Whats your hypothetical budget?

[PFunk_Spock]

Whats everyones hypothetical budgets to get their house built? Would be interesting to see what each persons plans or what they have completed in the past based on their own unique circumstances. Basically Id hope this thread could eventually combine a bunch of different "budgets" for areas around the country. Could be a nice planning tool. List out what youd like, how much youd spend, etc. Even if its just a dream, when isnt that fun? Mines still pretty rough but this is what I have so far.

For me its a modest homestead in the North Conway area of New Hampshire and breaks down like this.

Land - 2-10 acres for a small farm. Raspberries, goats for soap, honey, and greenhouse heirloom tomatoes. Looks like 50k could get me the land I needed with some patience in the area. I would also build small boats on the side and would need some shop space and access to grid tied electric. (cabinet saws, compressors, etc all make an off grid place pretty much unattainable unless I want to drop 40k on a solar system).

Farm - 10k. Couple small outbuildings for the goats, tools, and feed/supplies. Fencing. Intial purchases of plants and livestock.

House - Small 3 bedroom. Basically a 50% larger version of the boatbuilders place here. A 16x24 as the main structure with a 2 10 x 14 extensions for an extra bedroom and kitchen, plus a bathroom and master bedroom extension in the shape of a T. Probably 50-60k when all said and done. This is a rough estimate for me as Ive been more concerned with the land and farm costs as they would be my initial expenses.

I figure 10k for the well and septic, 10k for the foundation and 10k for framing. 5k for the roof, and another 5k for the electrical and plumbing rough in. 20k leftover for windows, doors, finish work, and anything else my heart desires.

That brings me to 110k. Add 10-20k for moving and carrying/overage costs until I get the place built and set up/running.

[cabinfever]

Doesn't seem unreasonable to me. For 3 acres in VT and a 16 x 28, I'm at about 73k and expect to top out at about 95k: 28 for the land, 13 for the building, 11 for septic, 8 for land clearing and crawlspace, 7 for the well, 2 for electrical and 4 for travel, food, lodging and sundries. Still have plumbing, insulation, heat and interior finishing to go.

[jbos333]

This is a timely thread for me. I am currently getting site work prices- I already own the land. It is 80+/- acres, mostly in timber with a couple nice ponds.

There is the sensible spot to build- 400 ft. drive established, 200a power to pole building. This, of course, is not where I REALLY want to build.

So, site work will really add up to extend current drive another 350 ft and fill in a large area for truck/equipment access. 350ft extension of drive and lots of fill= $7000.00

Regardless, of course septic $5500 well $2000 excluding pump, tanks, etc.

So I am struggling with the idea of spending that "extra" $7000 right now and reconsidering my site.

But if I stay with that site, drive/septic/well= 14500. poured 24x40 with walkout 8500. Excavation/drainage/backfill $5000. Basement floor 4000.

So now we have a concrete hole in the ground with vehicle access septic and well for $32000.00

I have priced materials to "dry-in" for about 15,000. So with me providing labor, dry-in for about 62,000.

From then on, I don't have a clue.

But I have been studying Sardonic Smile's thread and figuring out how I can do something similar for 45000.

[Squirl]

Wow, some parts seem higher than others. Right now good land is going for around $900 an acre at tax auction in upstate NY.  You can buy buildable land at $2000 an acre.  I paid around $1800 an acre at the peak of the market, but I have to put in a road and I don't have grid tied electric.  I paid a few thousand more for a lawyer. (worth every penny)

I plan on doing all the work myself for a 16x24 two story. 
For a well I am estimating $5000 in my area.  If everyone quotes me more, I will try and go with a cistern.  A septic engineer design seems to run around $1000 and $1500 in materials for a standard system. So I am figuring another $5000 for septic to be on the safe side.

I estimated another $4,000 for a tiny code compliant off grid electric system
For materials for the house, I estimated $13,000.  I have very detailed lists and estimates for almost every aspect.  As a test I built a 8x12 insulated tool shed on the property.  I was off by about 20% on the cost.  I think my costs are up to about $1600.

When I say I do all the work myself, I mean everything legally allowed.  I am even clearing my land by hand.  This is a long hard process.  So I have about $15,000 in and I have about $25-30K more to go.  Budgets can vary widely.  Some people want drywall, some pine, etc....

[MountainDon]

Land cost is a big variable. Mountain land within an easy drive distance/time of the city goes for a premium. Desert nearby our city home is a tad cheaper.     Ours was just under $20K an acre. Three acres at this point. There's an additional 1.5 we could get for somewhat less as it is steep; not easy to build on.

