Timber Frame Hybrid Home - Owner Builder

[farmer2009]

Thanks for he pics. Didn't realize I was looking a different home threads as I only read the post that were referenced.
That makes a really nice but simple window casing. Bet that ladder does feel ghostly. Be safe.

 

[jk96]

We were able to finally get our concrete sealed for the porches. I was concerned about the color after a years worth of rain and mud however we are really happy with how it came out. Here's a few pics. Also - I am uploading final pictures now. I should have all of the home pictures up shortly to finally wrap up this build thread. It's almost time to sit down and relax for a bit.

Jeremy

 

[tkappeler]

Holy crap, Jeremy! It looks awesome!!! Can't wait to see some pictures of you finally relaxing with the family in front of that outdoor fireplace.
The fireplace looks similar to ours. Do you need to keep the doors shut? How does it do throwing heat out there?

Tom

 

[jk96]

Hi Tom,

we've had it going just a couple of times now to take the chill out of the house at night when temps got into the upper 30's to low 40's. There is quite a bit of radiant heat from the glass on the inside of the house. We haven't had the opportunity to sit outside and enjoy it yet. It can be operated with the doors open or closed and the doors also easily remove if you want to from either side, inside or out.

Jeremy

 

[jk96]

Here they are. I'm missing a few (stairwell, entry, back of house) but here are the finished pics for the most part. Overall this has been a great experience and I've really enjoyed sharing this build.

If anyone is late to the thread we ended up with a two story main living area along with an unfinished basement and walkout garage. My initial goal was to get the house done at $125/sq foot. When everything was said and done, using the square footage of the 1st and 2nd story we came in at $127 sq/ft. This was after figuring our rebates on the HVAC (30% govt. tax credit and $6,000 utility rebate). I'm not sure that we spent less building ourselves, mainly because we basically ended up with a lot of upgrades instead of having a fixed contract and options with a builder, however I believe we ended up with a much better built house, better quality of finishes, and a home that is exactly what we wanted. We were able to do closed cell spray foam in the entire house, roof, walls, and basement. Geothermal ground source heat and air. Hardwood floors throughout the home. Real stone veneer. A lot of custom finishes that we did ourselves, etc etc. Anyway, enough rambling, here's the pics along with a link to a slide show if you'd like to view that way as well.

Slide show pics - https://www.flickr.com/photos/jeremykovac/sets/72157646490098414//show/

Jeremy

Outside Front

concrete5

Kitchen3

Kitchen2

Kitchen1

half bath2

Entry Bath

Master Bath4

Living Room HDR

DSC_2671

Dining Room Lights

Dining Room HDR3

Living Room

Loft2

Loft

Hallway

Master Bedroom

D14_2058

Barn Door

Master Bath5 copy

Master Bath

Bedroom1

DSC_2662

DSC_2663

D14_2245

D14_2254

timberframe night shot

 

[tkappeler]

:applause::applause:

 

[deezler]

Wow, stunning pics. Thanks for sharing!

 

[MGH PA]

Quite possibly one of the best documented builds I've seen. As an amateur photographer, I also REALLY appreciate the quality of the pictures. If you did this for $127/sq.ft, I applaud you. I hope to be building in 2-3 years, and a Timber Frame hybrid is on our list. I love so many aspects of your home that I would want to include, and at $127/sq.ft, we would consider it a bargain. I feel that a home like that where we live would push $200-$220/sq.ft.

I am capable of doing many of the finish jobs myself, but I don't plan to take on the bulk of the project myself. Acting as a GC as you did might not be a bad idea.

What do you think you would have had in it if you had hired out AND used all of the upgraded finishes?

Gorgeous home you have.

 

[jk96]

Quite possibly one of the best documented builds I've seen. As an amateur photographer, I also REALLY appreciate the quality of the pictures. If you did this for $127/sq.ft, I applaud you. I hope to be building in 2-3 years, and a Timber Frame hybrid is on our list. I love so many aspects of your home that I would want to include, and at $127/sq.ft, we would consider it a bargain. I feel that a home like that where we live would push $200-$220/sq.ft.

I am capable of doing many of the finish jobs myself, but I don't plan to take on the bulk of the project myself. Acting as a GC as you did might not be a bad idea.

What do you think you would have had in it if you had hired out AND used all of the upgraded finishes?

Gorgeous home you have.

Thank you. We live in a fairly reasonably priced area to build. Also - keep in mind our land was paid for so the price/sq ft did not include the cost of land, just home only. If I had to guess I'd say we would probably be looking at an area of $165-$180 sq/ft as a turn-key build. Just a guess on my end.

Jeremy

 

[jk96]

I'll also add that acting as our own GC at times was like having an extra full time job. I would say go for it if you have the time to devote to the build and know some good subs. Some of the things that come to mind in importance would be communication skills, attention to detail, ability to think ahead and problem solve, as well as time management.

I've seen a lot of threads on here where people say you can't do it yourself and save money. Our build will hopefully show that while not for everyone, it can be done and can be a rewarding experience at the same time.

Jeremy