Building a new house

[5575]

One of the best things we did was the 15 year mortgage like Bfshn said, with these interest rates. Actually went to a 10 yr a couple years ago. Now there is light at the end of the tunnel and we have less than 6 years left instead of 20.

I know you already have a builder and all but, the best thing we did was have our stick built "one piece, not a two piece modular" ranch style built up in Canada when the exchange rate was really good and moved down here to our lot and waiting full basement. Its almost like it was then right now "exchange rate", we saved 30% on our house because of it and it was built by a team of mennonites out of southern Manitoba known for quality work. Our house costed 1/2 of what it would have cost to have it built here, by far the best thing we did! We had them upgrade the insulation package and like others have said I had larger doors put on the garage insulated and sheet rocked.. Heck that 10 foot single isn't big enough for the boat when your in a hurry! ha ha

Oh and watch who you have build it and like others have said be there every day if you can! Had a coworker have a home built by a reputable bismarck builder and it was a nightmare the crap they were trying to get away with. Luckily he knew what to look for and what he was looking at and caught all the huge mistakes. They ended up doing allot of stuff over for free...

 

[hardwaterdriller]

Here was my list of must haves: triple 10 foot wide garage doors , 25 outlets in the garage with lots of lighting, laundry sink in the garage, NG heater in the garage, ICF for the basement, spray foam whole house and garage, and partial covered deck that faced east.

 

[dust in the wind]

also, how long does it normally take to build from digging basement to move in? I would do all electrical and HVAC myself.

Ours was about 2 weeks over 6 months - from what I hear, most builders say 4 to 6 months.

 

[NM 24]

5575,

How does one go about finding out more information about the "one piece, not a two piece modular" ranch style built up in Canada" option?

 

[gonefshn]

Taller than normal garage doors. Outside doors on the garage (front and back). Extra garage space for mower, atv's, tools, and other toys (a bigger garage is way better than a storage shed(s)). Outlets outside (one or more on all outside walls and more in patio or other higher use areas). Outlets under your eaves for Christmas lights tied to one or two light switches in a logical area. A nice sized pantry in your kitchen area for those Sams Club visits and other junk. A small well placed storage area on each floor for cleaning items like vacuums, brooms, and the such. A larger furnace and A/C than what you think you need. Storage, storage, and more storage areas. A nice connected smoke/carbon monoxide system throughout the house.

 

[ndbwhunter]

What's an unnecessary upgrade. There is a huge difference between cheap cabinets and good cabinets. Not so much between good and top of the line. Windows are windows that you can look through until you have to pay the heating bill and replace them in a few years. Upgrades for at least good windows is well worth the extra cost. I made the mistake of building a house where I settled for things that were less costly and never liked them. Encourage you to not make that mistake. If you are going to live there forever consider putting in what you like and can realistically afford. If you are going to live there for awhile and then resale consider what will make that house more attractive and marketable.

One more thing - hot and cold outdoor spigots.

In my opinion Kitchens are expensive but very important. Bathrooms are better with a little forethought and planning. Rooms that are closer to square, (but not square) are easier to decorate. Long and narrow rooms are not easy to define a good use unless you need an archery range. You can make bedrooms super nice but the reality is they are only used for 2 purposes when you are young and mostly 1 purpose as you reach my age and rarely are shown to guests. A family room is used a lot. If you are a member of this forum I will assume you need a room for Stuff and working on Stuff. Possibly a hobby or craft room for the bride. Neither of which needs to be expensive, just an area which can be upgraded as needed.

One upgrade I saw on a house for outdoorsman that have a dog in the house I thought was very nice was a dog room. Not big but had some cabinets and shelving for dog supplies, a doggie bed and best of all, a dog shower. All with an outside entrance. When the dog was dirty and muddy (if you have a hunting dog they will be dirty and muddy) bring him in, shower him and allow him/her to sleep in comfort until dry and nice. Great idea and except for an area of about 8X10, maybe at most $1000 of material. The dog shower was a shower base with about a 4 ft. wall and a shower head on a hose. Simple and efficient. Painted concrete floor for easy cleanup. That might be an unnecessary upgrade but a very good idea.

Most importantly, life will be much easier if you leave most of the decisions to your bride. There are only a few areas of the house that really need the opinion of a man. Make your life simpler and let her decide things that don't really matter to you.

In my opinion, an unnecessary upgrade is one that can be done at some point down the road and doesn't require a great deal of money. There certainly is a huge difference between cheap cabinets and quality cabinets, but the differences between good and excellent cabinets are much tougher to distinguish. I don't see the point in buying specialty wood cabinets stained with children's tears. I'll be content sticking within (or just above) the allowance to get something that's nice, but not outrageously priced.

We plan on putting in the best windows that we can afford. As for the "special" rooms, we'll have plenty of space to have our separate hobby rooms until the family grows by another 1-2 people. I made the garage big enough to allow for additional work space once my basement becomes overrun with children's toys. The third stall garage door was widened to 10ft.

