A Sign Of The Times...

LaurieC

OK, so before I even start let me say I know this may not seem like a problem to most. Unfortunately it is to me...

My new HO have the smallest budget I've EVER worked with ($300,000 including landscape)! Our last three houses have had budgets of $1.4, $2.2, and $3.4 million. What i need are some substancial ways to save money. I figure I can find the least expensive tile (Yeah tile mile!), Paint grade everything, eleminate as many doors as possible, my granite guy is giving us free granite as long as we fabricate and install with him. What are some other ways to save?

What about cabinets? We've always had custom cabinets made. Has anyone installed chinese cabinets?

Mike- if you want I can tell you where to get free granite, all you pay is fab and install. Around $30-$60 SF.

Putty Truck

Yer right---what's the problem?

If these turkeys up here can build a really nice home using union trades and (low) quality material and sell it for under 300k, you shouldn't have a problem.

Just make sure the plumbers are paid the best and the plumbing material is top grade.

buildenterprise

Hold on, my violin's around here somewhere.....seriously, I wish I had your problems.


As for chinese cabinets there are a couple places around here that install them at a total price that's less than just my labor. They look nice but good luck with warranty issues. And what do you tell the HO when they ask for the brand name? Chung Fat? Long Duck Dong?

Chris Johnson

Laurie;

I know where you are coming from, bottom line your client may get a 1000 sq.ft. 2 storey home with all the basics and that's it.

You did not mention but I assume the budget does not include the land.

I have chinese cabinets, do yourself a favor, budget to refinish them, they peel bad. The boxes are fine, the doors and hardware are fine, it's the finish that is lousy, looks good for a while then UV kills it and they start peeling when cleaned.

To get the landscape in there be prepared to use grass seed, not sod

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Chris

MJW

I agree, downsize the house. Don't cut the labor or materials quality. Please don't put another sub-par house on our precious land that is dwindling away slowly but surely. Leave that to the shT box builders na dlow income housing.

Susan Betz

The builders around here just went back to $100K on a quarter acre for a standard 1000 sq. ft. house (pre-boom, $100K, boom-time, $140K). For $300K you'd get a fantastic house here these days. This is the Florida interior.

That just shows how much geography influences price.

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Fences of Distinction, Ocala, FL
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KentWhitten

Let me get this straight. You have a budget of $300,000 and you can put ANYTHING you want into the house YOU want as long as you can cover the cost? Your contract doesn't specify building materials or anything?

Someone is going to feel ripped off on this deal. Maybe both parties. Disaster is waiting to happen.

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Magnettica

Are you saying that's what it costs for a builder to build a 1,000 square foot home including labor and materials in Florida?

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rbsremodeling

Yep!! and they aren't that bad for that cost. Some are even made with block exterior walls

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Magnettica

Thanks. I really had no idea what the cost would be and I've worked on countless new home projects.

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skymaster

Susan; That 100K is RETAIL to the buyer not cost right? Selling new at 100 bucks sq ft. Geeeeezzzzzz permit fees up here are almost that much :{:{:{

send_it_all

If you are referring to me....I have a sub that cherges me $45 s.f. Material included. All I do is call them..they come and template, and about a week later they come and install. They will usually put me first in line, and they don't upcharge me for upgraded edge detail such as Ogee. I'm pretty happy with them.

If you were not talking to me.....never mind...lol.

Also....I have a good cabinet designer/supplier I can put you in contact with. It still may be beyond your budget, but some of the lines are very reasonable. PM me if you want more info.

Susan Betz

Retail buyer cost. And remember that includes county impact fees of over $10K.

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Fences of Distinction, Ocala, FL
http://www.fencesofdistinction.com

LaurieC

We're still in the design/ budget stage (we're also an architect & design company). I was given the total budget on Friday, and now I need to work on the design and budget for finish. We won't use sub par products in the building of the house. So finish is where I need to make up the money. The subs, materials, and suppliers I work with are much more high end then I can use on this job. No copper rain gutters/chimney cap/countertops, no slate roof, no custom arched doors, showers that cost more to tile then all the tile work in my entire house.

Chris- great tips. Thank you! I had not heard about the finish issue. I've been told the drawers sometimes need to be replaced.

MJM- that's the first thing we did. It went from 4600sf to 2600 sf, unfortunately the budget was also cut at that time. Leaving me with a little over half the size I started with, and a little less then half the budget.

Double-A

We don't do new construction, but one way we deal with limited budgets is to keep it simple. Trim is limited and we suggest a modified craftsman or arts and craft style. Top casing cut on a slight angle and run long, side casing butted into it with no fillet and no top casing cap.

