Tell me about the experience of building a custom home
March 7, 2023 10:40 AM Subscribe
If you've built (or contracted to build) a house, I want to hear how it went.
After spending a lot of time in the mountains (some of it staying in a rented tiny house), I began wondering about the possibility of moving there, either upon retirement or sooner if there's a suitable job opportunity. However, most of the houses for sale where I'm looking are either falling apart trailers or giant, incredibly expensive McMansions for the growing "recreational property" market.
My husband and I don't require a lot of living space, so we've contemplated that if he had a shop or garage for his hobbies (forging, working on old vehicles) and I had a little studio cabin for mine (home gym and craft storage that would need heat and electricity but not necessarily water), all we'd really want for actual living space would be a tiny house. I'm also thinking I could do things to minimize issues as we age - like not have stairs - if we design it ourselves. I've come across some local companies that do custom builds but before I get too serious about any of this or look for suitable land, I'm curious if anyone has any stories (cautionary or otherwise) about building your own home? What should you look out for? If you did this, would you do it again?
After spending a lot of time in the mountains (some of it staying in a rented tiny house), I began wondering about the possibility of moving there, either upon retirement or sooner if there's a suitable job opportunity. However, most of the houses for sale where I'm looking are either falling apart trailers or giant, incredibly expensive McMansions for the growing "recreational property" market.
My husband and I don't require a lot of living space, so we've contemplated that if he had a shop or garage for his hobbies (forging, working on old vehicles) and I had a little studio cabin for mine (home gym and craft storage that would need heat and electricity but not necessarily water), all we'd really want for actual living space would be a tiny house. I'm also thinking I could do things to minimize issues as we age - like not have stairs - if we design it ourselves. I've come across some local companies that do custom builds but before I get too serious about any of this or look for suitable land, I'm curious if anyone has any stories (cautionary or otherwise) about building your own home? What should you look out for? If you did this, would you do it again?
Best answer: I gut-renovated the house I'm currently in (down to the studs and subfloor), which included structural work, so I have not done a full-custom build but I've gotten pretty close to it, and concur with everything bondcliff just said.
I would also say you should check with the local building authorities to see how things work 'round there, and if there are any major pitfalls to the process -- usually they're happy someone is coming to talk to them BEFORE something goes terribly awry, so usually they're fairly helpful.
You really don't want to buy a parcel only to find it's completely illegal to ever put a house on it, which is a thing that can actually happen to people. The staff will absolutely NOT say "oh that place is fine, go buy that one" but they may instead say things like "well, there's no water line out past X, so you'll need a well" or "we don't allow septic systems within Y feet of a stream or lake" and so on. All of which are very useful things to know even before you contact an architect (many architects will help you with such things, but some are oddly resistant IMO so it's good to have your own data points on this type of stuff).
Also, to be frank, given "mountains" you should look into local fire risk and check with insurance companies (some will not insure in certain areas, whereas others have very strict landscaping requirements that may mean cutting down a bunch of trees that you may or may not actually be allowed to cut in the first place), and also see if you can find any geotechnical surveys (a university can help) for the area as these often mark areas at risk of landslide and flooding (mountain streams can go from a trickle to forty feet of raging water pretty quick).
posted by aramaic at 11:32 AM on March 7, 2023 [6 favorites]
I would also say you should check with the local building authorities to see how things work 'round there, and if there are any major pitfalls to the process -- usually they're happy someone is coming to talk to them BEFORE something goes terribly awry, so usually they're fairly helpful.
You really don't want to buy a parcel only to find it's completely illegal to ever put a house on it, which is a thing that can actually happen to people. The staff will absolutely NOT say "oh that place is fine, go buy that one" but they may instead say things like "well, there's no water line out past X, so you'll need a well" or "we don't allow septic systems within Y feet of a stream or lake" and so on. All of which are very useful things to know even before you contact an architect (many architects will help you with such things, but some are oddly resistant IMO so it's good to have your own data points on this type of stuff).