I will also have plenty of room to build a shop later on, so I'll have all the room I need some day.

I'm mainly concerned about the "little" things that tend to be overlooked while going through the building process. Unfortunately, the wife is leaving most of the stuff up to me, and I'm fine with that. I want to have a part in the design because I have to live there too.

 

[Kurtr]

5575,

How does one go about finding out more information about the "one piece, not a two piece modular" ranch style built up in Canada" option?

Mine was not from canada but got it from steinmentz redi built homes in watertown sd. Gary builds a hell of a house and he is there during the move on and was great to work with. 2 years in and the house has been everything i expected.

 

[5575]

We went with Penner builders, they are just a couple miles across the border and bring allot of homes down to ND.
Ask for John Penner, very good folks.
http://pennerbuilders.com/1.html



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[ndbwhunter]

Thanks for all of the good ideas! We're definitely on a budget, and fully intend on sticking to that budget. We're making every upgrade we can make, but will not venture outside of the budget for stuff that really isn't necessary. Also, I hate spending money, so I'm already shopping around for appliances and fixtures to find the best deals possible. I'm hoping to get the home that I want, and still come in under budget by shopping around and not buying everything from the typical suppliers in Bismarck/Mandan.

I'm going to buy appliances this week, and will save close to $2,000 with the Memorial Day sales.

 

[NDbowman]

5575,

How does one go about finding out more information about the "one piece, not a two piece modular" ranch style built up in Canada" option?

I"d be interested in this also. oops saw that this was already answered. my bad.

 

[LBrandt]

One Piece Moveable Homes at S&B Custom Homes. Wyndmere ND. Built inside on rails, Up to 30 ft wide and 84 ft long same as stick built because it is stick built. Truss floor joist system up graded for moving. Have moved as far as Minot ND and Pierre SD. No problem. Local mover with state of art equipment. All local contractors for plumbing and electric and heating. These guys have worked together for 25 plus years and they know how to put together a great home. When you build with them you get the top of the line and because it is built inside never exposed to the weather is a big big plus. Their phone # 701 439 0045 ask for Dwayne. They also have a web site. Look them up you will not be sorry.

 

[Mr Nice]

Personally I'd put in a second staircase into the basement from the garage. It has multiple purposes including fire escape, close to the utility room for future service such as furnace, easier to get large items into the basement, the list goes on. My parents have this and they get used just as much as the stairs inside the house.

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Almost forgot, trophy room!

 

[Davey Crockett]

Garage doors and cement driveway that face south would be a must for me if I was building a new house in North Dakota.

 

[5575]

Personally I'd put in a second staircase into the basement from the garage. It has multiple purposes including fire escape, close to the utility room for future service such as furnace, easier to get large items into the basement, the list goes on. My parents have this and they get used just as much as the stairs inside the house.



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Almost forgot, trophy room!

Great looking cat and game room!

 

[Mr Nice]

Thanks! Also for a game room I would sheet the room with plywood before Sheetrock. No need to look for studs and allow for better alignment of game heads.

 

[onpoint!]

We splurged on the insulation (sprayed throughout) and windows/doors (lots of glass and wood). Wish we could've done steel roof. Really wish I didn't have to decide between selling my children to afford cement - have gravel drive/driveway, but we're in the country so it works. Agree with others: run wires for theater/speakers/cable, add outlets for wall units and outdoor decorations, put lights in closets (all), brace larger room fixtures for fans, composite decks are cool, hot/cold in garages helps with muddy dogs, kennel space in garage with outdoor kennel works well.

 

[Traxion]

I have been in the business for the past 15 years. First, don't go way bigger than you need. Yes, space is nice, but no matter what someone says about "cheap square footage", there is no such thing. Even with garages, be reasonable. Costs add up quickly. Set a budget and work towards it. Do not push the limit. As others have said, a 15 yr. mortgage would be ideal.

My perfect house would include SIP panels, spray foam insulation on the rim joist, basement walls, and roof/to wall intersections. No need to do SIPS roof or ICF's. Just not worth it in my experience.

That said, adequate electrical is a must have. Don't skimp. If possible, do LED's where you can. Ample garage lighting is needed for sure. A couple extra outdoor receptacles is worth the money.

For plumbing, definitely set up for a sprinkler system. Even if you don't know if you will use it. Also, have them prep for a water softener. Much easier now than later.

As for finishes, some of the "easy to upgrade" finishes are not all that easy to do. Cabinets and countertops are a usual item in this category. My advice is to go middle of the road with something you'll be happy with for 20 years. As much as you think you may upgrade, believe me you probably won't. Yes, there are cheap cabinets out there. But the nice cabinets are junk for the most part too. Don't get overzealous in one area of finishes thinking you are making a huge upgrade. Finishes are just that, finishes. You pay a lot for not a lot more.

Spend money on insulation, spray foam or blown in batts. Additionally, spend money on quality windows. I am fine with vinyl windows if you go high quality. I would rather use Integrity or Andersen 100's for a touch more money than vinyls.

