What can go wrong when building?

Many think they can "Owner Build" but you should read this first.

I've been an Owner Builder, I was one at the young age of 24. My parents were owner builders many times. They have moved three houses, renovated two and built seven. My sister and brother both currently hold owner builder permits.

I've also, as an architect, seen many clients owner build.

Most owner build to save money. You may. You may not. Most likely you will not.

Also it will take you longer. If you are paying morgage on the land you have purchsed or the existing house and renting, extra time may not be financialy smart. To give you an idea, a good builder can construct a house in 36-42 weeks. I took me three years. One owner builder client took four. My brother recently with my father full time tracking things down for him took over a year and a half. Lets calculte the cost. The rent per week say $400 42 weeks compared to 78 weeks is 36 weeks, thats $14,000 dollars minium. Now you could save the builders margin which is 15% of the contract, For a 250,000 house is $37,500. But then you will pay more for everything, about 5%. Even that item on sale, the builder may be able to get for the same price, or cheaper. At 5% that is $12,500. So the real saving here is only $11,000. But then you will have to take time off work to organise things. If you are paid $1,000 a week, you have saved 11 weeks work. Chances are over the year and a hlaf you will have put in much more time than that labouring, organising things and co-ordinating trades! And then you missed out on lots of leisure.

You save much more if you live on site. This is not possible with a new house. Living in a construction site is not fun for most people and guaranteed to ensure that the project is never really finished. I happen to like living on a construction site, and I do not mind things like temporary plywood as a door, drafts from things not sealed properly and dirt and dust. And none, I repeat none, of the houses I have lived in which have been owner built have been finished. They were finished a few days after they went up for sale, and in one case just before the contract was signed. By unfinished I mean, missing doors, missing door handles, no light fittings, no skirting, exposed framing, unpainted things. It just takes time and we all worked. As a guide when the house if locked up it is only half complete and it takes longer to finish the second half.