How to Plan, Contract and Build Your Own Home - Softcover

Richard M. Scutella; Dave Heberle

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0071346090 ISBN 13: 9780071346092

Publisher: McGraw-Hill Professional, 1999

Synopsis

On the many important and potentially expensive details that are normally left to the discretion of builders, this guide has been an acknowledged source of information, advice, and inspiration. This expanded second edition features new material on the planning and purchase of major appliances, garage designs and enhancements, plumbing and electrical wiring, energy-saving lighting options, home safety and security measured, and much more. Plus, the authors take a fresh look at vacation homes, multi-family dwellings, solar-powered, underground and kit structures.

About this title

From the Back Cover

• Save and get more from your money
• Pick the perfect site
• Minimize maintenance cost and effort
• Maximize indoor and outdoor space

There are countless reasons why building your own home makes good sense. But for most people, the chance to create the home they've always wanted is #1 on their list. And this all-in-one guide can help you every step of the way toward realizing your vision -- from hiring the right vendors to picking fixtures.

Whether it's basic planning ("What's your move-in date?") or construction methods ("Wood or steel?"), this trusted reference, now fully updated to cover new materials, techniques, energy-saving options, and environmentally friendly technologies and methods, is the most complete source for homebuilders available.

Written by experienced instructors and builders, and used by thousands of savvy buyers of custom and not-yet-built homes, How to Plan, Contract, and Build Your Own Home will help you:

• Select the right site and supervise its preparation
• Make wise decisions on floor plans, types of construction, framing, and foundations
• Plan for home office use, communications upgrades, "smart house" technology, and a home that will serve your needs throughout your life
• Choose the newest and most economical and efficient types of insulation, roofing, plumbing, wiring, and more
• Select amenities such as decks, patios, gazebos, sidewalks, and driveways
• Evaluate doing it yourself vs. subcontracting
• Know when you'll move in with a helpful calendar-style checklist
• Select the right mortgage

About the Author

Richard M. Scutella has written several books on new construction, home buying, home maintenance, and safety, including Homebuyer’s Checklist, Second Edition (Tab Books; 1993), and the first four editions of this book. He has designed and supervised the construction of many new homes.
Dave Heberle is the author of McGraw-Hill’s Construction Safety Manual and the co-author of the first four editions of this book. A former environmental and safety consultant, he currently manages investment real estate.

Edition details

• Publisher: McGraw-Hill Professional
• Publication date: 1999
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0071346090
• ISBN 13: 9780071346092
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 3
• Number of pages: 450