Building An Affordable House: A Smart Guide to High-Value, Low-Cost Construction Reviews

• Chock full of good ideas

  
  By ASV0XAQVC5067 on 2005-04-02
  This book has snappy writing and good ideas, but seems to suffer from "magazine-frenzy-layout." By that, I mean there is at least one color picture per page (even gratuitous ones), stylish diagrams, pull-quotes, and sidebars. But sometimes this is just distracting. Some of the ideas are not explained or pursued, which leads me to suspect that portion of the text was lifted as-is from a magazine article. The book is only 200 pages (light-weight pages considering so many extraneous pictures.)
  
  Sorry for so much griping, but I have come to expect more from Taunton Press, and it is sad to see their quality slipping.
  HAVING SAID all that, I still liked the book and highly recommend it. It is refreshing to have such forward-thinking ideas presented all together in one place and compared. I appreciated especially the chapter on insulation for its side-by-side analysis of several alternatives to the "standard" fiberglass batts.
  
  
  
  Examples:
  
  p. 102 picture does not relate to caption
  
  p. 107 caption identifies Vanguard PEX but Wirsbo is pictured
  
  p. 117 caption mentions gas water heater flue, but an electric unit is pictured
  
  p. 119 & 131 have identical pictures & captions.
  
  

• Fresh information from experienced builder

  
  By A1D24MS8AVKXXG on 2005-03-12
  This book is for builders, not homeowners, and assumes you already know know to build a house. It provides a foundation-to-finish review of the homebuilding process, showing where to save money at every step. Sometimes this means finding areas that are overbuilt--here you'll have to carefully consider which suggestions to use--but often it means using the latest technological advances, and this is what makes the book unique. It presents the most up-to-date products available from your local ready-mix supplier alongside the newest framing connectors or plumbing fixtures. The author explains things well, and his years of hands-on experience are evident throughout.
  
  

• Author defends premise

  
  By A1U6PQF2A0IFY2 on 2006-08-10
  
  I have read the critical reviews, and they state in general terms that the advice given in my book helps builders save building costs at the expense of energy efficiency and durability. This puzzles me, given the emphasis I place stressing the difference between cheap housing and housing that achieves a high value in relationship to its cost. This book was not written by a journalist, but a builder. A builder in a small community where a people know you by name, and can find you at home. If I built low quality homes, my business would end within a year. Instead, I win awards, municipal contracts to build high profile projects and enjoy an excellent reputation. All my houses qualify for Energy Star certification. Because of my reputation and track record, HUD chose my company to build the 2006 Concept House--a house that showcases the best in modern construction methods. In fact, I live in one of my own homes and in one of my own neighborhoods. How many developers can face their buyers on a daily basis? Having practiced the trade of affordable homebuilding for most of my life, my book simply offers a trade memoir of my experience along with information gathered among the best builders in the nation--the kind that set the standards. The approach I outline in the book certainly applies to affordable housing, but it works at any price point. It is a method to achieve the best value for each dollar spent. You, the reader, set the "value" standard. For example, as a homeowner, I used the methods prescribed build my house at a cost of about 75-percent of its value, allowing me to afford a much nicer home than my income would suggest--affordable to me. And in an extreme climate, my utility costs remain negligible. My book will not help you build a cheap house, but it will help you save money while building an energy efficient, durable home.
  
  Fernando Pagés
  Brighton Construction Company
  1941 K Street
  Lincoln, NE 68510
  402-434-2456
  Fax-434-2458
  
  
  

• Great way to see when a house was built cheaply

  
  By A37ZM1FMCH0U2Y on 2005-07-28
  This book has been helpful to me, but perhaps not for the reasons the author intended.
  
  I'm in the midst of renovating an old Victorian. You could say I'm doing it the "price is no object" sort of way. It's not that I'm wasting money, but if i can find a commercial version of some hinge that's a bit stronger, i'll probably use that. I'm looking for the most interesting materials, the newest and most efficient heating system, and I'm not cutting corners. I'm building my own curving master staircase, if that gives you any indication of what I'm up to.
  
  My goal is to sell the house to a discerning buyer who will appreciate the custom made cabinets, vaulted ceilings, interesting species of hardwood, and so forth.
  
  This book is not for builders such as myself. It is for those builders who want to know all the little shortcuts they can get away with to save a little money here or there, thus to appeal to "first time buyers" or I guess what could be called "low information buyers." For example, the book demonstrates how a knee-wall made of 2x4s and drywall is a little cheaper to make than a hardwood banister with posts for stairs. Or how you could save a few dollars by putting your joists on 24" centers instead of 16" centers... or how certain construction methods such as cross bracing between joists are old, outdated, quaint, and unnecessary, and you can save the few dollars by just not putting them in (not in my town but maybe somewhere more lenient.)
  
  Hardwood stairs are out of the question. The stairs described in this book use cheap composite materials, and are hidden by carpeting or paint. I'm sure that's okay for some people.
  
