by Carl Heldmann (Author)
You don't need to depend on (or pay) a general contractor to manage your construction project. Whether you're building a new home or renovating an existing one, you can manage the job yourself. Carl Heldmann outlines how to purchase your own land, set a reasonable budget and schedule, describe your needs and vision to an architect, and hire subcontractors to do the actual building. Cut out the middleman and save as much as 25 percent on your beautiful new home
Back Jacket
Simple language with no technical jargon. (The New York Times)
This excellent book offers the average person a way to say 25% of the high cost of a new house. Recommended. (Library Journal)
For those who are considering building a home (or addition) this book is a must! (American Homeowners Foundation)
If you can balance a checkbook, read, and deal with people in a fair manner, you can build your own house or addition. You don't need any technical knowledge or building skills - in fact, you'll never pick up a hammer.
With veteran contractor Carl Heldmann as a guide, you'll learn that you can get exactly the house you want, done the way you want it, for less.
In this completely revised and updated fourth edition of his classic how-to book (more than 185,000 copies in print), Heldmann gives an overview of all the steps of building and includes a glossary of building and business terms and sample contracts. He tells how to:
Select land
Secure financing
Develop house plans
Establish schedules
Identify cost-saving options
Select subcontractors
Negotiate contracts
Buy materials and supplies
Estimate building costs