Our 15.75 x 30 cabin was completed at $46 a square foot with the kitchen gas range & fridge, the wood stove, propane heater, tile floor and all interior trim, electrical and plumbing included..

PV electric system came in at $8800 and there was a tax credit to reduce effective cost.

Add to that, several thousands for the gazebo, the shed, chain saw and fuel/oil for thinning the forest, some land grading, and a bunch of other odds and ends.

Total is getting close to $100K


And to think when we started we thought we'd spend $30K and park the RV on it. The money spent gave us much more than we'd ever had if we left it in the stock market.

[considerations]

"There is the sensible spot to build- 400 ft. drive established, 200a power to pole building."

One of the issues I ran into about building further from the road was that when I got a quote from the PUD to put in electrical service it included a transformer..Ouch.  The power would have come in about 500' and would have been coming in from another transformer down on the road.

You may want to explore that a little and see if its a potential cost issue as well....

[altaoaks]

Great thread, as any of us planning on building are thinking about exactly that.

HMMMM?  2 1/2 acres of land, $59,000. (Placer County, not the ritzy Lake Tahoe part)  Well was there, 160' deep.  supposedly has 60 GPM, hope thats right.  We need to install a pump and tank.  I have been given an estimate of $2,500 for a top of the line system.  I don't have an estimate for a solar pump, and I think that is what I want.

Septic perc test was also already done by previous owners, and approved.  I guess we need about $5,000 for that.

Pad was cut.  I thought we were way ahead of the game.  Then my bubble burst!  I talked to the guy who graded the pad, and it turns out he didn't compact it as he went.   It was done about 7 years ago, seems pretty solid, but what do I know.  So now the big question is what are we going to need to do to hit solid ground?  A friend who has been in construction for 30 years said I may have to drill down 20-30 ft. to do the foundation.  Now i'm thinking it may be about as easy to excavate out the fill and do a walk-out basement and maybe some earth berming.  Anyone have any idea what any of the above may cost?

Power is only about 100' from the pad.  (not my favorite choice of building sites, there is one more spot i really love, but its not accessable in the snow or heavy rain.  I would hate walking in with groceries!)  I hate the power companies, so I am really thinking off grid, but not ready to deciede yet.

I am fairly sure that I am looking at the 20 X 30 1 1/2 story plan, maybe the full 2 story.  We will do as much as we can, hire help on the rest.  no idea how much the building permits will be.  I saw in a post that a garage permit was $16,000 around Lake Tahoe.  I hope that doesn't extend to our area of Placer County.

I am hoping we could get the actual structure dried in for under $30,000.  The nspectors will make or break our dream cabin.i

[rick91351]

Great thread, as any of us planning on building are thinking about exactly that.

HMMMM?  2 1/2 acres of land, $59,000. (Placer County, not the ritzy Lake Tahoe part)  Well was there, 160' deep.  supposedly has 60 GPM, hope thats right...............I saw in a post that a garage permit was $16,000 around Lake Tahoe.  I hope that doesn't extend to our area of Placer County.......I am hoping we could get the actual structure dried in for under $30,000.  The inspectors will make or break our dream cabin.

If I were you I think I would start your own thread for your own project.  Post some pictures and we can certainly give you some ideas.  Do you own this now, are you buying it, or just looking at it?  As far as your bubble bursting because of soil compaction.  That was seven years ago, seven wet cycles I would say it is pretty compacted now.  Your frost line would be a couple feet three at the most, no big deal.  Never heard of drilling 20 to 30 feet unless you are like on one of those Malibu cliff side home sites that surf down to the ocean now and then.   100 ft of power is very do able.  Stop off or call the planing and zoning office or what ever it is called locally and talk to them for an idea what your permit is going to run.  Most times they can not tell you an exact dollar amount until your plans are submitted but they can give you an idea.   

[davidj]

I am fairly sure that I am looking at the 20 X 30 1 1/2 story plan, maybe the full 2 story.  We will do as much as we can, hire help on the rest.  no idea how much the building permits will be.  I saw in a post that a garage permit was $16,000 around Lake Tahoe.  I hope that doesn't extend to our area of Placer County.

I am hoping we could get the actual structure dried in for under $30,000.  The nspectors will make or break our dream cabin.

We're up in Plumas County and it was about $3K for a 20x30 permit. It's stuff like assesments for school districts that can kill you.

We went pretty ritzy (e.g. 100psf snow load, $12K of Windows, 9' walls, cathedaral ceiling, all plywood (no OSB), 1" subfloor and I-joists, cedar siding and trim, covered porch, installed metal roof, 4' crawl space) and supplies are expensive up our way - we dried in for more like $60K.  I could knock $10K off this just by being near a decent, cheap lumber yard.   $30K should be doable in CA if you are sensible, near cheap supplies and you don't have to do anything scary with the foundation or engineering.  Just don't expect to drop it on a few piers like some folks on the forum - thanks to seismic issues I think you're pretty much looking at a couple of trucks of concrete and a fair bit of rebar just for the most basic foundation without a slab (assuming you start from scratch).