Also, to be frank, given "mountains" you should look into local fire risk and check with insurance companies (some will not insure in certain areas, whereas others have very strict landscaping requirements that may mean cutting down a bunch of trees that you may or may not actually be allowed to cut in the first place), and also see if you can find any geotechnical surveys (a university can help) for the area as these often mark areas at risk of landslide and flooding (mountain streams can go from a trickle to forty feet of raging water pretty quick).
posted by aramaic at 11:32 AM on March 7, 2023 [6 favorites]
I 2nd reading Kidder's House. I also recommend Pretty Good House for making it as sustainable as reasonable. Hire a really good contractor. Go to tons of open houses and look at the details. Some potentially useful subreddits r/PassiveHouse, r/Homeowners, r/buildingscience, r/tinyhouse.
Building is somewhat constrained by the techniques and materials available. Once you have a plan, and if you have storage space, you can look for good quality materials at ReStore and similar. The staff are usually really helpful, and you keep good materials out of the waste stream. Maybe volunteer for Habitat, get a closer look at the process.
You may at some point need to sell the house. Age happens. So build something that isn't too far from norms, that can be used flexibly. Good luck.
posted by theora55 at 11:42 AM on March 7, 2023 [4 favorites]
Building is somewhat constrained by the techniques and materials available. Once you have a plan, and if you have storage space, you can look for good quality materials at ReStore and similar. The staff are usually really helpful, and you keep good materials out of the waste stream. Maybe volunteer for Habitat, get a closer look at the process.
You may at some point need to sell the house. Age happens. So build something that isn't too far from norms, that can be used flexibly. Good luck.
posted by theora55 at 11:42 AM on March 7, 2023 [4 favorites]
If you're thinking about minimizing issues for aging in place, it's really important to consider transportation and medical care. If you can't get up stairs, you might not be able to drive, and you might need a higher level of medical care and specialists who aren't available in the community. How far is the closest hospital? How far is the closest good hospital? Is there ambulance and fire service and how quickly can they arrive? Aging in a rural area is even harder than aging in a city or town. Services might be more limited (what if you need a home health nurse, for example), and you might have to go further to find the care and supplies you need.
And community is really important too. When you live someplace, rather than just visit, it's important to be able to be part of a community of like-minded folks. Who will your community be, if not the folks in trailers and McMansions? Those folks in trailers will be your neighbors.
I lived in the mountains in a custom home (built by my now-ex) on several acres, and the incredible car-dependence of that lifestyle is unavoidable. We had to drive 13 miles to the grocery store. I didn't make or need a lot of money, and I spent my leisure time reading and in the outdoors and with friends over, but calling it a "simple" life when it requires a really expensive vehicle for each person seems not quite right.
Building a custom home in a mountainous area can require digging for septic, putting in a long driveway, clearing a buildable area. Land is expensive when it's ready to go and convenient to town.
So I'd be really careful before investing in a custom home, because it will take longer and be more expensive than you realize, and it'll be even more emotionally fraught to leave it if you decide mountain life isn't for you. I'd say, keep looking in the area of interest. It would be much less of a financial and emotional to find an acceptable home and live there for a while and maybe do some renovations, or see if you can rent for the longer term.
If you've just started looking, take some time and really see what might come on the market over a year or two, because you won't be able to build a home that quickly most likely anyway. Spend more time in the area, living all year, not just the nicer season when tourism is higher. See if there are folks there you can connect with as friends. There are lots of folks who do what you do and then leave pretty quickly after moving to the new place because it's much more of an adjustment than they realized.
posted by bluedaisy at 12:15 PM on March 7, 2023 [10 favorites]
And community is really important too. When you live someplace, rather than just visit, it's important to be able to be part of a community of like-minded folks. Who will your community be, if not the folks in trailers and McMansions? Those folks in trailers will be your neighbors.
