I wish we were progressing faster

I wish we were progressing faster, but we can't. We both have full-time jobs and there's a lot more work than people realize. I've had a lot of people tell me they think we should be moving faster, and still others wanting to build that think they can move faster. I would urge anyone planning to build, to please heed warnings by people who've done a lot of this kind of work.

Rob Roy has repeatedly written in his books and articles that building a house is very stressful. It's stressful on an individual. It's stressful on a marriage. And it's a lot more work than people think it is. Please don't take this warning lightly.

Rachel and I are going at a pace that is comfortable for us. We've built one house already and we know what we're up against. We're not moving as fast as we wished we were, but we are not rushing the job either. Some of these tasks that we're doing right now are critical tasks and we want them done right. These aren't tasks that we can leave for someone else to do. We can't trust that people we hire will be as diligent as we would be. For them, it's pay by the hour. For us, it's our home. We want it done right.

I've read recently of someone that hired some of this work done, and although he gave specific instructions on what needed to be done, he found out that the workers didn't do as he required. Since the job was covered up with dirt, I guess they figured he'd never find out that they didn't do as he asked.Well, because they didn't work according to his instructions, the waterproofing failed and he had to dig all of it up and re-do the job (which ended up being much more work than if the job had just been done right in the first place).

Needless to say, we prefer to do these critical tasks ourselves, trusting our own vested interest in having the job done right, as opposed to trusting someone that's just getting a paycheck out of it. A year later, the guy with the paycheck isn't going to come out and help fix the problem for free. So we're doing the job ourselves.

Once we're beyond the stuff below the slab, and the waterproofing and backfilling, we definitely plan to hiring help to finish the house. Those remaining tasks wont be nearly as critical.

In summary, because we're working on these critical tasks ourselves, progress is slow. Cold weather is fast approaching and we don't have the house closed in. This is frustrating. However, paying for labor and not getting the job done right, is equally frustrating.

Please don't rush the job if you ever build your own home. Please don't assume that the job of getting the house closed in is just a matter of weeks. Although I think it's possible, I fear that anyone attempting this is likely to be faced with big disappointments. The rushed job will likely become apparent later. Take the time to do the job right and have the assurance that you wont be digging things back up to make repairs later.