There is a growing trend in the country’s housing market today. If we’ve seen real estate companies have flourished through valiant marketing of houses and properties in the past decades, this time, the market is becoming more proactive via the availability of kit homes or owner-builder homes.
If you’ve been dreaming about building your house built through your sweat, efforts, and imagination, then you may want to consider becoming an owner-builder. Your dream home should be a work of your imagination, creativity, and passion. The design should not be limited to the available designs you see on real estate companies’ portfolios. Needless to say, do not limit your imagination. Additionally, you may think that building your home can only be done with the help of real estate firms. You may also feel that it is more appropriate to buy a fully-furnished house instead. While these options are practical, they may not satisfy for longing for a more personal and intimate homebuilding task. Unlike other concrete houses, kit homes are essentially known for being durable (since they are made of steel), green, and affordable. However, what makes these homes a bit unique is that you can build it yourself – no need to hire a general contractor for you to start and finish your project.
From the get-go, you should know that building your own home from scratch is no easy task. There will be challenges, a lot of it, along the way. Of course the easier way to build a home is to hire a general contractor and sub-contractors such as carpenters, electricians, painters, and excavation professionals. However, if you want a bolder move, you might want to consider being an owner-builder. In this set-up, you become the general contractor of your homebuilding project, saving you significant amount of money and leading you to unique experience. Basically, if you decide to become your own general contractor, you are in charge of all the aspects of the construction, including building schedule, the people you will hire, and other aspects including the design. However, the legal liability lies on you.
If you are the type of person who likes to get his hands dirty and be creative, a steel kit home should be one of your choices when building your home. Kit homes can be ordered part by part from a company. You may order certain parts of the steel house first, and then continue with the next ones as you progress. With this set-up, you become the general contractor – you are in control of everything. Hence, when your house is finally complete, you can tell yourself that it is indeed the fruit of your sweat and labor. While you can do the labor yourself, it is not recommended if you don’t have proper training and knowledge about home construction and trade. Instead, you would want to hire sub-contractors who will help you in building your home, making the construction faster and safer. However, you should also know that you are legally liable for the safety of the workers you will hire because technically you are their general contractor.
Owner building is not meant for everyone, it has a specific niche in the housing market. If you believe that you have what it takes to build your own home, then you should consider going for owner-builder homes rather than buying an already built home. If you choose this path, make sure to research more about the topic and to consult with professionals and people who have prior experience in building their own homes. Building your own home from scratch will give you certain benefits, such as more savings, fun, and unique experience. Homebuilding need not always be expensive and a comprehensive task – it can be fun, personal, and intimate as well.
