Anyone build a house on their own land?

[rsm]

I've had a few houses built, but they were in subdivisions; builders owned the lots.

I wanted to stay on my little island in the Atlantic, but things are not to my liking so I have one more year I need to stay here.

I'm looking at land and found the house plans for what I want built, which requires a concrete slab foundation.


I found several lots so far; all are near salt marshes, rivers, etc. by choice, with high ground that I need to be sure will support, have sufficient size for the foundation, and be approved to build the house on a concrete slab.

next is to find a builder that is capable of building the house at a reasonable cost.

I know a few are in the construction business or have built houses on their own land. What are some things I need to consider / know based on your experience; what red flags / warnings should I look for?

Cheers!

 

[VonBonfire]

One question: Why not pier and beam? If I was coastal or faced any risk of flooding, I would definitely be going five to eight feet up off the ground to beat any flooding.

Long post below but it's my best advice:

Yes, I built my own place. It has been a learning experience. 700 sq ft ground floor with loft for about 1000sq ft total. Exterior has been complete for a couple years. I've been slow to fully finish the interior. I pay as I go so I don't have to owe.

Building up instead of out is cheaper. Sprawling ground floor places are nice but more expensive than a smaller main level with second story. I hate dealing with stairs so if I did it again I would stay ground floor.

Get all concrete/slab estimates in writing, no exceptions.

House placed uphill from septic area eliminates the need for a sump pump.

Placement of the home on the property is a big deal. Here are some things to think about (besides neighboring homes)

If you care about security, the placement of your house in relation to driveways/entrances. My loft overlooks the drive. I can light your ass up almost the entire way in, and you have to come all the way up in order to turn around. I have the angle, which also gives me small arms protection to a large degree. There is nothing behind the death zone that I have created that would be harmed by opening fire except trees.

Talking about slab placement: Have an EXACTING layout for the concrete company to follow. The guys I had were kind of haphazard. I had to stop them and correct the location.

Also talking about placement: It's good to consider prevailing winds in summer and winter and factor those things into your layout plan. There are ideals for limiting sun exposure in the summer and maximizing sun exposure in the winter. Take advantage of those things.

Now that we are in the Biden era of failing power grid, and you are near the coast, s I would gladly downsize slightly in order to budget for a whole house generator. If you can't afford/don't want then I would at least get a woodstove with a top large enough that you can cook a couple fry pans on in case of power outage. Can't tell you how many times it's saved my butt from completely freezing during outages here.

Cut all trees and brush away from build site 30 feet, minimum, before you start the slab. 30 feet is what a firefighter friend who worked in Oakland told my father. In the Oakland hills fire anything with trees closer than 30 feet pretty much burnt down. If the trees surrounding your build site are taller than that I would enlarge the cleared circle around my slab accordingly. It's much easier and cheaper to just knock this out before your slab is poured/house built, no matter what kind of tree love you wife comes at you with.

I wouldn't waste my time with anything but a metal roof. They are a little noisier in the rain so you'll just have to twist the throttle on that new amp a little more when it's storming but it'll be the last roof you need.

Fireproof exterior finish and landscaping . Hardy board is popular. I used corrugated tin for the "old tin shack" look but the price went out of control. I was able to finish it before it did. I could probably EMP proof my place if I ran some ground rods to it but then I'd need a lightning rod to draw the AC/DC away from the house.

Install twice as many outlets as you think you need. You can't have enough. Especially above the kitchen counters. At least a couple four gangs where you plan for toaster/microwave/deep freezer/coffee maker. You need a couple separate breakers for them so they aren't tripping when you run several of those appliances at once

Window AC units are much less maintenance when they break down. You just take them to the recycle, get paid a little for your clunker, and grab a new one. You can also only cool the rooms you need=savings. Sorry but I look at EVERYTHING from an ease of access/ease of maintenance type of viewpoint since I do it myself. Some people have to have their central heat and air. I wouldn't even use air if it weren't for my wife demanding it.

Rainwater harvesting system and water treatment.

I can't think of anything else right now though I can imagine I might. I'll post more if something comes to mind.

.

 

[311boogieman]

Yes, and pretty much what @VonBonfire is saying here. Permits, fresh water, easements, utilities all come top of mind.

One question: Why not pier and beam? If I was coastal or faced any risk of flooding, I would definitely be going five to eight feet up off the ground to beat any flooding.

Long post below but it's my best advice:

Yes, I built my own place. It has been a learning experience. 700 sq ft ground floor with loft for about 1000sq ft total. Exterior has been complete for a couple years. I've been slow to fully finish the interior. I pay as I go so I don't have to owe.

Building up instead of out is cheaper. Sprawling ground floor places are nice but more expensive than a smaller main level with second story. I hate dealing with stairs so if I did it again I would stay ground floor.

