How to Plan, Contract and Build Your Own Home Review

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(More customer reviews)This book is lives up to the first two parts of the title - Plan & Contract. It falls short on the building process but if you know you are going to use a Builder or General Contractor, it is a great source of information.
I haven't got the time to manage the building process but I know I can intelligently talk with my contractor. This book gives the reader a firm footing in dealing with the house design and contractor processes.

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Step-by-step blueprint for do-it-yourself home builders. From locating an architect, to hiring workers, to selecting features and fixtures, and more, here's how to build or expand your own home from start to finish--and save! Richard M. Scutella and Dave Heberle's soup-to-nuts guide, How to Plan, Contract and Build Your Own Home, Third Edition, leads you through the perils of homebuilding to make sure you end up with exactly what you want. You get point-by-point tips on choosing a site and style, keeping home traffic patterns sensible, deciding on the right size for rooms, preparing plans, getting permits and more. Unique "quality control" insights into each stage of construction highlight problems to watch out for--foundation, roof, floors, walls, stairs, walkways and driveways, heating and cooling, electrical capacity and wiring, even computer wiring and alarm sensors. From turning the first shovel of earth to the final inspection, this homeowner's construction manual makes sure your dream house will be a dream come true.

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The Complete Guide to Building Your Own Home and Saving Thousands on Your New House Review

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(More customer reviews)This book is a great starting place for someone thinking about building his/her own home. Although it reads like a college textbook, the terms used in each phase of building are explained in easy to understand English.
From thinking about building to the final inspection of the home is explored in depth in each chapter. The information contained in this book can help someone decide if he/she is capable of being in charge or if he/she should hire a contractor. Each phase is talked about from what your dream house looks like and what materials are used including the use of "green" materials in several aspects of building the home. The locations where a home may be built are also discussed and why certain materials may not be used in those locals.
This book gives information on who you need to speak to before you start building. Along with what building codes you will need to follow and what inspections need to be done and when. Tips and testimonies sprinkled throughout the book help to prevent you from makeing mistakes that could prove to be costly. The checklists at the back of the book help to put into perspective the amount of time that goes into building a home.

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Buying a new home can be an expensive endeavor. Many people dream of building their own home but mistakenly believe that doing so is not cost effective. However, by building your own home you can save 20 to 40 percent or more. By reading The Complete Guide to Building Your Own Home and Saving Thousands on Your New House you will discover that your dream can become reality. From basic planning to construction methods, this new book will take you through all the steps of building your own home. You will learn how to choose a site, draw up a construction time line, apply for construction loans and financing, obtain essential insurance information, buy inexpensive plans, find and negotiate with subcontractors, comply with building codes, select features and fixtures, choose the style of the house, decide on the size of the rooms, prepare plans, and get permits. You will learn about building materials and foundations, floors, walls, paint, windows, decks, garage doors, roofing, flashings, chimneys, plumbing, wiring, ceilings, floors, railings, and attics. In addition, you will learn how to design a home that will meet your needs, perform constructions tasks safely, and build amenities. We will inform you about common problems to watch for, including foundation, roofing, walls, stairs, sidewalks, driveways, heating and cooling, electrical capacity, and wiring. This book will detail money-saving options and environmentally friendly techniques, while at the same time allowing you to monitor the quality of the materials and the workmanship, fine-tune the design, and make sure the results are exactly what you had envisioned.

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NATURAL HOUSE CATALOG: Where to Get Everything You Need to Create an Environmentally Friendly Home Review

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(More customer reviews)I have come to like this book as it has given me a zillion new ideas and especially where to find those things. Each section is organized with lot of colored pics of houses and brand products. Although the idea of mentioning the names of the companies which sell products in the end of a chapter is excellent but it needs updates. Many telephone numbers are incorrect or have changed, as I tried many of them. And there is NO MENTION OF WEBSITES at all which I find surprising. Most of these companies have websites now.
Overall a good book/guide to start with. And then move on to more specific catalogs/publications.