  So this is definitely a good book for those who want to quickly construct cheapo houses that aren't all that great, but at least (hopefully) protect their modest buyers from the elements.
  
  It's actually also a great book for first time home buyers to take a look at because they can utilize the knowledge in the book to rapidly ascertain among the houses they are looking to buy, which ones have been constructed on the cheap.
  
  

• Not just for home owners!

  
  By A1AQDBKCX6TN3Z on 2005-08-02
  I always take a risk buying construction books on line. Half the time they are written for the first timer, or home owner, and I get a bunch of info that I already know. This book, however, was labeled for the home owner type, but turned out to be on a builders level! I learned several new techniqes that I did not know, this has saved me untold thousands of dollars on my up coming projects. I would like to see a book from the same guy that would go into even more detail, like an advanced level of the same. The author had to do this first one to appeal to the most people, but I know he has tons of more detail he could put in a book twice as thick as this one. Still, this is a great help in building a good house cheep!
  
  
• Conflicts of Interest
  By A10U8DJAPJJI8I on 2006-08-09
  There seems to be a bit of a difference in opinion in the reviews listed here as to whether or not this book is mainly of benefit to contractors, or to homeowners and do-it-yourselfers. My impression of the book is that it is aimed largely at the contractor who wishes to cut as many corners as possible in order to get-in the lowest bid or come-in under budget.
  
  With that said, I will not argue that any of these cost-cutting measures actually results in a weaker structure or building of lesser quality. I am simply not qualified to give an opinion, as I am not a structural engineer. However, focus here seems to be on the minimum allowable standards that will get the job done.
  
  Probably the most important single thing worth mentioning here is the fact that many of the cost-cutting tips mentioned are not in the best long-term interest of the homeowner. It might save the contractor money, but the homeowner will ultimately end-up paying the price through increased energy usage, a shorter building life-expectancy, and decreased resale value. Let's face it, a neighborhood with well-built homes in it is going to attract a different type of buyer (with more money), as opposed to a neighborhood full of cheaply-built, small "affordable housing". In real estate, it's all about "location", and I wouldn't want my home in the same neighborhood as someone with a cheaply built house.
  
  The author occasionally delves into issues involving the real cost of the methods suggested, which I would equate with Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). Unfortunately, the TCO concept is not mentioned at all for most of his tips. Just for example, he suggests reducing the number of windows in a home, because it initially costs more money to install windows than walls. Sounds great, but the amount of energy that could be saved over the lifetime of the home by careful placement of windows that provide a home with passive heat from the sun make this a penny-wise, pound foolish proposition. Besides that, if you happen to be building in an area with a great view, a lack of windows will greatly reduce the home's resale value. Of course, none of the above is of any concern to the professional contractor, who just wants to build a house as cheaply and quickly as possible.
  
  There were some really good tips in this book. It is unfortunate that most of them were only based upon initial building costs and not TCO. This conflict of interest between the contractor and the homeowner really makes it of limited use for the latter group.
  
  
• Easy to Understand, Conveniently Organized
  By A3FMBICVHT3V9O on 2005-01-18
  As a builder, I have often looked at a set of drawings, or a budget versus job cost report, and thought to myself, "There has got to be a better way." I could only wonder how much time and money the inevitable scheduling problems, subcontractor conflicts, and ever-growing trash pile was costing me. I knew that our practices were wasting time, money, materials, and resources, and that ultimately we would all pay for it. But understanding that there is a problem is a long way from knowing what to do about it. Earlier in my career, I would have paid dearly for the knowledge contained in this book. Come to think of it, I did.
  
  Architect, designer, builder, subcontractor, or prospective homeowner -- you owe it to yourself to read Building An Affordable House. The modest price of this book is the only way I know of in construction that you can easily get a 100 to 1 return on your investment.
  
  Although this book is easy to understand and conveniently organized, it is not just a collection of tips and tricks. It is a comprehensive examination of the residential construction process from foundation to roof, with practical techniques that you can take to work with you tomorrow, and philosophy you can consider for the rest of your career.
  
  It is the unusual builder who can simultaneously cut the price while improving quality, but Fernando Pages Ruiz shares decades of diligent study and hard-won professional experience to teach anyone how to do just that. I have used many of the ideas and techniques described in this book, and many more were new to me. Every one of them contributes to the process of building a comfortable, durable, and more enjoyable home at a lower cost. The importance of high-quality affordable housing for the health and happiness of families and communities cannot be overestimated, and this book makes a significant contribution toward that goal.
  
  Dave Crosby builds affordable, green-built houses in New Mexico and writes for the Taunton Press and Hanely-Wood
  
  
• Best construction book on the market
  By A37MOS373NOZXY on 2005-04-09
  As a residential designer of green homes I am always struggling with showing my clients how building green is a good investment. This book gives you the information you need to make a strong resource efficient home that saves the client money.
  
  I will be using the information in this book for the rest of my career. Everyone in the building trades owes it to themselves, their clients and the planet to read this book and implement its techniques. With any luck this book will also help to change the archaic building codes which infest the building department of every county and city in the US.
  
