Posts Tagged ‘Building Materials’

Can you guess how far it is between these two points? A: The starry-eyed dream of building your own home. B: The passionate and committed decision to build the home of your dreams!

Actually, only you can answer that question accurately … as it relates to you! Personally, I’ve noticed that for so many people, the distance is staggering. And the gap is often a deep chasm that results from the dread of the unknown.

You see, the dream of home building, or even remodeling, is often followed by that nasty little devil of fear. So what happens? RETREAT! Yes, we retreat back to our comfort zone, put that dream away for a while and breathe a sigh of relief that we won’t have to face THAT devil again for a while!

But, what happens when you dare to face your fears and make a decision? What happens when you actually take the dream and give it life by adding action and the “real time” details that bring building or remodeling your own home into focus? Details like who, what, when, where, why and how?

THE PERFECT HOUSE PLAN

It wasn’t long ago that I was displaying house plans and building materials at a Home Show and watched as some folks were eying the home designs on the table. They seemed intent on them and I sensed they wanted to talk to me. I asked them, “Are you planning to build a home?” Their answer was to laugh nervously.

“We have our building lot and as soon as we find the right home plan, we’ll build” they answered with another laugh. Now, as this didn’t seem that funny on the surface, I knew there was something behind the laughter. As it turned out, they’d been looking for that “perfect house plan” for six long years! Needless to say, they had not made a strong decision to build.

CLEAR DECISIONS BREAK DOWN BARRIERS

To make a long story short, I was able to help these folks decide upon a house plan. This didn’t happen because I knew just what would be good for them. It only happened as I helped them gain the clarity they needed through a series of questions and answers about what they really wanted and why they were stuck in neutral.

Could you gain some clarity? What’s holding you back? Are you looking to break those barriers that have kept you from moving forward with your home building dream? See if you can relate to one or more of the following limiting mindsets … maybe one of them will get you closer to that empowering decision so your path can be cleared.

• The home building dream is only a wish until you make it specific and measurable: What specifics are missing in your wish list?
• Wanting to build but having no idea what that new home will really look like does not make for a good aiming point: When will you create that one vision that turns your fuzzy homebuilding picture into a sharp vision?
• Simply thinking that you want to build a home, but having no idea what the cost of building is, means you’re happy enough with the warm, fuzzy feeling of “some day maybe:” Who will you contact to determine building costs of your area?
• Looking at house plan after house plan without narrowing down the features and benefits that really work for you: Why do you choose to remain so general and what are you fearful of?

THE POWER OF DECIDING TO BUILD YOUR OWN HOME

Nothing happens until you make a decision! The powerful action of deciding exactly what you want is the catalyst needed to make a whole series of decisions. Dozens of decisions come together once you gain focus.

So, what will you do today or tomorrow to bring you closer to a decision about what you want in a home?

Will you identify the one single scariest feeling you have now and resolve to find an answer?

Will you find one single decision that you can definitely make and follow through on? Progress is made by taking one step at a time.

Define your home dream first. It’s empowering!

You can learn so much more about home building and remodeling online. One great option is to take advantage of a very informative yet simple to follow *free* e-course that you can find by clicking here http://www.DreamHomeCreation.com You will also find other tips and tools, surveys, videos, and additional articles by Mel Inglima.

Author: Mel Inglima
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Self builders are likely to build over 20% of new homes this year as big developers batten down the hatches and smaller developers go out of business. This means anyone thinking of building their own home has never had a better opportunity to build a property from scratch, or use timber frame kits to help create a bespoke home.

Before the credit crunch, building your own home in the UK would have cost around £300,000, with the land costing around £150,000 and the rest spent on labour and materials. The property would then typically be worth around 30% more than the cost to build, so once built it would be worth around £390,000. Whereas now, costs of the land, labour and materials have all fallen, making self build a really good value option to buying an already built home.

