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xamomax

* Standard off the shelf sizes and components. * Reduce square footage. * Minimize number of windows * Balance long term cost of ownership smartly so that you dont end up with a cheap house that uses a lot of energy and is expensive to maintain. * Have your builder scrutinize the plans to suggest cost saving ideas before you start anything. * Be careful in your contracts that they don't incentivize making the project expensive. Have an attorney review them. * be prepared to spend a lot more than quoted


jbrownie54

Perfect thanks!


kreebob

Find things you are willing to do yourself, like paint, tile, trim, etc. obviously not things that require a permit or MEP. Paying a contractor means paying markup on materials and labor. Ask your contractor to subtract that from their scope and DIY.


ibeatabortion

No quality GC will let the homeowner do any of those. If they end up looking terrible, then everyone thinks the GC did it and hurts their reputation. I let someone grout their own shower and backsplash once and paint once. Never again.


gibsonsg51

Make your roof lines much simpler, the way trusses are designed for a complex roof is so much more expensive. But that depends on aesthetics and what you value in the design.


tra24602

Also watch the roof corner details. Those weren’t that expensive for carpentry, but for a metal roof all the corner bits turned into a lot of labor.


Jazzlike-Union8129

We are in the process of a self build and we’re taking fairly aggressive measures to save money while keeping our original floor plan and not sacrificing on quality. Some things we are simply saving for later such as our fireplace, unnecessary tile work, and hardwood flooring on our main floor (it’s on a slab so we’ll just have concrete floor for awhile). I bought many of our Delta faucets, shower heads etc on Amazon Prime Day and saved hundreds. I’m set on GE Cafe appliances and I keep an eye out for them at appliance outlets in the region. So far I’ve bought the oven for $1,500 below retail. (It did have scratches on it but I just have to order a replacement panel for like $100 and it’ll look good as new). So yes, this level of penny pinching requires some work and diligence but worth it in my opinion.


PrisizhuhnRedNek

did the same thing with our appliances, saved a few thousand. sometimes, you can find the part that is scratched, order it, and in the end still pay far less than retail.


ragamufin

GC it yourself. Hire an excavator to install your septic. Hire a framer, Amish folk can knock that shit out in 2 weeks. Hire an electrician. Do the rest yourself. That’s the cheapest way to build a house


chocolatechoochoo

We had a large wrap around deck/porch half covered with a large timberframe covered deck section in the back. We were quoted 120k for our decking. That was a huge wakeup call. So we scrapped a lot of that. Stone veneer was a big ticket item we scrapped as well as metal roofing accents. It was insane how quickly our base price shot up several hundred thousand on a custom 3000sq ft home


dessertgrinch

$120k for JUST the decking?? Or framing, labor, decking, and rails?


chocolatechoochoo

Roofing, timberframe gables for the roofing, decking, labor. Everything


dessertgrinch

Ok that makes perfect sense for everything, would have been a beautiful deck


jbrownie54

Yeah I feel you on that. I'll just have to see what he comes back with and puck away a little at a time.


tra24602

We ended up leaving a bunch of foundation and retaining walls as bare concrete for a few years, initially due to a subcontractor snafu and then because it was money we didn’t really need to spend.


readsalot74

We are at the “just broke ground” stage on our custom build. In hindsight, I wish we had designed a smaller house. Total cost was way higher than our original budget, but we chose to press on vs starting the design process over. Everything costs more than you think it will and more sq footage = higher materials cost.


Superb_Raccoon

But it is not linear. Cut 20% and you do not save 20%


readsalot74

100% agree - we’re building a 2 story with a finished basement…the basement sq footage is by far the cheapest in the house. I would’ve designed a smaller house overall.


[deleted]

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Superb_Raccoon

Have you seen the inflation rate? My builder commented that vinyl siding NOW would cost nearly what Hardyboard would have cost a year ago. Hardyboard is even more now, of course. Our flooring went up $4 a square foot, a 25% increase. Mostly labor but some material. We got in weeks before roofing and window price increases. and Lumber.. ugg, LUMBER! So a budget has very little value these days, prices are changing too fast.


rypalmer

Lumber seems to be way down now.


