Has anyone here ever built there own house, cabin, living quarters....

[anthonyc12]

Hey guys

I'm in progress of buying vacant property.

the ERF size is 1900m2

This year sometime i would like to start build a house there which will be a holiday home.

But cash is a bit low and cant afford a builder, so i would like to "slowly" build it over a couple of years.

But i cant seem to find proper information on the "Legal" side of doing this.

1. As far as i understand you need a NHBRC qualification to do this ? is this true

Has anyone here built their own house before who can give me some pointers ?

 

[Britesea]

Didn't build a house, but my ex and I built a multi-level deck that equaled the house in square footage. All we had to do was go through several inspections and approvals. I suspect they were more stringent than if we had used a contractor, but even so, the only thing they quibbled about was insisting that we have a rail for the 2 steps that led to the ground at the lowest point. It took us about a year to complete it. I suspect for things like electrical and plumbing you might run into more trouble though. I would contact the building inspector and ask.

 

[rhoda_bruce]

As far as legalities go, I think the deck is stacked in favor of the contractors. The next thing we plan on building will NOT be legal. Its all a bunch of BS if you ask me. I can show you houses that my father built, with no approval from anyone and they still standing. I am thinking on an off grid small job.....kinda camp style....possibly buried, because underground is out of the question in my area. I have a few ideas how to enjoy most modern conviences, without getting hooked up to the grid. Good luck.

 

[Britesea]

I think that legal is only important if 1) you are in an area where someone might report you (fines! eek!) or 2) if you think you might want to sell the building later on, or 3) if you really don't know what you're doing and the floor collapses under the weight of the building, furnishings, and people inside.

 

[rhoda_bruce]

Well, the house I'm currently sitting in, was not official until a few months ago. It existed since 1978, paid my family well, when it was a bunkhouse for a time, has housed me and DH since 1986, when we got married and technically, has never even existed. A few months ago, one of my siblings was at the the assessors office and questioning their taxes and the assessor pulled up an aerial map and started questioned various buildings that he didn't have records of and it was found that, I had a house on my property. Ooops. Oh well, no biggy....I just have to start paying taxes. Don't have to make up for the past 27 years either.

 

[Britesea]

Thank goodness they just grandfathered the buildings. Of course now, as you said, you have to pay taxes. So nice of your sibling to help you out like that.