since I have yet to go to the parade of homes or any of the home shows to get a good feel of whats out there....


who are some good builders that some of you may know of?

5/16/2006 10:21:45 AM

Pierce Homes of Carolina, they're not in the Raleigh area though
http://www.buypiercehomes.com/

5/16/2006 10:54:16 AM

well thats cool though, thanks for the link


where I'm building will be about 25 miles SE of Raleigh off of 50 highway near benson

5/16/2006 11:23:20 AM

Do the contracting yourself and interview and review the individual contractors vigoriously. There are very few builders left that do truly nice work. Use the money you save by scheduling all the individual contractors yourself and pulling your own permits to get builders who really know what their doing. Avoid builders who specialize in "cookie cutter" houses like the plague.

5/16/2006 3:26:23 PM

well, I was going to say Daniel Custom Homes and Real Estate since thats where I work, but they mainly focus on the Chapel Hill/Durham area.
http://www.danielcustomhomes.com

5/16/2006 4:47:49 PM

1) are you saying you have land you want somebody to build on
2) what is your price point
3) darkone does not have a clue what he's talking about

5/16/2006 5:46:20 PM

My folks and I did without a contractor a couple years back. It wasn't too bad at all. Then again, we'd worked with all of the subs in the past. In the end we just did the masonry and the trim work(and a little cleaning, of course). The only thing most builders do these days is run a telephone and check on the progress.

5/16/2006 6:29:49 PM

^^
I already have the land
180-200K


the main reason I'm looking for builders is to see floorplans I like

I want a 1800-2200 sf brick ranch (with a typical 3/2 or 3/3)

5/16/2006 7:56:08 PM

http://www.hbawake.com/paradeofhomes/
may be a good place to start
see which builders did best and go from there

[Edited on May 16, 2006 at 11:55 PM. Reason : a]

5/16/2006 11:54:52 PM

on average how long does it take to build a house, from empty lot to moving in?

[Edited on May 17, 2006 at 12:19 AM. Reason : .]

5/17/2006 12:19:27 AM

have you considered an architect?

5/17/2006 12:21:25 AM

^^ depends on who you're building with, a tract builder can have you moving in in 60 days (my current production home was 90 days from dirt --> move in), custom or a smaller builder is going to take a bit longer, my current custom build is on an extended schedule and it will be about 5 months since the day the lot was cleared when we move in

5/17/2006 12:30:08 AM

what's a "tract builder"?

Also, should I just go talk to a custom home builder? I mean is that the first step?

[Edited on May 17, 2006 at 12:35 AM. Reason : ?]

5/17/2006 12:32:09 AM

oh and i would start here:

http://www.nchba.com/

the president of the johnston county local can probably point you in the right direction

5/17/2006 12:35:03 AM

production / tract builders are like pulte, westfield, centex, beazer (eeeewww)

the homes might be refered as site-built instead of stick-built, site-built typically means some of the framing is fabricated at a factory and shipped in, different builders of this type use it to varying extents, stick-built is what you think of when you imagine a house being built - framing the walls and everything is done on-site with boards (well joists and things are pre-fab, but you get the picture)

oh and i'm sending you a pm

[Edited on May 17, 2006 at 12:40 AM. Reason : sdafasdf]

5/17/2006 12:40:13 AM

Steen Construction. But they build a lot bigger houses than you are looking for.... 1 mill and up

[Edited on May 17, 2006 at 9:00 AM. Reason : edit post]

5/17/2006 8:58:03 AM

check out this site for house plans...here is the house i'm currently building myself...

http://details.coolhouseplans.com/details.html?pid=chp-26980&FoundID=1&sid=chp2

the site is...http://www.coolhouseplans.com

anyways, i'll be contracting different contractors for the exterior portion, and doing my own plumbing, electrical, flooring, painting, finishing, etc (minus the drywall) and i'm going to keep this particular house (2143 sf) under 160k...if i've done all my homework right. i've had turn key builders tell me if i contract this out, it will cost 220-250k....so, i'm saving money.

currently, i have had a road built, because i'm going to live about 1500 ft off the road, on the farm...and this coming weekend, i'll be installing my water service myself.

i have a few advantages in the fact that i live around my family, and they know alot about different things concerning building houses...meaning, i have family electricians, plumbers, cabinets, etc. also, the land was a gift, which isn't a bad thing.

none-the-less, i'm going through this process right now, so if anyone needs any advice, or could give me some, let me know.

5/17/2006 9:10:43 AM

Anderson Homes, Inc is a local builder and is a production builder. They also only build Energy Star homes and is 1 out of 7 builders in the nation to get the Energy Star Partner of the Year award.

5/17/2006 9:25:41 AM

^^ that sounds alot like my situation

5/17/2006 11:17:52 AM

^let me know how things are going with it, and if you run across something that may save me some money...just pm me...or vice-versa

also, that 160k is including brick...not vinyl siding. that decision alone is about a 20-30k swing. see, there are little decisions like that which is cheaper now, but will cost you in the long run that have to be made.

i'm trying to decide on whether or not to have a metal roof, or the 30 yr architectural shingle. i prefer the shingle, but the framers prefer the metal roof--which is more expensive.

also, i wouldn't suggest going to an architect to draw house plans...too expensive when you can find thousands of house plans on the internet. 5 legit copies of my plans cost around $600.

