[kscherer]

We have had two homes built, and remodeled two. With the two we had built, we bought from Hubble Homes here in Boise. The two remodel projects I have done almost all of the work myself, other than subcontracting HVAC and window installation (my neighbor is an installer and does great window work for a good price). I have had help with plumbing, but now feel confident doing it all myself, and I do all of my own electrical work.

If you plan to act as the general contractor, most banks are going to ask a lot of questions before they decide on a loan. They are going to want proof that you can get the work done within budget and not leave them with a loan on a pile of firewood. This bit can be very tricky. You are likely going to have to demonstrate some collateral, as well. Banks are not too friendly loaning construction money to inexperienced builders, unless you have hired a general contractor. Hiring a general is also a lot more expensive because he wants to make his cut.

If you plan on whacking all the nails into place yourself, it will get even more complicated. Again, the bank wants to know that you are going to complete the task in a reasonable time frame, and that you are going to build a house that meets all applicable codes, passes inspections, and then has a floor-plan that can be resold should you fail. This can be difficult if you don't know what you're doing.

I am mostly self taught, but rely on the Google to make sure I am meeting code, especially with electrical and plumbing. However, there are also a gazillion building codes covering every aspect of the home's construction, up to and including the distance between your cabinets and how far apart your outlets are. If you appear to know what you are doing, inspectors will generally go pretty easy on you. But if you don't, they'll ding you to death! Also, codes differ from state to state so you have to be very careful to apply the correct ones.

Anyway, caution should be taken if you plan to build yourself. Make sure you know what's up. Otherwise, you're going to get taken advantage of or make serious mistakes that could cost a lot of money to fix. If you are inexperienced, hire a reputable builder.