swoosh's "ghar" build thread...documentation and guidelines - pic heavy
08-07-2012, 02:33 PM
#1
takin care of Business in
Thread Starter
iTrader: (5)
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Kansas City, MO
Age: 40
Posts: 30,994
Received 4,732 Likes
on
4,064 Posts
swoosh's "ghar" build thread...documentation and guidelines - pic heavy
my wife and I are first time home buyers and I wanted to make a thread to list of the the obvious things which we missed out and things which we didnt....Hope this thread will come in handy to first time buyers 
We decided to build instead of buy....here are the steps we went through and various things/research that we did....
First things first....How much home can you afford....
We found multiple calculators online and various calculators told us various things....we basically went by this:
How much savings do you have? (say 100K)
How much can you downpay? (say 80K out of that 100K saved)
You got a steady income? if yes then go with 400-450K house....if no them play it safe and go with 250-300K house....
Remember for every 100K you borrow you will have a mortgage payment of ~$600....if you include ESCROW (will explain later) you will have ~$850....so if you borrow 400K, you looking at a monthly payment of ~2400
Another way of finding out how much you can afford is (imagine you just started saving but still want to buy a house since the interest rates are so damn low)....so how much is your annual income (with taxes) also include the income if your spouse is working? (say 100K)....then you should be fine with a 250-300K house if you are going conservative and 350-400K if you are going aggressive....I would not suggest borrowing more than that.....
House
Now that you know how much you can afford its time its time to see how much of a house can you handle....
This basically depends on how many kids you have, if your parents are gonna live with you, do you have guest who frequent your house....
Wifey and I decided to go with a 5bed 5bath house....we plan on having 2 kids and I would want my parents to live with me down the line....so 4 beds there and 1 for the guests....
I rather work on the car than the yard, hence we decided to go with a medium lot size....I did not want anything bigger than 150000 sq ft and lucky enough the lot we picked is right at 14,2xx sq ft....
I would have loved a 4 car garage but ended up going with a 3 car garage....
Orientation
So what side would you like your house to face...?
A lot of people get the house facing east so you dont have to deal with the evening sun hitting the garage....
Since we went with a corner lot, I always wanted a side entry garage and hence the garage is facing east and the house faces north....best of both worlds? i would like to think so....
LOOK FOR IT
Now that you know what you are looking for, its time to look for it....drive through neighborhoods, see what you like, pick out couple neighborhoods....drive through them at 8-ish in the morning (just to see how the traffic is in/around the neighborhood....you dont wanna get frustrated when you leave for work
)....see how the crowd it at 6PM....if the people are out there socializing or just chilling at home....see the demographic (how young/old) the people are.....
remember all this does matter....
PICK and CHOOSE
Now that you know what you are looking for...time to pick a builder....remember picking the builder is going to be important....dont be tooo adamant on the floor plan....remember you are building and you can customize....
so pick a builder on their reputation....meet up with them, see how they come across.....at this point they gonna be as sweet as they can be....talk about the floor plan you like....ask them for a quote....just general stuff....
just an example from our experience:
Builder A: House was $200K for 2500sq ft (assuming)....but adding hardwood floors and granite counter tops was an extra 15K....
Builder B: House was $210K for 2450sq ft (assuming)....but it comes with hardwood and granite counter tops....
we went with builder B....
Now the builder we went thro had couple different floor plans....and had threshold levels:
Level 1:2000-2500 sq ft....comes with few standard features...cost is $90/sq ft
Level 2: 2500-2750 sq ft....comes with Level1 features + more....cost is 93/sq ft
Level 3: 2750-3100 sq ft....comes with level2 features + most....cost is 97/sq ft
Level 4: 3100+ sq ft....comes with level3 features + more....cost is 103/sq ft....
we picked a level 3 home with a similar plan that we liked....also made sure the sq ft is close to 3100....then made some additions to make it a level 4 and the builder had to give us the level 4 features....doing this we saved ~15K....
so just compare what you have and then make a decision....
remember NOTHING is PROMISED unless you have it in WRITING....these guys take the contract seriously and we have already been hit by "but its not in the contract" and thats when I send them the emails i had exchanged with the builder and they had to offer what they had promised.....
anyway those were the guidelines....now for my documentation:
06/11/12 - Signed a "promise to buy contract"
06/21/12 - Signed the contract
we made some more modifications after than....they finally got the city approval and staked the house
07/30/12 - They started digging
and within a week they have put the foundation walls in
08/06/12 -Concrete walls are cured and they removed the metal bracing....
