SHOULD I BUILD MY OWN PROJECT
A lot of people love to DIY things, fix their cars on the weekends, do their own taxes, and so on. Inevitably, this temptation hits most people looking to build a home, and they start to ask themselves, can I build my own project? This burning question usually appears once they have already talked to a general contractor and have discovered that going with one adds a 15-20% premium to the cost of the project. Thus starts a negative slide into the false assumption that “I can do it myself!” Here are 3 Reasons why anyone building a home should immediately abandon the idea of self-performance. Most Common Mistakes in a Self-Build
1. It Will Not Be Good Quality
A quality builder is someone who has spent years researching materials, techniques, building science, and investing in sub-contractor relationships that guarantee the best craftsmanship. Unless you are willing to spend the same amount of time preparing to build your own house, it will be nearly impossible to replicate the same finished product that a good builder can provide.
2. It Will Be MORE Expensive
The 15-20% savings by building the project yourself will re-appear in many ways, and probably be much more on the bottom line. You are likely to not consider everything needed for the job and run into critical delays and change orders along the way. Also, the time required to manage a project will result in increased stress, poor health, and time lost at your regular occupation.
3. It Will Take a Long Time
I already spent time discussing this in number 2, but the project will take a lot longer than expected. Even the best builders in the market have unexpected delays. Supply chain issues, sub schedules, and price increases all happen in a project. Compound those things with not knowing how to schedule a project, it drags out the construction process. We have all seen the 1/2 finished house around town; don’t let that be yours!
HIRE PROFESSIONALS
A builder may be more expensive on paper, but the hidden costs of trying to build your own project are immense. The project will run way smoother, and be a better end result than if you try to do it yourself. You wouldn’t try to perform an operation on yourself in a hospital would you? Let the professional architects and builders do their job, hire a professional, do not try to build your own house.
