Considering building a house, where would you start?

[monkeywrangler71]

Anyone who has built a custom home, what is a good resource to start with? I'm not ready to research specifics (like building materials), I'm looking more for questions than answers. A list of steps perhaps, what I have to ask about and/or have tested when looking for land, what factors I need to consider in my house design, which comes first house design or lot selection, etc.

I have a house in my head, but have no idea what is feasible or even possible and not sure how to begin to find out.

[LoriS]

Hi,
We're in the process of building a house. Maybe this advice is too general, but here's my 2 cents worth. The very first thing to know would be your budget. Talk to realtors or building contractors about this - most construction is broken down by price per square foot, and there are a lot of factors that determine land values.

Then begin looking for property, because that will dictate much about your new home. Look at your current lifestyle when thinking about where you should live. Do you go to a lot of school functions, belong to lots of organizations, or want easy access to cultural events? Would you want to be close enough to your work so that you don't need to drive? Do you enjoy spending your time doing home-related or outdoor projects? Is privacy important? Spend some time in the area before you put down your money, and ask folks about the positive or negative aspects. Look especially for factors you cannot change - heavy traffic, poor water quantity or quality, neighborhood association rules, city or county restrictions on developement, weather, politics, etc.

After you've chosen your property you can begin looking at house plan books and shopping for a builder. Again, look at your lifestyle to decide what kind of house is right for you. Over time you will begin to distill what features or styles are important to you. Try to balance your personal needs with resale value as you go through this process - almost nobody stays in the same house their entire lives.

Hope this helps. For what it's worth, after lots of research we designed our own house, and I'm sold on the value of passive solar.

[mombottoo]

If the house you want is in your head the first place I would start would be with an architect...that way you will be able to figure the square footage and the cost associated with your house.