09-06-2005, 08:31 AM
A few things I learned as an owner/builder in order to save on costs:
If you pay for all the materials and charge everything it you can practically get a free frequent flyer trip like i did on my visa....most catchment companies, septic, gutters will accept charge cards
Take the time to talk to contractors or supervisors/builders, talk to their references and visit other job sites...you might be lucky to get an open spot in their timeline. Really hash out the payment terms, guarantees/warranties, do constant walk throughs with them to point out inconsistencies or things that you want to have re-done
Try to get the plans submitted now while you are still in the mainland...only main thing you would really need to consider while not there is where you would like to place home, road, septic and catchment system...if you know the setbacks-typically 20 feet on the sides you can do the layout and your kit company will do the plot plan for you....this can easily save months in the waiting process.
Make sure you ask around for excavators immediately and get on their wait list...wish i had a good one for you-all my experiences have been really bad so go for an established name and make sure you can meet that person on your land and walk the areas that you would like to have changed...be there for the process so you can see the work and make sure that they are not just scraping superficially areas that you really want to have done correctly
Alot of the finished materials from your kit companies can be purchased by you directly so you can go to home depot/lowes to choose the fixtures that you would like and then you can get credits for the materials you did not want from your kit home.
If you are looking for cheap all wood cabinets cheaper than home depot there is a company that imports all wood cabinets in china...elite interiors ltd, for flooring/countertops/cabinets tiana 808-966-6938...you can go the home depot route but they are always one cabinet short for their pre-builts so you should factor in the timeframe for this or any custom orders.
You might be able to find cheap materials or household items at many of the garage sales happening every weekend or the freecycle web site.
If your on catchment, get a minimum of a 10,000 gallon tank and get a framework over the tank so it doesn't sink into the water eventually...
You can rent alot of equipment from punarent or homedepot for a week for work that you may want to do yourself...ie you can rent jackhammers to do holes for placing poles
Spend the money on good paint, it is worth the expense for better quality paint and one paint applications are always better and cheaper in the long run
If you want soil, a good 50/50 mix soil/cinder is the way to go...brysons in pahoa only charges $190 with delivery and the driver can dump in various locations for you if you are nice to them.
Be very nice to your neighbors and try to meet everyone on the block and spend the time to talk story with them, they will end up doing alot for you and even help in the build process if you need any help
When you buy appliances, most places offer free delivery so you should gang all your purchases at one time so you save delivery costs....same with any other material purchases that you cannot carry in your vehicle
These are a few things i was able to save costs and minimize any matters that could inflate costs/time down the road.
aloha,
noel
If you pay for all the materials and charge everything it you can practically get a free frequent flyer trip like i did on my visa....most catchment companies, septic, gutters will accept charge cards
Take the time to talk to contractors or supervisors/builders, talk to their references and visit other job sites...you might be lucky to get an open spot in their timeline. Really hash out the payment terms, guarantees/warranties, do constant walk throughs with them to point out inconsistencies or things that you want to have re-done
Try to get the plans submitted now while you are still in the mainland...only main thing you would really need to consider while not there is where you would like to place home, road, septic and catchment system...if you know the setbacks-typically 20 feet on the sides you can do the layout and your kit company will do the plot plan for you....this can easily save months in the waiting process.
Make sure you ask around for excavators immediately and get on their wait list...wish i had a good one for you-all my experiences have been really bad so go for an established name and make sure you can meet that person on your land and walk the areas that you would like to have changed...be there for the process so you can see the work and make sure that they are not just scraping superficially areas that you really want to have done correctly
Alot of the finished materials from your kit companies can be purchased by you directly so you can go to home depot/lowes to choose the fixtures that you would like and then you can get credits for the materials you did not want from your kit home.
If you are looking for cheap all wood cabinets cheaper than home depot there is a company that imports all wood cabinets in china...elite interiors ltd, for flooring/countertops/cabinets tiana 808-966-6938...you can go the home depot route but they are always one cabinet short for their pre-builts so you should factor in the timeframe for this or any custom orders.
You might be able to find cheap materials or household items at many of the garage sales happening every weekend or the freecycle web site.
If your on catchment, get a minimum of a 10,000 gallon tank and get a framework over the tank so it doesn't sink into the water eventually...
You can rent alot of equipment from punarent or homedepot for a week for work that you may want to do yourself...ie you can rent jackhammers to do holes for placing poles
Spend the money on good paint, it is worth the expense for better quality paint and one paint applications are always better and cheaper in the long run
If you want soil, a good 50/50 mix soil/cinder is the way to go...brysons in pahoa only charges $190 with delivery and the driver can dump in various locations for you if you are nice to them.
Be very nice to your neighbors and try to meet everyone on the block and spend the time to talk story with them, they will end up doing alot for you and even help in the build process if you need any help
When you buy appliances, most places offer free delivery so you should gang all your purchases at one time so you save delivery costs....same with any other material purchases that you cannot carry in your vehicle
These are a few things i was able to save costs and minimize any matters that could inflate costs/time down the road.
aloha,
noel