This book equips owners with the information and strategies needed to turn their vision into a home or renovation project that can be executed on time and within budget. Chapters give detailed coverage of critical topics: design options, selecting and supervising the architect and contractor, cost estimates, budgets, plan specifications, contracts, dealing with town officials and keeping track of everything along the way. For each stage of the project there is detailed information on common pitfalls and how to avoid them, as well as insiders' tips which reveal what most contractors can't tell you. This book was previously published by Warner Books (2004) and titled What the "Experts" May Not Tell You About Building or Renovating Your Home.
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Editorial Reviews
From the Publisher
This is the bestselling book of its type for good reason. It’s exactly what owners need and want to know before they start a building project. It’s frank, insightful, well sequenced and gives the reader a fascinating look into the surprising culture of the construction industry. It addresses what all owners are worried about and plenty else they should be worried about. The reader will come away a savvy consumer with foresight, prepared and focused on the right things to ensure their project is a success.
From the Author
Creating a dream home just shouldn't be a nightmare, but hiring people to design and build for you is an enormous investment and a high-risk endeavor involving decisions that will last forever. Most homeowners spend about 20% of their time on the plan and 80% of their time on a messy, traumatic, expensive construction phase, often with bad consequences. Pros spend 80% of their time on the plan and 20% on a smooth construction phase with the desired outcome. But the homeowners can't know what goes into a solid plan unless someone tells them. After years of hearing bright people tell me horror stories about their experiences I thought ‘If owners knew even a fraction of what the professionals did, they could avoid most of these problems.’ I hope you find this book illuminating and helpful. Best of luck with your project.
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More About the Author
Amy Johnston is a Construction Manager and Owner's Representative. She grew up renovating homes with her family and went on to build and renovate several of her own. Johnston has spent the last twenty years managing the design and construction or renovation of residential homes, affordable housing projects, historic downtown restorations and commercial spaces on behalf of owners. As liaison between the parties on so many projects, she enjoys a unique perspective on the dynamics of successful design and construction.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
127 of 127 people found the following review helpful
By Boraxo
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I am looking to build my own home on a nice suburban lot in an existing neighborhood (replacing a teardown) and have purchased half a dozen books from Amazon in hopes of learning how to start the process from scratch. This is by far the most informative useful book of the lot.
It contains detailed information on how to go about hiring an architect and contractor, selecting materials, etc. along with choices that will save money or upgrade your home. It explains the differences between materials and provides tips on how to make sure you get what you put in your plans. It is written for someone like myself, an ordinary joe who has zero experience in design, building or construction. But unlike the awful Dummies book, this one contains useful information and tips for avoiding problems.
If you only buy one book on building your own home this should be the one.
It contains detailed information on how to go about hiring an architect and contractor, selecting materials, etc. along with choices that will save money or upgrade your home. It explains the differences between materials and provides tips on how to make sure you get what you put in your plans. It is written for someone like myself, an ordinary joe who has zero experience in design, building or construction. But unlike the awful Dummies book, this one contains useful information and tips for avoiding problems.
If you only buy one book on building your own home this should be the one.
150 of 155 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Designing and building a new home is intimidating for three reasons (1) It is something with which you are not familiar; (2) you are not likely to have many friends who have done it; and (3) it is VERY expensive. Worse, you feel responsible for every mistake made, and you know that each mistakes cost you money and time. Buying this book is NOT one of those mistakes. Instead, it is the "ounce of prevention" that will pay for itself many hundreds of times over.
Amy Johnston is a professional construction manager and owner's representative. Her wisdom focuses with framing the entire construction project in terms of a tradeoff between time, quality, and money - you can only have two of the three. We're only part way through our new house, and that rings very, very true. We clearly opted for taking a longer time - will we keep that focus as construction progresses? In any case, she gives the insights into each part of the triangle. Better yet, she is fair - she makes sure that neither you, nor anyone else, is getting cheated. Contractors, architects, bankers, inspectors, and everyone else are clearly defined in their roles - though the most important role is the home owner's, which she describes in great detail.
Every chapter is focused on another phase of the project, and her clear writing opens up the mysteries along the way. She describes who is doing what (or should be doing it), and describes what choices need to made - and what the alternatives are - before saying what her choice is.
Her points are illustrated with good references, pertinent anecdotes, and points that she labels "Insider's tips" and "pitfalls". I was pleased to find that I had miraculously avoided some pitfalls before I bought the book, and I expect to avoid many others as a reuslt of her advice.