I lived in the mountains in a custom home (built by my now-ex) on several acres, and the incredible car-dependence of that lifestyle is unavoidable. We had to drive 13 miles to the grocery store. I didn't make or need a lot of money, and I spent my leisure time reading and in the outdoors and with friends over, but calling it a "simple" life when it requires a really expensive vehicle for each person seems not quite right.
Building a custom home in a mountainous area can require digging for septic, putting in a long driveway, clearing a buildable area. Land is expensive when it's ready to go and convenient to town.
So I'd be really careful before investing in a custom home, because it will take longer and be more expensive than you realize, and it'll be even more emotionally fraught to leave it if you decide mountain life isn't for you. I'd say, keep looking in the area of interest. It would be much less of a financial and emotional to find an acceptable home and live there for a while and maybe do some renovations, or see if you can rent for the longer term.
If you've just started looking, take some time and really see what might come on the market over a year or two, because you won't be able to build a home that quickly most likely anyway. Spend more time in the area, living all year, not just the nicer season when tourism is higher. See if there are folks there you can connect with as friends. There are lots of folks who do what you do and then leave pretty quickly after moving to the new place because it's much more of an adjustment than they realized.
posted by bluedaisy at 12:15 PM on March 7, 2023 [10 favorites]
Yes to the many cautions above.
A few words on bringing in a pre-built home. We had located a plausible lot in Massachusetts and went out to the Blu Home factory in western Mass. to see a small modular home that could be delivered on a truck and hoisted in place. Blu Home people came to look at our site and said nope, the crane delivery wouldn't work, they'd have to turn off all the power on the street (for three days!) to get the unit on the lot. Way to make friends with your neighbors.
That company closed the New England factory. Just to say so many ways to be surprised.
Depending on where you are, a prefabricated home--panelized construction or fully built and delivered with appliances--could save some headaches, or introduce new ones.
posted by xaryts at 12:40 PM on March 7, 2023 [2 favorites]
A few words on bringing in a pre-built home. We had located a plausible lot in Massachusetts and went out to the Blu Home factory in western Mass. to see a small modular home that could be delivered on a truck and hoisted in place. Blu Home people came to look at our site and said nope, the crane delivery wouldn't work, they'd have to turn off all the power on the street (for three days!) to get the unit on the lot. Way to make friends with your neighbors.
That company closed the New England factory. Just to say so many ways to be surprised.
Depending on where you are, a prefabricated home--panelized construction or fully built and delivered with appliances--could save some headaches, or introduce new ones.
posted by xaryts at 12:40 PM on March 7, 2023 [2 favorites]
A shop/garage + a studio/cabin + a tiny house sounds like 3 sets of permits for 1 bathroom.
posted by Press Butt.on to Check at 12:50 PM on March 7, 2023 [8 favorites]
posted by Press Butt.on to Check at 12:50 PM on March 7, 2023 [8 favorites]
I would add a few things to the great advice/thoughts above. One, I built in the Adirondacks. To do so required APA approval on a lot of things. the APA is a government agency that administers the ADK park. If there is such an agency or government entity that has jurisdiction over the property beyond just local government, be prepared to "discuss" (read as "fight") with them on many aspects of the build. For example, you talk about potentially 3 small buildings. I was allowed 2 buildings on my property but wanted to add a boathouse. The size and uses of the boathouse was a contention. You may be limited to the number of dwellings or buildings either per acre or per property, etc.
When looking to hire professionals, find those that have local contacts with the building inspectors, permitting people etc. I hired what I would call an expediter to get a CO from the town. He was previously the person who did the inspection in the town who went out on his own. He had lots fo contacts in the office still. Anything in a grey area, he got approved.
I would talk to one of the architects who did the McMansions. They might have good advice and or steer you to local professionals who can help.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 12:52 PM on March 7, 2023 [2 favorites]
When looking to hire professionals, find those that have local contacts with the building inspectors, permitting people etc. I hired what I would call an expediter to get a CO from the town. He was previously the person who did the inspection in the town who went out on his own. He had lots fo contacts in the office still. Anything in a grey area, he got approved.
