Still Pond House - Updated 11/20/08
- Thread starter MikeeH
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blouderback
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You got that truck for $2900? Nice!
tmanmd,
Thanks for the advice.
The house is being built with SIPs (Structurally Insulated Panels, very little framing for the exterior walls) and the panels are scheduled for delivery around 10/6. Because its SIPs it will be closed up within a week of the panels arriving so we'll be ahead of the weather (I hope!). I called Choptank Electric the other day. They have to go out and measure and then tell me how much I need to pay ($500 + $9/foot of the run). Once they get the check they say it will take 10 days to get power to the temporary socket. I'll stay on them as you suggest.
Thanks for the advice.
The house is being built with SIPs (Structurally Insulated Panels, very little framing for the exterior walls) and the panels are scheduled for delivery around 10/6. Because its SIPs it will be closed up within a week of the panels arriving so we'll be ahead of the weather (I hope!). I called Choptank Electric the other day. They have to go out and measure and then tell me how much I need to pay ($500 + $9/foot of the run). Once they get the check they say it will take 10 days to get power to the temporary socket. I'll stay on them as you suggest.
- Joined
- Aug 23, 2002
- RO Number
- 9880
- Messages
- 1,844
Mike -
That must be an excellent feeling to see the progress.
The admiral and I are eventually going to have to go through the same type of thing. Do you have to write separate checks for every little thing (power company hookup, septic system, foundation company, etc.) or are you able to roll all the parts of the project into the construction loan?
Thanks.
That must be an excellent feeling to see the progress.
The admiral and I are eventually going to have to go through the same type of thing. Do you have to write separate checks for every little thing (power company hookup, septic system, foundation company, etc.) or are you able to roll all the parts of the project into the construction loan?
Thanks.
Glenn,
It depends on the deal you make with your General Contractor and with the bank. Our contract with our GC specifically excludes all finished flooring, the kitchen cabinets, counters and installation and all painting. We have our own subs for some of that and plan on some sweat equity for the rest. The electric is on us because as the property owners we are responsibile for the monthly electric bills; I suspect that is pretty common. Our construction financing covers only what is in the GC's contract (that's the way we set it up). The money is drawn down in 5 installments based on completion of the contract items. To get a draw the GC submits a request to us and if we agree that its appropriate we sign off on the request and send it to the bank. Our bank then sends out their inspector to check the work. If the inspector approves the bank sends me a check that is made out to both me and the GC. I then sign the check and give it to the GC. Note that during construction we only pay interest on the money drawn, no principal. The construction loan is paid off when its converted to a permemant mortgage, normally after construction is completed. Now, for all the items not included in the GC contract we are out of pocket and writing checks as we go.
It depends on the deal you make with your General Contractor and with the bank. Our contract with our GC specifically excludes all finished flooring, the kitchen cabinets, counters and installation and all painting. We have our own subs for some of that and plan on some sweat equity for the rest. The electric is on us because as the property owners we are responsibile for the monthly electric bills; I suspect that is pretty common. Our construction financing covers only what is in the GC's contract (that's the way we set it up). The money is drawn down in 5 installments based on completion of the contract items. To get a draw the GC submits a request to us and if we agree that its appropriate we sign off on the request and send it to the bank. Our bank then sends out their inspector to check the work. If the inspector approves the bank sends me a check that is made out to both me and the GC. I then sign the check and give it to the GC. Note that during construction we only pay interest on the money drawn, no principal. The construction loan is paid off when its converted to a permemant mortgage, normally after construction is completed. Now, for all the items not included in the GC contract we are out of pocket and writing checks as we go.
- Joined
- Aug 23, 2002
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- 9880
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- 1,844
Thanks Mike. Good info. We're still in the legal, engineering, and feasability stage. Probably at least a couple years off until ground breaking, if we're lucky. We're in no hurry at this point because we'd rather wait for the housing markert to turn stronger before selling our current home. Unfortunatelt, the decline in prices hasn't seen a corresponding decrease in custom home / contractor prices.
Mike: it is very important that you get release of liens from every supplier that delivered or did work on the property prior to any payment. Paying the GC may be ok for his workers but that does not remove your liability to the company that delivered the material. Even though the contractor ordered the stuff the property owner is responsible at least in FL.
Glenn.....I know for a fact there is a TON of negotiation going on right now. Kind of like with boats....your offer is X I'll give you Y. WHAT, WHO DO YOU THINK I AM!!!
Sorry, sorry, no issue, sorry to offend you, I'll move on.....wait, wait, wait.......lets talk.
Sorry, sorry, no issue, sorry to offend you, I'll move on.....wait, wait, wait.......lets talk.
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<<...."Glenn.....I know for a fact there is a TON of negotiation going on right now."...>>
Phil -
That might be true in the Chesapeake area. Different story up in RI, where the proposed location is. I don't know if you remember the R.O. "True Blue", (Steve L.). He was RO #45. He used to be on BE, but hasn't been around here for a while. He is the architect we will use up in RI. As recently as a couple weeks ago, he says that a lot of the good reputable contractors up there are swamped. With the current housing market, a lot of people who were thinking of selling have instead decided to stay put and re-model their current home.
I had thought what you did until I started asking around up there. I'm sure there might be some GCs who are hungry for work, but we want to make sure they are reputable good ones. We'll keep checking and asking around, and especially keep checking with ones that SteveL suggests as the time gets closer. ...But currently, the good ones are not short on work up there.
Phil -
That might be true in the Chesapeake area. Different story up in RI, where the proposed location is. I don't know if you remember the R.O. "True Blue", (Steve L.). He was RO #45. He used to be on BE, but hasn't been around here for a while. He is the architect we will use up in RI. As recently as a couple weeks ago, he says that a lot of the good reputable contractors up there are swamped. With the current housing market, a lot of people who were thinking of selling have instead decided to stay put and re-model their current home.
I had thought what you did until I started asking around up there. I'm sure there might be some GCs who are hungry for work, but we want to make sure they are reputable good ones. We'll keep checking and asking around, and especially keep checking with ones that SteveL suggests as the time gets closer. ...But currently, the good ones are not short on work up there.
The "house" has arrived! We are building the house with SIPs, Structurally Insulated Panels. In short, the architech's plans are sent to the SIPs manufacturer where they are digitized and entered into their process. The exterior walls and roof panels are then cut from large panels of styrofoam sandwiched between the MDF sheets. Our walls are 6" of styrofoam and the roof is 10". Once erected you have a building with no voids in the insulated walls. The cost of the panels is higher than stick built materials but you make up most of that in the labor to build the house.
Anyway, the panels arrived yesterday and the crew went to work today.
Anyway, the panels arrived yesterday and the crew went to work today.
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Mike, with that amount of styrofoam, you should have a few 'release pins ' right at footer level, and if you get high water "it should float"
Glad things are going well up there. btw since you had some dealings with my favorite dealer! ever heard of Lenog Inc. ? Call or PM me.
Glad things are going well up there. btw since you had some dealings with my favorite dealer! ever heard of Lenog Inc. ? Call or PM me.
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Some time ago This Old House did a series on a home built using these panels. It looks like a great idea.
When you say the extra material cost is counterbalanced by a decrease in labor cost, is that borne out in the cost-per-square-foot? Does it depend on scale? We're thinking about building a 900 sq ft cottage.
When you say the extra material cost is counterbalanced by a decrease in labor cost, is that borne out in the cost-per-square-foot? Does it depend on scale? We're thinking about building a 900 sq ft cottage.