Will it be cheaper to build a home?
Mukul Sehgal
14 days ago
last modified: 13 days ago
Featured Answer
Sort by:Oldest
Comments (14)
Related Discussions
Home Siting Issues: Deciding where on a lot to put a house
Comments (20)amberm, we faced the same rules regarding facing our home to a side street-must face it to the address street. fortunately our plan was equally suited to facing to the address street. we live about as far south as you can get in southeast texas, so facing the house at an angle to the street which also happened to be due north was a good thing. the house has 12 ft wide back porch which faces south and southeast, garage is to the west, shading the west side of the house. 10 ft wide front porch extends almost the width of the house facing a lake the great room is almost all windows towards the south, but covered by the screened porch so heat gain is not bad (solar screens were installed on the wrap porch today and i was so happy to see they hardly cut down on the light in the house at all) porch overlooks 25 large live oaks and looking under them - while seated on the back porch, you see only rolling fields as far as you can see master bedroom and bath have windows to the south and east so we have nice morning sunlight also one of my favorite things prevailing southeasterly breezes so sitting on the back porch is wonderful we chose our plans almost 18 years ago and were so happy to find a site so suited to them (didn't purchase them until after we bought the land)...See MoreCheap house?
Comments (2)Why not hire a buyer's agent and let them put you on a search, through the MLS, that will send you EVERY foreclosed listing in your area. If you use only a dedicated site like the one mentioned above, you are not seeing the vast majority of your options....See MoreGC quotes same price/sq ft for building in a subdivision or on our lot
Comments (53)It's simple.. if someone else can build your house on your lot for 350K would you not choose them rather than someone who is going to charge you 400K. You didn't say there was someone else who would build your house for 350k. If you got a bid for 350k then why did you post the question in the first place? If you haven't got a bid for 350k then why are you assuming that someone will do it for 350k, if you are making up numbers why make up 350k? Why don't we just say 27 bucks? I mean 27 dollars for a brand new house would be a great deal so let's just use that imaginary number. Also, it's not always more expensive to build on your own lot. If you are smart enough, you would do some research before making generalizations like this one. I admit that I am kind of a dummy. Every single day I wonder why people pay me for my advice. Although. in this particular matter I am speaking from experience and I tell you unequivocally, that building a one off house on a lot developed by an owner IS MORE EXPENSIVE THAN BUILDING THE SAME HOUSE IN A MULTI-LOT MULTI-BUILD SITUATION. This is true every single time so long as the lots are similar. Now there are certain situations where that expense may not be passed on to the buyer. So if you are planning on sleeping with the developer you might get a better price....See MoreIs Building new Home always cheaper than purchasing an existing home?
Comments (11)I suspect that this question really can't be answered in any meaningful way without very specific information. In general, buying an existing home is cheaper than building a home, however, renovating is much more expensive than building. So the question becomes at what point are the costs of remodeling greater than the savings from buying existing, and the answer is simply not that concrete. For starters, some homes lend themselves to additions much better than other homes. Siding vs. brick, crawlspace vs. slab, etc. Additionally, there is the location problem. While it might be cheaper to build a house on an available lot, the total cost of ownership for a more suitably placed home might be lower. Parks, schools, groceries, etc. within walking distance will often make a house more suitable and lower commuter costs sufficiently to make up for the marginal costs of remodeling. Not to mention general quality of life issues when the location of a home enhances the way you live. Finally, depending on location, lot development can be a pretty important consideration. I have personally paused my home design as I labor over an extraordinary piece of property. It is absolutely everything I want, however, it is going to cost me seven figures just to develop the property into something I can build a house on, so those costs can be significant if no satisfactory lots are available. ---------------- As others have said, assuming there is a satisfactory larger home available, it will always be cheaper to find a way to acquire that rather than remodeling, however, if nothing works, you might not have many options. At some point a tear down starts making a lot of sense. I suspect your friends are actually naive about the costs of remodeling and are overvaluing the infrastructure available. However, we should allow that, that might not be the case....See MoreMukul Sehgal
14 days agodan1888
14 days agoZumi
14 days agolast modified: 14 days ago3onthetree
14 days agoJoseph Corlett, LLC
14 days agoDavid Cary
14 days agolast modified: 14 days agoMark Bischak, Architect
12 days agodan1888
12 days agochispa
12 days agoJeffrey R. Grenz, General Contractor
11 days agoMrs Pete
9 days ago
Related Stories
MATERIALSHow Lumber Shortages Are Affecting Home Builds Globally
Houzz editors around the world report on how countries are adapting to an unprecedented shortage of construction wood
Full StoryREMODELING GUIDESSo You Want to Build: 7 Steps to Creating a New Home
Get the house you envision — and even enjoy the process — by following this architect's guide to building a new home
Full StoryGREEN BUILDINGBuilding Green: How Your Home Ties Into Its Community
You can reduce your environmental footprint in a number of ways. Here are some ideas to consider when deciding where to live
Full StoryHOUZZ TOURSMy Houzz: A Portland Couple Builds Their Dream Retirement Home
An Oregon couple emphasizes indoor-outdoor living and accessible design in their energy-efficient, visitor-friendly house
Full StoryHOMES AROUND THE WORLDMy Houzz: When an Architect Builds Her Dream Home
This architect wasn’t afraid to make bold design choices, such as an upper-story central courtyard and a rooftop pool
Full StoryHOUZZ TOURSHouzz Tour: 3 Buildings Make for 1 Ideal Artist's Home
With a studio perched between a main suite and a guest cabana, a modern Texas home has all the bases covered
Full StoryARCHITECTURE3 Home Design Solutions to Challenging Building Lots
You don't need to throw in the towel on an irregular homesite; today's designers are finding innovative ways to rise to the challenge
Full StoryCONTEMPORARY HOMESHouzz Tour: Family Builds Its Dream Home on a Wooded Hillside
Light-filled spaces and modern furnishings suit an active family in a California foothill community
Full StoryHandmade Home: Build a Simple Flower Box
Inexpensive wood, a few tools and a little handiwork can yield a fresh look for your windows
Full StoryHOUZZ TOURSMy Houzz: Couple Build Their Dream Modern-Farmhouse-Style Home
A Texas interior designer and her family combine reclaimed wood, polished concrete, built-ins and vintage pieces in their new house
Full Story
just_janni