How to Build a Cheap Green Home
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Pre construction planning, the first way to cut project cost is to be your own Project Manager, hiring a G.C [general contractor] is a nice luxury but its costly. Now a lot of G.C's clam they charge 10% but you can count on a 15%+ mark up on the overall project cost, really how would you ever know? You have Architects, Engineers, Estimators, CAD Designers, Permits, Sub-contractors, Materials, etc to keep track of and you can bet that every dollar that is spent every step of the way that there will be a mark up on cost. The big picture anyways is that it all comes down to what you [the homeowner] wants, so the biggest savings in the hole building process is cutting out all the [middleman] overheads as much as possible. - 2
Ways to cut out project cost, [overheads] Being your own G.C or Project Manager and working with your local city hall to get all your own permits, [note: some might have to be pulled by your sub-contractors] Hire Freelance Architects, Engineers, Estimators and Designers, [why pay someone else to hire construction firms for you and pay twice as much] Using Freelancers can be a win, win, you get to save twice, you cut out the extra cost of hiring construction firms when using Freelance experts plus you cut the 10 to 15% the G.C adds in for his time to be the middleman. There is a lot of money to be spent and foot work that has to be done before any construction work can even start, before any materials are ever bought, before any changes are made. So the biggest way to save is be your own Project Manager, do your own foot work, your own research. Finding and hiring Freelancers couldn't be simpler these days with the internet there are marketplaces for doing this, It creates a kind of a competitive environment and the buyer [Project Manager] gets a variety of skilled freelancers to choose. As soon as the project is posted, a number of freelancers offer their sevices, quotes and time needed to complete the project. This gives you a lot of extra options, as now you get to decide which freelancer you think is most suitable and capable to meet your project requirements/needs. If needed a simple solution for hiring construction freelancers online is FreelanceConstructionEstimator.net. Posting a project is simple with a variety of options such as posting in a TXT file format, also you can post blueprints in a PDF, TIFF, DWG, GIF file formats to post for estimates and if any changes are needed later. - 3
Invest in the right features, taking the time and money to build green is to save money in the long run. [wouldn't it be nice if when your house was paid for that all you have left to pay for is water and taxes] So building green and saving also needs to be looked at in the big picture kind of way, how much can be saved year over year. The top long term money saving green features are Solar Roofs, Solar water heaters, Wood burning furnace, Water Efficiency Kits [convert rain water into toilet water] *LED light bulbs* [easy way to save money long term] - 4). Insulation, now it really don't seem like a green feature but its importion to keep all the weather out. Good windows, high R values / ratings and colors all have importion rolls in keeping the outside weather from entering the house. Use double pane windows, 6" walls or R-21 or higher insulation value and bright colors.
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Installing new solar roof panels and saving, Solar roof are costly, however, they can last 20+yrs and pay for themselves in 10 yrs, so saving is a must. Most units are available in four foot by eight foot or four foot by four foot sections. The process is further simplified by some manufacturers by designing the panels with a [plug and go] system. Tool free electrical connections with easy to use plugs, To save canel hiring a solar building/construction firm/contractor, Start with Freelance experts and being the Project Manager, solar roof projects can be made affordable and simple. At anytime needed you can hire a Designer, Engineer and Cost Estimator by the hour or by the project for any part of the complete project. Next you can get quotes from your local roofing contractor and electrical contractor to install it at the best price. If doing the install your yourself (DIY) just using Freelancers for your pre-design specifications, local code compliance, material estimating, etc, the savings will really start adding up. Investment, time and savings at this point should be a clear choice!
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