Creating your dream home is an exciting idea, but it's also a major project and one where you need to be an expert on everything from planning laws to landscape design, and all that's in between. Self Build and Renovation For Dummies takes you through every step of the process, from choosing and buying a plot of land, through to the building's design and on to the actual build – plus all the financial and legal stuff – using plain English in an easy-to-understand format. Here is everything you need to know to create your perfect home.
Keep construction on track with helpful checklists Turn your dream of a custom home into reality! Thinking about building your own home? This easy-to-follow guide shows you how to plan and build a beautiful home on any budget. From acquiring land to finding the best architect to overseeing the construction, you get lots of savvy tips on managing your new investment wisely -- and staying sane during the process! Discover how to: * Find the best homesite * Navigate the plan approval process * Obtain financing * Hire the right contractor * Cut design and construction costs * Avoid common mistakes
Put on your grubbies, get out your tools, and get ready to tackle home repairs and improvements with the goof-proof instructions in this guide that combines the best of nine For Dummies home improvement books in one comprehensive volume. Whether you’re an accomplished do-it-yourselfer or a novice, the easy-to-follow instructions, complete with photos and illustrations, will guide you through: Basic home maintenance and improvement projects from the foundation to the roof, including windows, doors, and electrical repairs and replacements Painting and wallpapering Bathroom and kitchen remodeling, including installing cabinets, countertops, fixtures, and appliances Carpentry, woodworking and flooring Plumbing, including unclogging fixtures and fixing leaky faucets Want to spruce up bedroom? Spiff up the kitchen? Shore up the porch? Build stairs? Replace creaky doors and drafty windows? Make the most of your space? Inside or out, major renovation or minor repair, the how-to is all right here. Think about it—if you do just one project yourself instead of calling a plumber, electrician, painter, handyman, or other service person, you’ve saved far more than the cost of this book! And you’ll have it on hand to guide you through the next project!
Build your home the 'green' way to reduce running costs, be more self-sufficient and create a more comfortable home. Whether you want a turf roof, solar-powered hot water, or a super-insulated house, this book demonstrates that green is the way forward. Written by award-winning architect Jon Broome, The Green Self-Build Book provides an accessible overview of the different methods of sustainable and eco-friendly construction techniques. Covering the essential elements of design and the self-build process, this practical book includes information on sustainable foundations, floor finishes and insulation. Jon also shares insights on how to build for comfort and health. Inspiring case studies of green building projects using earth, straw, steel and timber are also included. Packed with attractive colour photos throughout, this is an essential resource for anyone who is planning a self-build project or involved in housing.
A comprehensive guide to building or renovating a home provides everything homeowners need to know to get the best results, covering such topics as selecting and supervising an architect and contractor, cost estimates, budget, plan specifications, dealing with permits, and more and examining a wide range of common pitfalls and how to avoid them.
You deserve a home that meets your specific needs and desires! If you find yourself dreaming of the perfect patio, the ideal kitchen, and inviting rooms where you love to spend time, it might just be time to start building! With Building Your Custom Home For Dummies, you won’t have to feel intimidated as you plan, finance, and oversee construction on your new oasis. You’ll learn what it takes to build a custom home, including which pros to call and when. This updated edition also covers the latest in real estate and home construction trends, including smart homes, green building, and banking options. It's more important than ever to live in a home that’s truly how you want it, truly your own. Now is the perfect time to get started—if you’re still in the dreaming stage, this book will help you identify your style and articulate your vision. If you’re further along in the process, you’ll benefit from checklists and pointers on reviewing architects’ plans, evaluating contractor bids, flipping the home you build, and more. The latest guidance on building a beautiful home on any budget New ideas for high-tech homes with low carbon footprints Step-by-step instructions for securing financing, hiring architects, and finding reliable contractors Advice on how to invest your home-building budget wisely and plan for the future Building Your Custom Home For Dummies takes you from finding the perfect homesite through laying the foundation to framing and finishing—in the friendly Dummies style you can trust.