Get all concrete/slab estimates in writing, no exceptions.

House placed uphill from septic area eliminates the need for a sump pump.

Placement of the home on the property is a big deal. Here are some things to think about (besides neighboring homes)

If you care about security, the placement of your house in relation to driveways/entrances. My loft overlooks the drive. I can light your ass up almost the entire way in, and you have to come all the way up in order to turn around. I have the angle, which also gives me small arms protection to a large degree. There is nothing behind the death zone that I have created that would be harmed by opening fire except trees.

Talking about slab placement: Have an EXACTING layout for the concrete company to follow. The guys I had were kind of haphazard. I had to stop them and correct the location.

Also talking about placement: It's good to consider prevailing winds in summer and winter and factor those things into your layout plan. There are ideals for limiting sun exposure in the summer and maximizing sun exposure in the winter. Take advantage of those things.

Now that we are in the Biden era of failing power grid, and you are near the coast, s I would gladly downsize slightly in order to budget for a whole house generator. If you can't afford/don't want then I would at least get a woodstove with a top large enough that you can cook a couple fry pans on in case of power outage. Can't tell you how many times it's saved my butt from completely freezing during outages here.

Cut all trees and brush away from build site 30 feet, minimum, before you start the slab. 30 feet is what a firefighter friend who worked in Oakland told my father. In the Oakland hills fire anything with trees closer than 30 feet pretty much burnt down. If the trees surrounding your build site are taller than that I would enlarge the cleared circle around my slab accordingly. It's much easier and cheaper to just knock this out before your slab is poured/house built, no matter what kind of tree love you wife comes at you with.

I wouldn't waste my time with anything but a metal roof. They are a little noisier in the rain so you'll just have to twist the throttle on that new amp a little more when it's storming but it'll be the last roof you need.

Fireproof exterior finish and landscaping . Hardy board is popular. I used corrugated tin for the "old tin shack" look but the price went out of control. I was able to finish it before it did. I could probably EMP proof my place if I ran some ground rods to it but then I'd need a lightning rod to draw the AC/DC away from the house.

Install twice as many outlets as you think you need. You can't have enough. Especially above the kitchen counters. At least a couple four gangs where you plan for toaster/microwave/deep freezer/coffee maker. You need a couple separate breakers for them so they aren't tripping when you run several of those appliances at once

Window AC units are much less maintenance when they break down. You just take them to the recycle, get paid a little for your clunker, and grab a new one. You can also only cool the rooms you need=savings. Sorry but I look at EVERYTHING from an ease of access/ease of maintenance type of viewpoint since I do it myself. Some people have to have their central heat and air. I wouldn't even use air if it weren't for my wife demanding it.

Rainwater harvesting system and water treatment.

I can't think of anything else right now though I can imagine I might. I'll post more if something comes to mind.

.

 

[Ben Waylin]

Yes.

 

[Floyd Eye]

Having a point of reference for the flood way is helpful in determining whether to pier and beam ( which is what I did building my shop out back) or to accept the inevitable and just pour a slab ( which most of the houses on my street, including two that I own but do not live in are slabs). Clean up after a flood is way faster with a slab and concrete block walls.

That said, having lost all my shit to a flood in 2017, if I were looking at ground to build a house it wouldn't be anywhere near a body of water that could flood.

 

[rsm]

One question: Why not pier and beam? If I was coastal or faced any risk of flooding, I would definitely be going five to eight feet up off the ground to beat any flooding.

Long post below but it's my best advice:

Yes, I built my own place. It has been a learning experience. 700 sq ft ground floor with loft for about 1000sq ft total. Exterior has been complete for a couple years. I've been slow to fully finish the interior. I pay as I go so I don't have to owe.

Building up instead of out is cheaper. Sprawling ground floor places are nice but more expensive than a smaller main level with second story. I hate dealing with stairs so if I did it again I would stay ground floor.

Get all concrete/slab estimates in writing, no exceptions.

House placed uphill from septic area eliminates the need for a sump pump.

Placement of the home on the property is a big deal. Here are some things to think about (besides neighboring homes)

If you care about security, the placement of your house in relation to driveways/entrances. My loft overlooks the drive. I can light your ass up almost the entire way in, and you have to come all the way up in order to turn around. I have the angle, which also gives me small arms protection to a large degree. There is nothing behind the death zone that I have created that would be harmed by opening fire except trees.

Talking about slab placement: Have an EXACTING layout for the concrete company to follow. The guys I had were kind of haphazard. I had to stop them and correct the location.

Also talking about placement: It's good to consider prevailing winds in summer and winter and factor those things into your layout plan. There are ideals for limiting sun exposure in the summer and maximizing sun exposure in the winter. Take advantage of those things.

