# Building a house for CHEAP



## MattG (Feb 18, 2015)

What is the cheapest you guys think you could build a 1500-2000 sq house? And how would you do it? It can be 2 stories as that would cut down on some prices.


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## Dixie Bee Acres (Jul 22, 2013)

That all depends, will you require a poured or block foundation, or slab? Or will building it on stilts work?
Where are you located?
Unless you have the ability to build it all yourself, it is actually cheaper to buy a modular or doublewide mobile. I saw an ad for a company last year, had a 3 bedroom, 1 and 1/2 bath mobile for sale. I think it was around 1400 sqft. 2x6 walls, all appliances, double pane Windows, vinyl siding, 40 year shingles roof. Delivered and installed, including foundation and hooked up to your utilities on your property for $34,000.


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## willow_girl (Dec 7, 2002)

I think a single-story ranch house would be the cheapest way to go, especially if you're hiring the construction. A two-story house is more complicated to build, and I'd guess a builder's price would reflect that. 

There are things you can do design-wise to hold down costs, like putting all the plumbing (kitchen, bath, laundry) adjacent to one another along one wall rather than scattering them throughout the house!

You might also start by building a smaller house designed in such a way that it will be easy to put on an addition (say, a large master bedroom suite) later as finances allow.

Good luck! Building a home is something everyone should do once ... but only once ... :teehee:


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## po boy (Jul 12, 2010)

Building a home is something everyone should do once ... but only once ... 

So true!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## TnAndy (Sep 15, 2005)

willow_girl said:


> I think a s*ingle-story ranch house would be the cheapest way to go*, especially if you're hiring the construction. A two-story house is more complicated to build, and I'd guess a builder's price would reflect that.



Nope. No more complicated to build than a 1 story. You simply repeat the same process on the next story. The savings comes in materials, which can be considerable.

To get the same square footage, you have to put in a LOT more foundation and roof.

Take a 30 x 60 ranch, for example....1800sqft. You have 30+60+30+60 feet of foundation. 180' The roof would be (say a 5/12 slope typical on a ranch) 1950sqft.

Build a 2 story. 30x30 900sqft on each floor. 1800sqft, same as the ranch. 
Now you have 120' of foundation, ( 1/3 less), and a roof area of 975sqft (1/2 the ranch)

Actually a story and a half design is the most cost efficient in my experience, (and I've built quite a few houses) because by raising the roof to a steeper slope, you get a lot of usable space on the second floor while avoiding a lot of the outside wall of a two story. My first house was a ranch, my second, and current one, is a story/half.

For example:

I built this (pictured below) 1 1/2 story in 2005, and had $38sqft in it total. I did cut the most of the framing lumber from white pine off my land on my sawmill, and I did all the labor including lay the brick, build the kitchen cabinets, etc. except for the heat pump, carpet upstairs, and pouring the concrete driveway. Yes, that was 10 years ago....but I bet I could build it today for under $50/sqft.

Now I DO 'scrounge' for materials......for example, the windows were new, but mis-measured vinyl replacements that Home Depot had. Nothing wrong with them, they simply were measured wrong to fit an existing hole, but if you built the hole to fit the window (which I did), they were just fine. Bought a whole pallet of them for $50 each, and full price on them would have been $200-300ea. I put ceramic tile in the kitchen and baths (2 1/2). I look for generic 79 cent 12x12 tiles at Lowes rather than $2-4 stuff. Guess what, looks great, does the same job. 

I used "cabin grade" hardwood flooring. You do have to pick thru it some, and discard a little more than 1st grade, but the savings are significant. I made red oak base and window casings in my shop to match for about 5 cents/ft compared to buying finger jointed pine for 75 cents/ft.

The house is 1800sqft, 4br, 2 1/2 bath, with attached single car garage, septic, well, 1ac lot. 'Fairly' nice view. 











Kitchen:


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## painterswife (Jun 7, 2004)

Two story is more cost effective. If you have to do any sort of crawl space, going a full basement is more cost effective as well.


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## TnAndy (Sep 15, 2005)

po boy said:


> Building a home is something everyone should do once ... but only once ...
> 
> So true!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Ahahahaaaa.....I can understand that sentiment, having built custom homes for people....it's quite stressful on them, I think it ranks right up there with divorce in terms of stress !