I was trying to figure out if this book could be described a "home construction for dummies" book. My initial reactiion was that dummies shouldn't be building a house - there are too many choices and decisions, and way too much complexity. But anyone can feel like a dummy when they make a bad decision, based on not enough knowledge and information. With this book, I have far more confidence that I will be well informed, and the problems that will inevitably occur will be minimzed as much as possible. I refer to the book constantly, and appreciate the wide margins that allows for notes to be made.
Amy Johnston is a professional construction manager and owner's representative. Her wisdom focuses with framing the entire construction project in terms of a tradeoff between time, quality, and money - you can only have two of the three. We're only part way through our new house, and that rings very, very true. We clearly opted for taking a longer time - will we keep that focus as construction progresses? In any case, she gives the insights into each part of the triangle. Better yet, she is fair - she makes sure that neither you, nor anyone else, is getting cheated. Contractors, architects, bankers, inspectors, and everyone else are clearly defined in their roles - though the most important role is the home owner's, which she describes in great detail.
Every chapter is focused on another phase of the project, and her clear writing opens up the mysteries along the way. She describes who is doing what (or should be doing it), and describes what choices need to made - and what the alternatives are - before saying what her choice is.
Her points are illustrated with good references, pertinent anecdotes, and points that she labels "Insider's tips" and "pitfalls". I was pleased to find that I had miraculously avoided some pitfalls before I bought the book, and I expect to avoid many others as a reuslt of her advice.
I was trying to figure out if this book could be described a "home construction for dummies" book. My initial reactiion was that dummies shouldn't be building a house - there are too many choices and decisions, and way too much complexity. But anyone can feel like a dummy when they make a bad decision, based on not enough knowledge and information. With this book, I have far more confidence that I will be well informed, and the problems that will inevitably occur will be minimzed as much as possible. I refer to the book constantly, and appreciate the wide margins that allows for notes to be made.
68 of 68 people found the following review helpful
By greenie227
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This book is excellent for those new to building or renovating and need to know what to do and say and who to say and do it to. The author does an excellent job setting out the relationships, processes, chronologies, and thinking for dealing with other parties all the way from dreaming about doing a remodel/build to finishing it. This is exactly the book I was looking for -- not a technical manual about building, but a handy reference about my role as owner and how I can or should interact with the architect, lender, general contractor, etc. to get the home or addition I want.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Extremely helpful guide for remodeling!!
My girlfriend and I have relied on this book for several projects on our new home, and we love its straightforward tone and comprehensive content. Read more
Published 12 days ago by Nicholas P Tippery
5.0 out of 5 stars
BUY TWO! This is the Bible of Home Building
Buy Two! One for you and one for your spouse. You will both want to highlight, make notes and sleep with this next to your pillow throughout the life of your project. Read more
Published 22 days ago by KMK
4.0 out of 5 stars
It has helped!
Getting ready to build a new house and this book as been helpful. Especially like the sections on choosing a builder and contracts.
Published 1 month ago by Taloolla
5.0 out of 5 stars
This Really is the Essential Guide
This is hands down the best book I have ever seen when it comes to tips for building a custom home. We are in the early stages of working with an architect to design our dream... Read more
Published 2 months ago by G. W. Smith
5.0 out of 5 stars
Lots of good tips, not the same old, same old...
Open this book to any page and you will likely see an idea or hint you haven't seen in other similar books. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Dr. Rhonda J. Button
5.0 out of 5 stars
Purchased for business...
Purchased for business. I design homes and this book has provided great ideas, as well as a visual for my trades.
Published 2 months ago by Vetta
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very helpful in succeeding to build your house
I bought this book back in 2010 - just at the same time as we bought a real estate to build a family house. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Tomas
5.0 out of 5 stars
helpful guide
another perspective needed when approaching a construction job. Lots of good info. now, just need the time to read all these books!
Published 3 months ago by Found my way to Tx
2.0 out of 5 stars
The book is OK
The book is ok. it tooks 12 days for me to recieve it. I once thought it was lost. But the book is ok
Published 3 months ago by Ligong Yang
5.0 out of 5 stars
2 words for the author....
Thank you. My husband and I have a small home on the Jersey shore that had significant flood damage due to hurricane Sandy. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Veronica
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