Johnskiismore
New member
Thank you!
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House
- Thread starter Johnskiismore
- Start date
Thank you!
Geoff
Well-known member
Planning to fend off a platoon of racoons?
Johnskiismore
New member
I'll let the fox I see on the property almost daily take care of those racoons!
bigbog
Active member
Really looks nice John...I Like the pre-manufactured ideas, especially with today's quality of materials.
GrilledSteezeSandwich
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:-o:-o:-o
Johnskiismore
New member
Sorry to have taken so long to answer your question, the last two weeks have been pretty hectic here! Five years ago when I got 'serious' about saving up to buy land and build a house my dream was to have a log cabin. This is a great example of 'stick built' seeing that it is, and everything other than the frame, walls, roof, shingles, and plans you or a general contractor need to purchase everything else. We all want a log home right? Complete with a deck/farmers porch, fieldstone fireplace and the like.
After buying the land straight last Fall, I went to work gathering all of the info I would need to build a log home. There's a company here in northern NH I started contacting for floorplans and pricing. The kit I liked was about 1800SF listed at 85K. Now you add the 'other' things to make the home a home. Things like the floor, tiles, kitchen cabinets, kitchen appliances, counter tops, bathroom fixtures and appliances, stairs, doors, and windows. From here you will have a good idea of how much the kit is going to cost when delivered to your site. This runs to about half the cost of the kit Now is when I went to talk to my local well respected GC.
When meeting with the GC we went over the plans, and what else would be needed once the cabin was set on its foundation. This is where it gets expensive..... fast! Groundbreaking, foundation work, and the actual foundation walls will run around 25K. Next, an electrician to do all of the wiring, installation of ceiling lights, light fixtures, outlets (in and out), outside lights, doorbell (if you want), breaker board, this can take a while and can run as much as foundation costs. Of course, the less you want the cheaper it is, and personally speaking I was not asking for that much more than what's required for building code.
Plumber comes in and has to bring all of the pipes for heating, BR, KIT, faucets (in and out), installs and attaches. This too can take a few weeks..... and run the same cost. At least for me copper was not as expensive as it was three years ago!
Here's the killer. The cabin kit is delivered, and most cabin companies charge next to nothing for delivery. But you need to hire a set crew. This may take a few days or weeks depending on size and everyone's schedule. The set crew assembles the cabin, seals, 'buttons up' the roof. Plus, you'll now need a crew to put in your floor or carpet or tile. This step will cost about the same as the kit itself, minus ten grand or so.
What I have not included so far is septic/well, furnace, driveway (roughed in not paved),
we can just round out that cost to the tune of 35K. We started at 85K and are now to 300K, and that still is not including closing costs, insurance, bar tabs ( for yourself ). Plus, the land is paid for.
If I could afford it, I really would like a log home, but seeing that I am paying for it myself, this just got more and more out of my practical reach each step of the way. Even if this was not a log home and was framed with 2x4s or 2x6s the cost would be just about the same.
Now I entertained the thought of a modular home.... and remember at this time the RE market had died almost completely. Modular home companies and their dealers had a lot of inventory! A salesman contacted me from Tilton, NH and said there were some deals on their 'spec' homes. These homes were awesome... you do not even know you're in a modular home! Even better the spec home has all of the really really good upgrades. The smallest one I looked at was 2400 SF, and with a modular home you have everything included in the price. All of the wiring, outlets, switches, circuit board, ceiling lights, outside light fixtures, drain pipes, heating pipes, sinks, toilets, bath tub, faucets, walls, floors, insulation, siding, cable hook-ups, phone hook-up, stairs, doors...... you get the point. Everything that had to be itemized before are now included. The price they wanted was sick not
uke: sick, 
sick.My GC was with me and even though the homes looked awesome they would not 'fit' the lot. We went to look at other modular home companies, what they had, what they could offer. In that kind of a market, and if you have land, you're hot. Many many times customers/clients look at land and building at the same time. This gets nerve racking as everything is contingent of the other. Example, if the land sale doesn't go through they get deposit back from ABC Contracting, or if the Constuction Loan doesn't work they can get out of their Land PSA.
