Tips for Building a New Home

[BCClone]

It is a 10 year old townhome. Kitchen has granite counters. Kitchen appliances are from date of construction. Custom built kitchen cabinets. 'Wood' tile floors everywhere except bedrooms that have carpet. Have thought about switching out the tile floors since they are dark brown to a lighter brighter color.

At that age, I would say that it would be best not to touch anything. You can give an allowance for something or just lower the price some. Curb appeal gets the person in the house, kitchen and bathrooms sell the house. What you will spend on the bathroom will be more than you will get back unless you do the work yourself.

We compare houses more than anything, (appliances are worth 0, they are considered personal property). I've seen pretty nice showers in some medium level houses, if you plan to live there and enjoy it, great, but it might give you a grand bump in the long run. If you house is a young couples house, then at least one tub somewhere for kids' bath is important. If for older people, they will want zero entry showers to get in and out of. The extra space may be best used as an additional walk in closet space. Cheap cost and something a woman might really enjoy in a house.

 

[fsanford]

Question on home appraisals and renovations: In the primary bath, I have a 5 piece (2 sinks, toilet, shower and tub). The tub never gets used. Does it make appraisal/financial sense to switch the tub to a modern deluxe shower and then either have the current shower be switched to a linen closet or expand the his and her sinks to include a makeup station?

You have a tub in another bathroom? Gonna need one if you want to sell it or you are going to diminish your buyer inventory

 

[singsing]

Labor shortage, material prices skyrocketing, demand due to low interest rates and incomes rising, keeping up with the jones'.. I can keep going for awhile

It all ends with the sound of a toilet flushing. I'm a builder. Material costs are getting out of hand. Try to find skilled labor these days, and if you do somebody that will actually work. I'm not building in Iowa and not sure what the labor market's like there now, but pick up some Spanish. Honestly, would rather work with a group of Hispanics as I would white folks these days. What's going on people? What happened to moral character? Spend have my time dealing with problems. Theft, lies, laziness, intentional sabotage..freaking sick trying to get anything done. Learned to back off and not take anything on I can't do myself. I honestly wouldn't build new. Find a fixer upper. You're still going to get nailed in this market, but you're looking for a headache it you want to throw something new up right now.

 

[Die4Cy]

There are two things a man has that he never thinks are quite big enough.

One of them is his garage. Do not scrimp on the size of your garage!!!! Relatively cheap space and you will never regret adding the SF if you can.

Garage needs to be a level walk-in as well. After experiencing it, having steps up into your house is stupid. This is not a cost saving tip, by the way.

 

[cydnote]

I built my house when still farming and caring for livestock but one thing I never regret doing was a basement entrance from the garage. we have full laundry in the basement for work clothes, rugs, etc. and one on the main for everyday and delicates. Unless you need egress for bedrooms, some expense can be saved with less basement windows. Also, depending on roof pitch, there can be a ton of storage space above the garage for seasonals with the access gained by a pull down ladder. I built a cape cod with a 10/12 pitch, used attic rafters above the garage, and have a room up there I'm guessing is 10 feet wide by 24 long with 8' headspace over a standard sized garage--think golf clubs, fishing equipment, Christmas tree and decor, etc.

 

[BCClone]

Now the bots are building houses? They are taking over. Bot in #83

 

[KnappShack]

Now the bots are building houses? They are taking over. Bot in #83

The technology is there for 3D printed homes too. Made out of a concrete type of material.

I've always wondered why modular construction hasn't been more successful. A controlled environment, scale, and efficiency seem perfect for building.

Maybe the horrible quality of the past (including mohos) have played a part in throttling the industry.

@singsing is the expert here!

 

[CycloneDaddy]

Garage needs to be a level walk-in as well. After experiencing it, having steps up into your house is stupid. This is not a cost saving tip, by the way.

As someone who just fell down their garage stairs I agree with this comment.

 

[BCClone]

The technology is there for 3D printed homes too. Made out of a concrete type of material.

I've always wondered why modular construction hasn't been more successful. A controlled environment, scale, and efficiency seem perfect for building.

Maybe the horrible quality of the past (including mohos) have played a part in throttling the industry.

@singsing is the expert here!

The first one we built was modular. After you build one of those you understand why. We went panel construction on the next. Its the perfect mixture of modular and stick.

 

[KnappShack]

As someone who just fell down their garage stairs I agree with this comment.

I fell down (again) on the LVP floor. Once on my back and now face first

My only ironclad recommendation when building a home is to stay way the hell away from that garbage.

 

[RLD4ISU]

We're thinking about retirement (5.5 years away), where we want to live and what we want for a home. If possible, we hope/plan to build a slab on grade home with a massive garage area. I save ideas on Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook, plus a folder on my computer with ideas and lists. (We're also old enough that we're not newbies to home remodel or new construction either)

Wonder what the thoughts are of the OP of this thread and the OP of this thread for what they'd do or not do four years later?

 

[cydnote]

I fell down (again) on the LVP floor. Once on my back and now face first

My only ironclad recommendation when building a home is to stay way the hell away from that garbage.

maybe you should carpet the area around the liquor cabinet

 

[Tailg8er]

Garage needs to be a level walk-in as well. After experiencing it, having steps up into your house is stupid. This is not a cost saving tip, by the way.

I can honestly say I've never thought/worried about this, think I've always had stairs in my garages and have never had any issues. Seeing it mentioned, sure, I can see how it'd be nice/preferable. But I also wouldn't sacrifice things like a flat driveway or added cost to have no stairs from garage to house.

 

[cydnote]

I believe at one point in time stairs from the garage to the house were a "planned/preferred" method of construction to prevent carbon monoxide from the garage from entering the living quarters and was possibly a function of building codes. Don't know what the protocol is now

 

[singsing]

The technology is there for 3D printed homes too. Made out of a concrete type of material.

I've always wondered why modular construction hasn't been more successful. A controlled environment, scale, and efficiency seem perfect for building.

Maybe the horrible quality of the past (including mohos) have played a part in throttling the industry.

@singsing is the expert here!

You're right. Modulars are built cheap. If I were putting up something for myself in this market I'd put up a large steel building with living built into it.

 

[JP4CY]

I believe at one point in time stairs from the garage to the house were a "planned/preferred" method of construction to prevent carbon monoxide from the garage from entering the living quarters and was possibly a function of building codes. Don't know what the protocol is now

I always assumed it was to help with garage door tracks, vents from basement hvac going under main house floor, etc.

 

[cydnote]

You're right. Modulars are built cheap. If I were putting up something for myself in this market I'd put up a large steel building with living built into it.

Although some are significantly better than others, to me modulars have always been all-wood trailer houses

 

[BCClone]

I can honestly say I've never thought/worried about this, think I've always had stairs in my garages and have never had any issues. Seeing it mentioned, sure, I can see how it'd be nice/preferable. But I also wouldn't sacrifice things like a flat driveway or added cost to have no stairs from garage to house.

Just have a garage floor that can lift and lower to the correct height. easy peasy.

 

[BCClone]

Although some are significantly better than others, to me modulars have always been all-wood trailer houses

Manufactured homes are that level. Modular homes have higher standards and are built better. A manufactured home will have a plate on it somewhere (like the SSN on a car or engine block) that will specify it and let you know it is a manufactured home.

 

[cydnote]

Just have a garage floor that can lift and lower to the correct height. easy peasy.

Probably be cheaper to take the elevator from the garage to the house