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Started By
Message
school me on building a house
Posted on 4/13/20 at 9:43 am
Posted on 4/13/20 at 9:43 am
Hi all. I am currently in the planning stages of acquiring a piece of property in St. Tammany parish and building a house on it. I've never built a house. The property will be somewhere around 7-10 acres wooded. I don't plan to clear but maybe an acre or so to build. The property will be in Flood Zone X and the house will not be raised. Tentatively, the house will be between ~3000sqft living.
The purpose of this thread is hopefully to get some insight from you guys that have done this before as to what exactly I need to be doing/what works/what doesn't work. I want to make sure I'm preparing and planning for this the right way. Currently, I'm just looking for the right piece of property. In the meantime, I plan to look through a lot of house plans over the next few months, then combine some things I like and get those to a draftsman that I know.
What are some things you maybe wish you had known going into building your first house? Should I hire a land planner? I'd love to eventually have a barn and a 2-3 acre pond on this property as well.
Also, what are some things that you guys recommend incorporating into a house? I plan to spend a decent amount of money (comparatively) on the outdoor areas because I spend most of my time outside. I also plan to spend a good bit on the kitchen and master bath/shower/etc. because those are important areas to me.
These questions are pretty broad, but like I said, this is new territory for me and any insight is appreciated.
The purpose of this thread is hopefully to get some insight from you guys that have done this before as to what exactly I need to be doing/what works/what doesn't work. I want to make sure I'm preparing and planning for this the right way. Currently, I'm just looking for the right piece of property. In the meantime, I plan to look through a lot of house plans over the next few months, then combine some things I like and get those to a draftsman that I know.
What are some things you maybe wish you had known going into building your first house? Should I hire a land planner? I'd love to eventually have a barn and a 2-3 acre pond on this property as well.
Also, what are some things that you guys recommend incorporating into a house? I plan to spend a decent amount of money (comparatively) on the outdoor areas because I spend most of my time outside. I also plan to spend a good bit on the kitchen and master bath/shower/etc. because those are important areas to me.
These questions are pretty broad, but like I said, this is new territory for me and any insight is appreciated.
5
Posted on 4/13/20 at 10:10 am to atom1505
I built in St Tammany in 2017. Knowing what I know now, i would make sure to only hire contractors who are aware of all of St Tammany rules and regulations to streamline the process of permitting and inspections.
There is a $3500 "Environmental Impact Fee" to issue a building permit. This is in addition to the building permit fee. Also read up on the "no net fill" regulations regarding bringing dirt in to a build site. I'm not sure if it applies to the entire parish, but where I built, I had to pay someone to haul out as much dirt as I brought in to build on.
There is a $3500 "Environmental Impact Fee" to issue a building permit. This is in addition to the building permit fee. Also read up on the "no net fill" regulations regarding bringing dirt in to a build site. I'm not sure if it applies to the entire parish, but where I built, I had to pay someone to haul out as much dirt as I brought in to build on.
This post was edited on 4/13/20 at 10:12 am
Posted on 4/13/20 at 10:21 am to Tangineck
quote:
I had to pay someone to haul out as much dirt as I brought in to build on.
this is why you dig the pond at the same time as you bring in the fill for the house pad
Posted on 4/13/20 at 12:42 pm to atom1505
Start at the bottom and work up.
Posted on 4/13/20 at 1:10 pm to atom1505
Build you garage bigger than standard. Most pickups will not fit or barely fits in a standard length garage.
And if you have a boat, make it long enough for the boat and room long enough to walk around it.
And if you have a boat, make it long enough for the boat and room long enough to walk around it.
Posted on 4/13/20 at 1:59 pm to bbvdd
2nd on the garage size. I have a f150 and my wife a 4Runner. Both of us can open the doors and they won’t touch the other vehicle with room on the side as well. Very glad I took that advice.
Posted on 4/13/20 at 3:07 pm to corym52
quote:
2nd on the garage size. I have a f150 and my wife a 4Runner. Both of us can open the doors and they won’t touch the other vehicle with room on the side as well. Very glad I took that advice.
what are the dimensions of your garage? that's exactly what i hate about homes today...they don't consider that vehicles have gotten much bigger!
