Can you afford a custom build? Most builders use a lot of spic labor and the cheapest supplies and subcontractors. Know what you're paying for.
I work for a subcontractor and the materials are shit quality. Better catch every deficiency in the first year. After that you're paying out of pocket.
Construction is almost always cheaper than buying an already built home. The ROI on construction is insane. The reason everyone doesn't do it is because you can't get a conventional mortgage to build a home. Banks don't want to deal with that shit.
This is 100 percent not true
So your argument is that home builders and people building or adding on to their own homes lose money on their investment. Ok.
We would definitely do a custom build.
Have you seen steel customs having the same shit quality as traditional wood and brick? We're interested in steel, but the quality of that can vary.
I don't work with steel, just stick built homes. If you can I'd avoid Chinese steel.
Steel framed houses are usually 50% higher in material price than wood framing. If you're willing to afford it, it's probably worth it, but that same spic will be building it. We considered steel framing, but we decided the extra cost was better spent on other things.
If you live where termites are a thing this might be a good investment.
Steel framed houses are usually 50% higher in material price than wood framing
Talking to one of my employees who just started his remodel, this isn’t the case right now with lumber prices where they are.
Go steel. Especially if you are in the US Midwest. Due to current prices you could even go concrete, for about the same as lumber depending on your area. ICF blocks have come a long way and it's gotten easier to find builders that know it. https://www.cement.org/cement-concrete/paving/buildings-structures/concrete-homes/building-systems-for-every-need/insulating-concrete-forms-(ICFs)
If you're cool with something more unconventional then look into monolithic domes. Things are actually price equivalent per square footage to framed/conventional and as close as you can get to disaster proof without actually being a bunker. https://www.monolithic.org/domes
Fuckin rad. We had a tornado touch down about a mile from our current house relatively recently, which prompted our interest in steel. Definitely need to do some research on the monolithic domes.
Consider a pole-barn builder over a conventional build, you can make some awesome shit and it can be cheaper and have other benefits like a better roofing system.
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