Are you building a house on a budget? Wondering if you can really afford it? I have been there, and I’m here to tell you that you can do it. We recently finished building our new house, and I will tell you exactly what we did to save a big chunk of money (about $30,000). So, these are some of the ways we saved the most money building our house:
Building a House on a Budget #1: Be your own general contractor
General contractors should have a specific contract for clients that wish to be owner-builders. We did a version of this for our house. We had a general contractor we could ask questions to and would offer up their contacts, but we did a lot ourselves. Some of the things we did ourselves building a house, besides what I have outlined below: clean up/sweep the job site (pretty much every day), chose our own contractors and coordinated them, order our own finish materials (flooring, paint, fixtures, etc.).
Building a House on a Budget #2: Complete Your Own Permit Applications
Depending on the jurisdiction, the cost to get your permits can be anywhere from $500-$2000. If you leave the permits up to your general contractor, he will tack on a fee for doing them. Our contractor was going to charge us $1500 for all of our permits, but since I did them, we saved at least $500.
If the thought of filling out all the paperwork sounds daunting to you, like it did to me, then you need this guide I made. It includes all of our permit papers, applications, and site maps so you can use them as a reference for filling out yours. Obviously, you will have to contact your jurisdiction to get the applications for your area, but they will likely be very similar. The only way I got through this paperwork was after finding my MILs applications from when she built a barn. LIFE. SAVER. Building a house is a lot. Take the help when it’s offered!
If you’re not sure and want more info about what’s inside this guide, click here >>
Building a House on a Budget #3: Auction Items
Beware, auctions can be addicting! But you can get some great items through them! Stay away from appliances though because you won’t get the warranty that you’d get when buying them from a store. Also, somethings may come damaged or missing pieces, so be sure to read the descriptions carefully and know you may not get exactly what you thought. Things we bought on auction include: shower curtain rods, door stoppers, door knobs, laundry/mudroom cabinets, bathroom vanity, and bathroom mirrors. Check out auction sites in your area to see what you can find!
Building a House on a Budget #4: Habitat for Humanity Resale Store and Facebook Marketplace
Your local Habitat for Humanity Resale Store and Facebook Marketplace are great places to look for various things when building a home. People are always getting rid of things especially if they’re renovating – doors, windows, stone or brick (think fireplace!). If you’re feeling extra motivated, keep an eye out for dressers or buffet tables that could be refinished and made into a bathroom vanity. Get creative!
Building a House on a Budget #5: Holiday Deals
If you can plan ahead and figure out what style bathrooms you want, appliances, fixtures, etc. use holiday deals to purchase some of these things. We bought our master bathroom vanity and bathtub on a Black Friday deal (pictured below) and saved $600! Pick out your big ticket items as soon as possible so you can take advantage of those deals.
Building a House on a Budget #6: Do Some of the Work Yourself
When building a house, a lot of your money goes towards labor, so if you’re able to do some stuff yourself, you should. If you can stand painting, that alone will save you several thousand dollars. Also, installing your own flooring and tile will save you TONS of money. In addition, my husband did all the trim, and closet shelving. With YouTube, you can learn how to do literally anything. Yes, it will take some time, but if you have the time and are willing to put in the work, your bank account will thank you!
Building a House on a Budget #7: Shop Around
Don’t think that just because your general contractor recommends something for your home it means you’re getting the best deal. Yes, sometimes they do get better deals, but shop around and compare prices and quality. Our contractor said we couldn’t get a better deal on carpet than using his guy. Upon looking at his guys carpet, it was terrible quality. I told him no before even looking elsewhere (that’s how bad it was!). From there, I went to a local carpet place and looked at their remnants, chose a few that were close in color (these were for separate rooms), high quality with the best padding, all for the same price as my contractors carpet guy! Talk about a rip off.
Besides the time and money you have to put into a brand new house, building a house is so much fun! You definitely won’t regret it once you’re all moved in and can see how beautiful it’s turned out. If you have some time to shop around and compare prices, I highly recommend it. You want to be able to enjoy your new house for many years to come.