About Lemelia Bonner Expertise New Home Consultant specializing in alternative building/purchasing methods. Expertise in all types of building systems, incl. but not limited to: modular, post & beam, panelized, dome, solar, experimental. Good familiarity with products, quality, processes and service of all leading manufacturers. Can also assist with locating specialized lenders, reputable owner-builder programs and affordable custom design services. For more on modular home design, visit the expert`s website at www.custom-wise.com.
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Followup To
Question -
Lemelia:
Is it an economically feasible option to consider building a house in California, in Malibu for a first-time home buyer/builder? House prices here are crazy, but I noticed that land is available for purchase quite cheaply (under $100K) in Malibu. I could afford to borrow about $400K - can I build a house for $300K? Assuming zoning allows it, do you consider it a feasible alternative? Also what solar options are available for new home construction?
Thank you for your time.
Answer -
Hi, Helen
I need a little more information in order to answer your question adequately. I am on the other side of the country, in North Carolina, so I'm not familiar with the climate in Malibu. What are the winters like? How cold can it get? Also, tell me a little more about the type of house you'd like to build. What style, how many bedrooms, baths, stories, etc. Are you planning to have a garage? Once I know these things, I'll try to advise you.
Lemelia
Hi Lemelia,
Thanks for your speedy response. I will try to outline my ideas.
I am looking to build a modest ranch-style house with 3 bedrooms and 2 to 3 bathrooms. THe house will have a 2-car attached garage and will be built on a previously developed (but now vacant) lot of approximately 0.4 acres. The climate of Malibu is influenced by the ocean, and therefore is usually very mild. The lot that I have in mind is up on a hill overlooking the ocean, so it can be a little windy, but we rarely have frost or very cold weather. It can rain quite a lot in spring, and that is usually a lot of rain in a short period of time. Besides that is is usually pleasant and sunny all year round. There are seismic considerations and fuel modification will probably be necessary.
I have several house plans in mind, which I would like to have customized -I would not commission an architect to design a house from scratch.
Do you think it is madness for someone who has never owned a house before to think that they could build a house in such a competitive housing market? It seems to me that it would be a very stressful thing to do, with a lot of hassle and heartache, but ultimately considering house prices here, if it is feasible, it would be really worth it. I just can't seem to find any info on the logistics of building your own home, esp. with regards to the cost of it. Any help or direction you can provide would be greatly appreciated. Thanks again for your time!
Regards,
Helen
Answer Helen,
I had to take a little time to research your issue. No, I don't think it's madness for a first-timer to consider building a house in Malibu, but it's definitely not something for the faint of heart :) And, if you're married or partnered, make sure that relationship is solid first, and that you are both steeled for a long often frustrating journey that may be full of surprises. I once worked for a company called Topsier Homes (you might want to check out their site, by the way, and they provide online price quotes: topsider.com). Our L.A. area clients projects always seemed to drag on forever, because the engineering process, building codes and fees in the area were always problematic. Anyway, it probabaly IS possible for you to build a modest home within your budget if you are willing to scale down, and you might have to omit the garage to start with and add it on later. I would also like to recommend that you look into modular or other factory-built construction systems. The quality today is excellent, and cost savings can be considerable. I just read an article about several popular communities on the Malibu coast that are in the half-million dollar range, and are all manufactured homes, with great amenities. The homebuyers are quite pleased with their decisions to go this route. I would also like for you to copy and paste the following link: http://www.home-building-directory.com/USA/California/Los-Angeles-County/Malibu/ This will take you to a page where you can get a quick cost estimate for standard construction based on one of your plans from a Malibu area builder. Please contact me again if you want to look into the modular option some more. I am a custom modular home designer, and I would be happy to help you either convert the plans you have in mind to modular specs so that the house can be factory built, or I can help you develop a plan from scratch. My personal business website is www.custom-wise.com. Best of luck to you!
