Archology

So, you’re designing a new house or addition and you’re on a tight budget.  Does this mean you’re stuck building the same bland box as everyone else, maximizing your space and minimizing your detail and whimsy?  I’d argue, no, you just have to be careful.  Everyone has enough in their budget for at least one unique feature and here’s why.  Spending the money to do one unusual, unique, inventive, or beautiful thing will not cost you more in design fees (or at least it shouldn’t, trust me, we get bored of doing boring boxes, we’d love the challenge of doing something unique on every project) and it doesn’t have to cost you more in construction costs, but when the time comes to sell, having that feature will help you stand out from a crowd and be memorable.

As the parable states, building a house on sand is a risky proposition. And so, you probably will want to ensure your builder has builders public liability insurance – otherwise this will be a costly build. Sand itself isn’t the problem, but the proximity to water can be. It all comes down to flooding, and there are basically three types of foundations used in the beach area depending on your exposure, all of which you have to take into account when you are planning to build your own house.

The simplest foundation is the one almost everyone everywhere has because it’s cheap and simple. It’s a spread footing, a foundation wall that sites on a concrete beam set down below the frost line (depth will vary based on climate.) It’s simple, it’s cheap, it’s strong, and for anyone not actually in a flood zone, it’s all you’ll ever need. If you looking for recommendations then why don’t you check out someone like dfw foundation repair for those times when a crack becomes a problem in your house foundation.

Here’s the million dollar question, ok, well, I’ve never billed that much, but it’s often the bone of contention over a project, what is a fair price, especially for tiny projects that you may only be bringing me because you’re being forced. Not all projects are price sensitive, there are luxury projects where a look or a name brand is more important than finding the best price, in which case, ignore this post and work it out with your designer.