Here are some pix.... (Matt McCollins) had a great idea of taking couple pix from the same angel everyday to see the progress and thats what we did....thanks brother....
So here is the picture story:
Day 0 - as the land sits
Day 1 - Digging Begins - 07/30/12
Day 2 - Digging Ends - 08/01/12
Day 3 - Design of the walls....Got a little late at work and hence went there went it was a little darker out there - 08/02/12
Day 4 - Poke - 08/03/12
Day 5 - Contruction of ze Maze - 08/04/12
Day 6 - Let it cure....there we not any changes as they let the concrete cure - 08/05/12
Day 6 - Making a wall - 08/06/12
I will keep updating this thread
Special thanks to:
God - for errthing
Wifey - for errthing + pix
Family - for errthing + support
Friends - for errthing + ideas
Mistakes which I think I made and am gonna rectify with the builder:
Getting an extra patio poured in by the builder - tooo damn expensive
Getting the irrigation system installed by the builder - too damn expensive
I have gotten quotes from different contractors and they are wayy cheaper and do comparable work (got references of contractors from friends in the neighborhood).....
We decided to build instead of buy....here are the steps we went through and various things/research that we did....
First things first....How much home can you afford....
We found multiple calculators online and various calculators told us various things....we basically went by this:
How much savings do you have? (say 100K)
How much can you downpay? (say 80K out of that 100K saved)
You got a steady income? if yes then go with 400-450K house....if no them play it safe and go with 250-300K house....
Remember for every 100K you borrow you will have a mortgage payment of ~$600....if you include ESCROW (will explain later) you will have ~$850....so if you borrow 400K, you looking at a monthly payment of ~2400
Another way of finding out how much you can afford is (imagine you just started saving but still want to buy a house since the interest rates are so damn low)....so how much is your annual income (with taxes) also include the income if your spouse is working? (say 100K)....then you should be fine with a 250-300K house if you are going conservative and 350-400K if you are going aggressive....I would not suggest borrowing more than that.....
House
Now that you know how much you can afford its time its time to see how much of a house can you handle....
This basically depends on how many kids you have, if your parents are gonna live with you, do you have guest who frequent your house....
Wifey and I decided to go with a 5bed 5bath house....we plan on having 2 kids and I would want my parents to live with me down the line....so 4 beds there and 1 for the guests....
I rather work on the car than the yard, hence we decided to go with a medium lot size....I did not want anything bigger than 150000 sq ft and lucky enough the lot we picked is right at 14,2xx sq ft....
I would have loved a 4 car garage but ended up going with a 3 car garage....
Orientation
So what side would you like your house to face...?
A lot of people get the house facing east so you dont have to deal with the evening sun hitting the garage....
Since we went with a corner lot, I always wanted a side entry garage and hence the garage is facing east and the house faces north....best of both worlds? i would like to think so....
LOOK FOR IT
Now that you know what you are looking for, its time to look for it....drive through neighborhoods, see what you like, pick out couple neighborhoods....drive through them at 8-ish in the morning (just to see how the traffic is in/around the neighborhood....you dont wanna get frustrated when you leave for work
)....see how the crowd it at 6PM....if the people are out there socializing or just chilling at home....see the demographic (how young/old) the people are.....remember all this does matter....
PICK and CHOOSE
Now that you know what you are looking for...time to pick a builder....remember picking the builder is going to be important....dont be tooo adamant on the floor plan....remember you are building and you can customize....
so pick a builder on their reputation....meet up with them, see how they come across.....at this point they gonna be as sweet as they can be....talk about the floor plan you like....ask them for a quote....just general stuff....
just an example from our experience:
Builder A: House was $200K for 2500sq ft (assuming)....but adding hardwood floors and granite counter tops was an extra 15K....
Builder B: House was $210K for 2450sq ft (assuming)....but it comes with hardwood and granite counter tops....
we went with builder B....
