Our General Contracting Experience

Last summer, we started construction on our new home, while planning a wedding.

What were we thinking??

We also acted as the general contractor for the house.  So, all of the decisions, planning and coordination was solely our responsibility.  There were definitely times that I wasn't sure if we would kill each other, let alone, make it down the aisle!

Acting as general contractor for a house, was one of the most demanding and stressful things that I've ever taken on.  I've said numerous times, I'm surprised that I didn't have a stroke or heart attack by the time it was all said and done.  However, we learned so much about ourselves during the whole process and I wouldn't change the way that we did it.


Here are some things that we learned throughout our construction process:

COMMUNICATE!  

If you are building a house together, make sure that you communicate with one another. Relationships of any kind are hard, but talking through things and working together makes everything flow more smoothly.  Plus, if you can't actively communicate with your partner, you're not going to be able to explain things to your contractors.   Make sure that you communicate with them on a regular basis.  Be there as often as you can while they are working.  Trust me.  They will screw something up... and maybe multiple times.  You have to be there to guide and direct them if you want something done right. I printed pictures off of Pinterest that I liked and had them lamented.  I nailed them to a stud in each room during the construction process to show the contractors exactly what I was looking for.  That way, if something doesn't verbally explain what you are thinking, the pictures will help.

Make sure to create a list to divvy up responsibilities.

There wasn't anything more frustrating than having to say, "I thought you were going to contact them!!" Create duties and tasks that each person is supposed to do.   Write down in a notebook what the contractors do, their name, and contact information.  Sit down once a week and go over who is going to contact who, and be specific!  Take notes about the specifics of the conversation and share them with your husband or wife.

Plan ahead

When we contacted our framer, to get on schedule with the building process, it was nice Spring weather.  However, with a delay in getting the lumber and then his schedule suddenly booming, we were lower on his list than we originally planned.   Our lumber ended up sitting on the ground for a month before it was actually used to form a house!  In the mean time, the weather made a turn for thr worst, it rained every single day, which held him back even more.  So, plan ahead!  Make sure that you are in constant contact with your builder/framer and the vendors in which you are getting your supplies.  Or, better yet, let your framer get the materials for you on his account and pay him directly.  (This may cost a little more, but at least it will all be consistent).  Also,  GET A DUMPSTER!  If you are acting as the general contractor, you do not have to legally get a dumpster.  We were thinking we might not need it if we stayed on top of taking the trash and building scraps off ourselves.  WRONG! It may cost you a pretty penny, but do yourself a favor and rent a dumpster throughout your building process.  If not, you will be in for a HUGE pile of mess!

Create an organized filing system.

Keep track of EVERY invoice, receipt, correspondence, etc.  I can't tell you how many times vendors and contractors came back with changing the price of things.   Don't fall for it!   Stay on top of EVERYTHING that you pay for and triple check everything before any order is placed.   (We went 2 months without a front door, because the vendor ordered the wrong one.  Then, we switched vendors, and they ordered the wrong size and blamed us. We ended up having to put up plywood.  It looked like we were planning for a hurricane for months...).  

Get references on your contractors.

We had some AWESOME contractors during our process.  We also had some that I might not pee on if they were on fire... Bless their hearts!  But!  Nonetheless...  Make sure you do research on your contractors.  Contact your friends and family to see who they have used for different projects.  Word of mouth is the best way to get information on a contractor's work AND work ethic.  

Be prepared to fire people.  

If you are hiring all of the contractors, be prepared to fire some.  Sometimes people don't do a job like they are supposed to, and sometimes personalities just clash.   It's never easy to have to tell someone that they are finished with a job, before they are actually "finished" with a job.  But, remember, this is YOUR money that you are spending and you trusting someone to do what they are being paid to do, in a reasonable amount of time. 

Breathe

It will all be said and done, eventually!  Some of the break downs and freak outs that I had during the process, seem somewhat minor now.  At the time, you would think the world was ending!!   Are there still things I would have done differently?   Absolutely!   Are there still things that need to be done with the house now?  Absolutely!   But, at the end of the day, my best friend and I built a house together that we can call our own.