Category: construction industry

construction industry, landscaping

Hiring Someone v. Doing it Ourselves: Dirt Version

The question we have had to revisit many, many times with our house: do it ourselves or hire it out? This question implies that hiring out means it will be done faster and better, and more expensively than if we did it ourselves. But we've found that that's not always the case. Sometimes it ends … Continue reading Hiring Someone v. Doing it Ourselves: Dirt Version

construction industry, electrical, excavation, exterior siding, flooring, foundation, cement, Framing, general contractor, HVAC, insulation, plumbing, roof, windows

Would We Use Them Again? Which Businesses Made the Cut

Overall, we are very pleased with how our home turned out. It has been a long and sometimes stressful process, but now that we've been living in the house for a few weeks, we thought we'd share some thoughts on our experiences with subs. Mostly it was a good process, with only a few hiccups. … Continue reading Would We Use Them Again? Which Businesses Made the Cut

construction industry, finance, general contractor

In Hindsight, Would We Still Have Used a Cost-Plus Contract?

Absolutely. We had the choice between builders using a cost-plus approach and builders giving us a fixed bid (this post explains it a bit). There is more at risk for us in a cost-plus bid, but because we had some unconventional stuff planned for our house (HVAC craziness, no wall texture, flat roof, etc.), our … Continue reading In Hindsight, Would We Still Have Used a Cost-Plus Contract?

construction industry, moving in

“So Your House Is Done Now That You’ve Moved In?”

I completely understand this question. I thought moving in meant "done," too, until about a month ago. That's just not the case with us. I'm pretty sure that if we had gone through a builder like Ivory Homes, who builds in their own subdivisions and with their own plans, that our house could be deemed … Continue reading “So Your House Is Done Now That You’ve Moved In?”

construction industry, finance, Framing, general contractor, lessons learned

We Get Nailed by Nailed Down Development: How Subs Can Derail Closing on Your Loan (and Lessons Learned)

281st day after start. So far we haven't named any names of our subs or our general contractor, mainly because we want to be fair and accurate and not poison the well for others. In this case, however, I think it's important to specifically name the company who has made life difficult for us almost … Continue reading We Get Nailed by Nailed Down Development: How Subs Can Derail Closing on Your Loan (and Lessons Learned)