But, that aside, one of the best ways to "get ahead" in this world, IMHO, is build a small home when you're young. And by 'build', I mean YOU build it...do as much of the work as possible so you build in your own sweat equity.

Don't know how ? Heck, we didn't either. I knew some basic carpentry, but at it turns out, building ISN'T rocket science. Wife and I would go around on weekends looking at houses under construction, getting ideas and seeing "how did they do that ?", then started.

Our first house was a small ranch we built (1975) for $10k we'd saved and another $10k we borrowed and paid back in 6 years. We kinda lucked into the lot....it had a realtor sign laid over in the weeds, and we got it for $2500 for a 3/4ac lot. The next year, the cornfield across the street turned into a subdivision, and the lots started a $7500. So timing was somewhat lucky.

This one: (1000sqft + garage, one bath, two bdrms)











I'd never laid the first rock, by the way. I got an estimate from a stone mason, and when he left, wife said "what do you think"......"I think he just made a stone mason out of me"....ahahahaaaaa We went around creeks, road sides, up in the mountains, etc, and hauled pickup loads of rock back and laid them. They are still there after 40 years, so I guess I did ok.


Anyway, sold that house in 1983 for $50k, and rolled that into building our next one...which we borrowed none on. Did finance the land (75ac) thru the owner for 15yrs, but paid it off in 9.

Current house: (was in the process of rebuilding the deck)










Front view (don't have a good one)











My point is, if a young person starts off building a small, affordable house, then sells it in a few years, rolls the proceeds into the next one, and maybe does it again, by the 3rd house or so...the one you REALLY want to live in a long time.... you'll own it free and clear. We've been house and land mortgage free since our 40's. You do that, and it's amazing how your net worth will pile up.


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## TnAndy (Sep 15, 2005)

Some of the other houses we built over the years: ( I drove down memory lane one day with a camera  )

Custom house, 1979:











Spec house, built 1978:









Funny story on this one above....sold it using a garage door opener ! 

It was nearly done, and I was sitting on my front porch one Sunday afternoon (about 2 blocks away, that ranch house...I had a 'walk to work' job for several years...this one is on what used to be the cornfield) when this couple pulled into the driveway and started looking around. I went out in the truck, got the garage door opener for the house, hit it, and the door rolled up like magic. They looked around in surprise to see who was there.....and of course, nobody was there !....so they finally went in and took a tour. I gave 'em about 15 minutes, then walked over and said "Wanna buy a house ?" They did !


Spec house, 1977.










Spec house, 1982











Custom house, 1983











Rental house (later sold) 2006











Rental house (later sold) 2001


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## texican (Oct 4, 2003)

Cheap is relative... What I consider cheap, someone else will consider a hovel.

Built several, up to code, buildings here on the 'stead... all for right around 10$/sq. foot. You start adding in 'fixtures' and what not, and the price rises. Building a quickie tiny house 8x12 right now, as an outside dog kennel.... put a flat screen and a cot in there, and it's better than a lot of houses I've lived in. Pressure treated foundation, off the ground, regular store bought materials above the foundation. Took several days to get it dried in, but less than 8 hours of actual work (other things take priority). Figure another 8, get outdoor siding on, put the metal roof on, install windows... another couple of hours for wiring it, insulate, and finish inside walls. Figure less than 32 hours of actual work. Right now, have about 350 in it... add the extras, and it'll bump to around 500$...

Two story is of course cheaper... you only have one foundation and one roof... two of the major costs are cut in half.


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## willow_girl (Dec 7, 2002)

> But, that aside, one of the best ways to "get ahead" in this world, IMHO, is build a small home when you're young. And by 'build', I mean YOU build it...do as much of the work as possible so you build in your own sweat equity.


Very true. My second husband and I built a house from scratch. Five years later, when we divorced, it appraised for 3x what we had into it. Building it ourselves enabled us to have a much nicer home than we would have been able to afford otherwise.


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## MattG (Feb 18, 2015)

Wow thank you all for the stories! A little background on myself: I am 20 and my wife is 18 we are wanting to buy a good bit of acreage and build a house around 1800spft. So I guess this will count for "starting young" as someone mentioned! I figured I could build a nice 2 story 1800sqft for around 60k doing all the work but laying the cement, putting up the walls and roof and the sheet rock. I do alot of cabinetry work so I am quiet handy. What do you guys think? Do you think I could do it for less or will it take more?
Also, I love all of those houses you guys have posted very nice work!!


