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#1 of Six Tips and Tricks for Saving Money on your Building or Improvement Project... Caution! Your home
plans can break the bank! |
The reason for building your own home, cabin or building should be to "have it your way"...but that doesn't mean you have to spend a fortune to develop the perfect home
plans! If you're going to buy from a supplier like "EZ Home Kits" and its partners, or from a developer, odds are that they include the cost of the home, cabin or building design and blueprints right into their "standard" package.
Clarify with them what design services are included in the package costs, then use their services instead of a VERY expensive architect or design engineer.
OR, buy a set of plans - inexpensively!
There are also thousands of "off the shelf" home plans available for a fraction of the cost involved in paying a professional designer. Even if an "off the shelf" plan doesn't fit exactly to the concept and layout you're looking for,
modification of that plan is going to be inexpensive in comparison to a custom design.
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#2 of Six Tips and Tricks for Saving Money on your Building or Improvement Project...
Home and Cabin Design elements that can cost big bucks... |
The "footprint" of your building, home or cabin can be the biggest cost factor. It's the ROOF SYSTEM and the FLOOR SYSTEM that cost the most. ...We all love covered porches, but a covered porch
costs almost the same as an actual room... why? Think about it - the covered porch requires a ROOF SYSTEM and a FLOOR SYSTEM... a nice deck will do the same for most people, and the cost is dramatically less.
Big, open great rooms are super - but be sure you plan the rest of your rooms carefully. When you take out interior wall systems, you're losing supports for upstairs rooms and consequently, the ability to have more living space under
the same roof system. Vaulted ceilings are gorgeous - but they are usually derived from an 'engineered rafter' roof system. There IS a middle ground between 8' ceilings (using a high heeled truss system)
and expensive engineered rafters... Consider using a "scissors truss" - this will allow you to have smaller vaulted ceilings, and the cost is about midway... Metal roofs - lots of people choose them
because they want to add vibrant color to their exterior look... Ask your builder or manufacturer about the many choices of COLORS available in the more cost-effective asphalt and fibreglass roof systems and save a bundle (EZ Home
Kits' manufacturer offers 14 colors in our standard roof package)!
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| Hello, I'm Andrea... |
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It's been a busy couple of months at EZ Home Kits. We have updated all the sites, making navigation even easier, reformatted our catalog pages and added prices, square footage and links...
Two key areas that will help guide the "would-be" or "maybe" Owner-Builder, even to the level of whether to build or buy an existing home, are "Building
Costs" and "Building Skills" - we will be steadily
building these pages into their own sections, and eventually into their own web sites. Be sure you visit NOW and come back often...
We have also been adding sections, with support and information for Building Projects and Mortgage Loans being expanded dramatically. These areas will be formally launched in late February - we'll send out a special issue of
My Building News! to let you know when they are fully available...
And, as always, PLEASE send me your tips and suggestions for EZ Home Kits and building projects!
* Andrea Jamz *
andrea@mybuildingnews.com |
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#3 of Six Tips and Tricks for Saving Money on your Building or Improvement Project... Not all
Contractors or Builders are created equal... |
| There's an old adage... "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure"
...When you hear about home building or improvement nightmares and financial devastation from them, it's not about materials. It's about the people hired to perform the work, and the result of their abilities, good - or
bad. But we can't stay locked up and never build or improve - we just have to do some homework first! Taking someone to court is an expensive, losing venture. Do your
homework in advance, and try to locate professionals who have a track record of getting their jobs done on time and on budget. Screen them by their proven willingness to FIX any problems or misunderstandings that arise. And, when you enter
into a contract, be sure it allows for both parties to place unresolved disputes in front of a licensed mediator prior to involving expensive attorneys or lawsuits!
Screening a Contractor...
1) Ask the contractor or builder, in writing, whether they have ever had disciplinary action from their state boards, or paid fines as a result of a hearing or complaint...
2) Ask the contractor or builder for the names of three customers they have performed tasks for in the last year. Then CONTACT each of the references. Here are some suggested questions... Once you've gotten
those three reference names, call every one of them, and ask them the following questions:
- How did the customer learn about this contractor?
- When was the project performed for this client?
- Did the job begin on the date that was agreed-upon?
- Did the contractor and (his/her) work crew report to the job on time each day?
- Did the customer receive a detailed estimate prior to entering into a contract?
- Did the customer get everything in writing, or did (he/she) have to ask for it?
- Did the contractor resist the request for a written work statement?
- Was the job finished as promised, and on time? If not, why not, and did the contractor attempt to charge the customer more money for the extra time required to finish the project?
- Did the contractor complete the job within the cost estimate as agreed?
- Did the contractor approach the customer with additional charges? If so, did the customer believe the extra charges proposed were justified and that the reason for them was clearly explained by the
contractor?
- Did the customer receive any “nasty surprises” during the project -- whether it be extra charges, poor craftsmanship, different materials used than what was agreed upon by the customer and contractor prior to
the start of the project?
- Was the customer able to easily contact the contractor during the project's duration? Did the contractor provide a cellular phone number and/or pager where he/she could be reached at all times?
- What was the customer’s opinion of the contractor's work, the materials selected to be used, and their perceived value for the money they paid?
- Was the contractor and his/her work crew professional, friendly and pleasant?
- Would the customer hire the same contractor to do another project?
 This cautious method may seem time-consuming, but don't even think about skipping it... Lawsuits and living in a hotel while your
home building or renovation project disputes are settled takes even more time!
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#4 of Six Tips and Tricks for Saving Money on your Building or Improvement Project...
Get a Request for Quote (RFQ) for EACH type of contracting or building job you're going to hire someone to do. |
The BEST way to get quotes the way you need them is to send everyone you want to consider using
for your home building or remodeling project a Request for Quote.
Special note about our Building Kits...
If you've been looking at an "EZ Home Kit" building package, and are trying to determine whether a pre-cut, panelized kit is less expensive than "building from scratch", be certain that your other quotes are coming from an objective
source, and insist that the quotes be in "apples to apples" format.
Many builders and contractors remain obtuse about any building method other than the 'good old fashioned way' - and their motives are not always in your best interests. It's logical that some will oppose any method that will cut into their
profit base; if you assume that this is so, you can then evaluate everything based on the bottom (written) line - which way is going to save you the most time, material and labor costs and ensure the best overall quality?
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#5 of Six Tips and Tricks for Saving Money on your Building or Improvement Project... Get the BEST
prices on tools, cabinetry, floor coverings, security, heating and air conditioning, plumbing and fixtures... |
Get your materials, tools and supplies from a legitimate "builders supply" wholesale house or store. If there is not one in your area, or, your only choices are big "superstores", then shop for as much as possible ON THE INTERNET!
Don't get caught up in the "shop till you drop" syndrome. If you cannot buy wholesale or at contractor discount prices, do your shopping for everything from toilets to cabinetry online! You'll be less
distracted than in a gigantic "home supply Superstore", and you can take the time on your computer to seek the best prices and sales. We're not talking "chump change" here - the savings can be 20% or higher and can reduce the 'turnkey'
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| #6 of Six Tips and Tricks
for Saving Money on your Building or Improvement Project... Better is not always Better! |
| When adding wood materials to the inside of your home, look for "economy grade" - you can save a fortune
on the price, and, unless you're a purist, you'll like the lower grades better! The more "knot holes" and imperfections, the lower the grade of wood. But the "knot holes" are what's attractive... Be
prepared for some waste in a load of economy grade, however. Some of the pieces will be warped and unusable. Just make an allowance for 12% waste and you should be fine...
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