Played the game for a bit, one company tried to out do the other. The original company got my deposit, and they threw in many extras. Shipment included, set crew included, and everything I listed before on modular homes. But for me no finished floor was included........ get a flooring company once it is set on site, the floor really gets damged on shipment as I have seen.
Cost was less than half of what the kit was, delivered and assembled. Now add on site work, foundation, septic/well, and these costs are the same as above. When the local contractors for plumbing and electric are hired the costs are a fraction since the wiring pipes etc. are already there, its the extra fixtures and attachment to the grid and septic/well that is needed. Final numbers were a little more than half of the original plan, and the project will be done twice as fast. Can't express this again though, timing worked big for me. Let's say this was 2007, the cost maybe would've been three quarters the original plan, seeing that those 'extras' would've been paid for.
So, there is my reasoning for purchasing a modular home. Mine is an extended cape with full shed dorm. By September the first floor will be done making it 1,288 SF. Next summer the second floor will be done doubling the SF.
GrilledSteezeSandwich
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Wow..thanks for taking the time to explain the process!!!
Geoff
Well-known member
Thanks!
....so the biggest savings was the deal you were able to cut since they needed to dump inventory? You're also obviously in the house much quicker.
....so the biggest savings was the deal you were able to cut since they needed to dump inventory? You're also obviously in the house much quicker.
My brother and uncle are both general contractors and they swear by modular homes these days. 15 years ago they wouldn't have said that, but now for the money they can't be beat.
Johnskiismore
New member
Yes
Johnskiismore
New member
Modular homes have come a long way. Certain companies have a really great product, and I am lucky to have one
Johnskiismore
New member
Siding is all done, and the deck is almost complete. We'll worry about drilling for the well and installing septic later this week just as long as the deck is done! :wink:http://forums.alpinezone.com/gallery/bulkupload.php?ppaction=addphotos&do=preview&photopath=2289&upuser=¬ify=no&rating=&comments=yes&defcat=1122&deftitle=&defdesc=&defdesc=&keywords=&numprocess=10&processall=no&dthumbs=
Johnskiismore
New member
Something got all messed during upload.... thank you again FairPoint!
http://forums.alpinezone.com/gallery/showgallery.php?cat=1122
http://forums.alpinezone.com/gallery/showgallery.php?cat=1122
Last edited by a moderator:
Looking good John! You must be getting psyched. When's the expected move in date?
severine
New member
Wow! It's really coming along!
Johnskiismore
New member
Thank you, it is almost scarey fast it is coming together!
Johnskiismore
New member
Oh I am pretty pumped now! The move in date will be sometime in September!
Johnskiismore
New member
Oh boy...
Sorry I haven't uploaded any pictures, I've taken a ton but have been really busy with work, and taking care of Kristen, she had knee surgery last week and is now doing well.
So, flooring/carpet going in the last week of August, septic system installed, propane tank attached and buried, soil put down for my lawn, driveway being roughed in as I type, all I need is water!
Drilling crew started yesterday.... I got a call this morning from my GC, 500' and no water. 600' a trickle. Next step is hydrofracture.... retrieving water just got very very expensive!
I hope to have new pictures up soon!
Sorry I haven't uploaded any pictures, I've taken a ton but have been really busy with work, and taking care of Kristen, she had knee surgery last week and is now doing well.
So, flooring/carpet going in the last week of August, septic system installed, propane tank attached and buried, soil put down for my lawn, driveway being roughed in as I type, all I need is water!
Drilling crew started yesterday.... I got a call this morning from my GC, 500' and no water. 600' a trickle. Next step is hydrofracture.... retrieving water just got very very expensive!
I hope to have new pictures up soon!
ctenidae
Active member
500 feet in a day? What are they drilling through, butter?
I've seen frac operations on 11,000 foot horizontal gas wells, and it's pretty impressive. I'm guessing this will eb slightly smaller scale, but it's probably the same principle. Pretty cool, how that gets done.
Thanks for the update. I hope they find water soon!
More pics!
More pics!
