Kit Homes

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With so many decision, to make thinking about building a new home can be an exciting but daunting prospect. Wouldn't it be nice if you could order your new Home from the catalog and have everything delivered to the building " site, ready for assembly? You can. Just order a kit home.

Building a home from a kit is not a new idea. Although Seats Roebuck and Company often is credited with inventing the mail-order kit house the Aladdin Company of Bay City, Michigan. began the practice in 1906 (Sears offered their first "official" kit home in 1916). Today. hundreds of companies Still manufacture kit Homes.

Most of these kits fall into one of four categories: log homes, timber-frame homes, domes. and panelized houses Some manufacturers offer hybrid combination .An enormous range of choice, exists within each category. A kit home can be anything from a basic starter home, to a million-dollar showplace. All kits arrive in pieces — many, many — pieces-that need to be assembled by the contractor or the homeowner. Some kits fall into a "precut" subcategory, where all Darts are factory cut. While others require some onsite cutting and trimming.

DOING IT YOURSELF

Building any home can be a satisfying albeit stressful, challenge but building a kit can make the process a little easier because the basic plans and many technical details already have been worked out by the kit manufacturer.

The more work you decide to do yourself, the more money you can potentially save. We say "potentially" because correcting some construction mistakes can be expensive. Learning as much as possible about every aspect of your kit-home project before you begin can save you a lot of anguish later on when construction is underway. If you have lots of time, and are self-reliant, patient and a fast learner, you may he able to do much (or all) of the work yourself. If not, you will probably need some help.

"If you've got some construction knowledge and ability, virtually all house kits can be built by a homeowner," says Rob Pickett, who heads a consulting firm in Hartland, Vermont, that specializes in the methods and materials of housing production. "But if you are a complete beginner and have not had any training, I don't think most kit manufacturers would recommend that you tackle the construction yourself."

Fifteen to 20 years ago, many manufacturers advertised their kits as do-it-yourself projects, but today the vast majority of homeowners opt to have their kit homes built by contractors. Kit homes usually go up fairly quickly, especially if they are assembled by a professional builder.

COST CONSIDERATIONS

Because each kit-home project is unique, costs will vary depending on what is — and is not — included in the package and how much of the work you are willing (or able) to do yourself.