o How do I find land ?
§ Realtor is the best an easiest way. They are the best in negotiating the price and making sure you know everything about the property.
§ Find it yourself
most difficult and risky. Even if you find it, hire a realtor to help
it will pay off!
o How do you know how much it will cost to improve the land so you can build on it?
o Type of land to buy
· Who is going to build your home?
o General contractor
o Owner builder
· How are you going to finance the project?
o Private money
o Non construction loans
o Construction loans
o Full wrap loans
· What steps do you need to do to develop your land?
o Clearing
§ Brushing
§ logging
o grading
§ road or driveway
§ rough
§ final
§ post build
§ landscape
o water
§ well
§ hook up
o power
§ hooking up to grid
§ alternative
· generator
· solar
· wind
· other
o sewage
§ septic system
§ hook up
· What elements do I have to consider when preparing for a build?
o Where to build on the site - considerations
§ Views
§ Access
§ Cost
§ Use
o Type of site development needed
§ Roads
§ Pads
§ Logging
§ Clearing
§ Cuts & fills
§ demolition
o What kind of home to build
§ Log
· Handcrafted
o Full scribe
o Chinked style
· Uniform or milled
o Solid
o Glu-laminated
§ Timber frame
§ Conventional
· Stucco
· Wood sided
· Composite sided
§ Sip
§ Icf
§ Manufactured
· Classic mobile home style
· Modular
· Pre-fabricated frame wall & truss
§ concrete
§ Other
o Design ideas
§ style
§ size
§ stories
§ outbuildings
§ recreational elements
o How much is the project going to cost?
§ Base construction benchmark to determine or validate desired budget
· Line item spreadsheet with either estimates or guesstimates to form a gross cost. This can be converted into a cost per square foot when evaluated against the overall size of the home.
o Development
o Frame and finish
o Landscape & hardscape
o All fees
§ How much are the buildings materials packages going to cost?
· Get an estimate of the proposed design from the packager
o Log or Timber frame package
o Pre-fab frame, SIP, or ICF package
o Modular home package
o Mobil home package
o Who will be involved in building your home?
§ All kinds of building material suppliers
§ Many types of design related professionals
· Architect/designer
· Engineers of all types
· Interior designer
§ Site related consultants and professionals
· Graders
· Sewage
· Well driller
· Surveyors
· Engineers of all types
§ Builders
· General contractor - This person could be hired to take the project right from the start including development. Typically, this person is brought in for the construction of the home
· Grading contractor most of the time site development is done prior to the need of a general contractor. This contractor can oversee, hire or do all of the services need to get the site ready for building
· All other contractors if you are an owner builder, you will have to find every builder to do work you are not going to be doing. See our builder title list
· Project manager many times an owner builder will bring in this professional that will oversee the project. Could help in determining who is going to do what & when: timelines, bid review, contracts, schedules, etc. this person could be a builder by trade or an actual project manager professional.
· Owner builder who does it all, manages and builds---most ambitious of the group and not typical. Usually does not hire any professionals.
· What type of documents do I need to get a building permit?
o Design/architectural architectural part of the house plans
o Engineering the structural part of the plans
o Energy calculations hat validate energy compliancy
o Site/plot shows all the elements of the site
o Grading displays how and where the grading will occur
o Septic or sewage shows the design of the leach fields
o Fire sprinkler shows where the heads and main lines are against the floor plan
o Architectural review board could be a mixture of the above that the local community wants to see and evaluate befor you go to the county
· What is the county going to require from me, and how does it work?
o Land services potentially needed
§ Topographic overlay on the site plan displays the geographic lines
§ Structural Soils report
§ FEMA report - controlling flood planes
§ Hydrology report - controlling ground water level to building site
§ Surveyor - placing the formal lot elements and lot lines onto site plan
§ Environmental impact report when endangered species are at risk
§ Archeology report when historical artifacts are in the vicinity of the build
§ Specialty requirements these could be in high impact areas where very specialized reports are needed
o What is he building permit process?
§ Building Application
· Fees are usually charged in the following areas
o Application
o Departmental
§ Building
§ Planning
§ Health
§ Fire
§ Encroachment
§ school
o Impact specialty lump sum fees such as road, environmental etc
§ Temporary
§ Permanent
§ What happens after you submit plans into the county?
· Plan checking
· Final building permits
· Who should be involved in the final bid process when getting ready for building and getting the construction loan?
o Contracts
o Lien releases
o Sub contractors
o suppliers
· what does the construction sequence and process look like?
o Construction elements or steps
§ Water
§ Power
§ Grading
§ sewage
§ Foundation
§ Floor framing
§ Wall framing
§ Roof framing
§ insulation
§ Window/door installation
§ Exterior skin
§ Rough Plumbing
§ Fire sprinklers
§ Rough Electrical
§ Rough Heating & air
§ roofing
§ Drywall
§ Tilework
§ Interior doors
§ Finish woodwork
§ Cabinetry
§ Paint & stain
§ Set finish plumbing and finish electrical
§ Gas hookup
§ Countertops
§ Flooring
§ Hardscape
· Driveways
· Landscape elements
§ Landscaping
· Irrigation
· planting
§ Final walk through
§ Final clean up
o County involvement
§ Building permit
§ Site inspections
§ Independent inspections
§ Certificate of occupancy
o Bank involvement
§ Draw type & schedule
§ Bank inspections
§ Final draw
§ Loan closure from build completion
· What should I expect to do after the house is built?
o Moving in
o Builder warrantees
o Product warrantees
· What should I expect from in terms of maintenance?
o Short term
§ Log homes
§ Wood exterior homes
§ Non-wood exterior homes
o Long term
§ Log homes
§ Wood exterior homes
§ Non-wood exterior homes