Now the builder we went thro had couple different floor plans....and had threshold levels:
Level 1:2000-2500 sq ft....comes with few standard features...cost is $90/sq ft
Level 2: 2500-2750 sq ft....comes with Level1 features + more....cost is 93/sq ft
Level 3: 2750-3100 sq ft....comes with level2 features + most....cost is 97/sq ft
Level 4: 3100+ sq ft....comes with level3 features + more....cost is 103/sq ft....
we picked a level 3 home with a similar plan that we liked....also made sure the sq ft is close to 3100....then made some additions to make it a level 4 and the builder had to give us the level 4 features....doing this we saved ~15K....
so just compare what you have and then make a decision....
remember NOTHING is PROMISED unless you have it in WRITING....these guys take the contract seriously and we have already been hit by "but its not in the contract" and thats when I send them the emails i had exchanged with the builder and they had to offer what they had promised.....
anyway those were the guidelines....now for my documentation:
06/11/12 - Signed a "promise to buy contract"
06/21/12 - Signed the contract
we made some more modifications after than....they finally got the city approval and staked the house
07/30/12 - They started digging
and within a week they have put the foundation walls in
08/06/12 -Concrete walls are cured and they removed the metal bracing....
Here are some pix.... (Matt McCollins) had a great idea of taking couple pix from the same angel everyday to see the progress and thats what we did....thanks brother....
So here is the picture story:
Day 0 - as the land sits
Day 1 - Digging Begins - 07/30/12
Day 2 - Digging Ends - 08/01/12
Day 3 - Design of the walls....Got a little late at work and hence went there went it was a little darker out there - 08/02/12
Day 4 - Poke - 08/03/12
Day 5 - Contruction of ze Maze - 08/04/12
Day 6 - Let it cure....there we not any changes as they let the concrete cure - 08/05/12
Day 6 - Making a wall - 08/06/12
I will keep updating this thread
Special thanks to:
God - for errthing
Wifey - for errthing + pix
Family - for errthing + support
Friends - for errthing + ideas
Mistakes which I think I made and am gonna rectify with the builder:
Getting an extra patio poured in by the builder - tooo damn expensive
Getting the irrigation system installed by the builder - too damn expensive
I have gotten quotes from different contractors and they are wayy cheaper and do comparable work (got references of contractors from friends in the neighborhood).....
08-10-2012, 08:37 AM
#2
Chapter Leader (Houston)
iTrader: (7)
Very nice swoosh. My first build is about to start in a few weeks. You might also want to find out from the builder how making adjustments after the house is built will affect your warranty status. In my case, I am having the builder include a front and rear patio and that structure will be different from a base home since the roofing is going to cover those additional areas. That makes it better to go with the original builder. Also like you said, get everything in writing! Good luck with the build
The following 3 users liked this post by TLDude876:
The following users liked this post:
swoosh (08-10-2012)
08-10-2012, 09:01 AM
#4
takin care of Business in
Thread Starter
iTrader: (5)
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Kansas City, MO
Age: 40
Posts: 30,994
Received 4,732 Likes
on
4,064 Posts
Very nice swoosh. My first build is about to start in a few weeks. You might also want to find out from the builder how making adjustments after the house is built will affect your warranty status. In my case, I am having the builder include a front and rear patio and that structure will be different from a base home since the roofing is going to cover those additional areas. That makes it better to go with the original builder. Also like you said, get everything in writing! Good luck with the build
I will definitely ask him about that....the house does come with a covered patio. If we wanted a covered deck instead of the patio, the builder was asking for $20K and i was like "yeah right....i rather get my basement finished for that cash"....
the minute we jumped into Level 4 we got a ton of granite/tiles/hardwood flooring/dual HVAC upgrades....you do look into them (not many builders have that option but if your builder does, you can be saving some $$$)
Thanks mate...I have some more pix which I will upload in a few
The following users liked this post:
swoosh (08-10-2012)
08-10-2012, 09:31 AM
#6
takin care of Business in
Thread Starter
iTrader: (5)
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Kansas City, MO
Age: 40
Posts: 30,994
Received 4,732 Likes
on
4,064 Posts
Thank you sir....it is.....just a week back there was nothing there....LOL
08-10-2012, 11:56 AM
#7
Awesome... be sure to keep us updated. Things will move at different paces. Framing will seem like it happened overnight, then things slow a bit when they move inside.
But keep pics of the progress coming. I love following along with builds. We built two houses before and did a large upgrade in our current home... so we love construction .
Oh and congrats!!
But keep pics of the progress coming. I love following along with builds. We built two houses before and did a large upgrade in our current home... so we love construction
.Oh and congrats!!
The following 2 users liked this post by juniorbean:
Acura_Dude (08-10-2012),
swoosh (08-10-2012)
Trending Topics
08-10-2012, 12:30 PM
#8
Chapter Leader (Houston)
iTrader: (7)
I bet you must be as excited as I am Dennis....