  Buy it and encourage your building associates to buy it too! You will be so glad you did.
  
  
• Readable, informative and revealing
  By A3IKW98ULWN6HC on 2005-02-26
  As a builder, I have often looked at a set of drawings, or a budget versus job cost report, and thought to myself, "There has got to be a better way." I could only wonder how much time and money the inevitable scheduling problems, subcontractor conflicts, and ever-growing trash pile was costing me. I knew that our practices were wasting time, money, materials, and resources, and that ultimately we would all pay for it. But understanding that there is a problem is a long way from knowing what to do about it. Earlier in my career, I would have paid dearly for the knowledge contained in this book. Come to think of it, I did.

  Architect, designer, builder, subcontractor, or prospective homeowner -- you owe it to yourself to read Building An Affordable House. The modest price of this book is the only way I know of in construction that you can easily get a 100 to 1 return on your investment.

  Although this book is easy to understand and conveniently organized, it is not just a collection of tips and tricks. It is a comprehensive examination of the residential construction process from foundation to roof, with practical techniques that you can take to work with you tomorrow, and philosophy you can consider for the rest of your career.

  It is the unusual builder who can simultaneously cut the price while improving quality, but Fernando Pages Ruiz shares decades of diligent study and hard-won professional experience to teach anyone how to do just that. I have used many of the ideas and techniques described in this book, and many more were new to me. Every one of them contributes to the process of building a comfortable, durable, and more enjoyable home at a lower cost. The importance of high-quality affordable housing for the health and happiness of families and communities cannot be overestimated, and this book makes a significant contribution toward that goal.

  Dave Crosby builds affordable, green-built houses in New Mexico and writes for the Taunton Press and Hanely-Wood
  
  

• Many options, use selectively
  By A369R5KSVOQEQX on 2007-01-07
  This book presents a wide range of cost-saving options on the foundation, framing, insulation, and other components of a new house. You have to pick and choose the ones that work for you. For example, if you have a beautiful view and a mild climate, you may not want to cut costs by reducing the number of windows.
  Instead, you can (for example) avoid a costly over-built foundation that is designed for more demanding climates.
  
  The author does not advocate building a "cheap" (sub-standard) house. In fact, in some parts of the book he recommends avoiding choices that would reduce up-front costs (for instance, by laying polyester carpet over an inexpensive foam pad, or by installing an electrical panel with room for fewer breakers).
  
  Many of his suggestions simply challenge conventional practices that have no engineering rationale (spacing studs 16" oc instead of 24", using 3-stud corners) or alternative products (such as Insulating Concrete Forms) that are not necessarily cost-effective.
  
  I think this is a very helpful book. If nothing else, it can alert you to the kinds of details that periodically need re-thinking when you follow one construction practice over another. Then if you want to put more money into an extravagant staircase or other detail, you'll have some ideas about how to pay for it without going over budget or cutting dangerous corners.
  
  
• Excellent, worthwhile book
  By A1BCWJCSGS1PKB on 2006-02-24
  This is the best book for an owner/builder with no construction experience I've read. It clearly explains a lot about construction, and when and how cutting costs will impact only the bottom line, not the quality of the finished product. I feel that I've gained a great deal of knowledge that helps me make decisions on what's important to me, and I know this knowledge will be invaluable in my home design and acting as general contractor for my home.
  
  
• Provides Thoughts on House Design
  By A1M8PP7MLHNBQB on 2005-03-04
  Mr. Ruiz has apparently been building houses for a long time. He has looked at nearly every aspect of building a house and investigated ways to produce equivalent but lower cost alternatives. He has written this book for the person looking to design/build a house. It is applicable to the individual, the architect, or to builders.
  
  This is not a book of specific housing designs, instead it is a book that looks at each aspect of house building from foundation, to framing, to all the other aspects like plumbing, wiring, heating, etc. The intent is that you incorporate these elements into your house design, perhaps by building your own home, or by discussions with the various sub-contractors that you employ to do the actual work.
  
  The building techniques discussed here are rather minor modifications to conventional designs. You might want to also read Your Engineered House which looked at making drastic changes in the way a house was built.
  
  
• Great Book for Building Your Own House
  By APPJH63Z9CXGO on 2006-02-02
  The author has many significantly valuable insights that are usable if you are considering building or building your own house. His information is up-to-date and the book offers plenty of illustrations. I plan to use many of his ideas in the home that I am planning on building this spring.
  
  
• Save time and money on your new home!
  By A20NGKDE5C62CO on 2005-11-14
  Best guide book that I've read so far. I plan on using many of the alternative construction techniques suggested in this book to build my home. Invaluable information provided to build with quality at a much lower cost than many of the "conventional" building methods.
  
  
• Luke warm
  By A2GDVM2FFRP22Y on 2006-11-02
  Much of the information in this book is how to make a house affordable by eliminating desireable features. There is some useful information.
  
  

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