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Build Your House Yourself University

Wish you knew more about the biggest investment you will most likely ever make? Build Your House Yourself University (byhyu) will teach you to save money and make smart decisions about the construction of the place you and your family will call HOME. We will help you understand residential construction— simplify and demystify the design build process. You’ll come away with successful strategies for building your own house, with or without a general contractor. Become an educated consumer, even if you prefer to buy, rather than build a new house. Complex construction jargon and best practices will be explained in easy to understand terms. It’s not the typical DIY (do it yourself) show. You will learn how to MANAGE the labor, not DO the labor for your new house. Join me, Michelle Nelson, host and fellow informal residential construction student. I’ll share the research I find on home design and building as I prepare to build my home. Together, our community of future home builders, will learn the tips, tricks and trends of experienced contractors and industry experts. I’ll interview owner-builders and construction professionals. During our mini lessons, I’ll inform you about framing, flooring, windows, insulation, kitchen cabinets and countertops…almost anything having to do with new construction homes. You’ll hear about energy efficiency and green building too. There will be product reviews in which you will be introduced to cutting edge, as well as, tried and true products and services. And in keeping with the university theme, episodes will end with short, fun quizzes. If we do our due diligence BEFORE we start construction, we will actually start construction with the most difficult part of the project behind us. Let’s put in the time, effort, preparation and research BEFORE we break ground and building our homes will be much easier and more enjoyable.
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Now displaying: June, 2018
Jun 27, 2018

I just came back from the Tulsa Parade of Homes.  The real estate market in the Tulsa area is pretty underrated.  There are beautiful homes and neighborhoods there and I love their parade of homes.  This was my third or fourth year going there for the parade. 

Like always, this parade of homes allowed me to see what features are popular in new construction, at least in that part of the country. But I also saw some features in houses that gave me pause.   Features that we should definitively think twice about before putting them in our new homes.  That’s what I want to talk about in this week’s episode.

Show notes at BYHYU.com

Jun 20, 2018

How much storage should we build into our new homes? What I read over and over again was that you should include more storage than you think you need for your family’s current and future needs.  That ample amount of storage will not only make living in your new house more pleasant but it will also make your house more appealing when it’s time for you to sell it.  This week we’ll talk about the one rule of thumb that I came across, plus I’ll tell you about a few storage spaces that some people forget to include.

Show notes at www.BYHYU.com

Jun 13, 2018

A couple of weeks ago we talked about the bidding process, mainly as it pertains to owner-builders bidding for subcontractors themselves.  This week I’ll give you a quick overview of the different types of contract agreements you might decide on if you ’re going to hire a general contractor to build your house.  We’ll briefly discuss fixed price contracts and cost-plus contracts.

Choosing which type of contract to use is almost as important as choosing which general contractor to hire.

Show notes at BYHYU.com

Jun 6, 2018

An outdoor kitchen is a space that used to be thought of as a luxury but is now regarded more as a must-have amenity in many areas.  Even if you only have a small space and a not so big budget, you can put your grill in a small outdoor kitchenette.  An outdoor kitchen will increase your home’s value, so it’s a great investment. This week, we’ll discuss some outdoor kitchen design features— some are practical for almost any budget and some are more luxurious.

Show notes at BYHYU.com

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