A clear, concise, up-to-date guide on all aspects of deciding, designing, hiring, financing, building, and enjoying a home that's really your own. -- Covers all aspects of the home building process, from deciding what kind of house to build, to designing it, planning it, hiring the people to build it, and financing it. -- Less intimidating than many do-it-yourself books which are 600+ pages and either assume some knowledge of the home building process or are geared towards those who plan to do some of the actual constructing themselves. -- Written by an experienced consumer rather than a contractor, banker, realtor, or other biased author. The Complete Idiot's Guide "RM" to Building Your Own Home is a clear, concise, up-to-date guide on every aspect of the home building process. It answers every question readers have about building a custom residence-and a few questions they may not have considered. With clear instructions and illustrations, this book takes readers through every step of the home-building process from figuring a budget to finding labor and materials to all aspects of home construction. Whether they plan to build it all themselves, build some and hire some done, or hire it all done to their specifications, The Complete Idiot's Guide "RM" to Building Your Own Home will do the job.
After completing her own home renovation and extension, Fiona McPhillips, author, journalist and interiors fanatic, was inspired to bring together everything she learned along the way. In collaboration with three award-winning architects, Fiona provides you with the most holistic approach to your design and build. A practical step-by-step guide to surviving the transformation of your home, taking the reader from the design stage, through the planning process to building, decorating and finishing touches. The balance of personal stories and professional advice makes this an accessible and inspiring guide to renovation. Filled with photographs of real homes, this books is bursting with great ideas and will no doubt inspire you to make the home you love.
*** SPECIAL OPENING OFFER PRICE: £13.99 (SAVE £5 ON FULL PRICE). NEW FOR SUMMER 2020: 151 THINGS EVERY SELF-BUILDER SHOULD KNOW. From cover to cover, this uniquely informative, eye opening book is packed full of facts, figures, advice, hints, tips, ideas, anecdotes, personal experience, contacts, and plenty of important warnings, all related to the exciting, daunting, addictive world that is SELF-BUILD. Written by Barry Sutcliffe (author of Self-Build Simplified), From beginning to end, across 151 concise, fact and information driven sections, it sets out to pass on to the reader, knowledge and experience gained by the author, during more than four decades working as a Project Manager in the UK Commercial, Residential and Self-Build Construction Industries (including completing five of his own self-build projects). Each section deals with a different aspect of the self-build process, from the first tentative steps researching the subject, asking questions, and formulating a plan of action, through to moving into your completed new home and claiming back the VAT. Written in a simple, friendly and easy to follow style, most sections should take just a few minutes to read, but the information, experience, and knowledge you will access during those few minutes could help you to better understand your own project and the self-build industry as a whole, simplify and speed up the design and planning phases, and manage your time and budget more efficiently. It could also help you to make more informed choices on a wide range of related subjects, shorten build times, reduce build costs and notice potential problems before they occur, helping to reduce your stress levels leading up to and during the build. Extra features include: 1) The author has published his personal email address at the back of the book, allowing readers to make contact directly, to ask questions, make comments, or offer suggestions. 2) Readers can book a "Consultation Day" with the author, where they can discuss and investigate their own active, or proposed projects. 3) Over 200 self-build relevant contacts are included at the back of the book, covering many sectors of the industry. There is no other publication that approaches the subject of Self-Build in such an enlightening and forthright manner. Once you have read the book, keeping it with you day to day will allow it to help you navigate your way through this wonderful, but challenging adventure.
Having been in the industry for over 41 years and worked on hundreds of projects ranging from small jobs to building new homes, I've seen my share of the good, the bad, and the ugly. My industry has more than its fair share of horror stories, and I recently read that we're considered just a step up from used car salespeople. Even though the vast majority of general contractors are competent and hardworking people, I've seen too many rip-offs, too much bad workmanship, and too many disappointed homeowners. A lot of them have asked for my advice on how to get the job done, and in addition to being a builder, I consult with people all over the continent (and increasingly from other parts of the world) who want to manage their own projects. Being a general contractor isn't rocket science, but no one has explained the job the way I see it and also provided on-demand consulting services to anyone in the world who wants help. That's why I wrote this book. It will give you all the basics you need to take control of your own project and see it to a successful completion. After reading my book, you may decide that you'd be better off hiring someone, and that's okay. At least you'll be much more knowledgeable than the typical homeowner. I've seen far too many people overpay for their jobs and get less quality than they should.