I will definitely ask him about that....the house does come with a covered patio. If we wanted a covered deck instead of the patio, the builder was asking for $20K and i was like "yeah right....i rather get my basement finished for that cash"....
the minute we jumped into Level 4 we got a ton of granite/tiles/hardwood flooring/dual HVAC upgrades....you do look into them (not many builders have that option but if your builder does, you can be saving some $$$)
Thanks mate...
I have some more pix which I will upload in a few
I will definitely ask him about that....the house does come with a covered patio. If we wanted a covered deck instead of the patio, the builder was asking for $20K and i was like "yeah right....i rather get my basement finished for that cash"....
the minute we jumped into Level 4 we got a ton of granite/tiles/hardwood flooring/dual HVAC upgrades....you do look into them (not many builders have that option but if your builder does, you can be saving some $$$)
Thanks mate...I have some more pix which I will upload in a few
Edit: I get to go to the design center after work today to pick out my color brick, cupboards and all that fun stuff
08-10-2012, 12:58 PM
#9
takin care of Business in
Thread Starter
iTrader: (5)
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Kansas City, MO
Age: 40
Posts: 30,994
Received 4,732 Likes
on
4,064 Posts
Awesome... be sure to keep us updated. Things will move at different paces. Framing will seem like it happened overnight, then things slow a bit when they move inside.
But keep pics of the progress coming. I love following along with builds. We built two houses before and did a large upgrade in our current home... so we love construction .
Oh and congrats!!
But keep pics of the progress coming. I love following along with builds. We built two houses before and did a large upgrade in our current home... so we love construction
.Oh and congrats!!
nice...we actually added over 200sq ft to this house LOL....80 in he bottom and 120 on the upper level....
Yea I'm getting granite, upgraded cupboards, super shower and few other things from the builder. The only thing I plan to do afterwards is tiling in wet areas as it is not worth it to go through the builder. When are you guys moving in?
Edit: I get to go to the design center after work today to pick out my color brick, cupboards and all that fun stuff
Edit: I get to go to the design center after work today to pick out my color brick, cupboards and all that fun stuff
closing date on the contract is 6th December....so am guessing around that date....
yeah we picked out brick style color/exterior color/interior color/hardwood color/color of my balls the other day....it is a fun experience
they have soooo many options....i almost told the wifey to go by herself LOL
08-10-2012, 01:19 PM
#10
Race Director
iTrader: (3)
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: South Florida
Age: 30
Posts: 18,278
Received 3,824 Likes
on
2,847 Posts
Awesome man, it'll be cool to see it progress day by day.
The following users liked this post:
swoosh (08-10-2012)
08-10-2012, 01:25 PM
#11
takin care of Business in
Thread Starter
iTrader: (5)
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Kansas City, MO
Age: 40
Posts: 30,994
Received 4,732 Likes
on
4,064 Posts
Thank you Austin....yeah am very excited...for the garage mostly, house is a by product
The following users liked this post:
Undying Dreams (08-11-2012)
08-10-2012, 02:24 PM
#12
Chapter Leader (Houston)
iTrader: (7)
Thank you....
nice...we actually added over 200sq ft to this house LOL....80 in he bottom and 120 on the upper level....
dude i would def get tiles in all the baths....we got tiles in all the baths and we are happy with that....
closing date on the contract is 6th December....so am guessing around that date....
yeah we picked out brick style color/exterior color/interior color/hardwood color/color of my balls the other day....it is a fun experience they have soooo many options....i almost told the wifey to go by herself LOL
nice...we actually added over 200sq ft to this house LOL....80 in he bottom and 120 on the upper level....
dude i would def get tiles in all the baths....we got tiles in all the baths and we are happy with that....
closing date on the contract is 6th December....so am guessing around that date....
yeah we picked out brick style color/exterior color/interior color/hardwood color/color of my balls the other day....it is a fun experience
they have soooo many options....i almost told the wifey to go by herself LOL
The baths have tiles, just not the flooring which I'll definitely do after. I am closing on the 15th if all goes well. I guess I should start a thread as well 
The following users liked this post:
swoosh (08-10-2012)
08-10-2012, 02:40 PM
#15
takin care of Business in
Thread Starter
iTrader: (5)
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Kansas City, MO
Age: 40
Posts: 30,994
Received 4,732 Likes
on
4,064 Posts
you wanna know something ironic?
the contract date is: 06/21/2012 - 4 digits 1/6/0/2
the closing date is: 06/12/2012 - 4 digits 1/6/0/2
home address including zip code have the same 4 digits
btw what 15th are you closing on? and i would just get it done now (tiles)....they will have you pick out the tiles and get you with the mosiac and all those fancy pieces....
unfortunately the wifey doesnt agree to this LOL....she gives me "that" stare whenever i say it like that haha....
