting the property we wanted, paying more than we otherwise would, and on purchasing a high-end custom manufactured home as the core of our place. That allows us to pay much less, to immediately move in without any hassle other than site prep, and make other improvements as we see fit. Many people consider a manufactured home as an end product. We think that to be short-sighted and see it only as a functional core that allows easy modification and expansion.

That core, in our case, has 6" wall insulation, R-38 in the ceiling, 1/2" sheetrock interior walls, Hardiboard (fireproof cementous) exterior walls, and huge rooms. Appliances are top-of-the-line consumer, like a gas cooktop/dual electric oven range with convection cooking, 25 cu ft bottom freezer refrigerator, etc.

We looked at a number of packages for stick-built homes, like Southern Homecrafters, and found we would be paying close to twice as much for a smaller space with 4" insulation, builder grade appliances, and other concessions. Custom building from scratch would be even more pricey and more hassle.

However... modifying a manufactured home isn't a big stretch for me. I spent a year studying architecture at a major college, have been involved in remodeling projects (residential and commercial), have owned and modified other homes, was designing and building structures even 30 years ago, and am not afraid of trying new things. For instance, I'm building a 24' x 32' greenhouse from scratch for my wife as part of our project (never built one before), and will be building two other major outbuildings. I also just taught myself how to use a backhoe and have time to do this work.

The point is that there are other options if you are willing to take chances and get directly involved. I have no idea how our project will turn out, but I suspect it'll be pretty nice and a LOT less expensive than it would be if handled conventionally.

[Keeper]

When's the open house Harry? I can bring the dip and chips. Post some pictures.. we would all love to see them

[harry chickpea]

While we might consider having a few folks over once we are settled (most likely sometime next spring), there will be no photos posted on the net. I've been on the net and around long enough to know that this isn't a good idea unless you are marketing a home.

Why will it take us so long to get settled? We are purposely trying to be very deliberate in what we do and explore various options. The proposed house site was moved four times, greenhouse twice, etc. When working for others, a priority was always getting set up as quickly as possible, in an acceptable but not ideal home, to be able to focus quickly on the paying job. Since my business is mostly on autopilot for a while, there is much less stress for us by taking our time and reflecting on what we want to do.

[33458]

Bravo, thank you for the link, however I hope to stay out of a planned community (gates, HOA and cookie cutter homes) - that's what I'm trying desperately to get away from.

Harry - husband does not want to have to fester about modifications - I'm the one with my fingers in to the soil.
Already found not one but TWO fantastic home options with one minor hand-drawn tweak to get a mud room and 1st floor handicap guest bathroom in there. (Fine Arts major...dated an architect in college.)

I just don't know if it'll break the bank.

Building - period - has him nervous, but if we, as I suspect might be the case, can not find a house that suits our varying taste (trying desperately to merge his new house convenience with my old house charm) it may be the only solution.

I have seen some interesting articles in Country Living where the home owners did amazing things with manufactured homes...however, because I want something not quite so square, we'd only get there by the route my husband does not want to take - major overhaul.

BTW, I also plan to build a greenhouse! Little 'ol me.
Brick side-over, most likely...but on the back-burner until all this other stuff is out of the way and I'm sure I can afford the heating bill. 'Really wish solar was an option for these things. Hopefully my hybrid hibiscus and Piper Nigrum can tolerate a rented kitchen until then...

[33458]

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PLAN # 55490

OR

Classic Home Plans by William E Poole - Custom Luxury Floor Plan

PLAN 40

(Carolina Coastal Cottage)

[dbkeel1]

Land price is one of the big variables for builders and why you are likely to get a range quoted to you like you have. Depending on your preference for rural location or closer into town land can vary from $2,000-$40,000+ an acre across pockets of North Alabama. The impact that has on your square footage cost is pretty significant. If you select a lot or some land already owned by your builder, the price quote should be all-inclusive.

When you can say with confidence that you know where you want to build and are prepared to hand a builder a set of specific plans you want built, even if you show them the ways you want the plans to be modified to allow for things like a larger master bedroom or 3 car garage, any builder can provide you within a few days a price for the home that includes your changes and preferences of things like fixtures, lighting, 3/4" hardwoods and over-sized garage. Bear in mind, too, that the plans you've chosen might not be able to be built on any given lot; the 'footprint' of the house has to fit within setbacks and utility easements so long, skinny houses fit long, skinny lots and so forth.

Once a price is agreed to under a contract, any changes in the agreed-upon specs would probably result in a change order and the builder could require those changes to be paid for up front; home buyers need to realize that the builder has taken their contract to the bank for a construction loan and unless you pay for changes after that point up front he could be faced with either absorbing the cost of the changes or absorbing bank charges to change the loan amount.

My experience in the Huntsville, Madison and surrounding market, is a square footage price range similar to what you've indicated but the lower end of that spectrum can be pretty basic housing. Location, again, can impact completion timelines because getting subcontractors out to do framing, drywall, roof, HVAC and other trade-related installations can be inhibited if the location is too far out. If not too out-of-the-way the timeline to build is about 6 months, weather dependent, once the builder's contract and the land are in place.

[Threestep2]

Old brick, cedar, open floorplan an property not touched in 30 years, 2300 sf, three car garage. In not quite three months we were in the house. Movers had to handcarry everything as the driveway was still wet and covered by plywood. Builder covered the extra expense. My husband was out of town most of the time. My builder learned to categorize me as pest. Having been around construction lenders did help.

Talk to bankers in Huntsville. They know their clients and their work. I will gladly share names/number by pm.

[33458]

Threestep!

SWEET - you used salvaged brick? I wanted to utilize reclaimed wood (floors and or mantle) and brick (for the hearth) but I'm thinking cost will be prohibitive.

Although you and I differ on one major thing - I sooooo wants WALLS! The Kitchen not to be part of any other room...a genuine dining room used for - what's this - eating?
Doors to close - husband's space - don't look in there!

I will PM if husband seems more agreeable...right now he's sending me full brick homelies.