[upa]

We were pretty fortunate with our land prices, we picked up our farm around $300/acre, where my immediate neighbors's land across the border, in Minnessota is more like $1000-1500/acre. We already had infrastructure in place included with the land's price such as well, approach, culverts, utility poles, barn.

We dried in our 16x32 1 1/2 storey structure  at $16 sq/ft. Initial goal was to finish $25-35 square foot but honestly I think we will likely shake out close to $50 sq/ft when all is said and done.

[h0rizon]

My hypothetical budget started at about $50k.  Then reality stood up, walked over, slapped me in the face and walked away.

Land prices are the killer.  Around here (Hudson valley/Capital region in NY), prices widely vary thanks to NYC folks buying up weekend retreats.  In my 60-mile radius search, I've come across land that costs $30k for a plot small enough that you can sneeze across it, to $30k getting you almost 7 acres of secluded land (albeit nowhere near civilization and hence employment).  Anything below that price and you really have to question what's wrong with it - I saw one MLS listing where the comments read "This is not a registered wetland".

After that I'm hoping to get septic/water for around $10-15k and then dried in enough to live in with another $15-20k in materials.  I'm looking at building around a 700-800sf building, full 2 story.  And then probably sink another $20-40k to finish interior work/cabinets/etc.

My goal is to get something up quickly so I can get out from paying rent and then put that extra money right back into the house.  Right now, it looks like I'll have to go with a $60k getting-started fund and then plan on another $40k on the backend of the build, so probably near $100k total.  I figure if I can save up the $60k in cash the $40k will find it's way to me eventually.

At that budget though, it puts me about 3-4 years away from even getting started

[davidj]

Oh, and I forgot to mention that our well came in at almost $30K.  Mainly because it's 480ft deep, through lots of granite, with steel most of the way down.  And it's only 5gpm!  Around our way (on the East side of the Sierra Nevada, sitting on a plateau on the side of the ridge) wells are a huge gamble.  You can hit water at 100ft and pay $10K (like our neighbors who have a well 250ft from ours) or end up like us with a hole in the ground that costs the same as a small cabin!

[altaoaks]

thanks for the hope rick91351, i really hope you are right.  we aren't by a cliff, just a ravine which is classified as a "seasonal runoff".  i haven't seen the property when its raining but i figure quite a bit of water goes through there during rainstorms and snow runoff.  that is going to be our view area, its real pretty.  it drops about 18' off the building pad.  i have to find the usb for my camera so i can post photos.  and trust me, i am going to have my own thread as i am really relying on all of you on the forum, you will be my official go-to experts.  i will double check everything with all of you, kinda like measure twice, cut once.  your advice will be critical in saving us from epensive mistakes. oh, we are buying it, 20% down, $1000 a month, plan on having it paid in full by may 2013.  i am getting close to paying off the car note, then i'll bump that to $1500 monthly.  just call me broke for the next 3 years, but worth it!

i am hoping that as you said, 7 years, some of those very harsh, i hope has compacted it enough for the building department.  it looks pretty compacted to me!  thats why i was shocked to hear it will be a problem when the soil engineer comes in. (kinda wish this was 40 acers on the top of a mountain so we could build without all of the BS!  i'm thinking maybe we will do it legal to a point, then add on without them.  (wishful hoping)


davidj, do you have a post with photos?  you aren't really to far from me, i'm just of I80 about an hour above saramento.  your project sounds really nice, why did you go the higher snow load, just curious?  i know little on the subject, but enough to know that the minimum code is sometimes not sufficient.  i think i heard in my area its somewhere around 35 psf.  i would like to pass that figure.  sounds like you spent a little extra and in return have a good safety net.


jbos333, do you have photos?  i wish i could say i was that far.  having gotten that far, the rest will happen quickly.  once your dried in the finish is clear sailing.  its not like you have to do the whole thing at once, easy does it, steady as we go is what we plan.  i am just dreaming of getting to that point.  you guys are my inspiration.

mountain don, keep guiding us, you have been through a lot of what we are trying to navigate and figure out.

squirl, cabin fever, considerations, we are listening to you also, its like traveling on a dirt path, but if a heard of cattle have been using it regularly its la lot easier going!( no offense meant)

[altaoaks]

davidj, WOW!  that put a big hole in the old wallet!  did you have any idea that could happen before starting?  i would just sit down on the nearest rock and cry, then i'd pay the money and get over it!  what can you do.  but thats a very expensive shower!