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## TnAndy (Sep 15, 2005)

Do you have building codes where you live ? If not, my suggestion is design a house with the master bedrm on the first floor, then put a door at the top of the stairs and don't finish anything upstairs initially....work on it over time. Stub off any wiring/plumbing to be added later, but spend no money on them initially.

Be sure to leave a window large enough that a sheetrock truck can boom in the sheetrock later so you don't have to try to get it up stairs.

And why can't you put up the walls ? Very simple. Wife and I built that first house entirely by ourselves. Current one, we had some volunteer helpers from time to time.


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## okiemom (May 12, 2002)

building a house is very stressful on a marriage but dh and I have remolded and built new and as we are a great team we were fine. I am the more temperamental one so I had a harder time with strong emotions than he did. 

Build it to code even if there is no code where you live you will be grateful later. tall ceilings and lots of windows will make a smaller house seem bigger. We made our interior doors 36" to make it easier to get around. It was great when we used it for my mom and a wheelchair. also is good for sprained ankles etc. 

there are lots of great websites for planning a new house so have fun. go to lots of open houses in new development to see scale and size. I still will look at them sometimes and just dream and be nosy.


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## fixitguy (Nov 2, 2010)

good thread! I have been kicking the idea of building a small house my self also.

A former neighbor built a McMansion for about 50K.
He had a few things going for him thou.
1. His family built homes on the side and farmed.
2. He stopped at a used commercial building supply place everyday. (Like a Restore, but much better)

He spent 5 yrs collecting stuff for the home. He had granite counter tops and the nicest wood floors. He sold the place for 350k. and downsized to a place for 250k down the road from us.
He said dumping the nice place was the best thing he ever did. Now he sold the 250k place and is building something else, again.


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## where I want to (Oct 28, 2008)

MattG said:


> Wow thank you all for the stories! A little background on myself: I am 20 and my wife is 18 we are wanting to buy a good bit of acreage and build a house around 1800spft. So I guess this will count for "starting young" as someone mentioned! I figured I could build a nice 2 story 1800sqft for around 60k doing all the work but laying the cement, putting up the walls and roof and the sheet rock. I do alot of cabinetry work so I am quiet handy. What do you guys think? Do you think I could do it for less or will it take more?
> Also, I love all of those houses you guys have posted very nice work!!


Don't forget about septic, water, permits and fees, utilities, etc when planning. Also soil , hazards, slope, etc can increase spending.


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## SueMc (Jan 10, 2010)

We talked to builders last fall about starting our house this year. One price that shocked me was the price of concrete. $50,000 just for the concrete for a 1800sf house. They said concrete has been expensive for a while.


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## mreynolds (Jan 1, 2015)

TnAndy, on your current house, is that the Sunflower Solar panels? If so, how do you like them?


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## MattG (Feb 18, 2015)

If as SueMc says about the cost of laying down concrete then how could fixitguys friend build a McMansion for the same price as the concrete for a house that is probably half the size?


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## starlady (Sep 9, 2009)

MattG, you might also be interested in the forums over at countryplans.com. They have a lot of great info about designing/building your own home.


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## Dixie Bee Acres (Jul 22, 2013)

When I built my dads place in 2011, I hired out the concrete work. 1700+/- sqft 4 inch slab 12x24 footers. It cost us $4600. That was materials and labor.


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## kycrawler (Sep 18, 2011)

1800 sq ft for 2 people ? Design your space better and think about half that size . Less cost to build it heat it and cool it . We have a family of 7 and each of the kids has their own room in about 1350 sq ft . House is built in zones for heating and cooling so as the kids move out I can stop heating and cooling space no one is using . If not for having the kids here I would have went with about 7-800 sq ft for just the wife and I


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## TnAndy (Sep 15, 2005)

mreynolds said:


> TnAndy, on your current house, is that the Sunflower Solar panels? If so, how do you like them?


SolarWorld panels, and I like them.


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## TnAndy (Sep 15, 2005)

SueMc said:


> We talked to builders last fall about starting our house this year. One price that shocked me was the price of concrete. $50,000 just for the concrete for a 1800sf house. They said concrete has been expensive for a while.



I'd find another contractor. 

Unless you are building a house with concrete walls all the way up, or a really long concrete driveway, there is no way it should cost that.

Concrete delivered to the site here is about $110cuyd. 