Posted on 4/13/20 at 3:42 pm to atom1505
Avoid wood windows, multiple roof pitches, and concrete flooring. Budget for gutters. Try to do as much on natural gas, if it’s available. Brick the outside and don’t paint it. Think of things that will reduce maintenance costs so you’re not coming back in 15 years replacing everything. If you’re handy build a shop. And storage space is underrated. Built-in shelving in your garage, and plywood your attic floor. Insulate with the best product available, closed cell foam insulation if you can. Make sure your eaves are far enough out to prevent splashing on your windows and doors. And don’t plant too close to your house. Put a 2-3 foot border of gravel around your house. Make sure the contractors clean up every day, and run a magnet around the house regularly to pick up nails. Also, be prepared to stop by every day and check on progress. And don’t be afraid to be a jerk.
Posted on 4/13/20 at 4:03 pm to cgrand
quote:
this is why you dig the pond at the same time as you bring in the fill for the house pad
I had considered this depending on how much dirt I wind up needing for a pad.
Thanks for all the advice y'all. Do y'all have resources you like to look through to get ideas or model house plans to work off of? Pinterest?
Posted on 4/13/20 at 4:38 pm to Goldbondage
quote:
build a shop.
This can be part of a construction loan?
Posted on 4/13/20 at 4:40 pm to bbvdd
quote:
Build you garage bigger than standard.
Came to say this very thing. My first home I could not fit my truck in the garage and barely a car in a "two car" garage. Built a nice big garage and can fit 2 f250s if I want, but now I need more space
Posted on 4/13/20 at 6:23 pm to indytiger
quote:
This can be part of a construction loan?
Unfortunately not. But if you have a little cash-flow a contractor will give you better pricing while they’re working on your house.
Posted on 4/13/20 at 7:24 pm to atom1505
I work at Cretin Townsend in Hammond. Without pushing our home building, our online tools are really nice. You can check out plans, 3d models, tons of pics, and we have a product builder where you can look at different items, styles, and colors.
I also really like what Madden Home design in Denham is doing, check his plan library out.
My advice, is banking is a mess right now be patient with lenders.
The poster talking about permitting in St. Tammany is spot on. I've had email confirmation on things that they change their mind on later in regards to filling a lot.
Many builders aren't doing a good job with communication. Make sure to rough in cat 6 and put junctions in for future communication lines. Like a PVC running to your attic from outside that are capped. Many people have fiber or cat 6 drilled through their walls.
Make a list of what's most important to you, like you mentioned outdoor living. There is no end to better. I've built 125k for people that left off stuff they wanted and I've built for people with 700k that left of stuff they wanted. There is no end in this market, know what's most important to you.
Find someone to build that makes you feel good about the process. People have fun building and people hate it. The people you work with make the difference.
I also really like what Madden Home design in Denham is doing, check his plan library out.
My advice, is banking is a mess right now be patient with lenders.
The poster talking about permitting in St. Tammany is spot on. I've had email confirmation on things that they change their mind on later in regards to filling a lot.
Many builders aren't doing a good job with communication. Make sure to rough in cat 6 and put junctions in for future communication lines. Like a PVC running to your attic from outside that are capped. Many people have fiber or cat 6 drilled through their walls.
Make a list of what's most important to you, like you mentioned outdoor living. There is no end to better. I've built 125k for people that left off stuff they wanted and I've built for people with 700k that left of stuff they wanted. There is no end in this market, know what's most important to you.
Find someone to build that makes you feel good about the process. People have fun building and people hate it. The people you work with make the difference.
Posted on 4/13/20 at 8:13 pm to PBD4BAMA
quote:
what are the dimensions of your garage? that's exactly what i hate about homes today...they don't consider that vehicles have gotten much bigger!
26 x 26. 10’ ceiling.
This post was edited on 4/13/20 at 8:14 pm
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