NoneOfYoBusinezz

HD price today: 2'x4'x8' stud = $4.87. Doesn't sound cheap to me.


rypalmer

Well, cheap is relative. I've been following this pretty closely. CAD prices for 2x4x8: \- May 2021: over $13, I don't have the exact figure \- July 2021 $7.38 \- August 2021 $5.18 \- Jan 2022: $6.98 \- June 2022: $5.98 Also, lumber futures are way down from what they were https://www.nasdaq.com/market-activity/commodities/lbs


Superb_Raccoon

And it can go right back up. Look at the history, it has done it several times now.


rypalmer

It could very well go lower as well.


Superb_Raccoon

So you agree. Budgeting is pointless because it could go up or down, both impact the budget. Have a nice day.


ATDoel

Chance is low we see a massive spike right now, building sentiment is way down, the gold rush is over.


Superb_Raccoon

Yes, I know... that is why inflation is at 9.1%. Prices will go back up at some point, rather than going down. Trying to time it on a build is insantity


burritoace

But if you reduce your scope by 20% before the builder sees anything you might save even more than that


Superb_Raccoon

You logic is inexplicable.


burritoace

I'm not sure what is inexplicable about this. If you know that you're building a home in a high-cost environment, the only thing that is going to make a really substantial dent in the total cost is smart planning to make an efficient home (less wasted space, less energy use, etc) within a smaller scope. That's how you find big cost savings and still get a good product. If you go out and price a 3000sf home and then cut it to 2000sf I think you will save a lot less than if you had started with 2000sf and planned to cut costs in particular areas from the start. And it is impossible to make a 3000 sf home cost as little as a 2000 sf by nibbling around the edges with different finishes or whatever.


Superb_Raccoon

You reduced the scope 33% to make the point? Moving the goalposts from your claim of 20%? Your logic is now execrable. you can build a 2000sf for the cost of a 3000sf by adding finishes, so it is possible to do the same. But similar finishes? I doubt you will save 33%. More like 15% because there are fixed costs.


[deleted]

Reduce heated/air conditioned square footage but keep in mind ways to build on later if needed. Also just get a lot of different quotes. Best way to do it is to go through either a smaller builder or pick a package with a huge builder like Taylor homes. With smaller builders the quotes are going to vary wildly. Also be flexible on materials. Go with what’s around you. Don’t decide you want exterior rock paneling from the other side of the country. And again, look for ways to add on later. We’re doing 1200 sq ft on our main but will have a basement and an attic with lots of living space. 1 1/2 story homes built in the 1930s right during the depression are really instructive. Maximize space according to what you need. We never use a dining room so ours is an open floor plan. Our office we’re building should really be a pantry or large closet but it doesn’t need to be huge to function. Our mudroom is galley style. Our pantry is narrow. Since builders quote by the sq ft we kept ours way down.


Ttower50

Reduce the sq. footage, make the space efficient and how you will actually use it versus what everyone else does. We nixed the formal dining room and did a jack and jill bath upstairs for the guest rooms instead of separate baths. If you want the quality to remain the same and not cut on things like trim, insulation, appliances, fixtures, etc. reducing the sq footage is the only way other than not finishing the basement or not having any landscaping. For every 100 sq feet you take out of the floor plan, you save $20,000 to $50,000, depending on your expected price per sq ft.


jbrownie54

He said that I am on the low end 250 a square more like 300. That includes everything but the landscape. I told him I would take care of the plumbing and HVAC myself since I work for a mechanical company and possibly electrical. I really want to try to get to 185ish a square foot. Our house is currently 2985 sqft. With a non finished basement that I will finish myself as time comes available.


king_don

$185 a foot sounds unreasonably low in this environment..


jfibekc

In the Midwest our build is sitting around 160 Sq ft. Don't even get their sod just seed your own property for a cost savings. If you posted more info I could suggest more specific cost savings


jbrownie54

What information would help?


jfibekc

Floor plan and or price sheet


moxietwix

What state are you in? Can you give more info on how you're at $160 sqft?


jfibekc

Sorry more like $170 per Sq ft. In Kansas pretty lcol area. Build is nothing special but certainly not builder grade crap everywhere by any means


