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Home building cost overruns can plague any home building or remodeling project. This occurs so frequently that it is recommended you include a 5 - 10% contingency fund in your budget. This will be used for items that you will have no control over, such as problems found with the land once excavation has begun.

Use the 5 tips in this article to control home building costs & minimize cost overruns.

Tip 1: Planning Your Home Building Costs Take the time to plan on paper what you want your house to look like. When doing your budget, visit stores to look at appliances, fixtures, cabinets, flooring, etc. In doing so, you will have a clearer idea of what you want and more importantly, what it will cost. Then, build that amount into your budget so there are no surprises later.

Tip 2: Specify Home Building Materials When working with a contractor, be sure that the specific materials you expect to be used are included in the bid and subsequently, in the contract. If your plans say wood floors and you are expecting teak and get oak, your recourse is limited because you did not specify it in writing.

Tip 3: Change Orders If you take the time to plan your home building project on paper before breaking ground, you can minimize the number of Change Orders. Change Orders frequently increase the cost of your project because they were not planned for in the original budgeting. If you agree to a change order and there is an expense involved, you are responsible for those costs unless the contractor has agreed he will pay for the change. Depending upon the extent of the change, it can involve modifying the original plans and having the local building authority review the changes including the labor and materials. Always keep an eye on any changes to the original plan and design and take the time to determine the financial impact of the change on your project. Changes to construction projects represent the single most common reason a project goes over budget and/or the completion is delayed. Take the time to plan before you build.

Tip 4: Size, Style and Shape of the Home These three factors can significantly contribute to the cost of building your dream home.

* Size - Work with even numbers and have your home size rounded up or down to increments of two (2) feet. This reduces wasted materials. Also, build a home no deeper than 32 feet to eliminate the need for specially designed trusses.
* Style - Typically, it will cost less to build a two-story home than a one-story home of similar square footage. A two-story home will have a smaller roof and foundation. In addition, plumbing and ventilation are more compact in two-story homes.
* Shape - Having more corners and angles will increase the amount of labor and materials needed to build your dream home. A rectangular or box shaped home will cost less to build.

Tip 5: Two Most Common Times for Cost Overruns The beginning of your home building & construction project - when you are doing excavation and possibly putting in a well. You won't know what is under the ground until you begin to excavate. If you are drilling for a well, you will have no control over how far down you will need to drill for water. This is where having a contingency fund is essential.

The second most common time for a cost overrun is near the end of the project when you are selecting your finishes, i.e., cabinets, counter-tops, lighting and plumbing fixtures, flooring, appliances, etc. If you took the time to shop around before you did your budget, you can more easily stay within your budget when you do your final selections.

Cost overruns are common in any home building project, but with knowledge and planning they can be kept within manageable boundaries.

Labels: Tips For Controlling Home Building Costs

Below you will find information about home builders in Georgia. Visit each home builders website to find more information about their new homes for sale and new home community locations.

Heritage Log Homes - Heritage Log Homes strives to bring home buyers the most comprehensive possible site when it comes to buying log homes over the internet. Heritage Log Homes now provides information on the Heritage Difference, which offers a list of absolutely everything that sets Heritage Log Homes apart from competing companies and other producers of fine log homes and similar structures. For example, Heritage Log Homes uses a proprietary Thru Bolt System, as well as an ecologically friendly log seasoning process. Located in Kodak, Tennessee, Heritage Log Homes offers home building expertise in numerous markets, cities and states all throughout the nation. For more information about Heritage Log Homes and their current and upcoming products not only in Snellville, Georgia but also throughout the United States, visit their website.

RTF Construction - RTF Construction is a commercial general contractor that is located within Atlanta, Georgia but that regularly services Snellville, Georgia by producing leasehold improvements, church construction, home building and numerous other forms of construction and building, which they have done for more than 16 years now. After 16 years of construction in Atlanta Georgia, RTF Construction feels confident in letting you know that they offer some of the best building in the industry. For more information about their residential construction and remodeling projects past, present and future in Snellville Georgia and other cities in Georgia, visit their personal website.

Meridian Homes - Meridian Homes builds new homes and communities in Georgia and South Carolina. Meridian Homes has several new home communities located in and around Snellville with new homes starting in the $100s. Meridian has been building new homes for over 12 years and has delivered more than 4,000 homes The Meridian Homes corporate offices are located in Loganville, Georgia. For more information about Meridian Homes visit their company website.

