Don White wrote:
"John H" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 30 Dec 2008 13:29:54 -0400, "Don White"
wrote:

"Vic Smith" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 29 Dec 2008 20:34:39 -0500, Boater
wrote:

Gene wrote:
On Mon, 29 Dec 2008 12:03:49 -0500, "Reginald P. Smithers III, Esq."
wrote:

We are thinking about using this downturn in the housing market to
build
a new home, and acting as our own General Contractor. Has anyone in
the
group done this and do they have any words of advice?
Yes, with three houses and two workshops. Not only was I General
Contractor, I was also 50% of the labor.

Your only real savings, in this market, will be sweat equity. You can
buy cheaper than you can build.... you just have to find an equally
desperate mortgagee and mortgagor.... or you could do it the seat
equity route, if you have the cash, tools, and a desire to make it
happen.

No bank is going to let *you* (as their mortgagor) serve as General
Contractor unless you hold a contractor's license.

Advice? You're crazy to even attempt it...... uh, but wasn't I
thinking about adding on to the workshop.....

.... Oh, never mind......

It's an incredible burner of time. I had to do it because the general I
hired to build a custom home in Northern Virginia turned out to be way
overextended financially from previous projects, and could not line up
the subs I wanted, and was teetering.

I can imagine the waste of time. I had the misfortune to have my
house torched once - if it wasn't for a neighbor coming home at 2 AM
and raising the alarm we might have been killed.
Anyway, I hired a private adjuster, and you wouldn't believe the ****
I went through with him and his crews.
Had to show his "carpenter" how to cut stringers.
Came home from work one day and his "plaster guys" had done the
kitchen with 1/2" drywall, no shims, to replace the nearly full inch
of plaster and lath. There was almost a half inch gap between the
door and window casings and the drywall.
Had it all torn out by the next day I got home from work, but there
was always some BS waiting for me.
I'd leave work saying, "Let's see what they ****ed up today."
Anyway, I finally got everything done about 85% right, but I never
yelled so much and got in so many faces in such a short period of
time. Actually, I went easy on the crews, they were what they were,
but laid into the adjuster, who's really a GC, a lot.
What was good is the adjuster did keep us in the house because he was
real good at getting the essentials quickly restored.
That was important to me as I had the wife and 4 little kids to think
about, and work, so there was no way I even had time to be my own
general.
Win some, lose some.

--Vic
In 1976 when I was a lot younger and more energetic, I built a cedar cape
Cod style house myself.
This was the norm up this way at that time. In fact, there was a
Provincial
Govt program where those with minimal savings for a downpayment could use
sweat equity in order to get a $23K mortgage to build.
Of course I couldn't build my house for that amount...the program was
geared
to small bungalows on modest serviced lots.
I had to find a 2nd mortgage for another $9K. Thought I was in debt up to
my eyeballs way back then..... but the house was beautiful.on a 2/3 acre
lot
with well & septic system way out in the country (about 20 miles from city
center) To add to my financial burden, I traded in my 5 yr old Volkswagen
Beatle for a $5K Dodge Aspen S/W.
It all started in march of 1975 when I took over a share in a co-op
program
when a member was transfered to the states by his company.
Wife and I cleared the lot of trees & brush while snow was still on the
ground so we could burn off as much as possible in big bonfires.
I hired a company to dig the foundation hole and another to put up the
concrete foundation. Got my brother and a few buddies to help out putting
the 1st floor on...then the wife and I would build the walls and ask
relatives to show up to help erect same.
The big 4' x 12" x 16' douglas fir beams were tricky to put up (post &
beam
construction). Once, my brother & law and I fell off the ladders dropping
the beam and narrowly missing me on the floor.
I did hire a friend of my wifes' family to help finish off the double
course
cedar shingles on the exterior walls, and another guy to lay the asphalt
shingles on the roof.
(turned out the roofing guy was married to a cousin of mine).
Once inside, an old friend who was a licensed electrician got the permit
but
a friend of my brothers (apprentice electrician) did the work.
Next we got other neighbourhood friends to do the plumbing while home for
Christmas vacation from Alberta.
Lastly the in-laws gyprocked the entire house no charge. I just supplied
the materials.
Finally got in in February 1976.
A few years later I added an attached 1.5 story garage all by myself.
Now when I have a project, I hire a guy from my wifes' former company to
do
most of the work while I act as assistant. (re addition for mon in 2002,
replacement of all the old windows with vinyl, tearing down of old garage
&
building of 2 new sheds, decking & fence additions etc)


A 1ft by 4ft by 16ft beam is a hefty beam all right.

--
** Good Day! **

John H

Lord help us! I hope you don't ever plan to build your own house.
When I put a " after a number...that means INCHES
when I put a ' after a number...that meens FEET
so...4"x12" x 16' means a four inch thick by 12 inches wide beam 16 feet
long.




Herring claimed to be a "combat engineer." Doubtful.