Here are the top five reasons to self build in 2009:

1. Land prices have fallen by 15-50%

As developers have cut down the number of properties they are building due to the credit crunch, it means there is less competition for buying land and smaller, local developers in particular are not buying land as they have in the past, so there are more plots available and there are less buyers competiting to purchase. So grab a land bargain!

2. Builders, electricians and plumbers are readily available!
Remember, trying to find a good builder or sub contractor in 2006 or 2007, it was almost impossible? However with the recession, many tradesmen have been laid off by big developers and are now free to work on residential projects.

3. Bargain basement building materials:

Due to the fall in property prices, demand for bricks, timber frame kits, tiles, cement, boilers and radiators has fallen so much that you can purchase materials for 25% or less than you would have had to pay during the ‘good times’.

4. Timber frame kits:

If you want a quick build, you can now buy or have a bespoke timber frame kit, which can allow your self build to be eco friendly and help to fix over 40% of your build costs.

5. Secure instant equity in your new home!
In 2009 most people are worried about buying a new home in case prices fall more and they end up in negative equity. However, as self build’s are typically worth 30% more than the cost of building, depending on what you build and how much you pay to build it, you are less likely to end up in negative equity than if you bought a new or second hand home.

To find out more about self build visit our Develop and Build section and take a look at our eBook and factsheets. Do you have a property question you want an unbiased and independent answer to? Call us on 0845 838 1763.

I have been a consultant to the property sector for a number of years and been renovating properties for over 20 years. I have also written a number of books, including four for Which? – Buy, Sell, Move House, Renting and Letting, Develop your Property and the Property Investment Handbook.

I am currently one of the top property experts in the UK and regularly quoted in the press including the Telegraph, Independent, Times, Daily Mail and Express as well as featured on a number of local BBC Radio stations.

Contact me at Designs on Property on 0845 838 1763 or visit our website and my blog using the links below:-

http://www.designsonproperty.co.uk/

Author: Kate Faulkner
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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The housing industry has grown exponentially in step with our country’s population growth, and these days there are plenty of options for the type of home you can build. You hear terms like mobile and manufactured, modular, panelized, and stick-built. What’s the difference in the way these houses are built and their costs?

We’ll start with an easy one, Stick-Built Homes. These are your traditional homes. They are built on site, piece by piece, stick by stick. They are highly customizable, versatile, and the most common type of home built. They also take the longest time to build, and are typically more expensive per square foot. As a result of being built on the site and the time it takes, the home is open to the elements and is subject to delays. Anyone who has passed a construction site in the middle of the winter, with a half built home on it, realizes the problems this may pose. Now, imagine that home was yours. Not too pretty, huh? When you build in the Carolinas, weather plays less of a role, as winter isn’t as severe and many building crews work late into the year. However, even in North and South Carolina you’ll have to worry about rain, especially near the coast. When building materials get wet, they start to warp and develop mold. Concerns about weather damage, innovations in factory-line production, better availability of materials, and a greater desire to control costs have led to the growing popularity of the building systems described below. All the remaining types of housing are constructed indoors, and shipped to your building site in one way or another. Most present some type of cost or time savings over traditional stick-built homes, but may have other drawbacks.

The term pre-fabricated came into use in London after World War Two, as a housing solution for displaced families. Pre-fabrication is a term used to refer to all the types of housing that follows, as all are pre-fabricated, in a factory, off-site and put together on-site. The most important thing to remember is these styles of homes are built inside, with climate control and levels of quality control in place. This style of home building is starting to be referred to as “systems built homes” by the National Association of Home Builders. Building systems are used to save time, achieve more consistent quality, and decrease the need for specialized labor. The company, Carolina System-Built Home, builds All American Homes (which has a plant in Rutherfordton, North Carolina), and is based out of Lexington, South Carolina. You can find them at carolinasystem dot com.