I'd assume you're doing a full basement in IL due to the depth of frost line.

Take a 30x60 ranch house again. (worse case...if you go UP instead of out, you'll cut these numbers considerably) 180' of perimeter. Footer 2'wide x 1' thick. 14yds concrete.

Assume poured walls. 9' high x 8" thick x 180' = 40yd.

Pour the basement floor 4" thick. 23yds.

Total: 70yds. Even assuming concrete price is double what we pay here, (and that's a REAL stretch) $220 x 70 = $15,400

Where is the other $35,000 going ?


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## mreynolds (Jan 1, 2015)

Thanks Andy. What was the price if you don't mind me asking ?


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## mreynolds (Jan 1, 2015)

Sue, Andy is right. Concrete here runs around 95 yard. I have built houses, hospitals and steel mills and never had to pay that kind of markup on concrete. About 7-10 dollars a foot max for labor steel and everything. You can even find it cheaper I am sure.


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## TnAndy (Sep 15, 2005)

mreynolds said:


> Thanks Andy. What was the price if you don't mind me asking ?


 
Over $4/watt when I put the first ones up in 2007....a 175w panel (which are the ones in that pic) was $800, cheapest I could find.

Last ones I put up (250w) in 2012 were little over a dollar/watt. THAT is how much panels came down !

This website does a daily comparison between all major brands of panels, tell you who sell them for that price, how many you have to buy to get it, and country of manufacture.

http://www.ecobusinesslinks.com/surveys/free-solar-panel-price-survey/

You can buy American made panels now for 84 cents/watt.


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## mreynolds (Jan 1, 2015)

Thanks for the link. I have noticed hey have gone way down.


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## SueMc (Jan 10, 2010)

Thanks for the feedback on the concrete prices. The #s were from a builder talking about another house he was working on with full walkout basement. Our house has yet to be started but we did have a 46x92 building built last summer. The concrete floor for the 46x40 workshop was a little over $100/yard. 
I will say that the heated concrete floor is very nice we'll do the same in our walkout in the house especially since we already have the wood boiler for the out building.


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## wy_white_wolf (Oct 14, 2004)

The oil boom in North Dakota has created shortages of concrete that has pushed the price to well over $300 a yard in many areas. Add in the labor shortage and I could see the price the OP is taking about. With the price of oil dropping it could correct itself in time.

I did a 24x24 gararge last year. The concrete for it was over $7k. We had to schedule the delivery 3 months in advance because of the supply shortage.

WWW


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## SteffenNate (Feb 2, 2015)

In our area, all of the high schools have a building trades program. kids sign up for it and help build a house half a day and go to school the other half. I cannot say exactly what the costs are for this program, but I don't imagine you have to pay for labor. Our current home is a building trades house from 1998. At the beginning of this school year, another building trades house started going up across the road. Just a thought for you to possibly look into.


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## MattG (Feb 18, 2015)

My wife and I are planning on building a 25x25 foot cottage. I doubt it would cost but maybe 1k here in north georgia but I was wondering, do I even need to do a slab? I've seen alot of cottages that just have little cement blocks in weight barring areas (they're not blocks, they are more circular but I am unsure of what they are called) has anyone built with that before? If so would you recommend building that way again or would you just do a full slab??


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## MichaelZ (May 21, 2013)

You can save a lot of money if you can get your windows, fixtures, counters, cabinets first and then design around them. This assumes you can find a discounted source. Our friends got windows for about $100 that would have costs many thousands of dollars Then they designed around the windows.


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## michael ark (Dec 11, 2013)

Here is what i am looking at doing at the lake.Build the shop with plumbing in the slab. Spray foam the insides and finish it out as i get the money .Alot of people do it as a tax dodge .http://overmanbuildings.com/shops_and_garages


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## jwal10 (Jun 5, 2010)

