[OFB Cafe] I hear the Crickets...

[Jens Benecke]

Am 03.02.2010 um 01:56 schrieb Donald Spoon:

> Jens Benecke wrote:
>> 
>> Actually, we don’t know yet about „useful", but we figured it’s the right time to start:
>> Right now we’re building a house ... we’ll move in in August. :-)
> Good luck!!  Are you actually building it yourselves or are you having contractors do it done for you?  

Hi,

although my university education would theoretically permit me to calculate and construct my own house, I would never dare to build something of this size without somebody with experience :-) Plus, there are so many legal requirements that it is much easier and cheaper for you to do your own job for half a year, and then pay somebody who already knows all the details for that half year.

We have signed up with a company who will do the organization of all constructive, logistic and legal details. We will do everything outside the house ourselves (e.g. paths, car port, etc.) and put carpets, wallpaper in the house, we’ll get the kitchen probably from IKEA (for home assembly :-) ). But the major work will be put into professional hands.

Also, there is the question of warranty. There are so many things where you can forget one tiny little detail and later everything falls apart. I know somebody who extended the water pipes in his house because he wanted to build another bathroom in the attic, and everything went well, only 5 years later there was a leak, he had to tear up half his walls and throw away all his furniture, and no insurance paid for the damages because he modified the water pipes by himself.


> Back in the early days of US History, most men designed and built or supervised the building of their homes.  It is a lost talent / art in most of our young these days. One of the reasons I have been somwhat silent this last year is that I have been involved in the renovation of my Son's new (old) house.  It required extensive work, most all of which he and his wife did themselves.  The only part contracted out was some major Electrical work.  I helped them for about 6 weeks in the spring and again for about 2 weeks in Sep.  My  bruised thumbs are just now healing up!  ;-)

I have done that a couple of times. My parents own two houses (which they also partly built themselves), we have turned an attic and a basement into a comfortable study and guest room respectively, we did all the outside work (e.g. winter garden).


> August is a good time... Most of my moves were around that time due to my past military and medical life.  It seems the school year here determines all sorts of things.  Most job changes and moves take place between June and September in my crowd...


True ... plus, it’s a time where you can leave the door and windows open for some time without freezing to death. New houses need to dry up properly and need to be ventilated well, so summer is a good time.

I’ll post pics as soon as there is something to look at. ;)

Regards

-- 
Jens Benecke - jens at spamfreemail.de - www.jensbenecke.de
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