Be Your Own General Contractor - Become an Owner - Builder!

Have you ever considered building your own home? Though the reasons and level of involvement vary, 1000’s and 1000’s of people every year decide building their own home is a dream come true.

“Wanting to get the most home for their money” is a reason often given for becoming an owner-builder. Because of their involvement in the process and direct oversight of all expenditures, owner-builders keep what would have been the builder’s compensation for managing the construction process. Owner-builders can then choose to retain that money as equity in the home.

Your home is a reflection of you. Rather than settling for someone else’s home and its problems, or even a new home that’s sort of what you were looking for, building your own home ensures you get exactly what your want. Choose from thousands of professionally-designed home plans or create the design that is uniquely you. Go ahead—splurge a little! Use some of the savings you enjoy from building your own home to buy a couple ‘extras’ you really want for your home.

Some people are attracted to becoming owner-builders because, while they have sufficient income, they lack the money needed for a down payment. These owner-builders look to build their own home with no money down, and the home’s appraisal is often high enough to avoid PMI (Primary Mortgage Insurance) fees.

Others yearn for the experience of building their own home. Passionate down to the smallest detail, they want to make sure everything is right. Beyond the work they will do themselves, they get to interview and select the tradesmen who will be working on their home—a unique aspect to quality assurance only owner-builders enjoy.

Be As Involved As You Want
Many folks elect to act as their own general contractor. While they may never pick up a hammer, they are willing to manage the process and all of the tradesmen involved. They also end up paying each of the subcontractors directly—avoiding markup on the related product and labor costs.

From framing to painting, others have the skills and time to do some of the work themselves, creating an even greater amount of equity in the finished home.

At Your Service
There are companies dedicated to helping owner-builders realize a successful building experience and building the home they really want. Building your own home can bring unforeseen challenges, so being able to rely on others’ experience and knowledge is important.

With extensive experience in helping owner-builders on a nationwide basis, many of these companies help with home design and engineering, financing, budgeting and material purchases. Some offer aggressive financing programs designed specifically for the owner-builder’s special needs.