Buy Maine land, build very slowly.
Maine real estate property listing inventory continues to be in short supply. The tight housing market in Maine makes some think why not buy Maine land, build slowly? Many in the home buying audience consider why not buy land in Maine first? Then tackle the building a house one board at a time very carefully.
This blog post is for folks sick, sore and tired waiting for the right new property housing to get listed.
Bare inventory homes for sale shelves mean consider buying Maine land. Challenged, frustrated Maine home buyers are slipping on the tool belt and strapping on the construction helmet. Not thinking McMansion but just a simple Maine house of their own to enjoy.
Here is an option for those with lots of patience that have a few building skills.
For folks sitting on the sidelines waiting around while the flow of Maine house listings to increase, building on Maine land is another route to consider some.
Maine’s rural nature and “money does not grow on trees” simple way of living causes a more robust skill set. Growing up, as a kid, you did help Dad shingle the garage roof, put on the new house addition.
Your uncle is a plumber, a niece can get you a 20% percent family discount at the hardware store. Your lumber can come direct from your own woodlot milled at a local outlet.
Calling in favors from say your brother in law the electrician helps short circuit the high cost of building a house in Maine. Buying Maine land and then the one by one improvements takes delicate baby steps when talking finish work.
Buy Maine land.
BYOB, bring your own building. Start from scratch. Involve your family and friends who are willing to help. These “helpers” are like construction worker trainees learning from your project to down the road start their own. Join forces to “slow cook” and build a house.
A land property acreage listing in Maine with drilled well and septic system already in place is a four leaf clover.
It is a bonus when you don’t have to do the Earth work for a driveway and culvert. Or if the lawn is already established. Maine land where a mobile home was sold off or hauled away after a fire create these kind of listings.
Land in Maine to build your own house, here’s another option for home construction.
When a house was torn down and hauled away , this is another value added land listing to consider. But check to see what the well and septic system are. A dug well with low supply of water and a cesspool sewer or small metal tank is not designed for today’s household demands.
Why don’t more folks build a house rather than buy an existing Maine home?
Expense, the size of a mortgage or difficulty getting a construction loan with tight deadlines. Just not knowing anyone to help with carpentry skills and not so handy themselves doing repairs.
The whatever you build might not be perfect but it it yours and paid for as you go. That lifestyle in Maine of building in a rural setting and living off the land as much as possible appeals to many today.
Another incentive to buy Maine land and build slowly is stop bleeding rent.
When you have enough money to build a foundation to hunker down in until able to build up, you say good bye to a landlord. No more helping whoever you rent from send their kids to college or make the apartment house mortgage payments.
Getting a small mortgage to create the bare bones for living and being a cellar dweller for as long as it takes.
Lots of discipline needed but monthly what you would have shelled out for rent gets redirected into home improvements.
When you “slow cook” and build your own house on Maine land, there is no snap your fingers quick decision making done. Instead, you take lots of time to shop for materials and wait for a sale. More thought is put into what the end product will look like. There is no haste makes waste.
Not everyone builds a house because they can not find one that checks off all the boxes either.
Some just want to once in their life time to walk into a home that is totally them. Filled with what they liked in previous house features and none of what they did not enjoy.
Have a couple who just bought Aroostook County land in the New Limerick , Maine.
His family has backhoes, dump trucks and other construction equipment. The long driveway is already in for free and not hired out for a fee. Where they will slowly build a country home has been cleared and stumps removed by themselves.
The hole for the house cellar will be done weekends and nights.
There is a little ledge but that they may hire out to be ripped. But any expenses is eagle eye balled and house building money is spent very frugally.
Getting estimates from bids for the lowest price for anything. It just makes you being your own general contractor thrifty.
Buy Maine land, build slowly means having lots of patience and determination.
It pays off big time. Not everyone can do it due to family and wallet size or lack of savings constraints. But it is an option for some to buy land and build if an existing Maine home to consider is missing.
