If you have the knowledge and time, being your own contractor can save you thousands of dollars while constructing a home.

The Cost of the Land for the Home Site Should Not Exceed 25% of the Project

We started with a 5 acre tract of land that had been untouched for more than fifty years. Initially I thought that we would be able to sell the standing timber for enough to pay for the site preparation. Boy was I wrong. We ended up burning most of the trees that had to be removed.

We paid approximately $12,000 per acre or $60,000 for the land. Then we proceeded to spend an additional $30,000 preparing the site for construction of our home. We carefully planned for the removal of just enough trees to clear the building site. Then we planned for the removal of the unwanted trees that were left.

After the long and tedious process of tree removal, we began shaping the land for our home. We chose the highest point near the center of the property and worked the land to improve the building site. We had seventy (70) dump truck loads of dirt hauled in to build up around the high point and make it big enough to accommodate the house, garage, pool and parking area.