Crusader's Barndominium Construction Thread

[Crusader]

I'm not breaking ground just yet, so this thread will start out slow.  i do have some updates.  I closed on the land about 2 weeks ago.  It has been raining every day, so I didn't bother going out to the property until  today.  I dropped by my property after work.  I sprayed the poison ivy all over the gate and drove around on the property.  The grass and weeds are about 3 feet high.  I need to get a tractor out there soon.  A buddy offered to loan me his 30 horse John Deere, but I need to get something soon.  I met my next door neighbors.  They are a mid 30s couple with a couple of kids.  Daniel and Brittney seemed nice.  His stepmom sold the land to me.  Water and electric are available on my side of the street.  I don't have to worry about paying to bore a line under the street.  Spectrum Cable and internet became available at my land a month ago, so I will have very reliable and fast internet and cable TV.  I already have Spectrum cell phones so maybe I can bundle.

I have a huge "to do" list.

Mow the weeds and determine my exact home location.

Get an estimate on utility hookup costs and procedures and arrange for temporary power and maybe water for construction. (and rent a port a potty)

Get gravel poured for temp (or maybe permanent) driveway and shipping container pad.

Buy shipping container(s) and have delivered onto pad.

Find a general contractor to oversee the foundation and metal shell construction.

I'm not in a big rush.  I'm more worried about cost and getting it right the first time.  I figure it will take about 6 months and $100-110k to get the metal shell up. When the above is done I can take over myself and put in my sweat equity.  I'll have to hire the spray foam insulation and the sheetrock, tape, and texture, but I should be able to do the vast majority of the rest myself.


View into property from front gate.

View from likely home site toward front gate.

View toward North from likely home site.

[Thom Paine]

I'm not breaking ground just yet, so this thread will start out slow.  i do have some updates.  I closed on the land about 2 weeks ago.  It has been raining every day, so I didn't bother going out to the property until  today.  I dropped by my property after work.  I sprayed the poison ivy all over the gate and drove around on the property.  The grass and weeds are about 3 feet high.  I need to get a tractor out there soon.  A buddy offered to loan me his 30 horse John Deere, but I need to get something soon.  I met my next door neighbors.  They are a mid 30s couple with a couple of kids.  Daniel and Brittney seemed nice.  His stepmom sold the land to me.  Water and electric are available on my side of the street.  I don't have to worry about paying to bore a line under the street.  Spectrum Cable and internet became available at my land a month ago, so I will have very reliable and fast internet and cable TV.  I already have Spectrum cell phones so maybe I can bundle.

I have a huge "to do" list.

Mow the weeds and determine my exact home location.

Get an estimate on utility hookup costs and procedures and arrange for temporary power and maybe water for construction. (and rent a port a potty)

Get gravel poured for temp (or maybe permanent) driveway and shipping container pad.

Buy shipping container(s) and have delivered onto pad.

Find a general contractor to oversee the foundation and metal shell construction.

I'm not in a big rush.  I'm more worried about cost and getting it right the first time.  I figure it will take about 6 months and $100-110k to get the metal shell up. When the above is done I can take over myself and put in my sweat equity.  I'll have to hire the spray foam insulation and the sheetrock, tape, and texture, but I should be able to do the vast majority of the rest myself.


View into property from front gate.

View from likely home site toward front gate.

View toward North from likely home site.

Congrats !
I s'pect I'll take this ride with you. jus' for the fun of it.

I'm a semi-retired GC; over 50 years in business.

If I might be helpful, it will be a pleasure to do so.

Let the games begin.

[Red Lily]

Congratulations it looks awesome.

[Thom Paine]

hmmm, I just noticed that my above response might sound like a job solicitation....

It wasn't meant as such.... just an offer to help from afar... or whatever.

[Casey Jones]

Lovely area.

Wish a similar plan was possible for me. But with this econ/political climate, my age, my low income...not so much.

I don't even know where I'd look, what part of the country. Arizona was always my fallback - can't get more stable and conservative than that area. But now it's open frontier being overrun with invaders, and the Dumbos have taken over state government.

Texas has similar problems. And the Beltway Circle-Ds, have Texas as the next targeted destruction. Now that they've gotten the Deep South states and white-bread Minnesota, all reduced to Leftist smoking ruins.

In the end, I think, stronger than I did, that Mexico is the place to be...but NOT NOW. Not while the drug cartels and the organized invasion force are both rolling over the land. In a few years there will BE no money for drugs, and everyone who wants Moar Free will be here...and Mexico will be where it was 70 years ago, and that's good.

But will I live that long? I dunno. What negative things do Davos and UN have in store for the world's Useless Eaters? Don't know that, either.

[Casey Jones]

...sorry for the thread hijack.

[Crusader]

hmmm, I just noticed that my above response might sound like a job solicitation....

It wasn't meant as such....  just an offer to help from afar...  or whatever.    

While my Dad was a framing contractor, I don't have too much experience and I've never built a house. This will be a challenge for me and you can offer all the advice you like. I know what I want, but the BEST way to get there may require a little gentle prodding.

[Thom Paine]

It will be an adventure for you.

I can assist in where, what, and how to get started, from a GCs position.

There is much to be done BEFORE that first spade of dirt is dug.

[HawkTheSlayer]

Congrats!  

Your local county assessors office offers GCT(by far the best) and other company's  , up to date, aerial recording of all properties in the county, along with GPS survey markings , online.
Im assuming the land was surveyed and properly marked before purchase.

Sometimes it takes two or 3 months for a new purchase to show up on the map and get into the system.

I look at these maps almost daily.

[Crusader]

That's where my confusion happens. I'm sure much of that confusion will disappear when I find a GC to get started. First, I need to mow so I can decide exactly where I want to build. I'm considering factors like distance from utilities, privacy, solar exposure, water runoff, septic tank location, .....and anything else?

Once I know where I'm building, I can put in a gravel driveway and pad for a shipping container for storage. I'd like to get rid of my monthly storage payment and I might be able to store my tractor. Until I live there I worry about security, even though it will hardly be visible from the road. I can also do some grading and fill in some low spots.

I'll need temporary electrical power. Will I also need water available before the slab is poured?

Should I just hand a sketch to the GC and let them find an architect or should I do that myself? I don't want to get in the way of the process but I want what I want.

While the GC has the reins, I'd like to keep busy with the driveway, storage, grading, gate improvement, fencing, tree trimming, establishing bees for an agricultural tax exemption...... It will help me to be there to monitor his progress. I currently live 35-40 minutes away, but my work furnishes me with a work vehicle and free gas, it's not a big deal to commute.

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