Cheap is relative. Can you build cheap where you are? Would you be happy with cheap in the long run. I can build cheap on post and beam, basically what used to be called "without foundation". I use a perimeter footing and stem wall, hand mixed and poured, pads with post and beam for the rest. Studs (2"x4" are cheaper, less insulation, cheaper, I use 2"x6" and insulate better. I wrap the studs and put no groove T-111 on the outside (cheap), no underlayment. It is to code here as long as it is 5/8" thick, without grooves. I can get it for $9.99 a sheet, shop grade. 3/8" plain for gable ends over strapped truss, $6.99. Then use pallet lumber ripped to 1"x3"s for board and batten on some walls for interest. I use 16"s of blow-in in ceiling. 5/12 roof line, trusses are cheap, metal roof over plywood sheathing and heavy roofing felt. I can build 1 story much cheaper because I do the dig out and re slope by hand and small 4wd tractor with loader/back blade. Narrower stem wall and smaller footer. I dig out 12" of topsoil to sit the footer on low humus native soil, dig a 16" wide footer 6" deep. Lay 2 rebar, pour footer, set up 24" tall stem wall forms, 2 rebar and pour it. Treated rim joist bolted to top, 1 (4"x4") post and (4"x6") beam down the middle (up to 12' apart), I beam floor joists, dropped, on hangers, set so top is top of rim joist, 24" apart, opposite the post and beam, 3/4" tongue and groove plywood floor, glued and nailed. Stud up from there, single bottom plate double top plate....James


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## big rockpile (Feb 24, 2003)

Anyone can build a House. Too bad this fine place was built on the wrong property. 

The people that owed the place didn't realize it was there until they brought it up on Google Earth 



big rockpile


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## farminghandyman (Mar 4, 2005)

your going to be hard pressed to fine a way to build GOOD and yet CHEAP,

about the only way is to have some one donate you the building materials,

I di read years ago about a guy who worked at the county land fill, and did build a house for nearly nothing as he keep finding things in the garbage brought in, but that was before the day of compacting trucks, 

I have looked at many ways to build, and it is low cost it is extremely labor intensive, and if it is not labor intensive, then it cost

either live and build with native materials, say rocks, or timber if you live in a forest, that one can harvest, 

building some thing like an Earth ship house, (rammed earth filled tires stucco ed over) free tires, and dirt, and some cement and sand, usually beams and earth covered roof system, may be not a lot of dollars but lots of hours and hard work, would be some what similar to a earth bag house,

as far as it goes sod or adobe,

yes in some climates they may be great, but earth is not that great of insulation, but it is good thermo mass,


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## unregistered358895 (Jul 15, 2013)

We are preparing to build a log cabin in the next couple of years. Interesting thing, the quote we got last year for a 24x24 with loft was $47,000 (not including the foundation). We got an updated quote from the same company this week... Same floor plan, $100,000. Materials are suddenly much more expensive, which is making us scratch our heads with how to come up with double the cash.


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## Evons hubby (Oct 3, 2005)

Timberrr said:


> We are preparing to build a log cabin in the next couple of years. Interesting thing, the quote we got last year for a 24x24 with loft was $47,000 (not including the foundation). We got an updated quote from the same company this week... Same floor plan, $100,000. Materials are suddenly much more expensive, which is making us scratch our heads with how to come up with double the cash.


I built our log house for a bit over 20k. 1800 sq ft, story and a half with one and half baths.


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## Jolly (Jan 8, 2004)

I have a small shop (30x20 with a 10' drop shed) that I built several years ago for $3K.

I suspect it could be built today for about $6K. If one were to finish it inside like a small house, complete with central heat and A/C, I believe I could bring it in for about $15K.

How? Well I did all the dirtwork and formwork for the slab. I hired out the pouring and finishing. I felled some of my timber and had a bandsaw mill cut my order out and used that air-dryed (one year) lumber for framing, roof decking and board-n-batten exterior. 

Windows and exterior door were obtained by barter. I had to buy the 16' shop door. Roof is regular shingles, 20 year Owens-Corning. Since it was a single roof without a bunch of gables or cut-ins, it was easy to do myself.

Which brings us back to another point about building inexpensively...there are ways to build a house where waste is a minimum - plywood is used in whole sheets, cut-offs are small, builder's grade faucets, sinks, etc. are used and its always remembered that complicated can be expensive.


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## unregistered358895 (Jul 15, 2013)

Yvonne's hubby said:


> I built our log house for a bit over 20k. 1800 sq ft, story and a half with one and half baths.


We are looking at doing more of it ourselves now. At $50k we could live with the price for the convenience of not having to sweat. But at $100k... eeek.


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## joem789 (Feb 15, 2015)

The very cheapest way to build a house is a pole building with a gambrel roof. Yes. a BARN. Whether or not you do a concrete slab or wood floor is up to you. I would say its cheaper to do a wood floor because to do a concrete floor requires you to bring in a handful of guys to finish it. So I am talking about doing the house yourself. A gambrel roof easily gives you a second floor. 