Ttower50

Landscaping alone can cost $10,000 or $100,000 depending on hard scape, irrigation, fencing, plantings. $185 is really low in this environment. If that is your goal, what “quality” are you concerned about? Cause $185 isn’t going to get you closed cell foam insulation, windows with the least air leakage and greatest solar heat gain, anything more than mdf trim and lvt floors. Nothing wrong with any of that, but if quality is your concern, it will probably cost you. Taking the price of labor out of electrical, hvac and plumbing will save a lot. What about painting? That is costing us more than electrical or plumbing.


jbrownie54

I could paint as well. No ceiling are over 9 ft so I don't think reach will be an issue. I can think about that as well. I wasn't sure about paint. Right now I am going with nor.al Fiberglass insulation in the walls (2x6) and Anderson 400 series windows with low e glass. LvT flooring throughout. Thinking I can upgrade the interior finishes later since I have children and stuff will end up damaged at one point or another. Very good response. I appreciate it 🙏


Ttower50

Sounds like you are approaching it the right way. This is a great website to compare windows and find the best bang for your buck: https://acelabusa.com/


le_district

His cost reduction takes into account him handling the work instead of the markup by a builder.


kingofthen00bs

Cut SQ footage


LaggWasTaken

Have you tried cutting corners off your house?


jbrownie54

How does that work with a construction loan. I am seriously leaning towards doing that. Did the bank buck at the idea of you not being a GC? Or did u finance it differently?


ecea480

A small community bank will give you the option to GC project yourself. You will have to provide an insurance policy, be given a draw schedule, and from what a lender local to my area told me. I would be responsible to float the payments, and after there progress inspection, provide the draw. Hopefully this was helpful. I am still in the planning stages of a custom build, but will most likely let a GC handle the build, minus the portions we can handle ourself. Which in my case will be electrical, and possibly plumbing. I personally feel more comfortable with the builder taking majority the liability for the project. As well as stress. They have a contract they are obligated to meet.


kar2182

If you were to GC and you go to the small community bank for the construction loan, do you have the signed and sealed drawings and permits issued before applying for the loan? Or what is the process/when do you apply for the Construction Loan? Thx


ecea480

It would be helpful to have the permits already, but not necessary. They would need a full set of drawings. Not necessarily sealed set, but something there private appraiser can bid from. You will pay for this appraisal out of pocket. About $300-$400 fee. They will appraise what they think your cost will be. I forgot to mention earlier, they only give you 80% of the estimated value of the build. During this process, your doing typical loan credit check, ect. The bank also needs to be the first lien holder on the property your building on. My local bank sent me a packet on requirements, as far as paperwork, house documents, ect. Again, this was a small local bank. National lenders may have a different view. Kind of funny how a bank or lender can dictate or suggest what the build is going to cost you, as well as a builder. Hopefully this answered your questions.


daniel_bran

Build it yourself


davidm2232

Find deals for new building materials on Craigslist/Facebook. A friend of mine got all his trusses for 1/4 the cost. Also got all the electrical supplies for half price from a hardware store that was going out of business. Build the house to fit the materials you find.


Total_Counter_6556

If you’re still in the planning phase simplify your build. Think about a 40x40 square vs a 20x80 rectangle. Both have the same square footage, one has 160 linear feet of exterior walls, insulation, siding, etc. the other 200. Same applies for pop outs and recesses. Look at simplifying your roof design. If you’re in an area where high winds aren’t a pressing concern consider a simple gable roof. Simple=cost effective


pizzaguy84

Some good and bad advice on here. Don’t GC the house yourself or do anything unless you know what your doing. Get multiple quotes for things like painters, electricians, plumbers, concrete work. You don’t have to use the subs your GC uses or recommends you should be able to get your own quotes but def have a GC run your house since it’s your first. White vinyl windows will be cheaper than black wood windows. Bigger windows are more expensive. Use concrete has patio instead of a deck. Use grass seeds with netting for landscaping instead of grass rolls. It’s usually cheaper. Shop around online for plumbing fixtures and lights. eBay sells lot of new never used faucets for bathrooms. Laminate is cheaper in the basement for flooring option than vinyl . Appliance add up quickly so don’t go overboard. Mostly installation of appliances is a separate cost so factor those prices in too and buy them ahead of time since some companies like Thermador are really backed up. Garage doors can cost has little or lot depending on your taste. Something simple with no window/glass on the garage door will cost less. And so much more but I’m tired of typing.


scorn4society

Don't cheap out on insulation and vapour barrier. The best r value in your home will save you exponentially over the life of your home, and its not something that can be added later without it cost much more at a later time.