08-10-2012, 02:41 PM
#16
takin care of Business in
Thread Starter
iTrader: (5)
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Kansas City, MO
Age: 40
Posts: 30,994
Received 4,732 Likes
on
4,064 Posts
Thanks Jeremy....
08-10-2012, 04:11 PM
#17
Chapter Leader (Houston)
iTrader: (7)
you wanna know something ironic?
the contract date is: 06/21/2012 - 4 digits 1/6/0/2
the closing date is: 06/12/2012 - 4 digits 1/6/0/2
home address including zip code have the same 4 digits
btw what 15th are you closing on? and i would just get it done now (tiles)....they will have you pick out the tiles and get you with the mosiac and all those fancy pieces....
unfortunately the wifey doesnt agree to this LOL....she gives me "that" stare whenever i say it like that haha....
08-10-2012, 04:25 PM
#18
David_Dude
Congrats on building your home swoosh! Thanks for sharing this with us and it'll definitely help me out in a few years if everything goes right.
Can't wait to check back here regularly.
Love build threads. So much win in this thread.
The following users liked this post:
swoosh (08-12-2012)
The following users liked this post:
swoosh (08-12-2012)
08-10-2012, 05:26 PM
#20
AZ Community Team
Join Date: May 2007
Location: N35°03'16.75", W 080°51'0.9"
Posts: 32,488
Received 7,770 Likes
on
4,341 Posts
My advice is that the side of the house that you want to have the best light, should face SE/SSE. You get great light morning and afternoon, without it being too direct.
Also good in Summer and Winter as the seasons change.
Our front faces SSE (~165*) and we get awesome natural light through out the house all day long.
The following users liked this post:
swoosh (08-12-2012)
The following users liked this post:
swoosh (08-12-2012)
The following users liked this post:
swoosh (08-12-2012)
08-12-2012, 01:09 AM
#23
takin care of Business in
Thread Starter
iTrader: (5)
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Kansas City, MO
Age: 40
Posts: 30,994
Received 4,732 Likes
on
4,064 Posts
I hope you will be on your way to your house in a few years
and thank you for the kind words
Thanks you sir....
I disagree with this somewhat - although in the end personal preference plays a role.
My advice is that the side of the house that you want to have the best light, should face SE/SSE. You get great light morning and afternoon, without it being too direct.
Also good in Summer and Winter as the seasons change.
Our front faces SSE (~165*) and we get awesome natural light through out the house all day long.
My advice is that the side of the house that you want to have the best light, should face SE/SSE. You get great light morning and afternoon, without it being too direct.
Also good in Summer and Winter as the seasons change.
Our front faces SSE (~165*) and we get awesome natural light through out the house all day long.
I am Indian and they say your house should face/see either North or East or North East....but not in the west/south directions...hence our choice was pretty limited...
thank you mang....i will be posting some pix tomorrow....
08-12-2012, 02:08 AM
#24
takin care of Business in
Thread Starter
iTrader: (5)
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Kansas City, MO
Age: 40
Posts: 30,994
Received 4,732 Likes
on
4,064 Posts
wasnt sleepy so uploaded some pix LOL
Day8: 08/08/12
Day 9: 08/10/12
Day 10: 08/11/12
Day8: 08/08/12
Day 9: 08/10/12
Day 10: 08/11/12
The following users liked this post:
juniorbean (08-13-2012)
08-13-2012, 10:27 AM
#26
takin care of Business in
Thread Starter
iTrader: (5)
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Kansas City, MO
Age: 40
Posts: 30,994
Received 4,732 Likes
on
4,064 Posts
NO more parking the car in the snow this year
they are moving at a steady pace right now so that the concrete can dry pretty well before they move to the next stage....
I will be taking 3-4 cases of water for the workers today....those guys have been working in the heat....the builder does provide water but more water and little beer cant hurt right
they are moving at a steady pace right now so that the concrete can dry pretty well before they move to the next stage....