The information that has been cited above was gathered from each individual home builder's company website in September of 2008, and is considered to be reliable accordingly. If you want to find out more information about Snellville homes for sale as well as new Snellville home subdivisions, you should visit each home builder online.

Labels: Information About Home Builders in Georgia

In today's economy it's tougher and tougher to plan ahead. Unfortunately there are disasters that are of course outside of your circle of influence; disasters that may happen in the future. Even if you are a savvy investor there are companies that go under, even when they look good on paper, but that had some of your retirement plans when you thought they were doing great. The federal government is bailing investment and insurance firms out of the holes they dug themselves. What are you to do and who do you believe?

Is it still a good time to get house plans for building a bungalow of your dreams? That is a decision that only you can answer. It seems one of the biggest lessons in today's economy is that you need to research your investment options more than ever. Since many of the people who are giving advice have never been through an economy quite like this one, they may be shooting from the hip and may or may not hit the target.

There are still many great places to build your dream house based on the country house living magazine plan that you've been dreaming about for years. If you use the computer at all and pay attention to any of the news, you will have seen surveys on the best places to live, the friendliest places, the least expensive, the most expensive, the best place to raise a family and many more. Not everything is going bad; you just need to find the good.

There still are those places where it makes sense to build a dream house and even luxury estate house plans mansions that may seem like extravagant in times like these. Just like in the Great Depression, times are not tough for everyone and many people have made good financial decisions that would allow them to put their money into a dream house.

Labels: Is Now a Good Time to Build Your Dream House

There are so many variables to take into consideration when looking at building your new home that it is a fun yet challenging proposition. There are many surveys out there that help you focus on places others have found to be the best. If you have a family you will be looking at things like the best places to raise a family, the best schools, the friendliest towns and other family oriented focuses. If you have already picked out your favorite authentic English country cottage house plans then you will just have to figure out where to put it.

If you are single and looking for a mate, some surveys actually let you know which cities have the best opportunities for finding a mate. It may be a great place to build your dream from your California bungalow house plans and then go out and search for your soul mate to help you fill it. Maybe you can find your dream mate prior to finding your favorite home plans. That way you can dream with your mate after finding them instead of hoping to find someone with the same dreams as the one you've already built.

If you are looking for a place that allows you to be in a community of people in the same income level, there are surveys that will let you know the median income level. Then when you build your dream home with your luxury Mediterranean house plan you know it will fit into the neighborhood. Surveys can often be misleading but these seem to be pretty good for finding what it is you think will make your life comfortable. Whether you are single, married, rich, poor, young and on the move or older and on the move you will find the best places to build your dream home.

Labels: Where Do You Build Your Dream House Plans

Not every person likes to buy an existing home when shopping for that dream spot on earth. For those who want to be the first one living in that new home, a home builder will pose the first obstacle in the building project.

In order to choose just the right builder for your project, you will first need to decide which type of house you will want to have constructed. There are two types of builders. The production builder and the custom builder.

The Production Home Builder

The production home is one that is designed on a large scale and mass produced as a "model". These models are often changed up a bit with available customizations and upgrades to the home. These upgrades are offered as part of a package added onto a base model home.

Production homes are often offered at a base price with additional costs being added to the final price for those last minute touches. When choosing a production home builder, it is best to buy the home as a package with all of the appliances and upgrades included. Adding these items individually can drive the price up higher than the market value may allow; leaving the owner with immediate negative equity in the home.

The Custom Builder

For the potential home owner who wants to build a home from scratch, a custom home builder will be able to help you along the process of planning the home and attaining all of the permits needed for the build. The potential home owner will have to purchase a plot of land, have the land surveyed and choose a set of plans for their home.

When choosing custom plans for a home, remember that these plans are only a guide. A custom home builder will be able to adjust the plans to your specifications before the final plans for the home are set in stone.

As the home progresses, the extra costs associated with incidentals will need to be taken into consideration when pricing the home and staying within budget.

Real estate is an investment and while many people love the immediate nature of buying an established home, for those who want to own a home of their own that is customized to their wants and needs of a builder is one of the best options.