I would talk to one of the architects who did the McMansions. They might have good advice and or steer you to local professionals who can help.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 12:52 PM on March 7, 2023 [2 favorites]
A shop/garage + a studio/cabin + a tiny house sounds like 3 sets of permits for 1 bathroom.
That sounded snarkier than intended, so to add a hopefully more helpful addendum: I would look for a place that already checks one of those boxes. People often get started developing land with a garage for instance and then change plans & decide to sell at that point. Or a farm parcel is divided and one chunk got the small barn by the pond or something.
posted by Press Butt.on to Check at 1:02 PM on March 7, 2023 [3 favorites]
That sounded snarkier than intended, so to add a hopefully more helpful addendum: I would look for a place that already checks one of those boxes. People often get started developing land with a garage for instance and then change plans & decide to sell at that point. Or a farm parcel is divided and one chunk got the small barn by the pond or something.
posted by Press Butt.on to Check at 1:02 PM on March 7, 2023 [3 favorites]
Response by poster: Thanks for all the helpful information. Both my husband and I grew up in very rural northern communities, so we're aware that going back to a rural area would mean that our aging experience would be similar to our parents. On the other hand, even urban health care in my province (Alberta) is deteriorating to an extent that staying in the city might have the same challenges as well. This is definitely early days (took our first winter trip to the area we're considering last month) so just absorbing information about what's possible/probable. While we have significant budget, it's also not infinite.
The only thing that may force us to decide earlier is if Alberta pulls out of the Canada Pension Plan, as that could negatively affect the very retirement we want in a big way, regardless of where we end up. I don't think I want to be an Alberta resident if my premier is going to bet all my pensions on some crypto scam. (I sort of jest with that, but she's also just crazy enough to do it.)
posted by Kurichina at 1:51 PM on March 7, 2023 [1 favorite]
The only thing that may force us to decide earlier is if Alberta pulls out of the Canada Pension Plan, as that could negatively affect the very retirement we want in a big way, regardless of where we end up. I don't think I want to be an Alberta resident if my premier is going to bet all my pensions on some crypto scam. (I sort of jest with that, but she's also just crazy enough to do it.)
posted by Kurichina at 1:51 PM on March 7, 2023 [1 favorite]
A shop/garage + a studio/cabin + a tiny house sounds like 3 sets of permits for 1 bathroom.
That sounded snarkier than intended
There's a good point in there though - just, think a bit more deeply about the whole concept of "buying a house is too expensive, so ... we're going to construct three entirely new separate structures on virgin land with no existing services." It's a bit of a non sequitur.
I don't know what savings having three different structures is supposed to bring about vs combining a couple or all of them into one. Why not a space-efficient 2-bedroom cottage with a garage/shop? Why ensure that you have to do snow removal in the mountains any time you want to leave your living quarters, that you're intending to reach old age in, to do crafts or exercise?
posted by LionIndex at 3:14 PM on March 7, 2023 [3 favorites]
That sounded snarkier than intended
There's a good point in there though - just, think a bit more deeply about the whole concept of "buying a house is too expensive, so ... we're going to construct three entirely new separate structures on virgin land with no existing services." It's a bit of a non sequitur.
I don't know what savings having three different structures is supposed to bring about vs combining a couple or all of them into one. Why not a space-efficient 2-bedroom cottage with a garage/shop? Why ensure that you have to do snow removal in the mountains any time you want to leave your living quarters, that you're intending to reach old age in, to do crafts or exercise?
posted by LionIndex at 3:14 PM on March 7, 2023 [3 favorites]
Best answer: I have designed and then built with my own hands, my dream house. It was frustrating and cost more and took way longer than expected. Like bondcliff, I would do it again if I had the opportunity.
