I'm going to be building a modest split-level home this spring – 1900 sqft – in Madison, WI. Should I expect the cost of materials to be lower or higher than it was to build the exact same house 6 months ago? [more inside]
posted on Apr 22, 2008 - 10 answers

I want to build a house: 1,500 sq.ft., passive solar/energy efficient features, $100,000 - possible? [more inside]
posted on Mar 7, 2008 - 25 answers

Is Habitat for Humanity fun? How does living (or not living) in the volunteer housing affect the experience? Tell me about your experiences...
posted on Sep 29, 2006 - 13 answers

I bumped into my neighbour the other day and he asked to meet with us and his neighbours on the other side. Apparently it is a legal requirement in Ontario that when you undertake serious renovations that you discuss it with the neighbours. So I asked him what he planned on doing. His response: we're going to demolish the existing house and build a new one. [more inside]
posted on Jul 8, 2006 - 16 answers

Can anyone recommend a good contractor / home builder in the Boston / Metrowest area? [more inside]
posted on Apr 25, 2006 - 6 answers

What are some advantages and disadvantages of buying a newly built home? [more inside]
posted on Feb 2, 2006 - 19 answers

Is it cheaper to buy a house or build one from scratch? [more inside]
posted on Nov 14, 2005 - 18 answers

What causes houses to "beat"? It's very windy here in St. Louis today, and every time the wind really kicks up, I hear a distinct "hoom, hoom, hoom", at a frequency of about one per second. When I was a kid, i thought it was the spinning vents in the attic, by the house I live in now doesn't have those. Spurred by this thread on beat frequencies, I thought I'd pose the question to the AskMe hive.
posted on Mar 20, 2004 - 13 answers