What's a house cost? Just the bricks and sticks?

[Kingfisher]

It's funny what houses cost and are worth now a days. Seems like if you had some tools and a little bit if want you might do all right. What do you think?

 

[Jogeephus]

2000 foot home would take about 13MBF of framing lumber and 8000ft2 of paneling. $300x13=$3900 plus 8x400 = $3200 so $7,100 in lumber less if you have the lumber milled yourself. Friend of mine, a girl, built her home herself and she has $13000 in materials. Very nice home too. My home is partially built with lumber milled from the trees on the property - floors, framing and cabinets.

I think you could save a bundle but it would require some good planning. Also, its the finishing of the home where you really can tie up some money.

 

[cowboy43]

2000 sqft custom built home in this area would be $200,000 or more.

 

[lavacarancher]

Depends a lot on where you want the house. The Austin area is probably the highest place in Texas to buy/build a home. Most of the time you can ball park it at $100/sq ft, maybe higher in Austin.

 

[CottageFarm]

Shell is the cheap part. If you're doing it all yourself, figure about $25 sf will get you a dried in shell & foundation, plumbed & wired. water & septic/sewer extra.
Finishes have too many variables but could be done for another $20 - $25 sf if you're real careful. Could do for less if you're real clever.

 

[NECowboy]

Man it's way way more up here. Guess this is including the garage and basement too (95 percent of houses here have basements) but you're looking at 150 per square foot bare minimum.

 

[Jogeephus]

It's funny what houses cost and are worth now a days. Seems like if you had some tools and a little bit if want you might do all right. What do you think?

My uncle went from reading water meters to building homes. He took some land and built his first home and stuck a For Sale sign in the front yard and began building another home next door. Before long he had filled all his land with homes he had built and went from building homes to large industrial buildings. He did very well for himself. He was a stickler for quality and my aunt had a good eye for appealing architecture so his work was in demand.

 

[Dave]

I had a new home built last year. Nothing real fancy but nice. It cost $164,000 for 1,700 square feet turn key house. That included about $7,000 in permit fees to this sorry a$$ county.

 

[Jogeephus]

I had a new home built last year. Nothing real fancy but nice. It cost $164,000 for 1,700 square feet turn key house. That included about $7,000 in permit fees to this sorry a$$ county.

Amazing isn't it!? If this was worked into a mortgage these silly fees really cost you nearly $18,000.

 

[Dave]

I had a new home built last year. Nothing real fancy but nice. It cost $164,000 for 1,700 square feet turn key house. That included about $7,000 in permit fees to this sorry a$$ county.

Amazing isn't it!? If this was worked into a mortgage these silly fees really cost you nearly $18,000.

Yep, ain't that great. But I am going to fool them. When I retire the end of March I will sell the house and move out of this county.

 

[Jogeephus]

I had a new home built last year. Nothing real fancy but nice. It cost $164,000 for 1,700 square feet turn key house. That included about $7,000 in permit fees to this sorry a$$ county.

Amazing isn't it!? If this was worked into a mortgage these silly fees really cost you nearly $18,000.

Yep, ain't that great. But I am going to fool them. When I retire the end of March I will sell the house and move out of this county.

I don't think many in the government have ever read the tale about the goose that laid the golden egg.

 

[HDRider]

Amazing isn't it!? If this was worked into a mortgage these silly fees really cost you nearly $18,000.

Yep, ain't that great. But I am going to fool them. When I retire the end of March I will sell the house and move out of this county.

I don't think many in the government have ever read the tale about the goose that laid the golden egg.

They cookin the goose.

 

[TexasBred]

Why would anyone ever want to also finance all their closing costs regardless of how large or how small they might be?? It's stupidity but I guess today's young folks who don't think much anyway might love such a thing.

 

[Jogeephus]

Why would anyone ever want to also finance all their closing costs regardless of how large or how small they might be?? It's stupidity but I guess today's young folks who don't think much anyway might love such a thing.

I would be willing to bet you that most of the young people today have $1000 dishwashers in their new home's.

As long as you can make the payments what does it matter, right? :lol2:

 

[NolanCountyAG]

Why would anyone ever want to also finance all their closing costs regardless of how large or how small they might be?? It's stupidity but I guess today's young folks who don't think much anyway might love such a thing.

Same for taxes on a new vehicle. Just roll it all together and give me the lowest monthly payment. :banana:

 

[Nesikep]

Just the bricks and sticks on a modest house? I think if you looked for some good used materials where applicable, you could build a few bedroom place for $50-100K.

The finishing work will nickle and dime you to death.. We spent $5K to remodel a 100 sq ft bathroom last year.. $5K on a stove and fridge as part of the kitchen reno this year. Drywall is cheap but looks awful if not put on right.. Windows (10 pcs, 40"x32" energy start vinyl sliders) were remarkably cheap at $2K.. Electrical and plumbing is another one that just eats cash in little bits, and both are time vampires.. never have the right fitting, etc

 

[Commercialfarmer]

I want to build a straw filler adobe in about 4 years. I figure that we'll have the wheat to make paste, straw, sand, clay and I want to mill some cedars from the place for various trims ect. If done they way I'm thinking... I'll be out fixtures, windows, doors, electrical, plumbing, frame and roof.

Go with light colored metal roof and it might be pretty much fire proof and very energy efficient. With adobe walls inside and out and floors (plan for rugs), I think it would cut a lot of inside costs and look nice, if done properly.

You all are free to start shooting holes in my plan, it'll prepare me for the upcoming debate with my wife.

I was thinking reasonably sized like this: http://www.madeen.com/images/Photos_1/s ... al-big.jpg

 

[Nesikep]

I live under a tin roof... My only comment about it is if it rains a lot, the sound better not disturb you when you want to sleep. Putting a couple layers of HEAVY tarpaper down before the tin can really help muffle the sound (something we didn't do) and be a second barrier to leaks

 

[NECowboy]

I had a new home built last year. Nothing real fancy but nice. It cost $164,000 for 1,700 square feet turn key house. That included about $7,000 in permit fees to this sorry a$$ county.

Did that include a garage or basement? You probably have cheap lumber costs up there.

 

[Dave]

I had a new home built last year. Nothing real fancy but nice. It cost $164,000 for 1,700 square feet turn key house. That included about $7,000 in permit fees to this sorry a$$ county.

Did that include a garage or basement? You probably have cheap lumber costs up there.

No garage. Certainly no basement, the county had very different requirements on the foundation because of flood concerns. Biggest flood on record was 2007 and I was high and dry but they thought I was under three feet of water.