The shell of the house can be completed for less than $10K. Move in and finish the interior over time as finances allow. This is perfect for someone who doesn't have credit or heavy pockets. There are many examples and plans online that would cost you nothing. My dad has been a house builder my whole life. And I have learned a thing or two. I also lived in a house made from a pole building. With 10" posts set in concrete it was the strongest house around. Much more practical than the traditional frame wall construction.


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## AmericanStand (Jul 29, 2014)

Mat you didn't say where you were building...that's a key.
Something to remember about that 2 story house is that it uses a little less of the cheep stuff by using MORE of the expensive stuff.
That example about the two story using less roof and foundation forgets that you will now have to build and heat 2040 sf of wall instead of 1440sf and that you will build 900 of floor on joists and sheeting. And how will you get to that second story? A stairway uses a LOT of space that you should add to those Calculations 100 sf for the space LOST to the stairs on both floors! Now you are building a 2000 sq house!

But in the end its where you build that makes the biggest difference. CAN you build on slab? Is the lot even and protected from high winds so that a two story house is even suitable?


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## nosedirt (Sep 24, 2014)

I went back and reread all of the posts and I think Jolly was the first one to use the word *inexpensive*. Anyone can build a cheap house. Buy one of those cardboard mobile homes, that is cheaply built for sure. 
A lot goes into proper design of a home. Not just where you want the toilet and whether you want the morning sun coming in your bedroom window or not. Accounting for length and width so as to efficiently use your materials that all break on 16, 24, 32, 48, 96 inches and so forth. Sheathing a roof that is 6 feet wide with an 8 foot long piece of ply just wasted one fourth of your supplies. 
First, where are you building? What state? Georgia? Northern? By the coast? in town or out? Are you planning on staying in the house for 2 years or 50? If it's 50, I'm using concrete roofing products. If it's 2 years, I'm using medium grade shingles.
What is the norm for that community? Neighborhood? Street? You lose money if you overbuild. You can't sell it if you under build. 
The first spec house i built was from a generic plan from a lumber store and I didn't answer any of these questions. I lost money. The next spec i built, I talked to everyone, just like you're doing here but I also spent money asking questions. I hired an architect that would do a design that could be modifies easily to provide me with one plan that was actually four plans. It was laid out so that i could build this same plan over and over and the homes look similar but not alike. I grilled a real estate agent for all the info I could get, and then another and another. I "interrogated" several successful builders in the area. Five years after losing money on that first house, I came back armed with knowledge and started over. It was almost criminal how successful it worked out. 
Maybe you aren't planning on starting a construction company but you really should approach it the same way. You are making a major investment. Don't look for how you can do it "cheap." Inexpensive and efficiently, yes. Cheap, never!


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## Jolly (Jan 8, 2004)

The above post reminds me of something I heard one of my friends say.

He has a few house plans that he has built for over twenty years. Now, he may change the facade up a bit, but the basic plan remains the same.

Those plans are optimized and honed to eliminate material waste. You will not find a cut-off in the waste pile a foot long. You won't find enough plywood scrap in the waste pile to build a decent dog house.

In fact, he can tell you within a half-dozen 2x's, EXACTLY what it takes to build those homes. The good part for his customers is that they get a well-built house for a little less money than some other folks would charge. The bad part for his customers is that he allows no customization in framing the home - not unless you're willing to pay though the nose.

He does offer some custom cabinetry features that are hard to get, if you want them...His son is a wonderful cabinet man. Some years ago, he was dissatisfied with the material they were getting to build cabinets, so he bought a small, used bandsaw mill. He now cuts out ash, oak, pecan and cypress off of his land, air dries it for two years in his sheds and will have his son make your cabinet facings, or your entire cabinets out of some of the best lumber you've seen.

Not cheap, but cheaper than some of the stuff you'd buy down at the home goods store.


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## guilld (Jan 22, 2013)

Here is what my son and I did 3 years ago for $44 per s.f. excluding land, septic, and water.

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7EMgJ02Zx8[/ame]

This is a link to one I did for my daughter goes into more detail.

https://guilldanny.wordpress.com/


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## gladetop (May 10, 2005)

guilld, Thanks for posting. Great picts!!!!!!! Could you tell us the square footage of those two houses? and sq ft of the porches.


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