As far as exterior finishes, I am not a fan of vinyl or steel siding. I know it is a big thing in your area. I had a customer come down and we built a house for him using Smartside. He was flat out amazed at how well sealed up things were compared to his old house. I have done a ton of siding with vinyl and steel and know it works. But, it does not seal up or look anywhere close to a nicely done house with Smartside or Hardiplank. And, while not hail proof, it stands up way better than steel or vinyl with less fading and issues if you have to replace.

Spend time looking at the little details. Think about where you want downspouts, where you want the doorbell, just little things like that. Those are the painful things that either the contractor or homeowner assumes and causes tension at the end of the job. Being proactive and spending a bit of time at the jobsite without being overbearing can solve a lot of issues before they become huge problems.

Remember, successful construction projects are the result of reasonable, well understood expectations from both the builder and buyer. Maker sure you understand what you are paying for and what is being priced out.

Finally, enjoy the process. You don't get to do it too many times1

 

[Retired Educator]

So many good ideas. One I can't argue with but don't necessarily agree with is not to use vinyl siding. My experience with vinyl siding is that there are different grades of vinyl siding. Some is heavier gauge than others. One hard and fast rule is never mow close enough to the house so that stones can fly from the mower to the house. You will have holes if you don't pay attention to that rule. On the plus side, if a piece of siding does get damaged it is easily replaced. Just keep a few pieces from a box that was opened but not totally used. Without a doubt steel is better than vinyl. However, for the price vinyl is easily replaced 10 years down the road with either vinyl or steel.

Earlier I had forgotten wider garage doors. Yes, Yes, Yes. Very little difference in cost and so much better. For garage doors I have recently seen wall mounted openers that turn the torsion bar instead of pulling on the top of door. More money but that are super smooth operating with no extra stress on the door.

Heated garages are great and my experience suggests that a fan heater has some advantages over floor heat. Floor heat is extremely nice but garages that have air movement tend to dry more efficiently. Even better is a heater that moves warm air over the floor as opposed from the ceiling down.

15 year mortgages are great in that you own your house in 15 years instead of 30. The plus side of a 30 year mortgage is that you are allowed to pay it off early. In the case where you might end up needing some flexibility in the monthly payment, 30 years allows that. A really good idea is paying more on the principal every month that you have some extra cash (if there is such a thing for a young couple starting a family.) Earlier someone mentioned that the beginning of a mortgage payment is very interest heavy at the front. Absolutely true but even paying an extra $100/month towards the principal on a 30 year note can greatly reduce the time to pay off the loan.

Have fun with your house and if possibly, do it right the first time. Most importantly for things you can't afford now make sure you have a plan to simplify adding things you want in the future.

 

[Allen]

Garage door openers that are wall mounted are sure nice when you are standing in the back of your pickup. My last house had I-Drive garage door openers, they are a little bit more than standard chain/belt drives, but about the same as the high end chain and belt drives. One thing about them is they can be a little tricky to setup and adjust for the détente in the locking mechanism (the motor flips down to prevent someone from simply lifting the door open). Note, I would do them again, but it is better to have the electrical outlet on the wall or ceiling right above the garage door than it is to have it in the middle of the garage which is the more customary location. I had an unfinished garage and was able to easily add another above the door.

Note, the I-drive is also a HELL of a lot quieter than a chain or belt drive.

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Also, the I-drive motors and gear box should be taken apart and greased every now and then. I didn't, and had to replace them a lot sooner than expected. The screw gear just wears out faster than a chain/belt. Especially when they get hot and the grease disappears.

 

[Fish whisperer]

If you're using well water and a waterer softener make sure your spigots on the house are plumbed separately off the pressure tank. I just learned this the hard way. Built less than 2 years ago and seeded my yard a week ago and realized that my spigots were plumbed off the water softener. Soft water is hard on your lawn so I have to use the bypass on the water softener when I'm watering. This also means that we don't have soft water in the house while I run the sprinklers. Definitely a pain but not too surprised...the plumber was a bit of a lazy dumb a**.

Have a garage door button by the walk in door into the house and the one that goes outside.

utility sink in the garage is something I would also do...I didn't since I wasn't sure how warm I was gonna keep the garage but our mechanical room(in the basement) is next to the garage so it'll be any easy addition at some point.

heated garage with floor drain is really nice.

we went with 9' x 18' overhead door...a definite must have in my book. Garage is 28' wide and 30' deep with 11' side walls.

I used to side houses for a living and I went with vinyl siding. Saw too many houses with faded/peeling steel siding that I was never impressed with it. Just buy better quality vinyl and you should be happy. Plus it's way easier to replace one piece of vinyl than it is on steel.

We did laminate on the main floor living room, foyer, kitchen and hallway to bedrooms....wish we would've done carpet in the hallway, noise carries into the bedrooms with the laminate.

make sure you watch your overages and credits closely. Our contractor was pretty good but definitely made sure every overage was added on but seemed to "forget" about some of the credits.