One Story or Two? The Cost, the Comfort, and the Resale Math
One Story or Two? The Cost, the Comfort, and the Resale Math
For the same total square footage, a two-story house generally costs less to build than a one-story house, because two of the most expensive systems in a home, the foundation... Read more...
Metal Roof or Asphalt Shingles? Cost, Lifespan, and the Noise Question
Metal Roof or Asphalt Shingles? Cost, Lifespan, and the Noise Question
A metal roof costs $500 to $1,600 per square installed and lasts 30 to 80 or more years, according to 2025 data from HomeGuide. An asphalt shingle roof costs $300... Read more...
Owner Builder: What You Save and What You Take On
Owner Builder: What You Save and What You Take On
Building a house yourself, meaning acting as your own general contractor, can save you the general contractor's fee, which typically runs 10 to 20 percent of the total construction budget.... Read more...
What It Actually Costs to Turn Raw Land Into a Buildable Site
What It Actually Costs to Turn Raw Land Into a Buildable Site
Turning raw land into a buildable site commonly costs $20,000 to $60,000 or more before the first slab is poured, covering clearing, a driveway, a well, a septic system, and... Read more...
Allowances Are Where Home Budgets Quietly Break
Allowances Are Where Home Budgets Quietly Break
An allowance is a placeholder budget in a construction contract for an item you have not selected yet, such as cabinets, flooring, or light fixtures. The risk is not the... Read more...
How Much Land Do You Need to Build a House?
How Much Land Do You Need to Build a House?
How much land you need to build a house comes down to four things stacked together: the septic system, the well, your property line setbacks, and the driveway. Septic is... Read more...
Marriage Counseling vs. Home Design: When You and Your Spouse Want Two Different Houses
Marriage Counseling vs. Home Design: When You and Your Spouse Want Two Different Houses
One of you wants the shop. One wants the gourmet kitchen. The budget covers one of them, and somewhere in the last few weeks this stopped being about the house.... Read more...
Shop With Living Quarters: Layouts That Separate Work From Home
Shop With Living Quarters: Layouts That Separate Work From Home
A shop with living quarters is a single building that combines a working shop with a full residence. The layouts that succeed separate the two halves for four things: sound,... Read more...
Is Open Concept Over? What to Keep Open and What to Close Back Up
Is Open Concept Over? What to Keep Open and What to Close Back Up
Open floor plans are not going out of style. The fully open plan is. A 2023 survey cited by the National Association of Realtors found preferences nearly split down the... Read more...
Barndominium Kits vs Barndominium Plans: What a Kit Actually Includes
Barndominium Kits vs Barndominium Plans: What a Kit Actually Includes
A barndominium kit is a package of structural building materials, typically the frame, the roof, and the exterior sheeting, along with engineering for that structure. It is not a finished... Read more...
The Biggest Regrets When Building a House, and Exactly When Each One Could Have Been Caught
The Biggest Regrets When Building a House, and Exactly When Each One Could Have Been Caught
The biggest regrets when building a house are almost never about finishes. They are about storage, light, room proportion, and how people move through the house. Nearly every one of... Read more...
Fry Design Co. modern farmhouse shown transitioning from architectural sketch to finished home, with rolled blueprints and a pencil in the foreground, representing the design-to-build process.
Stock Plans vs Custom Design: Which One Fits Your Build?
Stock plan or custom design? One is faster and costs less, the other fits exactly. Here is how to tell which one fits your build, plus the middle path most... Read more...