5/17/2006 3:14:37 PM

yeah... see I'm not confident enough in my abilities to undertake much of the construction myself

I plan on living in the house for the next 15-20 years

I want brick, it will cost me more now... but I like the security and longetivity of brick

plus the fact that I already have the land will save me money

I already have the septic tank, water, and power run to the lot where I plan on building also

[Edited on May 17, 2006 at 3:23 PM. Reason : h]

5/17/2006 3:22:45 PM

damn...well, your ahead of me if you have the septic, water, and power

i guess we are a little different in the fact that i plan on living in this house forever

i suppose you have already gone through the loan process?? i'm waiting just a little longer before i take that step...

5/17/2006 3:29:34 PM

well I don't have the loan yet...

my parents bought a 35' camper and put it on the farm until they can build their house or until I build mine so thats why we have power, water, and septic there

they are going to build one on the farm also, but like 3 or 4 hundred yards from where mine is going

I plan on living there for at least 10 or so years, even though I won't be selling it in the future, I'll just be moving to the beach and will rent that house because I want to keep most of the land

5/17/2006 5:34:28 PM

try http://www.eplans.com for floor plans, that's how we found our plan and brought it to a builder that was one of the builders in the neighborhood that we had selected. you can see last year's parade houses here: http://www.hbawake.com/paradeofhomes/builder.php?builder=PHELAN+BUILDING+%26+DEVELOPMENT%2C+INC.

I can very highly recommend Phelan Building, Curt is a custom builder and is willing to do anything you want to do. We made several changes to our floorplan and even during construction was very willing to try things that he had never done before that we requested, several of my ideas have been implemented into his last 2 parade homes. His nubmer is (919) 557-7048

good luck, building a house was one of the coolest experiences that I have had.. it was a lot of fun.

5/17/2006 6:04:54 PM

cool, I'll check it out

5/20/2006 12:30:19 PM

about how much does it cost to build (per sq.ft) around Raleigh?

5/20/2006 1:13:28 PM

i am in the custom home industry. what you want to do can be done.

Quote :

"180-200K I want a 1800-2200 sf brick ranch"

in your area you should be able to build for that cost. but the main stipulation is you will pay between 30-40k for someone to build it. having your own land will help out alot. 100 per sq ft with brick and land paid for should allow you to have some fun stuff like granite counter, real hardwoods, tile baths, and automated lighting. you cant have all of those things but you should be able to have a few. at 100 per sq you should have the following and this only holds true because its a ranch, the land is paid for, and septic is in. i would expect these things....

solid core interior doors all 8 foot not 6'8"
2 or 3 piece crowns
tile, no vinal
hardwoods and not laminate
front entry that is not fiberglass
can lights not lights on fans and such
smooth painted ceilings not blown
automated lighting system
not asphault shingle
all stick built
crawl no slab


the houses i build are roughly 150-600 per sq foot. but the biggest cost diffrence is going to be the land value. you may have a hard time finding a small builder who knows how to finish a house. i find that most small builders dont have the eye for detail that a big custom builder would. the house i am hoping to start for myself (break ground in the fall) should have more than whats listed above and cost me about 350k (no lot included) and still be 4000sq ft. but thats doing it my self and even swinging the hammer on weekends on my own. but when its done i should have around 200k in instant equity. building your own house = profit. if you have any questions let me know and i will help out as much as i can. any custom is going to take 8-14 months. if it is faster then that i would be concerned about craftsmenship.

make sure you pay attention to the litte things the builder does...
strapping on joist
decking materials, ipe, treated
insulation, batting or foam
energy raiting
ac duck leakage percentages on the last house
flashing, copper or synthetic
ply wood instead of osb on the framing
shit the list goes on but make sure you ask him what his standards are on those things.

[Edited on May 26, 2006 at 1:26 AM. Reason : good luck]

5/26/2006 1:16:23 AM

Quote :

"i'm trying to decide on whether or not to have a metal roof, or the 30 yr architectural shingle. i prefer the shingle, but the framers prefer the metal roof--which is more expensive. "

shingle is alot less maint and cheaper. right now metal roofs are super expensive. i think the last one was like 40k. for 40k i would do shake.

5/26/2006 1:19:34 AM

Quote :

"shingle is alot less maint and cheaper. right now metal roofs are super expensive. i think the last one was like 40k. for 40k i would do shake. "

the prices i am getting for my house is 20k for metal and 5k for shingle. i wouldn't be so sure about less maint with shingle. for the baked on enamel metal roofs, there is no maint, from what i've been told. and living near the coast, shingles are bound to blow off during hurricanes which is maintenance. if i had the money, i would def do the metal...but then again, the shingles have come a long way since the three tab shingle.