Once you get the building “buttoned up and weather tight” it is liking camping out in the Maine home.
Small Maine towns don’t have the restrictive codes and time deadlines to complete the projects. Contractors and tradesmen are looking for inside work in the winter months.
Getting the work done you don’t have the expertise to do means stretching your dollars. Hiring out as little as possible. Or waiting until the house building kitty grows enough to afford bring in the professionals.
Building a house in Maine means you make some sacrifices along the way and will have a table saw in your living room.
Construction projects happening around the house you build slowly on your Maine land. What to do first and back up projects in case the Maine weather throws you a curve. You juggle your real job that pays the bills. While moonlight on the house that reflects your needs, family size and personal desires.
The hardwood floors for the Maine house?
They come last because no one wants scratches from metal stage being pulled over to help joint compound the walls or ceilings. Four walls, a floor and a roof is the basic box you start out with and then slow but slow add to the finishing it off just so. Buying Maine land tips for the dream house in your head.
That big closet off the living room is a future bath that is all plumbed in but no fixtures brought in for the down the road intended purpose. The plumbing in your Maine house is back to back with the kitchen waterworks to save money. The cost building a house in Maine on your own land depends an awful lot on the home design. Considering a log home design? The exterior walls are complete and so are the inside ones.
But a true log house design means the insurance costs is going to tap your wallet or purse harder.
A fire means those spruce purloins overhead have to be totally replaced. Not just a section of the home is damaged to repair.
Dimensional lumber comes in only so many widths and lengths for your affordable house construction hammer and nails.
Not having to make unneeded cuts that waste time or being able to use the left over waste to cross bridge the floor or close in the insulated box sills. Plan your work or plan to fail. You gotta have a system is what my Dad caught be growing up on the Maine farmstead. A lot too this buy Maine land, building slowly.
I asked the couple who bought the Maine land in Aroostook County about a basement kitchen.
Instead of wasting money on cabinets, they will have a set tub to wash dishes, use a hot plate and microwave for cooking. Go outside to flip up the lid on the gas grill for the ‘what’s for dinner” routine.
They don’t want to spend money needlessly on a full blown kitchen. Both are on the same page for waiting until the first floor is framed in for the real deal and all the cupboards just the way they want. To install the permanent kitchen set up for once and done “upstairs” above the ground floor, not duplicate the effort in the cellar. That’s the house plan to economize.
Any small discomfort living in the basement only fuels and speeds up the process to keep the house building moving faster.
Tightening up the everyday spending to the maximum. Less eating out, keeping the car or truck and extra year because it is all paid for and not a financial drain that siphons from the house building effort.
Your lot , the Maine land spot makes a big difference on the house building construction costs too.
Drainage for water, is there ledge that messes up the daylight basement, is there a slope enough to have a daylight cellar?
You have a blank white parchment to paint a house on that does not exist yet. But it’s not something many of us do everyday so go slow, bone up on the knowledge that is all over the Internet. Talk to folks who bought Maine land, built. Ask them what they regret and the building points they are grateful for during the house building project. Mistakes are learning lessons to share and avoid.
Buy Maine land, build slowly.
Low cost Maine land is everywhere. The best perfect location to build on, there is the hard part in your Maine real estate search. On your wish list, where is view, waterfront, distance to the essentials? Does the house you plan to build match the lot and what’s the neighborhood like or is there anyone around you? Lots to consider going in, during and wrapping up the building a house on your own Maine land exercise.
Eating, breathing, sleeping the all consuming build a home mission that takes over their life.
But knowing the sacrifice is self-inflicted and so so worth it in the end to create a home sweet home. Taking your time, getting what you want and not living in someone else’s house plan? Could you do it, buy Maine land and build a house slowly? Here to help find you the perfect spot for your new Maine home!
I’m Maine REALTOR Andrew Mooers, ME Broker
207.532.6573 | info@mooersrealty.com |
MOOERS REALTY 69 North ST Houlton Maine 04730 USA