I will be taking 3-4 cases of water for the workers today....those guys have been working in the heat....the builder does provide water but more water and little beer cant hurt right
08-13-2012, 11:23 AM
#28
takin care of Business in
Thread Starter
iTrader: (5)
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Kansas City, MO
Age: 40
Posts: 30,994
Received 4,732 Likes
on
4,064 Posts
^^^ hahaha well am not hoping for anything in return....but it would be nice if they treated it as if they were building their own home
I was out there one afternoon when it was 100+ weather and saw them working on the roof and my heart melted....thats when I thought imma do my part and bring them some water....today its 65deg out here, so I bet they rather have some HOT coffee than beer....
and its like watching a kid grow ya know....just 2 weeks back there was nothing on the ground....it was like a barren land....now if only kids grew in 6 months including graduating from college and getting settled, I could buy my ferrari a little sooner :wink:
I was out there one afternoon when it was 100+ weather and saw them working on the roof and my heart melted....thats when I thought imma do my part and bring them some water....today its 65deg out here, so I bet they rather have some HOT coffee than beer....
and its like watching a kid grow ya know....just 2 weeks back there was nothing on the ground....it was like a barren land....now if only kids grew in 6 months including graduating from college and getting settled, I could buy my ferrari a little sooner :wink:
The following users liked this post:
swoosh (08-13-2012)
08-13-2012, 02:23 PM
#30
takin care of Business in
Thread Starter
iTrader: (5)
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Kansas City, MO
Age: 40
Posts: 30,994
Received 4,732 Likes
on
4,064 Posts
Thank you Ravin....I will be snapping some more pix and posting it on later tonight or tomorrow morning
I would like to Thank all of you for the wishes and the positive energy you bring in here....I really appreciate it....The friends/relations made on Azine are really worth holding onto for a lifetime....Thanks I 
you all (no homo)
I would like to Thank all of you for the wishes and the positive energy you bring in here....I really appreciate it....The friends/relations made on Azine are really worth holding onto for a lifetime....Thanks
I you all (no homo)
The following users liked this post:
Acura_Dude (08-13-2012)
08-13-2012, 02:39 PM
#31
relationships! relations is stuff we don't share, I don't think!
I agree, Anil...about the friendships here as well as the watching your kid be born. TOTALLY awesome...I have watched Holmes on Holmes enough to know kinda what to look for and the foundation is looking SHARP! All the drains etc...it really blows my mind...
you going to do any extra stuff? Like, hardwire internet throughout the house, or do a centalized vaccum system?!?! probably won't cost you much up front but would look AWESOME!
Also, having dealt a LOT with insulation and homes etc...i would HIGHLY recommend you look into how much more it would cost to have that blue dense foam shot into the bottom of the roof?!? Helps with some structural integrity, but mainly it keeps the attic only 5 to 10 degrees warmer than the rest of the house...and keeps the ac bill down in the summer and heat down in the winter. Amazing stuff and can ONLY really put put in well during initial new construction...
J.
I agree, Anil...about the friendships here as well as the watching your kid be born. TOTALLY awesome...I have watched Holmes on Holmes enough to know kinda what to look for and the foundation is looking SHARP! All the drains etc...it really blows my mind...
you going to do any extra stuff? Like, hardwire internet throughout the house, or do a centalized vaccum system?!?! probably won't cost you much up front but would look AWESOME!
Also, having dealt a LOT with insulation and homes etc...i would HIGHLY recommend you look into how much more it would cost to have that blue dense foam shot into the bottom of the roof?!? Helps with some structural integrity, but mainly it keeps the attic only 5 to 10 degrees warmer than the rest of the house...and keeps the ac bill down in the summer and heat down in the winter. Amazing stuff and can ONLY really put put in well during initial new construction...
J.
08-13-2012, 02:40 PM
#32
Being a former construction worker that worked every day in the heat and cold, anything you bring them will completely make their day...I can remember days like that fondly. Ice cream in the summer or something like brownies in the winter are the best. Plus it "forces" the boss to give them a few minutes of break time even if he didn't want to so he doesn't look like a prick in front of you 
So good job at being thoughtful, they'll return the favor. Maybe I cared more than others, but the look on the owner's face when they're walking through the house while we were working is priceless.
Congrats on the house...will be following the thread
So good job at being thoughtful, they'll return the favor. Maybe I cared more than others, but the look on the owner's face when they're walking through the house while we were working is priceless.
