Building Our Dream Home

sadieboud10 · July 2012

I'm new the nest and I was looking on the boards for a topic for couples who are building a home. My husband and I are in the process of starting to build and I wanted to know if their was anyone else out there who was in the same boat. Thanks!

MommyLiberty5013 · July 2012

This is the right place. Many Nesties here have bought/built new homes and have definite ideas and advice for first-time home builders. Welcome and ask away!

TheMrs923 · July 2012

Hi there! My DH and I are weighing our options on which route we want to go as far as building. We've looked at a few modular home floor plans and are still waiting on pricing for that. We also have an appointment this weekend with a custom home-builder. Are you looking at going with a traditional builder? My parents did that and I was old enough to remember it. It generated some of the fondest memories of my childhood!

misskrysbaby · July 2012

My DH and I are on Day 72 of our build, we started building our home on May 2nd. We went with a custom builder and so far it's been pretty smooth. We've only had a few hiccups so far, a few mistakes we saw in the frame that were fixed before our pre-drywall inspection, and them forgetting that we ordered two sinks in the master, not one. We go to the build site twice a week, if not more, and walk the house every time looking at their work. I suggest going at least once, if not twice a week, take tons of pictures, bring fresh eyes with you if you can, I brought my Dad once and he saw things that neither DH or I saw before. Our home is scheduled to be finished July 24th, closing is the 30th! It goes by so fast, so try and cherish these moments as much as you can.

HarleyKins · July 2012

My DH and I are 99% done with our home build. We do the final walk-through with the builder at noon today, in fact.

We found a Lot to build on and were able to get a better deal on the home build by using the builder that worked for the developer who owned the lots in the sub division. I do suggest interviewing other builders as well as touring new homes on the market that have just been completed to see the quality of work they do.

When working with our builder, we went over various plans with them, making some tweeks here and there (smaller mud room so more space in the garage, putting the washer/dryer in the master bedroom closet).

We also said we wanted to stick within a particular price range for the finishes. We couldn't justify paying property taxes on granite countertops and opted for a high end Formica (Formica 180fx) for a granite look - it's something we can upgrade to later. There are what seems to be a billion choices for cabinet finishes and styles. Sticking to your budget and having them show you ONLY what is in your price range helps you stick to it. We didn't want to know what else was out there so we couldn't dream about it. For example, having a darker cabinet would have cost us an 18% upgradge charge. Wood floor throughout would have been big $$ so we opted for a very nice laminate on the first floor since we have dogs and will be having children.

You can follow our progess and home build, start to near finish, on our blog and how we came upon some of the choices we made and why.

Good luck and be sure to stick to your budget! We have clients building 2 doors down that have added upgrade after upgrade and the bill is really adding up.

sadieboud10 · July 2012

Thanks ladies! I just got finished planning a wedding (June 2) and now we're planning to build a house. I guess I like driving myself crazy!!! We're doing a custom home. We found some floor plans we're going to modify to our liking and bring those to a drafter. We actually have our first appointment July 24. My DH's brother just built a house so he has been and is very helpful with guiding us in the direction we need to go. We own 3 acres of land and we have a trailer on our land now so we're actually building right in front of our trailer. I'm pretty sure DH will be spending every waking hour he's not at work at the new house. I'm not sure if y'all have heard of Houzz.com. It's been pretty great at giving me ideas of styles and colors. I'm so indecesive and that seems to be my downfall. It's very hard to think of the style I want to go with because after all it will be in my house forever! Do you guys have any websites that you used when looking for ideas?

HarleyKins · July 2012

I used Houzz and Pinterest as well as some magazines for inspiration.

Good luck and have fun!

(Just got back from meeting with the builder and we are all set to *hopefully* start moving tomorrow!)

sadieboud10 · July 2012

Yeah, I've been glued to the same two websites! Thanks and Congratulations!!! I'm sure you are ecstatic! The process of building seems fun but I can do without the actual of moving things.

LFish2010 · July 2012

Congratulations on your decision to build custom!!! You'll really get what you want that way.

Since it is custom, make sure you pay attention to the things you do and don't like about where you live now and write it down. We built a semi-custom home 19 months ago and I missed the importance of a pantry and a closet for the vacuum and cleaning supplies. If you are a slab or crawl space, consider heating your bathroom tile if you have any. If you have a basement, consider 9 foot + ceilings; it won't feel so much like a basement when you finish it out. We also put a hose bib in the garage for washing the car and a 220 outlet in case we buy an electric car down the road. I am sure your brother in law will be a huge help!

Your set-up sounds perfect. We are considering selling, buying land, and going custom now.

Congratualtions and Best Wishes!

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