Given your specific desires for a lot of 'workshop' space and a small home, my first thought was that a large portal-framed steel shed would be a great starting point, as long as the resulting aesthetic would work for you. Starting with a large enclosed structure, you can designate as much or as little of that for living space as you want and simply built a lovely cozy home within that structure. This keeps everything under one roof and also means you can quickly and cheaply build a weather-proof shell and then you are not at the whim of the weather to build the rest. Assuming (based on 'mountains') this is somewhere cold and snow is an issue, you would never have to go outside to move from living to workshop spaces and you have a single structure that requires little or no outside maintenance. This would not work for everyone, but it's the way I would go if I were to build a rural home, because my desires are similar to your husband's and my wife's similar to yours.
posted by dg at 4:25 PM on March 7, 2023 [6 favorites]
Given your specific desires for a lot of 'workshop' space and a small home, my first thought was that a large portal-framed steel shed would be a great starting point, as long as the resulting aesthetic would work for you. Starting with a large enclosed structure, you can designate as much or as little of that for living space as you want and simply built a lovely cozy home within that structure. This keeps everything under one roof and also means you can quickly and cheaply build a weather-proof shell and then you are not at the whim of the weather to build the rest. Assuming (based on 'mountains') this is somewhere cold and snow is an issue, you would never have to go outside to move from living to workshop spaces and you have a single structure that requires little or no outside maintenance. This would not work for everyone, but it's the way I would go if I were to build a rural home, because my desires are similar to your husband's and my wife's similar to yours.
posted by dg at 4:25 PM on March 7, 2023 [6 favorites]
Best answer: As a caveat I live in Australia so maybe not much of what I could share will apply to you. However...
The one thing that really opened my eyes is construction standards. Building work is a subcontracting game all the way down. You get dozens of different trades subcontracted to work on different aspects of the house, won by the lowest bidder, sometimes flat out cash jobs done by workers without a visa or qualifications.
The builder is in theory on the hook for warranty issues. But you don't want it to get to that point. It's not uncommon (we did) to get your own independent inspectors to look through the structure at each stage of construction - inspect moulds before foundation is poured, inspect foundation work after, inspect framing, inspect electrical and plumbing before plaster goes over the interior walls, inspect waterproofing before tiles go over it, etc. These people are usually lecturers who teach the building code at trades schools looking for lucrative work on the side. After each walkthrough they issue a report citing chapter and verse of the national building code highlighting with photographic evidence any deviations, and you then use that to negotiate with the builder to rectify those deviations, or to use as evidence later if you need to go to the tribunal or court over a building defect. We got a 30 page document after each walkthrough highlighting two dozen deviations from national standards. Improper load transfer through roof truss. Incorrect pier placement during foundation work. Improperly installed flashing. Even that didn't pick up some issues, poor waterproofing in the shower lip led to water running under the tiles and damaging an architrave which needed to be replaced. The builder had 2 weeks to bring the trades back to rectify the issues, then I'd do a walkthrough with the manager and tick off all the repairs together.
After going through the process, I am actually (slightly) shocked anyone dares buy a house they DIDN'T personally witness getting built. Every stage of construction obscures the previous: you can't inspect the molds and forms after the foundation is poured, you can't inspect the piping and wiring after the plaster goes on, you can't inspect the waterproofing after the tiles go on.
posted by xdvesper at 5:43 AM on March 8, 2023 [3 favorites]
The one thing that really opened my eyes is construction standards. Building work is a subcontracting game all the way down. You get dozens of different trades subcontracted to work on different aspects of the house, won by the lowest bidder, sometimes flat out cash jobs done by workers without a visa or qualifications.
The builder is in theory on the hook for warranty issues. But you don't want it to get to that point. It's not uncommon (we did) to get your own independent inspectors to look through the structure at each stage of construction - inspect moulds before foundation is poured, inspect foundation work after, inspect framing, inspect electrical and plumbing before plaster goes over the interior walls, inspect waterproofing before tiles go over it, etc. These people are usually lecturers who teach the building code at trades schools looking for lucrative work on the side. After each walkthrough they issue a report citing chapter and verse of the national building code highlighting with photographic evidence any deviations, and you then use that to negotiate with the builder to rectify those deviations, or to use as evidence later if you need to go to the tribunal or court over a building defect. We got a 30 page document after each walkthrough highlighting two dozen deviations from national standards. Improper load transfer through roof truss. Incorrect pier placement during foundation work. Improperly installed flashing. Even that didn't pick up some issues, poor waterproofing in the shower lip led to water running under the tiles and damaging an architrave which needed to be replaced. The builder had 2 weeks to bring the trades back to rectify the issues, then I'd do a walkthrough with the manager and tick off all the repairs together.