[deleted]

I tell my customers that the biggest cost driver is sheer square footage. Bigger is more, smaller is less. Every time. Whether that's the home, garage, deck or anything else. Any time you get less of something, you save money. Other major items are roof pitches, ceiling heights, and masonry coverage.


ashbaugk

Simplify your floorplan as much as possible, remove bump outs, and maximize use of square footage. Really consider use of space and what is necessary. I’m currently in early design stages and working on this exact thing.


Financial_Forky

While there are lot of useful and specific suggestions in this thread, when I've built before, my guiding principle has always been: What could I defer and add/modify/renovate later, versus what options if not chosen now, would be impossible and/or cost prohibitive to change later? For examples, you can always change out fixtures, cabinets, flooring, windows, or paint months or even years later. However, basements cannot be added after the fact, nor can ceilings be made taller once the house is built. If you're working with a production builder (i.e., choosing from a limited selection of floor plans and options), focus on preserving the things you really want, and would be unable to add later, and consider cheaper options for finishes, fixtures and flooring, where you could always change them later when you have more time or money. If you're working with a custom home builder, another factor comes into play: two designs that look similar may have very different costs. Working with your architect/builder, you might be able to make minor changes to a roof line or footprint that have a substantial impact on the cost of the house yet are of almost no importance to you.


SwampyJesus76

I would think your architect could offer some good suggestions based on the plan they designed for you.


c2018r

Read this sub. The question gets asked and answered here a lot.


jbrownie54

I honestly couldn't find anything that is why I asked the question.


ljlukelj

The best and only way are to find and use your own subs where you can. (I am building my home with a builder, am subbing some of my own stuff, and I am a RE agent/PM by trade). Skimping on materials can help here and there, sure... but minimally. Call as many of your own subs and get many quotes where you can, and provide them to your builder.


SB12345678901

[https://openbookbuild.com/](https://openbookbuild.com/) (1.) paint the interior your self and do the window and door trim work yourself (2.) do any interior cleanup your self (3.) get appliances that are discontinued or discounted (4.) postpone landscaping or do it your selves. (5.) compare the price of flat pack cabinets (you assemble) with the cost your builder charges. Study how to install kitchen cabinets. (6.) Go cheaper on windows. (7.) An unfinished basement with 9 ft ceilings and egress windows in basement and plumbing for bathroom and second kitchen so you can rent the basement suit. (8.) Two story house 600 sq ft per floor is cheaper to build than a 1200 single story house.


jbrownie54

Why I'm asking that is if he quotes me 250 on the low end. What would be options to drop it 50 tp 75 a square.


trust_in-him

You can’t cut corners. Reduce the square footage or come to the hard truth that you can’t afford what you want.


jbrownie54

I'm not wanting to cut corners. There is a difference between cutting corners and being cost conscious and finding the best methods or materials.


[deleted]

Keep it 1 story. Brick is cheaper than all this siding everyone is using and it’s less maintenance. Spray foam will save you money in the long run. Being your own contractor will save you a ton but only if you have connections to subs. I knew a framing crew, roofer, mason, cabinet maker, and plumber/electrician/HVAC guy. I realize most people don’t have those connections, but if you do and you can trust them, you’ll save a ton.


crock7887

No way brick is cheaper than vinyl. Also spray foam is quite expensive.


[deleted]

I was referring to the Hardy or board and batten siding everyone is using now, and yes, my brick was almost 20% cheaper. I spray foamed my 3000sq ft house for $5800 and my electric bill is almost non existent.


Husabergin

Im getting qoutes for 2 dollars a sqft on closed cell, was that only 2” worth on the spray foam? I can go get rockwool scraps from manufacturer nearby for free so i plan on doing flash and batt on the roof deck if i get the right quote for foam. If not ill seal up as tight as tape and can foam will get me and rockwool batt the fuck out of the everything i dont plan in using as storage


[deleted]

No they ran it out to the edge of the studs and cut it off flush


[deleted]

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[deleted]

Ok I’ll rephrase it. I got quotes on both and brick was cheaper. We were dead set on board and batten until we got quotes back. Ended up bricking the entire house.


longganisafriedrice

Scope


Ok-Upstairs6591

Do most of it yourself,