Mobile homes and Manufactured homes are married in history. When a person says mobile, typically negative connotations are thought of: hurricanes destroying large tracts of homes, value depreciation, and poorly built homes. The term mobile home actually refers to homes, built on a chassis with wheels for transportation, prior to 1976, when US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) regulations were put in place. After 1976, this type of home, one with a chassis, has been referred to as manufactured homes. So, you wonder, even with the fancier name and regulations, will these homes still blow away in a heavy storm? These days, with the regulations set upon them, manufactured homes are of much greater quality. There are still concerns regarding stability under high wind, and value depreciation. But overall, manufactured homes are of better quality, safer, and more accepted than they used to be. Nowadays there are double-wides and triple-wides, further enhancing the livability of manufactured housing. In addition, as manufactured homes are subject to Federal regulations, they are exempt from local building regulations. This may make getting the home on the ground easier and faster, but can enable people to sacrifice quality. Local building regulations are good because they make sure homes are built to withstand regional influences of weather and other variables. Manufactured homes are subject to local zoning regulations. Some properties are restricted from putting manufactured homes on them. If you are looking for a first home in North Carolina or South Carolina, buying a manufactured home is a great way to get your foot in the door. You can live in the area for a while, get to know it and then move to a different location you like, without the full investment a traditional home would entail. If you have the money to spare and the inclination, you might consider renting the manufactured home after you move.

Modular Homes, which are often confused with manufactured homes, are quite close to stick-built homes. These types of homes are now being widely accepted throughout North and South Carolina. The sections of the home, referred to as modules, are constructed in a factory, and assembled on site, with the help of a crane and construction crew. Because the home is transported via highway in set pieces, there are limits to the design configurations the home may take. Some people are adverse to the idea of their home being subjected to the bumps and bruises of hundreds of miles of highway travel. In the past, securing loans for modular homes was difficult, but that problem has been largely reduced, as banks are becoming more familiar with the process. Typically with modular homes, all of the finishes are included in the factory construction. Some home owners object to this practice, as there may be a high mark-up and a limit on the options available. Modular homes must adhere to the local building regulations where they will be sited. Overall, modular homes are of good quality, and very similar to stick-built homes. A North Carolina based modular home builder is Professional Building Systems, based out of Mount Gilead. You can visit their website at http://www.pbsnc.com.

Panelized homes are another higher quality option for factory built homes. Panelized homes differ from modular homes in that the walls, roofing, and flooring are all assembled in a factory and then put together on the site. Greater options exist for flexibility of design, and less stress is placed on the home during transit. Finishes and appliances are selected, purchased, and installed by the owner/buyer on site. Panelized homes take longer to finish on the site than modular homes. Some people like panelized homes because of the sweat equity they can put into them, and therefore save some construction costs. Panelized homes are also attractive to green minded people, as they eliminate a large amount of the typical waste associated with building a home. Typically, the panels contain high quality insulation comparative to stick-built or modular homes, although attention must be paid to the joining of the sections to limit leakage. Panelized homes must adhere to the local building regulations where they will be sited. Visit http://www.valubuild.com to learn more about panel built homes.

Costs:

General estimates regarding pre-fabricated homes figure a 20 to 40 percent savings over traditional stick-built homes. However, this figure can be highly misleading. With modular homes, increased size also means increased costs, as more trucks are required to transport the homes and more cranes and men are required to construct them. Panelized homes face the same challenges in regards to transport, and depending on your leg work in your local area, the cost of your finishes and labor can vary highly. Manufactured homes are by far the cheapest up-front, but decrease in value over time. This is changing, but be aware of it. Since they are built to HUD standards established in the 1970′s, manufactured homes are typically not as well insulated as modular, panel, and stick-built homes. Because they are built in all types of weather, stick-built homes often require more maintenance during construction than factory-built homes. The quality of stick-built homes also varies, even within the same builder, as weather conditions affect the home.