Now that we are in the Biden era of failing power grid, and you are near the coast, s I would gladly downsize slightly in order to budget for a whole house generator. If you can't afford/don't want then I would at least get a woodstove with a top large enough that you can cook a couple fry pans on in case of power outage. Can't tell you how many times it's saved my butt from completely freezing during outages here.

Cut all trees and brush away from build site 30 feet, minimum, before you start the slab. 30 feet is what a firefighter friend who worked in Oakland told my father. In the Oakland hills fire anything with trees closer than 30 feet pretty much burnt down. If the trees surrounding your build site are taller than that I would enlarge the cleared circle around my slab accordingly. It's much easier and cheaper to just knock this out before your slab is poured/house built, no matter what kind of tree love you wife comes at you with.

I wouldn't waste my time with anything but a metal roof. They are a little noisier in the rain so you'll just have to twist the throttle on that new amp a little more when it's storming but it'll be the last roof you need.

Fireproof exterior finish and landscaping . Hardy board is popular. I used corrugated tin for the "old tin shack" look but the price went out of control. I was able to finish it before it did. I could probably EMP proof my place if I ran some ground rods to it but then I'd need a lightning rod to draw the AC/DC away from the house.

Install twice as many outlets as you think you need. You can't have enough. Especially above the kitchen counters. At least a couple four gangs where you plan for toaster/microwave/deep freezer/coffee maker. You need a couple separate breakers for them so they aren't tripping when you run several of those appliances at once

Window AC units are much less maintenance when they break down. You just take them to the recycle, get paid a little for your clunker, and grab a new one. You can also only cool the rooms you need=savings. Sorry but I look at EVERYTHING from an ease of access/ease of maintenance type of viewpoint since I do it myself. Some people have to have their central heat and air. I wouldn't even use air if it weren't for my wife demanding it.

Rainwater harvesting system and water treatment.

I can't think of anything else right now though I can imagine I might. I'll post more if something comes to mind.

.

Great info, thanks!

I have a few house designs, some are up on pylons (pier and beam) like my current house which also has a metal roof, impact windows, etc. for hurricanes. It all depends on the property (and costs) to determine which house plans will work best.

Also need to review the land surveys, zoning, etc., some of the land with marsh front / wetlands, etc., have restrictions, others have approvals for deep water docks, etc. And getting all the permits, insurance, etc.

I do like central air, and don't like the window units; I definitely want to have more electrical capacity than I think I will need; also planned to have an extra wide area cleared around the house for boat, car, shed, etc.

All this info is going on my list.

Thanks!

 

[Dan Gleesak]

I think a more interesting question would be if anyone has ever built their house on someone else’s land

 

[rsm]

...of course, unless something comes to market that works!

 

[rsm]

I think a more interesting question would be if anyone has ever built their house on someone else’s land

that's why understanding the property survey and restrictions is key.

 

[Floyd Eye]

I think a more interesting question would be if anyone has ever built their house on someone else’s land

A homeless guy at the front of my road did. Not really a house, more of a large shed. The guy must have been a carpenter at one time because he knew what he was doing. It was impressive. He also built an outhouse and a footbridge over the creek that was right next to it. After about a year of trying to get this jack off out of there legally someone waited for him to be out somewhere and burned it to the ground. ?

 

[Laputan Machine]

Be prepared for extremely long build times. Had a 1600 sqft pre-fab garage put up in 2022, took 7 days for the guys to erect and roof the thing, but that was 10 months later from when it was paid for. That was with the builder with the shortest lead time. Builders are booking out years in advance. There are no laborers. I did most of the other shit like electric, insulation, drywall, paneling, flooring, landscaping, painting, etc. Having any of that stuff done by contractors would prolong the build by huge amounts of time because they are all booking out 8-15 months (so if the electric dudes are 8 months out, that means the drywall dudes will be even farther out, etc). Took me a year to get everything done after the garage was up.

 

[Floyd Eye]

Be prepared for extremely long build times. Had a 1600 sqft pre-fab garage put up in 2022, took 7 days for the guys to erect and roof the thing, but that was 10 months later from when it was paid for. That was with the builder with the shortest lead time. Builders are booking out years in advance. There are no laborers. I did most of the other shit like electric, insulation, drywall, paneling, flooring, landscaping, painting, etc. Having any of that stuff done by contractors would prolong the build by huge amounts of time because they are all booking out 8-15 months (so if the electric dudes are 8 months out, that means the drywall dudes will be even farther out, etc). Took me a year to get everything done after the garage was up.

Mexicans are now doing that shit around here.

Under any circumstance I would be doing the vast majority of the work myself. The only thing I would sub out would be the roof and the taping. Because I fucking hate roofing and I am too slow at taping drywall.