How to Plan, Contract and Build Your Own Home (How to Plan, Contract & Build Your Own Home)

The Classic Blueprint for Do-It-Yourself Homebuilders Updated to Reflect the Latest Materials, Techniques, and Options! Covering everything from hiring the right vendors to choosing fixtures, this information-packed guide is a step-by-step roadmap for building a new home or remodeling an existing one. The heavily-revised Fourth Edition focuses on the latest technologies, materials, money-saving options, and environmentallyfriendly methods, allowing homeowners to save money, get more for their money, maximize their usable space, decrease maintenance costs, and choose from an exciting array of new options. There are countless reasons why building your own home makes good sense. But for most people, the chance to create the home they've always wanted is #1 on their list. And this all-in-one guide can help you every step of the way toward realizing your vision-from hiring the right vendors to picking fixtures.Whether it's basic planning ("What's your move-in date?") or construction methods ("Wood or steel?"), this trusted reference, now fully updated to cover new materials, techniques, energy-saving options, and environmentally friendly technologies and methods, is the most complete source for homebuilders available.Written by experienced contractors and builders, and used by thousands of savvy buyers of custom and not-yet-built homes, How to Plan, Contract, and Build Your Own Home will help you: Select the right site and supervise its preparation, Make wise decisions on floor plans, types of construction, framing, and foundations, Plan for home office use, communications upgrades, "smart house" technology, and a home that will serve your needs throughout your life, Choose the newest and most economical and efficient types of insulation, roofing, plumbing, wiring, and more, Select amenities such as decks, patios, gazebos, sidewalks, and driveways, Evaluate doing it yourself vs. subcontracting, Know when you'll move in with a helpful calendar-style checklist, Select the right mortgage. The Classic Blueprint for Do-It-Yourself Homebuilders Updated to Reflect the Latest Materials,Techniques, and Options! Covering everything from hiring the right vendors to choosing fixtures, this information-packed guide is a step-by-step roadmap for building a new home or remodeling an existing one. The heavily-revised Fourth Edition focuses on the latest technologies, materials, money-saving options, and environmentallyfriendly methods, allowing homeowners to save money, get more for their money, maximize their usable space, decrease maintenance costs, and choose from an exciting array of new options. With this book, homeowners will be able to: Select and prepare a site Make informed decisions about construction, framing, foundations and layouts Plan for home office use Design or remodel a home that will serve their specific needs, perform construction tasks safely and efficiently Install the newest and most economical types of insulation, roofing, plumbing, and wiring Build amenities such as decks and patios, sidewalks and driveways, make do it yourself vs. subcontracting decisions, plan their move Annotation The Classic Blueprint for Do-It-Yourself Homebuilders Updated to Reflect the Latest Materials, Techniques, and Options!Covering everything from hiring the right vendors to choosing fixtures, this information-packed guide is a step-by-step roadmap for building a new home or remodeling an existing one. The heavily-revised Fourth Edition focuses on the latest technologies, materials, money-saving options, and environmentallyfriendly methods, allowing homeowners to save money, get more for their money, maximize their usable space, decrease maintenance costs, and choose from an exciting array of new options To arrive at the best-possible home for yourself, first take a step back-away from houses and house construction in general-and review some basic concepts about what a home can and should contain. Title from PDF title page (viewed on Nov. 21, 2007).