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Info-to-Build-On
House Choice
by Patsy Hennin
November 10, 2004
New Construction
versus Old House:
choose with your mind...
as well as your heart.
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The election reminded me just how important choice in housing is. This year as never before, Maine is looking more like a wealthy state than a poor one—many infrastructure updates, huge mac-mansion houses, and new driveways everywhere. Just in my midcoast Maine area, I can think of a new bridge, new YMCA, new community development facility, new state of the art Hospital, new school additions, airport expansion and for the first time many houses in the one million dollar price range. While this spells change for local residents with regular incomes, one can still build a durable, charming, energy efficient house at a reasonable price, with potential for a geometric price/value increase.
Yesterday I visited our Post & Beam crew on a Jefferson, Maine site. They had spent three days raising a timberframe shell for a 24’x 36’ one-and-a-half story cape. The beauty of this project is that owners stamp their own taste and personality onto a house. Our crew produces a super-insulated/weathertight shell, custom-designed, that is just ready to welcome an owner-finisher who has choices to make, decisions to refine. The handy and creative owner can save a lot of money by jumping in with both feet to make that special house personal. The gentleman who bought the Jefferson frame took our class two years ago and is primed to implement his list of priorities. Of the myriad tasks that lie ahead, he is carefully selecting which to hire done and which to do himself .
 
In 1974 (30 years ago!)—we created a series of classes that pull together the systems of the house and teach a variety of ways to deal with each. In hundreds of construction decisions and processes, more informed owners will make the best choices--best for themselves. Today our classes start with the very basics of each house system so that an intelligent conversation can occur between the owner and any contractors.
We then delve into the details of a variety of system solutions and their details so that the owner can actually choose to do their own siting of the house, the wiring or the plumbing . Graduates may decide to install siding, insulation—the foundation or interior stud walls –all with an intelligent guide to the long term implications of the choice for intial cost, efficiency, durability and difficulty of work.
The important thing is to do the jobs you are comfortable with, would like to do, to build sanity, sense of ownership, quality, and beauty. In a new house like the timberframe in Jefferson —the first step is to prioritize the next jobs and assign them to contractor, owner, family member or neighbor. So in this case, perhaps siding first, then heat source, next interior wallframing then services and finishing including surfaces, door/window trim, flooring kitchen and bath fun finishing. Building a house can be a blast and the end product can be superior when the owner is more than the checkwriter. And the total checks will be less if that owner is involved.
  
As a Realtor, I go back and forth between selling raw land for a house —or selling a house already done. Last week I was showing those two options in Camden to a couple from Colorado. The houses ranged around $500,000 and the land parcels hovered around $100,000. Half way through the morning they realized that all the $500,000 houses though ready to go, would beg them to spend another $100,000-150,000 to make it their dream house. If instead, they started with a beautiful wooded site for $100,000—and a superinsulated shell for $100,000-150,000, they would have plenty to finish it with and: 1) still save money and
2) make all the personal choices about space and size and color and
3) have a state of the art home!
Shelter Institute offers house Design/Build classes several times throughout the year. Choose from Contracting, Timber Framing, Small Housebuilding, and our Classis Design/Build Seminars. View our entire schedule online right now at:
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