Looking for budget input

[hhbartlett]

First of all, am I ever glad I found this place! I had another house plan drawn up, but I don't think I'll have the budget for it. I'm now considering the 20' x 34' 2 storey plan on this site.

Here's the thing; I have a limited budget, so I need to do this cheap. Real cheap.

The story: Last year I was able to buy some old family land. It's 3 1/2 acres in the country, just what we were looking for. There is a nice old barn there, quite large but in need of a few repairs. The house that was there burnt about 6 years ago. The year before it burnt, they had a new concrete septic system and a new well drilled, all of the good stuff is already in place. The area is rural and pretty slack on permits and stuff, but I still need to do this properly.

We are about to sell the house we have now, and should walk away with $50k to $60k in cash. The idea is to build something that we will own at the end, with no mortgage. We will be doing this all ourselves. I have experience in some construction and have fully renovated a couple of our own old houses, so I'm not a total noob.

My thought is this: keep everything as simple as possible. I want to use a frost protected slab-on-grade foundation for a couple of reasons; I think it's the cheapest option, and I'm going to put pex tubing in for a radiant floor (at least the first floor). We will probably simply finish the concrete with an epoxy coating, at least for now. The roof will be galvanized steel and the siding likely cedar shingles (both are very close to the costs of regular shingles and vinyl siding where I am for materials). I'll use standard 2 x 6 stick framing and fibreglass insulation, maybe blown in cellulose in the attic. Wood stove of course as well (I'm in Canada). I also plan to source alot of materials used, at places like the Habitat for Humanity Restore and what not, especially things like kitchen cabinets.

My question is, is this actually doable for $40,000 (the 20' x 34' 2 storey, pretty much the stock design)? Keep in mind I already have the land, septic, well, and driveway. I also have a 33' camper on the site now that we will be staying in while building. I plan to build this full time, and take some time off from work (I work for myself), so would like to have it done in a few months. I say $40k because I like to have a bit of a cushion there.

Am I crazy, or does this sound reasonable? Any tips or advice would be appreciated.

[Alan Gage]

I'd say it's doable. I'm wrapping up my house now and while I don't have a firm number I'm guessing I've spent around $60-65k on it. At least that's about how much has come out of the bank account I had dedicated for the build. Included in that amount is septic ($4500), tearing up and removing the old slab ($1000), monthly bills (utilities, etc) I've been paying from that account ($2000?), some appliances ($1800) and tools (at least $3,000 probably).

The only things I've hired out are digging the footings, laying up a couple courses of block, and finishing the slab (wanted a nice finish since it's the final floor). Oh, and trenching in the electricity from the pole. Otherwise it's been me working alone except for my dad helping handle the metal roofing, a  friend helping insulate (cellulose so she fed the machine) and a few hands to help set the trusses.

My house is double stud walls and super insulated so there is some expense and extra time you won't have to deal with. Mine is only a single story though. I tinted the slab with integral color when it was poured. The colorant was about $500 but the floor looks great.

I'm also building all my own cabinetry, which is turning into a very large savings.

My build if you're interested:

http://countryplans.com/smf/index.php?topic=10497.0

Alan

[hhbartlett]

Very nice, I went through your thread and Flickr stream. I also plan on concrete floors for the finish, so it was nice to see how yours came out. I hadn't thought of tinting the concrete when pouring, I was going to put an epoxy coating on, but your way may be better. I don't think I'll go the double stud route like you; great idea but I need to save money, plus I need to eek out as much floor space as possible Just have to burn a bit more wood I guess  Nice job so far on the cabinets. My plan there is to buy used in the name of economy and time.

Curious about a couple of things your did; seems like your version of slab on grade is different than what I've seen. Why the block wall? And do you need some sort of frost protection surrounding it (maybe I just didn't see that)? Also, did you consider embedding pex in the floor for radiant heating? That's my plan, it's fairly cheap and easy to do. I'd still have a wood stove, but we need something else for if you're not there, for shoulder seasons, and it seems like a good idea for cement slab floors to keep them warm. I'm going to run it from a standard water heater. Your thoughts on that?

[Alan Gage]

Nice job so far on the cabinets. My plan there is to buy used in the name of economy and time.

That was my original plan as well and maybe it will work out for you. I even found a set and hauled them home. It wasn't until I started measuring everything up that I realized they just weren't going to fit well in the kitchen at all. Mine's a fairly small kitchen with some non-standard dimensions so the standard cabinets just didn't fit without a lot of waste or work.

Curious about a couple of things your did; seems like your version of slab on grade is different than what I've seen. Why the block wall? And do you need some sort of frost protection surrounding it (maybe I just didn't see that)?

No need for frost protection on mine as the gravel footings run below the frost line. For comfort and energy consumption reasons I did full insulate under the slab with 4" of EPS foam and around the perimeter with 3" of XPS (I was able to salvage this from the place I tore down). You can see them both here:


20110617_002 copy_web by Alan  Gage, on Flickr

The reason for the short block wall was simply to get the slab up off the ground and so that I could insulate the perimeter of the slab from in inside rather than outside. The other option would have been a monolithic pour where the slab and thickened footings would be poured at the same time. If I'd done that my perimeter insulation would have been on the outside of the concrete and I would have had to find a way to protect it and tie it into the house siding, which wouldn't stick out as far.

So instead I had the short block wall laid. Then I brought the fill up to the correct level (8" below the top of the block), added the 4" of insulation on the bottom and the 3" on the sides. Then the block acts as a form for the slab.

Either way would have worked but I decided this is what worked best for me.