Congrats on the house...will be following the thread
08-13-2012, 03:35 PM
#33
takin care of Business in
Thread Starter
iTrader: (5)
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Kansas City, MO
Age: 40
Posts: 30,994
Received 4,732 Likes
on
4,064 Posts
relationships! relations is stuff we don't share, I don't think!
I agree, Anil...about the friendships here as well as the watching your kid be born. TOTALLY awesome...I have watched Holmes on Holmes enough to know kinda what to look for and the foundation is looking SHARP! All the drains etc...it really blows my mind...
you going to do any extra stuff? Like, hardwire internet throughout the house, or do a centalized vaccum system?!?! probably won't cost you much up front but would look AWESOME!
Also, having dealt a LOT with insulation and homes etc...i would HIGHLY recommend you look into how much more it would cost to have that blue dense foam shot into the bottom of the roof?!? Helps with some structural integrity, but mainly it keeps the attic only 5 to 10 degrees warmer than the rest of the house...and keeps the ac bill down in the summer and heat down in the winter. Amazing stuff and can ONLY really put put in well during initial new construction...
J.
I agree, Anil...about the friendships here as well as the watching your kid be born. TOTALLY awesome...I have watched Holmes on Holmes enough to know kinda what to look for and the foundation is looking SHARP! All the drains etc...it really blows my mind...
you going to do any extra stuff? Like, hardwire internet throughout the house, or do a centalized vaccum system?!?! probably won't cost you much up front but would look AWESOME!
Also, having dealt a LOT with insulation and homes etc...i would HIGHLY recommend you look into how much more it would cost to have that blue dense foam shot into the bottom of the roof?!? Helps with some structural integrity, but mainly it keeps the attic only 5 to 10 degrees warmer than the rest of the house...and keeps the ac bill down in the summer and heat down in the winter. Amazing stuff and can ONLY really put put in well during initial new construction...
J.
about the attic, the builder is putting higher insulation rating than the city requires and he is also going to be insulating the walls....If am not mistake the Attic is at R50 and walls are at R16....I will be installing a 40" attic fan once we get the house
We did not opt for the central vacuum as we have carpets only in the bedrooms and stairs...the common areas we upgraded to hardwoods....
So I have a list of things to do once we get the house....they were charging us a lot to paint the garage and hence I told them to leave it "unfinished" and i will paint it myself and lay some nice flooring in the garage....
Being a former construction worker that worked every day in the heat and cold, anything you bring them will completely make their day...I can remember days like that fondly. Ice cream in the summer or something like brownies in the winter are the best. Plus it "forces" the boss to give them a few minutes of break time even if he didn't want to so he doesn't look like a prick in front of you
So good job at being thoughtful, they'll return the favor. Maybe I cared more than others, but the look on the owner's face when they're walking through the house while we were working is priceless.
Congrats on the house...will be following the thread
So good job at being thoughtful, they'll return the favor. Maybe I cared more than others, but the look on the owner's face when they're walking through the house while we were working is priceless.
Congrats on the house...will be following the thread
but I will make sure I take some time out tomorrow and drop it off for them before I come to work Yeah today's weather was a curveball and its down in the 60's....i hope it stays in the 70's, I bet everyone would appreciate that LOL
The following users liked this post:
Acura_Dude (08-13-2012)
The following users liked this post:
swoosh (08-13-2012)
08-13-2012, 04:37 PM
#35
takin care of Business in
Thread Starter
iTrader: (5)
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Kansas City, MO
Age: 40
Posts: 30,994
Received 4,732 Likes
on
4,064 Posts
^^^ Thanks buddy....
My car build has taken a back seat to this LOL...
My car build has taken a back seat to this LOL...
08-13-2012, 07:06 PM
#37
Good man...
just for shits and giggles...see how much you could get an independent company to come in and shoot JUST the underside of the roof for and how much he's charging you for the R40?
In Florida R-13 to R-19 (depending on stud space) is standard for walls and R-19 is required for attic (used to be at least...). R30 was the upgrade and anything over that was considered minimal gain.
In addition to your ATTIC now being a conditioned space, great for storage of stuff...you ALSO won't have 20" of the insulsafe blown in since they would put the foam under the roof. So you could easily lay plywood sheets down and have OODLES of storage up there and be able to run wires etc much better.
With your own insulation guy coming in to spray, might be comparable and I think it might end up being a better option.
just for shits and giggles...see how much you could get an independent company to come in and shoot JUST the underside of the roof for and how much he's charging you for the R40?
