Making Allowances
Lessons Learned
from Homebuilding
If you tell people that you’re building
your own house, you’re likely to hear
that this is territory where angels fear
to tread. Some couples swear that
their marriage couldn’t withstand it,
while others look at homebuilding as a
unifying marital project. Whatever the
case, I know I’ve learned quite a lot
after building three houses, and remodeling three. Of the two, building is much, much easier.
Ask anyone who’s had to wash dishes
in a bathtub for two months, and all
those building frustrations seem miniscule
when faced with an aching back and a
tub full of dishes. Not only that, but
with remodeling, you’re living in the
construction zone; building is nice and
tidy and you can leave anytime you want. So, what are some of the lessons I’ve learned from building? Here are the highlights.
1. You must be a decision-maker
If you stress over making decisions and aren’t exactly sure what you like and dislike, then building a house could leave you bald. Building a house requires decisions. Lots of them. So, you have to know what you want from the style of home to the type of plumbing fixtures you’d like in the bathroom. Perhaps more importantly, you’ll be called to make decisions by your builder instantly and on the spot, making it an important skill to be able to think – and decide -- on your feet.
2. You have to be able to envision.
Having plans on paper is nice, but you have to be able to imagine what those plans will look like in wood and concrete. Your builder should be able to provide you an actual picture. Likewise, rather than describe the perfect fireplace to your builder, you should always, always, provide a picture. This means there’s no confusion whatsoever and you get exactly what you want and the builder’s crystal clear, saving him frustration, too.
3. You have to do the footwork and commit time to your house.
Building a house requires you to pick out everything from paint to lighting fixtures and this takes time. You’ll have to do this yourself and you’ll need to shop around to find the best price for what you want and that works with your allowances.
4. You have to decide what’s most important to you, not your builder.
Listen to your builder, but do what’s right for you. In my houses, I wanted quality appliances especially for things that I use every day. For instance, a high-quality dishwasher is a must because of the amount of cooking I do. I also wanted a formal dining room because we use it, even though most people don’t anymore. One builder tried to talk us out of it, but no one can convince me that china and crystal look just as good in a breakfast room. So, think carefully about how you’ll use the house and make your home work for the way you live.
5. Work within your allowance.
It’s so easy to go overboard on the allowances when you’re building. This is the money you are given to spend on certain items, such as flooring, lighting, appliances, etc. When you’re negotiating with your builder, make sure that the allowances are reasonable and that you can, in fact, carpet your house or buy plumbing fixtures with the amount provided.
Some builders let you take savings you have on one allowance and apply it to another, and some don’t, so be sure to be clear on this. If you don’t work within your allowance, you’ll have a costly surprise at closing that might delay you or cause you to outlay a lot of cash.
6. Get more bang for the buck.
Some things give you more for your money than others, so choose your items carefully. An upscale stainless vent hood that costs $2,000 dollars is more costly than a brick or stone oven surround that can be put in for about $300 and has a terrific presence in the room. Look at where you can get a lot of design drama without a lot of cash.
A big savings for us was to use one kind of tile everywhere in the house. I used the same tile in our shower as I did on the kitchen backsplash and the floors. This makes the house look more unified and less choppy. The backsplash was broken up by granite buttons, but otherwise, it all looks the same. If you can buy large quantities of the same item, you can often negotiate a better price with a supplier.
7. Consider cleanability and ease.
A chief consideration for me was not to work so hard on a house. That’s why I put tile everywhere there’s traffic, and carpet where there isn’t traffic. You can walk from one end of my house to the other and up the stairs on tile, making floors easier to care for and carpet looking good and wearing longer.
All paint finishes had to be cleanable, too. I used high gloss on trim for wearability and cleanability, and egg shell on the walls so little fingerprints could be wiped off easily. My painter wasn’t happy about my choices, but I am almost two years later, and that’s what’s important.
This isn’t nearly everything I’ve learned, but they’re the major lessons I’ve come away with over the past 15 years, and hopefully, it will give you a good starting point if you’re thinking of building your own home.
© 2007 Kathryn Weber, all rights reserved
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Kathryn Weber is the publisher of the Everydayclean.com Cleaning Calender, that calender that puts you in control of your home by ending the power struggle. For more information log on to http://tinyurl.com/d9rh5.
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©2001-2007 Kathryn Weber
All rights reserved.