Overall, stick-built homes are the most time consuming and expensive, but they are also the most customizable and easiest to acquire financing for. Panel built homes are the second easiest to acquire financing for, as some of the actual building occurs on site. Panel built homes are often considered the best insulated, and have a bit of a savings advantage over modular homes. Modular homes are quicker than panel homes to move into, and provide the greatest ease of construction, while maintaining high quality in structural quality and insulation. Manufactured homes are by far lightest on the pocket on the outset, although future depreciation skews this figure. They are also the quickest to move into, once you’ve found a suitable site.

No matter which way you go, homes where some or all of the components are factory built have clear advantages. It’s a growing market, and you’ll do well to be familiar with it. Save yourself time, money, and wind up with a home that you love, quicker than you thought possible.

Visit www.PlacesOfValue.com for more articles on best places in North Carolina and South Carolina, relocation made easy, top retirement communities, cost of living, and designing and building your Dream Home.

I’ve spent over 30 years finding the best real estate locations for major corporations. These companies have made hundreds of millions of dollars based on the locations I’ve selected.

I’m a professional real estate site locator and location analyst. During the last 5 years, I’ve been researching the growth of towns in North and South Carolina, for the relocation of my family.

I’ve studied hundreds of towns to find those areas which are still affordable, have a high quality lifestyle, and the potential for future growth.

My purpose is to share what I’ve found with you and help you find your Dream Place in the Carolinas.

Author: Bob Bencivenga
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Not everyone can buy the dream home they want, maybe if you win the lottery. So how do you realize that dream?

Well one way is to build your own, and to do that you are more than likely going to need a home building loan. Today’s financial products have become more flexible and geared to the needs of lenders.

As an example, when you look at personal loans, not the ubiquitous highly competitive unsecured loans, which are offered by almost every single lender. The unsecured type are normally never offered over £25,000.00, which won’t really help with a full building project. A better alternative are the personal secured loans, these are geared to the equity that you have in your existing property and will reflect a better interest rate. This type of loan will release equity to get you started, and will need to be factored in when you finally come to sell on.

A self build project can save 20-30%, as you make savings that the builder would normally build in for himself. There are specialist lenders who have specific products with the benefit of staged payments for example. With these you draw down the required proportion of the whole only as and when it is needed. This also means that you are only paying interest on the part of your home building loan that you are actually using.

Finding the best secured loans, or specialist self build products is all down to thorough research. Just as is the critical step of finding the right plot to build on or sourcing the quality building products at the right price. So before you commit to a second mortgage home loan or the like, do your homework on all aspects of building your dream home, not just the variance of one investment property loan compared to another.

10 other important things to research and cover

Planning

Architects

Design

Building Materials

Tradesmen

Heating methods

Building Regulations

Insurance

VAT Reclaim

Alternative building methods

Brian Long is the the author of numerous articles. He has an MBA and writes about various finance and investment related topics. For more information on a Holiday Home Loan, Investment Property Loan, Home Building Loan, Business Investment Loan or Home building visit (Second Home Loans). http://www.2ndhomeloans.co.uk

Author: Brian Long
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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The above question is asked by most people before any discussion ensues about log homes in general. The above question cannot be answered unless many questions are asked of the prospective home buyer. As an example, the above question is similar to one asked, How much does a car cost?

A basic consideration of home cost is what part of the United States are you planning to build.

There can be a great disparity in building costs between these various regions of the country. Costs may be higher in California than in Arkansas due to the fact that living costs may be higher in California than in Arkansas.

In some states, there will be greater requirements of the builder and more approvals from various state and local agencies before a permit can be granted to build the home.

Some states do not have building codes or stiff building code requirements or in terms of engineering and contractor licensing and thus costs will be lower.

Building materials can also be higher in some states and in some areas of individual states than in another location. Thus, where you plan to build is a major consideration when the cost of a log home is analyzed.

