How To Build a Home by Bill Temple
How To Build a Home
by Bill Temple
Living Off the Grid
Are you looking for an easy to follow guide on to how to build a home? It was a
dream of our family to do just that.
Selecting Real Estate- How To Build
a Home
Selecting a piece of property is where it all starts. First
decide how much you can afford and try to buy a piece of property without a
mortgage. Living debt free is a wonderful way to start out.
Select the
property based on your own preferences of size and location. It took us about
two months of solid work to find just the place to build our dream home. You can
then figure out how to build a home for yourself.
A place in the country
is much cheaper in the long run and you will get more land for your dollars.
Getting Permits- How To Build A Home
Once you have selected the
property that suits your needs it's time to visit the local building official at
your municipal office. Invite him, or her to your property and let him help you
with your site planning. Building inspectors are a wealth of building knowledge.
Your building inspector will inform you of all the permits necessary and how to
apply for them. He can also suggest contractors for the digging of your basement
footings.
Footings- How To Build A Home
Find a reputable
contractor with a backhoe to dig your septic, well and basement footings. Your
well might have to be drilled depending on where you live. Find the most
reasonable well driller you can find as this can get expensive if you are not
careful.
Now it's time to build a home. If you have no experience
pouring footings or laying block, get some. The fastest method we know is to
hire on with a local builder for the summer. Tell him that you want to build
your own home and need experience. There are some good guys out there who will
help you. Work hard and learn lots. You will get all the experience you need in
how to build your own home.
Footings should be level and the building
should be square. Measure the diagonals from corner to corner to make sure they
are the same. Your wall dimensions should be laid out first and exactly to
measure.
Basements- How to build a home
We are firm believers in
basements, especially since we neglected to put one in our own home, just a
crawl space. Think of all that stuff you own and where it will go. You will want
room for living.
A basement is a great place for woodstoves which
provide floor heat for upstairs. It is also a great place to put all of that
firewood for the winter, ready for use.
Pounding Nails How to build a
home
It is a great thrill to see floor joists and beams going up in your
home. You are remembering to talk with the building inspector about exactly how
to do this right?
When the first floor is built and you stand there
looking at where the kitchen will be, and over there is the living room the
project suddenly becomes real.
Walls are built on the floor and then
stood up. They should be leveled vertically and squared in the corners. Brace
them securely to the floor. Window and door spaces need adequate support above
them using headers.
Closing In - How to Build a Home
The walls
are up and you have ordered your trusses and the big day has arrived. You will
need at least four people to help put up trusses. It's easier and safer.
Try and get the truss delivery truck to boom them up and onto your
walls. Lay out the truss pattern and brace them against the wind.
Now
stand back, hug your spouse and smile, you are getting there.
The next
day start putting sheeting on the trusses for a roof. Next put on shingles or
steel roofing , depending on your preference.
Now take a weekend off,
you have earned it.
Interior Finish- How to build a home
This
how to build your own house lesson would not be complete without a discussion
about interior finish. After you are closed in, you need to do plumbing,
electrical and any heating duct work. Take the time to consider future expansion
as well.
You will notice your spouse will get much more involved at this
point. Picking out bathroom fixtures, flooring wall coverings and final finishes
should all be discussed thoroughly. You want to do it only once after all.
If you want more detailed information on How To Build a Home just follow the preceding
link.
Originally published on SearchWarp.com for Bill Temple Monday, March 03, 2008
Article Source: How To Build a Home
