Be Your Own House Contractor: Save 25% without Lifting a Hammer by Carl Heldmann

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Be Your Own House Contractor: Save 25% without Lifting a Hammer
by Carl Heldmann

Paperback: 140 pages ; Dimensions (in inches): 0.44 x 9.01 x 6.02
Publisher: Storey Books; 4th edition (June 1, 2001)
ISBN: 1580173748

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Book Description: While building a home is not a simple task, expert Carl Heldmann shows that it is not as complicated as one might believe. With his sound advice, readers can act as their own house contractor and save a quarter - or more - of the cost of building a home. And without picking up a hammer!

Heldmann explains each step of the home building process in non-technical, easily understood language, helping readers avoid the pitfalls that plague general contractors, even experienced ones. Readers will learn how to develop house plans, establish schedules, select good subcontractors, identify cost-saving options, negotiate contracts, estimate building costs, purchase materials and supplies, and much more.

From the Back Cover: Simple language with no technical jargon. (The New York Times) This excellent book offers the average person a way to say 25% of the high cost of a new house. Recommended. (Library Journal)

For those who are considering building a home (or addition) this book is a must! (American Homeowners Foundation)

If you can balance a checkbook, read, and deal with people in a fair manner, you can build your own house or addition. You don't need any technical knowledge or building skills - in fact, you'll never pick up a hammer.

With veteran contractor Carl Heldmann as a guide, you'll learn that you can get exactly the house you want, done the way you want it, for less.

In this completely revised and updated fourth edition of his classic how-to book (more than 185,000 copies in print), Heldmann gives an overview of all the steps of building and includes a glossary of building and business terms and sample contracts. He tells how to:

Select land Secure financing Develop house plans Establish schedules Identify cost-saving options Select subcontractors Negotiate contracts Buy materials and supplies Estimate building costs

About the Author: Carl Heldmann is a construction loan consultant, a home builder, and the founder of two schools of home building.

Customer Reviews
How To Save 25% Without Lifting a Hammer, November 8, 2001
Reviewer: Larry A. Panhorst from Gerald, Missouri
In 1990 I had my ten acres paid for, and was ready to being building my retirement home. A friend gave me Carl Heldmann's book, Be Your Own House Contractor. I had a set of plans made from my sketching, and got three bids for building. The cheapest was $97,500.00. I decided to try my own general contracting, with little to no experience in construction. With the help of some friends whom I bounced ideas off of, I started out with a spread sheet of sub-contracters, getting three bids from each in their order of appearance. In six months, we finished our home, and without cutting any real expenses, built our home for $67,500. All due to the teachings and following of Carl Heldmann's book. Even if you do decide to use general contractor, this book is still invaluable in the detail and advise given. I have since given this book to three friends who have built homes, and all three were very impressed with the subject matter. A MUST read, in my opinion, for anyone who is going to undertake building or having a new home built. I know of no where else one get such a step by step explanation covering the do's and don't of every phase of the process.

Very helpful information in building my house, May 1, 2001
Reviewer: Ken from Michigan
I am very glad i read the other reviews of Mr. Heldmann's book besides that of the "reader from Hartford". It is obvious that the "reader" didn't read the whole book, as that which he (or she) claims to be lacking is in fact covered totally in chapter 8, "building the house". I was very discouraged from "building my own house" before reading "Be Your Own House Contractor", because other books made the process seem overwhelming. We broke ground last month and are well underway thanks to this fantastic, encouraging, non intimidating book.

Very Good Overview, June 20, 2000
Reviewer: A reader from midwestern USA
This book is straight-forward, and easy to understand. It provides a generally good overview of the home building process and many valuable tips, but lacks in-depth detail. If you're trying to decide whether or not to build your own house, this will give you a good "taste" of what's involved. However, it's NOT an all inclusive step-by-step guide.

An excelent step by step guide to understanding general cont, June 1, 2000
Reviewer: Isaac T Smith from United States
A very good guide to help you understand the process of building a home and saving money. It also covers areas on calculating building cost, understanding the steps to completing your new home from buying a lot, to moving into it. Lots of info to help you avoid making mistakes on your first home.

This is an excellent book! It' concise & non-technical, May 8, 1999
Reviewer: Jane (clella@mindspring.com from San Francisco
The concept of self-contracting really works. We contracted all the work on our home, chose all the things that we wanted and that we could afford and got our dream home at a savings of more than 25%. We weren't going to do it because of all the naysayers we ran across, but Mr. Heldmann's book convinced us we could do it, and we did! Bravo!

Concise, money-saving organization of your building project., March 19, 1998
Reviewer: kcfoxy from Stockton, CA
The author provides an easily understood yet detailed plan to organize the building of your home. Various steps of the building project are well-covered and crucial elements...such as legal requirements for lien waivers, insurance and code requirements are spelled out clearly.

I found this book helpful in deciding if I would be able to manage the general contractor process, and was intrigued at the idea of saving up to 25% of labor costs. The sample contracts and other forms were a plus.

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