In Florida R-13 to R-19 (depending on stud space) is standard for walls and R-19 is required for attic (used to be at least...). R30 was the upgrade and anything over that was considered minimal gain.
In addition to your ATTIC now being a conditioned space, great for storage of stuff...you ALSO won't have 20" of the insulsafe blown in since they would put the foam under the roof. So you could easily lay plywood sheets down and have OODLES of storage up there and be able to run wires etc much better.
With your own insulation guy coming in to spray, might be comparable and I think it might end up being a better option.
The following users liked this post:
Acura_Dude (08-13-2012)
08-14-2012, 10:56 AM
#39
takin care of Business in
Thread Starter
iTrader: (5)
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Kansas City, MO
Age: 40
Posts: 30,994
Received 4,732 Likes
on
4,064 Posts
I try LOL...
Jeremy...the house comes with R50....I did ask him to upgrade the r50 to r60 in the attic and he quoted me 600 something and I was like, maybe I can do it at a later date/time or have someone do it for cheaper maybe 
when building, if you ask him to take stuff out he wont refund you the same amount of money....for instance if he charges you $50/sq ft of granite and you tell him to remove granite from the island and counter tops, he will not refund you the same $50/sq ft.....he will only refund you like $25-27/sq ft...so at times what the builder provides (OEM LOL) is a good deal and you can always negotiate your way up to an upgrade....dont forget, am cheap as well LOL....
he sold a very very similar house to ours down the street (same lot price and floor plan)....we had more upgrades and paid almost 8% less than what the other people paid for it....i do like my negotiating skills
as for storage, basement FTW !!! thats what I love about the midwest is the ability to have a basement...you cant have a basement in California (west coast), Texas (south), Florida (parts of) and couple other places (South East)....
I did not opt for a finished basement as it will be my project to finish the basement, put a bar in there and a home theater room I def dont have the skills to pull it off myself so couple Azine buddies will be over helping me with it 
I hope soo....its raining out there today....if I had the accuracy of the weatherman at my work, I would have been fired long time back.....
Good man...
just for shits and giggles...see how much you could get an independent company to come in and shoot JUST the underside of the roof for and how much he's charging you for the R40?
In Florida R-13 to R-19 (depending on stud space) is standard for walls and R-19 is required for attic (used to be at least...). R30 was the upgrade and anything over that was considered minimal gain.
In addition to your ATTIC now being a conditioned space, great for storage of stuff...you ALSO won't have 20" of the insulsafe blown in since they would put the foam under the roof. So you could easily lay plywood sheets down and have OODLES of storage up there and be able to run wires etc much better.
With your own insulation guy coming in to spray, might be comparable and I think it might end up being a better option.
just for shits and giggles...see how much you could get an independent company to come in and shoot JUST the underside of the roof for and how much he's charging you for the R40?
In Florida R-13 to R-19 (depending on stud space) is standard for walls and R-19 is required for attic (used to be at least...). R30 was the upgrade and anything over that was considered minimal gain.
In addition to your ATTIC now being a conditioned space, great for storage of stuff...you ALSO won't have 20" of the insulsafe blown in since they would put the foam under the roof. So you could easily lay plywood sheets down and have OODLES of storage up there and be able to run wires etc much better.
With your own insulation guy coming in to spray, might be comparable and I think it might end up being a better option.
when building, if you ask him to take stuff out he wont refund you the same amount of money....for instance if he charges you $50/sq ft of granite and you tell him to remove granite from the island and counter tops, he will not refund you the same $50/sq ft.....he will only refund you like $25-27/sq ft...so at times what the builder provides (OEM LOL) is a good deal and you can always negotiate your way up to an upgrade....dont forget, am cheap as well LOL....
he sold a very very similar house to ours down the street (same lot price and floor plan)....we had more upgrades and paid almost 8% less than what the other people paid for it....i do like my negotiating skills
as for storage, basement FTW !!! thats what I love about the midwest is the ability to have a basement...you cant have a basement in California (west coast), Texas (south), Florida (parts of) and couple other places (South East)....
I did not opt for a finished basement as it will be my project to finish the basement, put a bar in there and a home theater room
I def dont have the skills to pull it off myself so couple Azine buddies will be over helping me with it I hope soo....its raining out there today....if I had the accuracy of the weatherman at my work, I would have been fired long time back.....
