CAT | Owner-Builder
Quality in New Homes: What is Acceptable?
0 Comments | Posted by armchairbuilder in Build Your Own Home, Owner-Builder, Quality Check
Defining quality in new homes can be difficult. What may seem like a good practice by some, may be shoddy workmanship to the next person. But the truth is, there is a minimum standard that should be met by contractors that goes beyond the building code. Unfortunately, many people choose contractors without really asking what […]
The storms moving across the U.S. this week are bringing massive amounts of ice to many homeowners. This brings us to the question…What are the best methods for ice removal around the home? The goal is to keep your home functioning properly while making sure everyone is safe. But sometimes the process of removing the […]
Bidding Out Your Project Correctly for Huge Savings
0 Comments | Posted by armchairbuilder in Owner-Builder, Save Money
Bidding out your project is like shopping on Black Friday. It’s important to…Know what you want…Never take the first price…Compare apples to apples. That’s it. You’re welcome. But seriously, using good technique when bidding out your home activities to contractors can save you thousands of dollars. Whether you are building a home from the ground […]
Septic System Inspection: What Homeowners Need to Know
0 Comments | Posted by armchairbuilder in Build Your Own Home, Owner-Builder, Quality Check
Are you familiar with the important items to review for a septic system inspection? Depending on the location of your new home, you may not have city sewer service. If you have lived with municipal services your whole life, a septic installation can be foreign to you. Most of us have heard the horror stories […]
Seal Up Your New Home Properly
0 Comments | Posted by armchairbuilder in Build Your Own Home, Owner-Builder, Quality Check
My wife absolutely hates bugs of any kind. I’m personally more concerned about drafts that are constantly trying to make their way through the exterior walls. Whether you want to keep pests out or just want to keep your energy bills low, it’s important to do a thorough job sealing up the exterior walls in […]
If you’ve spent any time at Armchair Builder, you know our goal is to help owner builders any way we can. From how-to video and articles, to downloadable digital resources, we offer tools for the owner builder to save money while creating the home of their dreams. Frequently we are asked to provide suggestions for […]
Four Ways to Lower the Cost of Your New Home
0 Comments | Posted by armchairbuilder in Owner-Builder, Save Money
If you’re like me, you like to shop several stores before giving up your hard earned cash to buy something. Besides shopping around, I also look for alternatives for getting the job done more efficiently. We work too hard for our money to just throw it away. It’s good to apply this same type of […]
Building a Home: A Step by Step Guide
0 Comments | Posted by armchairbuilder in Build Your Own Home, Owner-Builder, Save Money
We are proud to announce that we’ve just published a new e-book, Building a Home: A Step by Step Guide. This resource combines all of the articles from our blog series, How to Build a Home, into one neat package. From choosing a lot and obtaining a construction loan through all of the phases of […]
Owner Builder Success Stories
0 Comments | Posted by armchairbuilder in Build Your Own Home, Owner-Builder, Save Money
ArmchairBuilder.com regularly shares builder tips and secrets for those that want to take on the general contractor role for their own new home. Today we want to share with you some owner builder success stories to show how real people are making their dream a reality. So if you are one of those people that […]
One of our readers contacted us yesterday to share a huge success story. Did you happen to see our article last year covering melting vinyl siding? In case you didn’t see the article or the video, the main point covered was that newer windows that are positioned just right can reflect the sun into intense […]