Other considerations are:

The type of log home you intend to build. Will it be a precut package, a custom hand-crafted log home or random length logs from a local sawmill. The price of these various components can vary greatly and thus it is a major variable in the cost of building a log home.

Do you intend to ship logs in from another part of the country so that you can get the home and the home plan that you desire. Shipping can result in extra costs, but should not be prohibitive when one considers the total cost of the home.

Do you plan to have a full basement, maybe completely finished, or are you going to build on a slab or crawl space. There can be a great difference in these various forms of construction.

People must remember that the logs are just a small portion of the costs that will be entailed when building a log home. The type of roofing that is to be used such as exposed beam, conventional 2x rafters, or a truss roof can affect the cost of the home. Do you plan to use a specialty metal roof or use regular asphalt shingles?

The insides of the log home can run up the cost of the finished home. For instance, a stone fire-place, with hardwood floors, custom cabinets, top of the line bathroom and kitchen fixtures, specialty lighting and electrical components, and interior wall finishing. Most people have the misguided belief that once the house is shelled in, they are near completion. This is not true! There is a lot of labor and materials that will go into the interior of the home before it is finished. It is at this stage that many people opt for the better cabinets, lighting fixtures, carpet, etc. and destroy their budget. One a budget is determined, stick to it or you will get into a lot of trouble with the funds you have allocated to the project.

To get an idea if you can afford a log home, you need to check building costs in the area in which you plan to build. If nice, custom homes are being built in your area for $125 per sq. ft. then you can use this as a guide. However, if this seems feasible, then start shopping for a log package and a builder. A local builder can give you some idea what building costs are running in the area. In the end, you will have to bring a completed blueprint to a builder and tell him exactly what you want for flooring, cabinets, roofing, etc. He will also have to look at your lot to see if it will require more or less work than normal to put in a foundation, septic system, driveway, etc. As a last reminder, if the building costs are in the $125 per square foot range, that does not mean that you can the put in a deluxe bathroom, teak floors, imported crystal lighting fixtures, etc. Keep your feet on the ground when designing your home unless your do not have financial constraints.

One might hear that a completed log home costs will run 2 or 3 times the price of the log package. This is not an accurate way to judge the cost of your finished log home. For instance, one package may sell for $30,000 and another of $60,000, but the less expensive package may well have fewer materials furnished. Thus you have a range of $90,000 to 180,000 for a completed home which are both the same size. Components that go into a log home (or any home for that matter) can vary greatly in price from the low end to the high end. Which end of the building spectrum that you plan to build will make a big difference in the final cost of the home.

To use a multiplier against the cost of the log package is like getting the price of an automobile by using a factor against the weight of the vehicle. The final, only reliable way to get a finished cost of your log home is have a builder(s) go over your prints after you have them exactly what you want in the house as to materials and components.

Finally always have a buffer in your budget of 5 to 10% to cover price increases or unforeseen expenses. If you are on a really tight budget, don’t just throw caution to the wind and say, lets build it as it will work out. It might, but if you are wrong you may or the bank may end up with a not quite completed home.

I have worked with people who what their dream home which is going to be a log home with the best of everything that can be had. They cannot get a loan to cover such a project so they eventually went to a factory built convention home because it was less expensive. If they had gone to a more realistic floor plan with fewer bells and whistles, then they could have had a log home that would have fit their budget.

Be realistic when setting goals for your hew log home. Don’t design something that is completely out of your financial range. The belief that log homes are a very expensive way to build is just not true. What happens is that some people put in too many costly features that runs up the price of the home.

Clyde Cremer holds a Master degree in Forestry from the Yale University School of Forestry and Environmental Studies in New Haven, CT.

He has over 35 years of experience in the forestry industry is currently the president of American Log Homes Inc. in Pueblo, Colorado.

For answers to all things related to wood and trees and log homes contact Clyde at http://www.WesternLogHomeSupply.com or give him a call at 719-547-2135.

Author: Clyde Cremer
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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