Also, did you consider embedding pex in the floor for radiant heating? That's my plan, it's fairly cheap and easy to do. I'd still have a wood stove, but we need something else for if you're not there, for shoulder seasons, and it seems like a good idea for cement slab floors to keep them warm. I'm going to run it from a standard water heater. Your thoughts on that?

Yes, I thought about it but decided against it in the end. With a small, super insulated, house I was worried about it possibly being too hard to regulate the temperature and being too much heat. I also have limited room for utilities and didn't know if I'd have room for another water heater and pump. It was also more time and money than I wanted to put into something for backup heating. While not the most cost effective to run electric baseboard cost about $200 for the whole house. And since I don't plan on running it unless I leave town it will rarely turn on.

You'll also be drilling a lot of holes in your slab so make sure you put the radiant tubes deep enough or know where they are so you can miss them.

Alan

[Crappie Slayer]

if you plan a budget on a specific part of your project, figure a number then always add another 15% or so, plan on things always taking a little longer than you plan and always tend to cost just a little more than you had planned.  at least that is the way it has worked out for me on my little cabin.

Chris
aka, Crappie Slayer

[hhbartlett]

Curious about a couple of things your did; seems like your version of slab on grade is different than what I've seen. Why the block wall? And do you need some sort of frost protection surrounding it (maybe I just didn't see that)?

No need for frost protection on mine as the gravel footings run below the frost line. For comfort and energy consumption reasons I did full insulate under the slab with 4" of EPS foam and around the perimeter with 3" of XPS (I was able to salvage this from the place I tore down). You can see them both here:


20110617_002 copy_web by Alan  Gage, on Flickr

The reason for the short block wall was simply to get the slab up off the ground and so that I could insulate the perimeter of the slab from in inside rather than outside. The other option would have been a monolithic pour where the slab and thickened footings would be poured at the same time. If I'd done that my perimeter insulation would have been on the outside of the concrete and I would have had to find a way to protect it and tie it into the house siding, which wouldn't stick out as far.

So instead I had the short block wall laid. Then I brought the fill up to the correct level (8" below the top of the block), added the 4" of insulation on the bottom and the 3" on the sides. Then the block acts as a form for the slab.

Either way would have worked but I decided this is what worked best for me.

Yes, I thought about it but decided against it in the end. With a small, super insulated, house I was worried about it possibly being too hard to regulate the temperature and being too much heat. I also have limited room for utilities and didn't know if I'd have room for another water heater and pump. It was also more time and money than I wanted to put into something for backup heating. While not the most cost effective to run electric baseboard cost about $200 for the whole house. And since I don't plan on running it unless I leave town it will rarely turn on.

You'll also be drilling a lot of holes in your slab so make sure you put the radiant tubes deep enough or know where they are so you can miss them.

Alan

All makes perfect sense.  I'd never heard of a gravel foundation but it does make sense when you think about it. After reading this board the past few days I'm now more confused than ever... ... but I have never had a better education, I must say. The only thing I know for sure is I need to do more planning  That said, it sure is encouraging and inspiring to read all the stories here. Some people think I'm crazy to think I can build a place for as cheap as I'm planning, but I see real evidence here, so it's reassuring.

[Alan Gage]

I should also mention that I thought I could easily build mine for under $40k when I started. Things do tend to get out of control. There are just so many things you don't even know you need and then all of a sudden you need them.

Planning, for me, was the hardest part. Thankfully I decided to build at the beginning of winter so I had the whole winter to plan it out. And I needed every minute of it! If I'd decided to build in the spring I never would have had the patience to plan it all out before building since I would have had to wait until the following year. There are just so many options that it's overwhelming at first. Eventually it starts to come together and make some sense.

Alan

[alex trent]

I am 30% over budget on my little place and I planned and costed it out pretty well

Here is what happened.

1. Built better...mostly after being counseled on here.  Glad I did and went a bit overboard on some things, but never know until you really do it. Accounts for 1/3 of the overrun...could be cut to 20%

2.  Upgraded...after I started and saw how neat this could be with some more thought, I bought some better wood, built a bit different. Nothing wrong with changing a plan...that is one of the reasons you have a plan.  About 505 of the incease.

3. Some additions to the place...10% or so.

I would guess, it rarely comes out less than the budget. My 30% is about as high as you should go!

[hhbartlett]

So, after much reading, asking questions, and advice from here, I think we're going to change plans slightly (surprise). The thing is that there would be no ability to go over budget for us right now, and that is what has been stressing me out. I'l have what we get from the house sale and that's it. So I think I need to make a bit more money.

I also now realize that I need to do much more in depth planning and research. So, I think we're going to take this summer and fix up the land (been neglected for 6 or 7 years), fix up the barn a bit, get power and water going (barn has a recent electrical entrance), *find* the septic tank and get that all straightened out, etc., etc. The camper is already there so it will be a fun place to hang out anyway.

So, I'm going to do what I've done before; find an old repossessed house in the area (in town, 15 minutes from the land or so), renovate it and move in for the winter, then sell it in the spring. That should increase the budget and give me more time for planning, and give us a chance to get established in the area (we're 3 1/2 hours away at the moment). The kids can start school there and what not. If it was just me & the wife, I'd be OK with camper living longer term, and probably build a different, smaller house.

[alex trent]

Sounds like a good plan to me in a lot of ways.

Good to have the site prepped and organized so when the build starts you can concentrate on that and the place will not be a constant mess. Going out there and "hanging out" a bit can be a nice way to get started.

Biggest thing is that the new way with moving closer and into a house means that when you do build it will be more fun and less stress. for you and the whole family.  Plus all that extra time will really let you sort things out.

Good luck..sounds like you are off to a good start.