Quote :

"solid core interior doors all 8 foot not 6'8" "

so, this is going to be 9 foot interior rooms? your going to pay extra if the house isn't 8' rooms.

i've also heard that real hardwoods aren't worth it...meaning, there is alot of maintenance to a real hardwood system. the way to go is a laminate floating hardwood floor, or an engineered hardwood floor. a real hardwood means waxing and buffing, right?

5/26/2006 3:29:54 PM

hey pwrstrkdf250, have you ever checked out a modular? yes, i said modular. there is a lot of misconception of what a modular really is. i, like most people, thought it was just a large mobile home but it's nothing of the sort. they are actually classified as stick-built homes. hell, every exterior wall is constructed with 2x6's. i was really impressed with the quality of them. there are a shitload of floorplans and designs. you can also move interior walls to your likings. let me know if you want to check one out.

5/30/2006 9:17:50 AM

i will never own hardwood floors again, esp with dogs in the house it's not worth it. My parents put down pergo and have no problems with scratching or anything like we did. I will go laminate or tile from now out in my kitchen and entry way.

5/30/2006 9:32:42 AM

cool. i was wondering how laminant flooring would hold up against a dog. i absolutely hate carpet. i think it's dirty as hell and can never get that shit clean. having a dog is more reason why i want laminant flooring.

5/30/2006 8:55:39 PM

yeah with dogs... hardwood is a no-go... my parent's pergo holds up to their 2 labs and when our 2 boxers are there with no problems... they don't have as much as a single scratch... and they have it throughout their first floor

as for carpet i'm with you, i'd much rather have laminate or tile (esp heated tile!!!) in the non-bedrooms

5/30/2006 10:30:49 PM

i'm interested in (eventually) building a modern house, mostly steel/glass/poured concrete exterior. the type of stuff architects usually design. Does anyone know a website where I could look at plans for homes like that? I'd really like to do some research on floorplans now...

anyone know typical $/sq. ft for modern-design homes?

oh, and:

Quote :

"cool. i was wondering how laminant flooring would hold up against a dog. i absolutely hate carpet. i think it's dirty as hell and can never get that shit clean. having a dog is more reason why i want laminant flooring."

completely agree. laminant downstairs, partial carpetting for bedrooms . . . can't stand the stuff

[Edited on May 31, 2006 at 4:47 PM. Reason : carpet comments]

5/31/2006 4:46:04 PM

If your interested in modern design, check out http://www.tonic-design.com/. We've done some work for them as subcontractors, and they seem like good people to work with. I doubt they come cheap though.

5/31/2006 6:26:34 PM

I have no idea where to start with all this info

5/31/2006 10:16:17 PM

well, my dad is deeding me the land to do this


now if I can find a lender that will give me a construction loan to keep from having such a down payment

6/1/2006 6:58:19 PM

^BB&T is allowing us, for the purpose of the construction loan, to use the estimated value of the land as a down payment, which was given free....i would inquire about that.

6/2/2006 7:37:35 AM

thats what I'm going to do, but do you think 1.5 acres in johnston county would be considered enough of a downpayment???

6/2/2006 9:09:39 AM

johnston county ain't much different than jones county...mostly farmland, right?

well, 2 acres of farmland in jones county was like $22,000...which was enough for a down payment, so they told me.

6/2/2006 9:29:31 AM

ok that works... yeah, I mean, it's only 25 miles from raleigh and about 5 miles from I40

he was gonna just deed me an acre for now, but we were concerned with all of the new rules concerning hard surface area in the neuse river watershed so we went with 1.5 acres

6/2/2006 10:16:03 AM

we provide components for palladium homes. they're building "the registry" off of creedmoor north of 540. last one i did was 6000+ heated square feet.

lemme know if you're gonna build (ie do the gen. contracting yourself). i work for a company that builds/sells components (roof/floor trusses and wall panels).

6/12/2006 2:12:12 PM

I think thats the route I am going to take (be the gen cont)

I am also interested in having a walk in cooler/freezer

6/12/2006 4:53:17 PM

I have some recommendations for a sheetrock guy, electrical contractor, and kitchen designer that I have worked with in the past. I'll find their cards and PM you the contact info if you want. All three do good work and are trustworthy IMO.

6/14/2006 3:16:53 PM

thanks, that will help

and yeah, after todays events, this house building needs to be expedited

6/14/2006 5:44:05 PM

we sell trusses and wall panels where i work. lmk if you want contact info for a salesman.

6/15/2006 3:30:25 PM

change of plans

we're putting the house on a different part of the farm but I'll end up with about 3 acres deeded to me

now I still need to find someone to build or get the ball rolling

found some plans I like though

6/28/2006 10:04:19 PM

what do yall know about http://www.ubuildit.com

7/6/2006 6:37:42 PM

met with the ubuild it people...

I think I am gonna go that route

[Edited on July 21, 2006 at 10:36 PM. Reason : s]

7/21/2006 10:36:25 PM

know any places to buy rocking chairs?

like 15-20 of them


found some plans that work

gonna build a plantation style house

wraparound porch/second story wrap around....

typical plantation style... kinda like an old charleston or beaufort house

8/14/2006 7:34:21 PM