After going through the process, I am actually (slightly) shocked anyone dares buy a house they DIDN'T personally witness getting built. Every stage of construction obscures the previous: you can't inspect the molds and forms after the foundation is poured, you can't inspect the piping and wiring after the plaster goes on, you can't inspect the waterproofing after the tiles go on.
posted by xdvesper at 5:43 AM on March 8, 2023 [3 favorites]
Response by poster: For those curious the reason why I imagined separate buildings is that there are likely spaces where the ideal type of workshop for my husband (a large farm-style shop) may already be built. He could make do with a garage, but a proper shop would be better. The reason I imagined the home gym to be a separate building is because the ceiling height I'd want to do aerials isn't available in most homes. But people build cabins with high ceilings. Neither of the "hobby" spaces would need to be heated in the same way a home would in the winter. You only need to keep a shop a little bit above freezing, and having a cooler space is better for exercise.
I imagined that we'd need a bobcat or similar if outside of the city to clear a driveway anyway, because that's what everyone does in the area I'm looking at.
We currently live in a bungalow that we bought solely to have a garage for hobbies but the house itself has more indoor space (but not high enough ceilings that I can do my activities in the house) than we need and heating is just going up and up. It's one the costs I'm most sensitive to. And I'm cleaning cat hair out of areas that I never enjoy. If you only factored in living space, the small condo we used to live in was more than adequate - but not if you want to have a full mechanic's set up.
Dg's idea actually reminds me something I saw done by a neighbour when visiting my dad a few years ago (who also left Alberta for the BC mountains when retiring). I may see if I can ask them about how designed their living space when I visit his partner again.
Anyway, don't want to thread sit. Thanks again to those that shared their experiences.
posted by Kurichina at 8:02 AM on March 8, 2023
I imagined that we'd need a bobcat or similar if outside of the city to clear a driveway anyway, because that's what everyone does in the area I'm looking at.
We currently live in a bungalow that we bought solely to have a garage for hobbies but the house itself has more indoor space (but not high enough ceilings that I can do my activities in the house) than we need and heating is just going up and up. It's one the costs I'm most sensitive to. And I'm cleaning cat hair out of areas that I never enjoy. If you only factored in living space, the small condo we used to live in was more than adequate - but not if you want to have a full mechanic's set up.
Dg's idea actually reminds me something I saw done by a neighbour when visiting my dad a few years ago (who also left Alberta for the BC mountains when retiring). I may see if I can ask them about how designed their living space when I visit his partner again.
Anyway, don't want to thread sit. Thanks again to those that shared their experiences.
posted by Kurichina at 8:02 AM on March 8, 2023
For those curious the reason why I imagined separate buildings is that there are likely spaces where the ideal type of workshop for my husband (a large farm-style shop) may already be built. He could make do with a garage, but a proper shop would be better. The reason I imagined the home gym to be a separate building is because the ceiling height I'd want to do aerials isn't available in most homes. But people build cabins with high ceilings. Neither of the "hobby" spaces would need to be heated in the same way a home would in the winter. You only need to keep a shop a little bit above freezing, and having a cooler space is better for exercise.
Right, but I think you're making a number of assumptions that don't really carry water. If you're planning on building a new structure, why not design it to actually meet your needs? What reason is there that a garage space could not also meet your husband's needs for a shop simultaneously? Why are you assuming that a second bedroom that you could use as an exercise/craft space couldn't have a higher ceiling than other rooms? Both of those things are possible, along with having different heating/cooling needs than what you're considering the "living quarters" of your building, in a way that to me seems a lot more economical than building three separate structures.
