at Architect Alternatives Placing the House on the Lot Planning the Size and Shape of Your Home Designing Your Home’s Interior So Many Details, All of Them Important Chapter 6: Engineers and City Folk: Approval Bureaucracy Made Somewhat Easy Understanding Plans and Blueprints Working with the Building and Planning Departments Submitting Your Prelims for Approval Gathering the Permits You Need Chapter 7: All the King’s Men: The Contractor and Their Cohorts Working with Your Contractor Managing Your Time and Money Introducing Other Important Players Managing Disputes
7 Part 3: All You Need Is Dough: Financing Your Custom Home Chapter 8: Cash Is King: Borrowing to Your Advantage Accepting the Need for Liquidity: Cash, Cash, and More Cash Breaking the Emotional Barriers: This Is Not Your Grandfather’s Depression Okay, So You Have All This Cash — Now Manage It Turning Your House into a Moneymaking Machine Safely Deferring Financial Decisions until the End of the Construction Project Chapter 9: Knowledge Is Power: What You Don’t Know about Construction Loans Can Hurt You Exploring Your Construction Loan Options Finding a Good Construction Lender The Loan Process from Start to Finish: When to Do What Understanding All the Fees Letting the Lender Carry Your Burden Chapter 10: Qualifying: It’s the Bank’s Way or the Highway Stepping behind the Desk: How a Construction Lender Views Your Project Recognizing What a Construction Lender Really Wants to See Building the Bank’s Construction Budget Calculating the Loan Amount and Cash Solving Other Budget Problems Chapter 11: Show Me the Money: Flowing Cash through the Project Managing a Self-Funded Project Working with a Construction Lender Understanding How the Voucher System Works Taking a Closer Look at the Draw Reimbursement System Figuring Out Who Gets the Money — You or the Contractor Using Credit Cards Responsibly Can Buy You a Trip to Europe
8 Part 4: Hammers and Nails: Overseeing the Construction Process Chapter 12: Excavation and Foundation: Getting a Solid Start Surveying and Site Preparation Preparing for the Utilities Pouring the Foundation Chapter 13: Framing and Rough: So Much Goes behind Those Walls! Things to Consider Before Framing and Rough Work Begin Looking at What’s Involved in Framing a House Installing the Rough Systems with Ease Sheathing, Flashing, and Insulation Chapter 14: Heading for the Finish: The Devil’s in the Details The Icing on the Cake: Exterior Finishing Moving Inside: Completing Fireplaces and Walls The Finish Carpenters: Doors, Windows, Molding, Cabinets, and Countertops All the Pretty Stuff
9 Part 5: All the After Stuff Chapter 15: Making a House a Home: Moving In, Furnishing, and Using Smart Tech Finishing Up the Custom-Home Project Selling the Old Home and Moving Considering Technology Options Chapter 16: Taking It Outside: The Art of Landscaping and Hardscaping Designing Your Dream Landscape Putting Your Plan in Action: Hardscaping Leafing Out: Softscaping with Plants Chapter 17: Making Your Nest Egg Financially Sound Managing Maintenance and Repairs Should You Stay or Should You Go? Identifying