As for cabinets, talk with your cabinet maker. You might find you can get paint grade cabinets to be finished on-site for much less than you think. If they are willing to go with painted carcases, you can see a large savings in cabinets, especially if you KIS and keep your allowances to the minimum. If they want drawers, talk to them about pull out shelves instead with std door fronts. You get fewer drawers per unit, but its simpler to build and therefore less $$. The pullouts can be installed on-site during installation on fixed shelves installed at shop. Make sure you spec a 120 degree hinge or greater if you decide on this route and tell your cabinet maker this is what you're doing. He may have more ideas to help or shave $$. Recycle stations, fancy fold out pantry units, dividers, spice racks, etc. all add $$. Again, allow for simple and give them options at additional price.

Backsplash can be painted in all areas over cabinets. These don't have to be tile or stone.

Sheetrock returns on the windows, simple stools and aprons. (Skip trim on the side and tops for more savings.) No crown. Textured ceilings and walls. Might think twice about the radius corners everyone is so hot about.

Carpet in most areas except wet areas, tile in showcase areas only, sheet goods in other areas. Lots of choices, but it all looks like sheet goods when you really look at it.

Limit bath and powder rooms. Keep your wet areas in a line that the building drain can follow and you'll save some on the plumbing. Chrome never goes out of style, just fades in and out of favor and its still available, but harder to get in the fancier fixtures, so KIS. 4" cc on the lavs, not widespread. Use an alcove garden tub for the master instead of a drop in, that way you can use a std tub filler or even a tub/shower valve instead of a roman style (filler mounted on one wall of alcove instead of tub deck). This also lowers tiling costs somewhat, depending on the surround material (cultured marble is less than tile in many cases).

All electric will save on appliance package, but might run them more to operate. Might give allowances for electric and let them upgrade for gas. Std water heater is less expensive than a tankless unit and recirc adds minimal costs, but still the cost is there.

Closet customization options... what color paint do you want on the MDF shelves? I'd offer a closet package on the master only, with an allowance. All wire, no wood finishes, no fanciness. Two levels of hanging and wire shelves. No drawers, shoe racks etc.

Like Chris said, its gonna be a plain house, but I think you'll find as you get into this more and more that their budget is going to creep up. Especially when you start showing them what their money is buying, as opposed to what an additional $50-70K will do for them.

Doh... I wrote another damed book. Sorry for the big post.

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"My clients’ wishes are the center of my attention." -- David Guido, a contractor in Woodstock, N.Y.
New York Times, July 20, 2006

send_it_all

It was a book, but full of great info/ideas. Great post.

LaurieC

Double A- thanks! that was a great response. Perfect example of why I'm on this site. Great information, without making me feel stupid for asking.
Very useful tips.

trptman

I'm always amazed at the price differences in regions.
300K gets you a heckufa darn nice house where I'm at. No skimping on the finishes either.

I still wonder how anyone can afford to live where you're at. What's minimum wage, $30 or 40/hour?

You have my sympathies at your "plight"
Seriously though, sounds like you have more good ideas thrown at you already than anything I was going to come up with.

The only thing is if the "normal" house you do is over a million or more and this one is for a third of that, you better talk long and hard with them about thier expectations for what the finishes will look like. Youre going to have to make things real plain. Or talk them into building somewhere else and commute farther. Or look for other jobs in another state (I know, "real helpful")

CatAlii

The cost of housing is definitely outrageous out here (So. Cal). When I travel to Houston for work I am always blown away at how much more home you can get for your dollar yet the average salaries aren't comparably lower. They are only just slightly lower. Completely run-down two bedroom one bath 1950 built houses on 6500 sq. ft lots are listed in the 600-700K range in our neighborhood. And that is what people are calling a huge housing market "crash" from the 800-900K they were going for a few years ago. In Houston you would get quite a bit more for 600K! But I digress....

Laurie, I don't have any additional suggestions - folks have had some good ideas. I totally agree with keeping the quality up and scaling the size down but the challenge is how to do that and accommodate the homeowner's wishes too. Even though we're not doing any new homes right now I can feel your pain - 300K is not terribly much around here especially when the HO has $3M taste. We're just up the road from you in Los Angeles county (PV) and we don't have much open land to build new homes on. It's so sad how over-built we are on the Westside and in the South Bay. Folks are mostly remodeling. Our area is 99% remodeling projects. There are some areas that are still doing new construction like crazy - Brentwood is one. Those are all tear-downs of existing homes though, no open land there either.

Good luck with your project! Let us know how it turns out.

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Cathy

Michalak Construction / MCC on Facebook / MCC on Twitter / MCC on Google+

LaurieC

Cathy- The project is a tear down/ rebuild, but we still have some land out here in OC. I can't even imagine what it's like in your area. Do you build in Brentwood?

Trptmn- I know it's hard to wrap your mind around the cost out here. I'm from TX and it took yrs to get over the sticker shock. Perhaps it would have been easier to say I have 25% of the budget I normally have for a project. Much less distracting.