Labels: Choosing the Right Home Builder For Your New Home

Both the theodolite and total station are tools used to measure horizontal and vertical angles during surveying and engineering projects. Each have particular pros and cons which can be utilized in various situations. In general, it will depend on the time, money, man power, and expertise you have available when deciding on the right tool for your job.

Although theodolites have been used for hundreds of years, the main operation of these tools remains the same. A theodolite consists of a moveable telescope mounted between a vertical and horizontal axes. The angle of each axes can be measured with fairly accurate precision as long as the operator has sufficient knowledge of the tool's use and basic trigonometry. However, the use of a theodolite generally requires the help of at least one other person besides the main operator to help measure and align angles. When precision counts, it is imperative that both operators are properly trained and understand all of the elements of gathering data; this may include leveling the tripod/theodolite and measuring stake, as well as aligning the stake and measuring line to gather accurate data, and finally use mathematical and graphical skills to generate the appropriate output.

The benefits of a total station will outweigh the downsides, in most cases, because of its all-inclusive features and digital integration. A total station integrates theodolite functions in order to measure angles and distance with an EDM (electronic distance meter). Total stations use a system of prisms and lasers to develop digital readings of all the measurements during your job. All of the information gathered with the total station is stored in an external computer where data can be manipulated and added to CAD programs. Robotic total stations are available that allow the operator to work alone with the use of a remote control.

A total station is generally superior to a theodolite because of its digital integration and precision. However, total stations are much more expensive and require not only surveying training, but specific product and software training as well. When completing surveying jobs that span large distances, especially over treacherous terrain, a total station will provide the most reliable and accurate results. For simple plots of smaller areas, a theodolite is sufficient. Before you purchase either tool, ensure it comes with the necessary accessories you'll need on the job. For a theodolite you will want a measuring stake and steel tape, a tripod, as well as grid paper and a pencil to record the data. In most cases, a total station will come with all the necessary accessories you need, however, some may not so always double check!

Labels: The Difference Between a Theodolite and a Total Station

With the costs rising this year higher than ever before, I like to share a few money saving tips when building your own house in Phuket, Thailand. You can use either some or all of these ideas to cut costs and spend your money on more important items. If it's important to get the highest quality house for the lowest possible cost, this article is for you.

Buying building materials in Bangkok and shipping them to Phuket can be a real cost saver. You want to do your homework first on local prices and quality. Bangkok has a much bigger selection of tile than found on Phuket Island. There are huge areas that sell tiles in Bangkok and a much bigger and cheaper selection too. There are also huge outlets in Bangkok that sell Tile imports from China and Vietnam. Shopping at these outlets can save you big money over local outlets.

Wood Doors and frames can also be acquired in area of Bangkok around Bang Po. It's great fun to shop these wood shops and look at the many different selections available. Wood comes in several grades so it's important to actually see what you're buying. Spending a day looking at the different wood items like wood trim and windows will also give you a few ideas also. There are also a few wood shops inside the infamous weekend market near Bang sue.

Power tools and things like sandpaper and drill bits, electrical wire, bulbs, and lights can be bought in an area called Klong Tom. This can be found in Bangkok's China town area known as Yarrowat. If you ever been here this is the place where are the Chinese have their gold shops near the river in downtown. Sundays is used goods day so there are many extra vendors on the streets during the weekend. Collecting Business cards of the different vendors will come in handy later if you need to buy something they don't sell at home pro when building your Phuket house.

You can purchase many landscaping items just outside Bangkok at a fraction of what you pay on island. The weekend market also has a large selection of plant, trees and other yard Items. Furniture can also be purchased at the weekend market as there are literally hundreds of furniture shops inside there.

Shipping to Phuket is a very easy thing to arrange with your vendors. If you have a lot of stock you can arrange for a 13 ton truck to bring down your truckload of goods. You can really save if you have something heavy to ship like granite, sandstone or tile. Medium size shipments you can use freight shipping companies which also use busses and some big lorry trucks to ship the goods overnight to Phuket. You can even pack the goods in the bus yourself and ride down with them you have time. Being creative In Thailand you too can save a lot of money if you have time and take the time to shop around and buy the items you handpicked to make your Phuket House a home.

Labels: Tips to Save Money When Building Your Own House in Phuket Thailand