I'd also just generally challenge your base assumption on the whole thing - living on the cheap in the mountains sounds idyllic, like something a lot of people would love to do. How often is that actually happening? Why are all the new builds McMansions?
posted by LionIndex at 8:57 AM on March 8, 2023
Right, but I think you're making a number of assumptions that don't really carry water. If you're planning on building a new structure, why not design it to actually meet your needs? What reason is there that a garage space could not also meet your husband's needs for a shop simultaneously? Why are you assuming that a second bedroom that you could use as an exercise/craft space couldn't have a higher ceiling than other rooms? Both of those things are possible, along with having different heating/cooling needs than what you're considering the "living quarters" of your building, in a way that to me seems a lot more economical than building three separate structures.
I'd also just generally challenge your base assumption on the whole thing - living on the cheap in the mountains sounds idyllic, like something a lot of people would love to do. How often is that actually happening? Why are all the new builds McMansions?
posted by LionIndex at 8:57 AM on March 8, 2023
Response by poster: Why are tacky McMansions built anywhere with any level of recreational amenities and natural beauty? There are economists that can tackle the question, but a lot of it probably comes down to tastes and preferences that I don't share. Different people have different lifestyle aspirations, informed by their own values and life experiences.
posted by Kurichina at 11:13 AM on March 8, 2023
posted by Kurichina at 11:13 AM on March 8, 2023
Neither of the "hobby" spaces would need to be heated in the same way a home would in the winter. You only need to keep a shop a little bit above freezing, and having a cooler space is better for exercise.
This was part of my thinking (although I live in an area with a year-round average of 23c, so don't know much about what it takes to keep spaces in sub-zero temperatures liveable). You can insulate a larger space well enough for what you need for a workshop etc and having the living part inside that structure captures any heat lost to at least partly heat the 'hobby' areas. If the aesthetic works for you (somewhat industrial, but definitely on the practical rather than beautiful side), it's definitely possible to have your cake and eat it too in your scenario. Industrial-style buildings are very cheap to build compared with domestic and your husband can have a workshop that's the envy of everyone (including me).
posted by dg at 2:30 PM on March 8, 2023 [1 favorite]
This was part of my thinking (although I live in an area with a year-round average of 23c, so don't know much about what it takes to keep spaces in sub-zero temperatures liveable). You can insulate a larger space well enough for what you need for a workshop etc and having the living part inside that structure captures any heat lost to at least partly heat the 'hobby' areas. If the aesthetic works for you (somewhat industrial, but definitely on the practical rather than beautiful side), it's definitely possible to have your cake and eat it too in your scenario. Industrial-style buildings are very cheap to build compared with domestic and your husband can have a workshop that's the envy of everyone (including me).
posted by dg at 2:30 PM on March 8, 2023 [1 favorite]
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Get an architect. That's the number one thing. They will act somewhat as a project manager and will make sure the contractor builds the house as specified. You'd think that'd just be a thing that contractors do, but almost every assumption I had about how things might get done turned out to be wrong.
Live close enough that you and the architect can inspect things on a regular basis.
Towards the end of the project you'll be so ready to be done and so tired of the whole thing that you'll have less patience for inspecting things and asking things to be re-done. While you want to be vigilant through the whole project, towards the end is when you'll really need to be picky. That's the finish work. That's the stuff you'll see every single day forever. If a framing member is off by 1/4 inch you won't notice. If a tile is off by that much, you'll notice.
Make decisions about things like tiles and fixtures long before you need them. One day the GM will just be like "the tile crew is coming on Monday so you need to decide what kind of tile you want in the bathroom."
Read House by Tracey Kidder.
It was a long, fun, frustrating project that I am very glad to have behind me. If I had the money and a reason, I'd do it again.
posted by bondcliff at 10:55 AM on March 7, 2023 [13 favorites]