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The Natural House Catalog is more than a book, it's a movement!If you are looking to design a truly healthy home. The Natural House Catalog draws on the very latest environmentally sound technology, providing all the information you need to create and maintain your ideal living space. With the enormous number of materials, products, and services now offered, this book is the ideal reference.For easy accessibility, The Natural House Catalog is divided into two parts:Part One features over 100 Topic Pages, covering everything from water power to worm bias, thermal storage to feng shui. Completely illustrated in color and black and white, each page describes alternative systems, how to make them work efficiently, the most appropriate locations, and different available options. Also featured are full-color Shopper's Pages, which display a diverse range of obtainable products. Here you will find a variety of goods such as photovoltaics, paints, control devices, and candles, all fully credited to the manufacturer, retail outlet, or catalog.Part Two comprises the Directory, which combines suppliers, products, and resources. It is divided into sections for easy reference and contains up to 2,000 listings and advertisements. The Resource Pages cite groups, organizations, and publications offering more advice on specific topics. The Natural House Catalog is an indispensable and comprehensive source book that evokes and shares an optimistic vision for a brighter future and helps make that future accessible to all.

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The Complete Guide to Contracting Your Home Review

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(More customer reviews)First of all, all of the reviews that currently appear on this site are for the PREVIOUS edition. I just purchased this 4TH edition WHICH WAS JUST RELEASED LAST MONTH - January 2010. This is an excellent book giving excellent insight to contracting your custom built home.

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This new edition of The Complete Guide to Contracting Your Homegives aspiring homeowners exactly the information they need to manage their own construction project. Full-color illustrations andphotographs with revamped forms and checklists present the material much like a project manual used by professional contractors.

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Kelly's Kitchen Sync: Insider kitchen design and remodeling tips from an award-winning kitchen expert Review

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(More customer reviews)I am an interior designer who works with a contractor in a design/build partnership. We plan to give this book to every potential client. This book decodes the language and process behind a kitchen remodel. It's timely and even overdue in this era of extreme customization. And that it is well organized and even humorous makes it a delight to read. There are so many books that inspire beautiful kitchen design, but lack the nuts and bolts. This book doesn't do what the others do. You won't find amazing dream kitchen photos in this book. Consider it a field guide, a don't-leave-home-without-it book. I will no doubt refer to it on every job. Thank you Kelly for your contribution towards making good kitchen design happen!

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"80% OF CONSUMERS WANT TO REDO THEIR KITCHENS." - Kitchen and Bath Design News
And most of them will want to pull their hair out at some point in the process! Appliances or cabinets don't fit or open right . . . the sink is so tight that the faucet gets a wedgie . . . the floor or walls aren't straight or plumb . . . the range hood is a head-banger . . .your contractor forgot to ask you about . . . everything!
From DIY go-getters to reluctant remodelers to smart consumers who just want to stay on top of their projects, everyone who dabbles in kitchen design and remodeling needs some "I wish I'd thought of that" help and support.
Packed with truly insider kitchen design secrets and remodeling tips shared in a humorous, realistic way, Kelly's Kitchen Sync has answers to questions you didn't know you should ask. Don't let your project get bogged down by your own horror story! Let Kelly help you get it done right, on time and on budget.
You'll learn how to:
'Separate expectations from the reality of what will work for you and your kitchen
'Figure out where to go, who does what, when to get outside help
'Ensure your design matches the space, appliances, and how you use your kitchen
'Choose materials that will work best, and when and where to splurge
'Keep costs down by making good choices and avoiding costly mistakes
Kelly Morisseau has kitchen design in her blood. Her blog, Kitchen Sync, is a top-ten kitchen design blog on the internet. A second-generation designer, both her parents were kitchen designers long before anyone understood the term. Kelly's award-winning experience includes more than 25 years as a professional kitchen designer, both on her own and for leading design/build firms. She is a Certified Master Kitchen and Bath Designer (CMKBD) and a Certified Interior Designer (CID) in California.

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