Keep construction on track with helpful checklists Turn your dream of a custom home into reality! Thinking about building your own home? This easy-to-follow guide shows you how to plan and build a beautiful home on any budget. From acquiring land to finding the best architect to overseeing the construction, you get lots of savvy tips on managing your new investment wisely -- and staying sane during the process! Discover how to: * Find the best homesite * Navigate the plan approval process * Obtain financing * Hire the right contractor * Cut design and construction costs * Avoid common mistakes

A clear, concise, up-to-date guide on all aspects of deciding, designing, hiring, financing, building, and enjoying a home that's really your own. -- Covers all aspects of the home building process, from deciding what kind of house to build, to designing it, planning it, hiring the people to build it, and financing it. -- Less intimidating than many do-it-yourself books which are 600+ pages and either assume some knowledge of the home building process or are geared towards those who plan to do some of the actual constructing themselves. -- Written by an experienced consumer rather than a contractor, banker, realtor, or other biased author. The Complete Idiot's Guide "RM" to Building Your Own Home is a clear, concise, up-to-date guide on every aspect of the home building process. It answers every question readers have about building a custom residence-and a few questions they may not have considered. With clear instructions and illustrations, this book takes readers through every step of the home-building process from figuring a budget to finding labor and materials to all aspects of home construction. Whether they plan to build it all themselves, build some and hire some done, or hire it all done to their specifications, The Complete Idiot's Guide "RM" to Building Your Own Home will do the job.

This book helps the reader save a great deal of money by demonstrating how to manage the project and act as one's own contractor.

More and more people aspire to build their dream home - this practical handbook provides valuable, stage-by-stage advice on turning those dreams into reality.

This practical guide is written especially for the owner-builder and provides step-by-step instructions supported by diagrams and photographs. It covers the construction process from site preparation through to foundations, concrete slabs, strip footings and stumps. Special techniques for straw bale construction and the integration of these techniques with those of conventional house building are also covered, including floors, timber wall-frames, ceilings and roof framing. Advice is offered on plumbing and electrical work in a straw bale house. Written with first-hand knowledge of the challenges that face the owner-builder, the author explores local council issues and requirements, the potential pitfalls of building and what to look for when ordering second-hand material, aided by a useful glossary of terms. The book concludes by covering the various safety issues that arise during construction, including fire prevention, equipment usage and the working environment.

You deserve a home that meets your specific needs and desires! If you find yourself dreaming of the perfect patio, the ideal kitchen, and inviting rooms where you love to spend time, it might just be time to start building! With Building Your Custom Home For Dummies, you won’t have to feel intimidated as you plan, finance, and oversee construction on your new oasis. You’ll learn what it takes to build a custom home, including which pros to call and when. This updated edition also covers the latest in real estate and home construction trends, including smart homes, green building, and banking options. It's more important than ever to live in a home that’s truly how you want it, truly your own. Now is the perfect time to get started—if you’re still in the dreaming stage, this book will help you identify your style and articulate your vision. If you’re further along in the process, you’ll benefit from checklists and pointers on reviewing architects’ plans, evaluating contractor bids, flipping the home you build, and more. The latest guidance on building a beautiful home on any budget New ideas for high-tech homes with low carbon footprints Step-by-step instructions for securing financing, hiring architects, and finding reliable contractors Advice on how to invest your home-building budget wisely and plan for the future Building Your Custom Home For Dummies takes you from finding the perfect homesite through laying the foundation to framing and finishing—in the friendly Dummies style you can trust.

A comprehensive guide to building green on any budget. According to conventional wisdom, building a green home is an expensive endeavor. The standard approach treats green as an add-on, tacking "premium" products, finishes, and equipment onto a traditional home design. As a result, many green home projects end up over budget or fail to achieve their environmental and performance goals. Green Home Building explodes the myth that green homes have to cost more. Using proven methods based on applied building science, the authors show how to: Lower base construction costs to provide funding for high performance upgrades Achieve a net-zero energy home, including "zero-ing" water, waste, carbon, and associated costs within fifteen years Live affordably into the future, despite anticipated rising costs for fuel, water, materials, taxes, and health care This comprehensive guide to building green on any budget defines the strategies that maximize the return on green investments. Written for anyone who has ever been swayed by the argument that the price tag limits how green a home can be, Green Home Building is a must-read for builders, contractors, architects, designers, and homeowners. Miki Cook is a green building and sustainability consultant who has dedicated her career to educating contractors and the public on the strategies, methods, and benefits of green homes. Doug Garrett has trained thousands of homebuilders, architects, and sub-contractors to build energy-efficient homes using applied building science to improve comfort, durability, and healthfulness while meeting or exceeding the energy code.

Vols. for 1979- include annual buyers guide.