Important Items to Review Before Purchase We’ve recently purchased the lot for our new Open Book Build project in Westlake, Ohio.  In doing so, we carefully reviewed an important list of items to make certain we would have a smooth building experience.  Here are the major items we reviewed prior to purchase that should prevent […]

building lot, land, purchase

Pros and Cons of Kit Homes for Owner Builders We are always looking for ways to make the building process easier for those who want to build their own home as an owner builder.  One option for making the process simpler is to purchase a kit home from a lumber supplier.  What is a kit […]

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Owner builders thinking of tackling their own new home should be very careful when hiring workers.  Whether the worker is considered a contractor or an employee has major ramifications for the owner.  If the worker is considered to be an employee by law, the owner builder will be required to withhold payroll taxes, carry workman’s […]

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Selecting the house plan to build your new home can be an exciting process.  Finally you have the opportunity to create the home of your dreams that matches your family’s lifestyle.  Besides square footage, the number of bedrooms and an inspiring design, there are some additional items you should consider when selecting the plans to […]

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Some builders like to make it sound impossible for people to build their own projects. I suppose it’s natural to want to protect their livelihood. But the truth is, the average person can take on the general contractor role to remodel a kitchen, basement, or even build a new home from the ground up. There […]

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  It’s important to carefully evaluate land before making an offer for purchase to build your dream home. You don’t want to end up with an asset that is a hassle, doesn’t meet your building requirements or that causes you unforeseen expenses. As a home builder, I have a checklist that I go through prior […]

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What do people mean when they say owner builder or build your own house?  Does this translate into swinging a hammer and physically building the home yourself or is this more about managing trade contractors?  Actually, both of these are correct.  When you take on a project to build a new home without a general […]

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It’s interesting to see how many homes are built by owner builders each year in the permit numbers put out by the U.S. Census Bureau.  One of the more common questions asked by people wanting to build a new home is, “Can an average person manage the construction of their own home as an owner […]

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Armchair Builder was created by a builder to give regular folks access to professional builder tools and resources.  These tools have been adapted to make them easier to use by novice owner builders looking to save money and gain control over their larger building projects.  One of our readers asked the question this week, “I […]

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An owner builder reached out to us this week asking how our products would help in determining the price for his new home.  Determining the cost for a new build is one of the biggest questions people have when venturing into a new home build.  The good news is Armchair Builder was created to provide […]

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