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Downsizing Downsizing has become common place in Pinterest and in our society, downsizing and living in a tiny house. However, this seems much easier in theory than in reality. What to keep? What to discard? What to sell and what to donate? How do you do away with a prized antique dining room suit you […]

Electrical Fixtures Oh, my gracious! Be prepared to make lots of decisions, electrical fixtures encompass many facets. It can be overwhelming. I made many many trips to big box stores like @Lowe’s and @Home Depot looking for fixtures as well as many antique shops. Just to name a few of the decisions you will need […]

Electrical Switches The information provided is from our experience in building. Know what your local codes are for electrical. For a custom home you need to spend much time with your contractor in deciding where to place switches. Placement was a much bigger decision than I had anticipated. In a custom-built house, you may have […]

Electrical Outlets The information provided is from our experience in building. Know what your local codes are for electrical. Layout – Look at the layout to decide where to put 110 and 220, also, which plugs to use where; such as ground fault, water proof (for outside), outlets with USB ports, dimmer switches, etc. Check […]

Framing Many decisions need to be made prior to starting the framing. Are you going to use trusses (manufactured) or stick build (building on site)? If using trusses what style? There are many styles to choose from. Do you plan to use your attic for storage, are you planning to finish the attic later as […]

  Site, Site Preparation, and Foundation Deciding where to build and the type lot to build on is the first thing to consider. Location is not addressed here but some things to consider in deciding on location are restrictions and codes, a flood plain, subdivision or acreage, surrounding area such as noise or busy streets, […]

Building a Custom House 10 Essentials Prior to Ground Breaking 1-Budget – You will need an estimate, or a price list, of the entire project, which is lengthy. The price list needs to be broken down by phases including everything. A list of items includes but are not limited to clearing lot, foundation, framing, labor, […]

Not intended for legal or professional advice. Once a budget has been addressed, financing the project is next. How do you plan to pay for the house? Will you need a loan? There is a difference in a construction loan and a mortgage or traditional loan. A traditional loan is on a house that already […]

Budget – for a custom house always always plan to go over your budget. In other words, budget low to allow for those “overrides” or extra expenses. There will be items that you will move from the want list to the need list. The first step in establishing a budget is to decide about how […]

There are many decisions to make in drawing a custom house plan. One of the first decisions is… do you want a custom or “ready-made” plan or do you want to draw your own plans? Do you hire an architect or professional? A suggestion from experience. If you draw your own plans, having a plan […]