How To Build Your Dream Home Without Getting Nailed!: Save Your Time, Money, Sanity and Relationships

Things I liked:- The book was cheap (only $3 on kindle)- It's intentionally concise. The author notes that he didn't want to pad the book with useless filler. I respect that. The paperback version is 256 pages, but the last 1/3 of the book is a glossary, so really it's more like ~170 pages.- The author has a very frank tone.- He is himself a builder and he knows the business. He covers lots of interesting topics: foundation, framing, siding, roofs, window positioning, the different kinds of contracts that exist for building a custom home, what kind of build issues are considered acceptable and what should definitely be fixed, what to expects from architects / lenders / etc.,- He is self-aware. He notes that the best kind of builder for a custom home is someone who listens well and has a lot of patience, and he is not that kind of person. He prefers to be a "spec home" builder, where he does as he pleases to build the home and then sells it.What I didn't like:- There are several "I told you so" anecdotes in the book, stories about homes he built where things didn't go smoothly. He gets pretty defensive. It's possible he's entirely right, but I don't love the way he blames former clients "in public" without giving them a chance to argue back. Sample quote: "To this day these folks still don't like me. I have to say there is no love lost. What a couple of dip wads."- He goes into detail about issues that may be relevant in the regions where he works (TN) but probably less so where I live (e.g. exposed rock, storms, etc).- Even though the book is concise, there's still some redundancy. One chapter has a very long checklist showing all the steps of building a home. But there are a few different way to build a home, so the checklist is copy-pasted a few times in the book.- There's relatively little about how to design the home. The are a few suggestions here and there, but for the most part this book assumes that you've figured out the design of the home and you're mostly concerned with how to get it built.

My husband doesn't want to build a house and I do. I bought this book for us to read together to see if we could see each other's point of view. As a result he's willing to consider building and I understand his reluctance and find it reasonable so that I can accept a decision to not build. We will continue to use this book to either baby-step our way to building or to decide not to build. The book gives good building options and check lists to give a realistic view of all that is involved and how to take the right steps in the right order for building. It also gives good counsel to help people survive the process, how to deal with lenders, builders, etc.. I highly recommend this book for those who know some or nothing about building their own house/home.

This book provides a tremendous amount of information for those who are unfamiliar with the building process or who are considering a custom build where you will be hiring a contractor. It is NOT a blueprint or guide for how to act as the general contractor of your own build. This is clearly stated in the book.You can read this book in a day, easily. The layout of information is well-organized and presented in adequate doses to give the reader a good understanding of the topic being covered. I found that several questions I had about the building process or standard procedures were addressed in the book. There were other pieces of information shared that I did not know and am thankful were covered. The glossary of terms in the rear of the book would be helpful through the building process.Some new-ish building processes are identified in certain sections and are noted as such. The checklists alone are worth the read--they give almost a step-by-step guide through the building process for a few different building methods.The novice will gain the most benefit from this book but it can also be helpful to those with some experience. It's thoroughly enriching and often funny (when he shares personal stories). I actually laughed out loud a few times.A couple of things that could enhance the work might be to provide some type of rule or way to gauge what is customary for what subs charge for specific work or services. It will vary for sure but would be helpful to have an idea. Several of the examples used in the book referenced builds with basements; it would be nice to have the 'slab' version. For some with experience, it might seem unnecessary, but for a novice, you can't take any knowledge for granted. Overall, I would totally buy this book again. If the author decides to write a book on the homeowner acting as the builder, project manager, or GC, I'd purchase that as well.

This easy to read book is a great starter for those wishing to get a basic understanding of the home building process. With so many decisions to make and factors to consider it's imperative that you know as much as possible BEFORE you build........Chubby Builder lays everything out in easy to understand terms and gives common sense suggestions that will be helpful to you....Take advantage of his perspective from a builder's standpoint and years of experience to make informed decisions.After reading this book I felt I was much more informed as I begin planning to have a custom home built. The knowledge gained from this book will allow me to communicate better with my home builder to express what I have as my vision for a custom home.Thanks Chubby Builder!

I had high hopes for this book given the plethora of positive reviews. Unfortunately, the book was a let down. The author's tone, as I interpret, is supposed to come across as no-nonsense and frank. It comes across more rude and boorish a lot of the times. In trying to illustrate how not to do things he brings up many stories of his idiot clients - his words.After making it through 60% of the book I found out the the entire remaining 40% is an alphabetical list of construction terminology definitions - no narrative. While it's great that this is here, it also makes it impossible to read. Imagine trying to read through a dictionary. Since the terms are all alphabetical there is no flow, similarities, or groupings. It's simply term after random term for almost half the book.I took a picture of a bookmark at the point where the "dictionary" starts. It's almost half the book!

A realistic approach about home building.