I've been using Dunn Lumber's site to price materials...I've always liked their lumber compared to the big box stores, though I don't know what premium you pay to shop there vs. Home Despot or the like.
On thing I like in my speculative mode is that you can get up-to-the-minute prices from their site on a lot of the pieces you need to build a cottage, which can then be plugged into spreadsheets.
(They're at http://dunnlum.com .)
One question: can anyone tell me what t-111 or similar is referred to as within the trade? I like the look (and the potential savings) of the plain siding with added batts, but am not entirely sure I'm costing the right stuff.
I'm not trying to put together a final order, I would work directly with the yard on that, I'm just doing feasibility stuff.
I tried a couple of search phrases.
Looks like t1-11 siding gave me about the best results--I don't think that upper-case vs lower case counts with google. But it did need the word "siding".
From this I learned that PPG thinks that my old house in Nashville, with uncoated T1-11 siding that weathered nicely if unevenly under the overhangs, couldn't have stood the 18 years or so it did without being PAINTED! I always figured it lasted as well as it did because it could breathe.
Hardi makes a cement based material that looks just like T1-11. Since it is cement based and not wood it should last for a LONG time. It's about the same price too.