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Build your own home? For most of us, that's the biggest construction project we might tackle in life. I've done it, with pleasant success, and can offer some tips for taking on this major challenge. If you decide to "do it yourself" you'll face a thousand questions, make a few hundred decisions, and spend no less than tens of thousands of dollars. Consider your options carefully, and get as much help as you can rally all the way through.

Your first decision:

Is building your home a job you can handle? Only you can answer this question honestly by evaluating your skills, your finances, and the time you have available. It's so much easier to buy an existing home, and you will save money doing so. Don't believe the hype about avoiding "huge" profits that builders earn. Whatever money you save will be spent completely on sweat, sore muscles, headaches, and sleepless nights. You must decide if the price is justified by the rewards. Thousands of brave new homeowners vote yes every year. Every one could tell you some stories of regrets along the way. Still, their smiles of proud accomplishment outweigh the negatives.

Where will you build?

If you already own a plot of land, you've made a good start. If not, look carefully for just the right spot for your dream home. Consider all the variables of location, the same way you would for an existing home. Make sure that every utility you need is available. I'd never build on a lot without city water again; same goes for natural gas, although propane works fine. Watch out for lot shapes that require overly long driveways. Every piece of the pie matters, when you add it all together.

What about blueprints?

You'll need to settle on a design, sooner or later, before you can take any further steps. Use your location, the neighborhood, southern exposure, and the shape of your lot to narrow down the possibilities. If you have room in your budget, hire an architect. Professional design work is worth the price. No budget for design? Then begin searching through the libraries of available blueprints. Many offer the option of customizing. I drew my own prints, after weeks of design decisions. I still had to have a licensed engineer's seal of approval before the town would issue our permit.

Of banks and budgets:

Banks don't favor build-it-yourself projects. Until you can prove to your loan officer that you know exactly what you're doing, you're a risky prospect. You will have to do your homework, and fill in all the lines on your home building

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