[h0rizon]

omg davidj, I think I would have had a heart attack.  Did you have the cash up front to cover it?  Did it set you behind on your project?

[diyfrank]

Pad was cut.  I thought we were way ahead of the game.  Then my bubble burst!  I talked to the guy who graded the pad, and it turns out he didn't compact it as he went.   It was done about 7 years ago, seems pretty solid, but what do I know.  So now the big question is what are we going to need to do to hit solid ground?  A friend who has been in construction for 30 years said I may have to drill down 20-30 ft. to do the foundation.  Now I'm thinking it may be about as easy to excavate out the fill and do a walk-out basement and maybe some earth berming.  Anyone have any idea what any of the above may cost?

altaoaks  An improperly placed fill is an issue but There are a lot of variable there.  18' of loose fill placed in a ravine with seasonal run off??
Sounds like your construction friend gave you worst case scenario. I can see building on piers if it wasn't first stripped and had organic fill with a fair amount of water moving through. Could be a disaster. Looking to the positive side, If you know the man that did the work your already ahead. If  he stripped the ground and placed mineral soil it is likely fine after 7 years.  What happens here is without stripping and getting through the organics you have a seam that water will follow and the fill won't be bonded to the native soil. The result is a slide from with water traveling between the layers. Soil will settle after a few seasons have past and if you keep control of the run off you sound have a buildable pad. My suggestion is talk to the operator if possible and find out the method for filling. Hire a geotech and pot hole and inspect the fill. He will give you a soils report that should satisfy everyone if it's up to the load.

[davidj]

omg davidj, I think I would have had a heart attack.  Did you have the cash up front to cover it?  Did it set you behind on your project?

We knew the well could get expensive as some other neighbors have wells that deep.  We had the money in the bank but the extra $15K on top of our not-likely-to-exceed estimate was a shock.  What saved us is that everything takes longer than expected (we're 5 years into this and 1-2 years behind the original schedule).  We're still saving so although the well cost more than we planned we've still got enough in the bank to finish everything.

[davidj]

davidj, do you have a post with photos?  you aren't really to far from me, i'm just of I80 about an hour above saramento.  your project sounds really nice, why did you go the higher snow load, just curious?  i know little on the subject, but enough to know that the minimum code is sometimes not sufficient.  i think i heard in my area its somewhere around 35 psf.  i would like to pass that figure.  sounds like you spent a little extra and in return have a good safety net.

So you must be somewhere around Drum Forebay?  You can't be as far up as Emmigrant Gap as you wouldn't be talking 35psf snow loads!  We looked around there a bit but, at the peak of the boom, it was still too expensive for a lot that wasn't horrible.  Although every time I drive past, with another 1.5 hours of road ahead of me, I wish we had found something nice there.

The county required 80psf snow load but recommended more as our area isn't properly surveyed and some of the stuff nearby is 200psf.  We went with 100psf, which I'm comfortable with - we're definitely the less snowy end of the neighborhood and I've yet to see more than 4ft of snow on open ground.

Our thread is here, although I've been too busy driving up and down I80 to post much recently!

[altaoaks]

Thank you DIYFRANK, you give me more hope.  the ravine is still below my pad as the excavation went to the edge of the ravine, but not into it.  i really hope your hunch is right!  the soil guy is something we will do as soon as the snow melts in may or june!

davidj, you are very close.  you know where the first rest stop is, we are the next exit after that which is Alta.  Drum Forbay is right in our neighborhood, and we are only about 15 minutes off the 80.  you may be correct about the snow load as i havent heard it from the building department.  we are on a ridge and get more snow than it does along the 80 corridor.  im told to expect average 3 1/2 ft. for about 3 months.  that suprised me as i was expecting less!  i think i will follow your lead and go 100 psf also.  the transmission lines have yellow metal straps indicating the snow line along our east and west boundries is as high as 4'.  i know prices were a lot worse up there, the previous owner paid $110,000 and had the well drilled and perc test done, then lost the land!  we are paying prop. taxes on that until they get us re-assessed at $59,000.  we closed escrow in may, and the assessors office is still working on jan, feb, and march. thanks for the link to your project, im going to go check it out right now!

[MushCreek]

I'm hoping to finish a modest house (~1200 sq ft) for about $100K. We already have the land ($70K) and a driveway has been roughed in. Out of that budget, we need to clear, excavate, septic, water (city) and build a house. My involvement ranges from DIY from the ground up, to having a shell built, and then finish it from there. I've got a guy working up an itemized quote right now; we'll make a decision from there.