DPChallenge: A Digital Photography Contest You are not logged in. (log in or register) 
 

DPChallenge Forums >> General Discussion >> Anyone else building a new home??
Pages:  
Showing posts 1 - 25 of 30, (reverse)
AuthorThread
 09/14/2005 09:01:15 PM · #1
it is too exciting
the lady just called me with my new address... .....I was just wondering if anyone has been going through this crap as long as I have.

from idea to plans to permit
to date 2 1/2 years.... they are laying foundation and I will actually have a place to put all my crap for photos and equipment and all....yay!!!

Message edited by author 2005-09-15 00:40:29.
 09/14/2005 09:32:05 PM · #2
Congratulations!
Make sure you take lots of pics as it "grows"!
P
 09/14/2005 09:35:19 PM · #3
Take a long exposure shot. Open shutter before construction begins and close when it is done. Don't forget to step down the aperture.

I think one of the museums in NY did that.

Nick


09/14/2005 09:43:22 PM · #4
I had one built back in 1995, was aobut the worst over all experience I ever went through.

crappy craftsmanship, lying home builder company over priced "upgrades".

I will never have another house built unless I have say so in the design, and choice of contractors to build it. My dream home will cost me a few million dollars, but it will last for a few hundred years

James
 09/14/2005 09:44:55 PM · #5
hope that was a joke about the shutter... cause i have no idea how to do that ... I did get the good camera.... but that doesn't mean I know how to use the darn thing... i am getting there though
 09/14/2005 09:48:53 PM · #6
Originally posted by 4ROGGYCHEF:
hope that was a joke about the shutter... cause i have no idea how to do that ... I did get the good camera.... but that doesn't mean I know how to use the darn thing... i am getting there though


It's no joke. I cannot confirm this 100% but I think in museum of modern arts in NY there is a photo. The exposure of the photo is the same as how much time it took to build it.

So find a good place to mount your camera for 2 years. Steady tripod is required.

Nick
 09/14/2005 09:50:21 PM · #7
That and an aperture of about 20,000...
 09/14/2005 09:52:12 PM · #8

may have posted these before-- can't remember
had to fire one contractor already.. was kindof a family member... got a commercial guy now and if he screws ... he does so doubly since he is doing my moms as well...quite a few people have said the plans are like magazine quality... hope it was worth dealing with that complete a**hole of an architect. But everything is going smoother now.. Site was just an alfalfa field earlier this year -- no water,, no electricity.... nothing.

Message edited by author 2005-09-14 21:53:48.
 09/14/2005 09:55:55 PM · #9
have a question about the whole aperature thing...
got a couple of new lenses and when I try to adjust the aperature it flashes like " F ee " and in the book it says to set it to the lowest and then lock it and they work ... so why make them be able to adjust if I cant take the picture ///
 09/14/2005 10:08:24 PM · #10
Originally posted by 4ROGGYCHEF:
have a question about the whole aperature thing...
got a couple of new lenses and when I try to adjust the aperature it flashes like " F ee " and in the book it says to set it to the lowest and then lock it and they work ... so why make them be able to adjust if I cant take the picture ///


I think it's for film cameras.

Message edited by author 2005-09-14 22:08:48.
 09/14/2005 10:15:06 PM · #11
that is a HUGH house! Should be someplace in there for a studio. What city is it in?

Working on an addition for my house right now. So far it'll be a year in oct since I poured the foundation. Man its a lot of work! I'll have a studio of some sort in there somewhere.
 09/14/2005 11:27:37 PM · #12
its in a small town called chowchilla.. you know where they had the only school bus kidnapping .... ever. oh yeah and the largest womens prison.... funny thing we don't have alot of violence. but we do have a starbucks. ha
 09/14/2005 11:32:24 PM · #13
There's a house being built next-door to me. In the early stages, I tried to shoot a shot each day from the same spot -- at some point I'll try and trun it into a time-lapse movie -- but later on it got too big to shoot from where I was.

I've heard that the worst experience is remodeling the kitchen, or the bathroom if you only have one in the house.
 09/14/2005 11:34:53 PM · #14
Originally posted by GeneralE:
I've heard that the worst experience is remodeling the kitchen, or the bathroom if you only have one in the house.


Yep. Just got done with my kitchen :) All new granite counters, cabinets, wood floors throughout my condo... the works! And I did it all by myself ... well of course with help from beer buddies :) I didn't have a sink for three months! That was probably the hardest part. Next month I start with my bathroom - complete makeover :)
 09/15/2005 08:14:27 AM · #15
might I make a suggestion and make your house network ready before they put the drywall up or flooring down???
 09/15/2005 08:27:45 AM · #16
We are currently in the process of building our second new home. The first experience was great. This one is terrible. Does anyone care about doing a quality job? It appears that people in this industry just want to get it done as soon as possible with no regards to quality.
 09/15/2005 09:24:10 AM · #17
been there, done that.. never again though :)

I've built a house from scratch, I've bougt an old one and rebuilt from scratch ,and I've bought a new one, uncompleted and finished the work, and the one thing I learned... keep doing your job and get someone else to build your house ;)

but for a house that big.. you must need a good plumber... I'm available for the right price ...
 09/15/2005 09:28:02 AM · #18
Originally posted by 4ROGGYCHEF:

may have posted these before-- can't remember
had to fire one contractor already.. was kindof a family member... got a commercial guy now and if he screws ... he does so doubly since he is doing my moms as well...quite a few people have said the plans are like magazine quality... hope it was worth dealing with that complete a**hole of an architect. But everything is going smoother now.. Site was just an alfalfa field earlier this year -- no water,, no electricity.... nothing.


That freakin' thing is HUGE! I'd be paying til the day I die for something that big! Houses must be cheaper to build out where you are.

Edit
I almost forgot. I hope your mortage won't bite you in the ass now that interest rates are going up again. Many people are now living above their means with big houses and big cars since the interest rates are so low. So many over-extended people out there, it's scary.

Message edited by author 2005-09-15 09:42:51.
 09/15/2005 09:37:54 AM · #19
you could easily fit 4 houses the size of mine inside this one :)

Originally posted by 4ROGGYCHEF:

may have posted these before-- can't remember
had to fire one contractor already.. was kindof a family member... got a commercial guy now and if he screws ... he does so doubly since he is doing my moms as well...quite a few people have said the plans are like magazine quality... hope it was worth dealing with that complete a**hole of an architect. But everything is going smoother now.. Site was just an alfalfa field earlier this year -- no water,, no electricity.... nothing.
09/15/2005 10:35:03 AM · #20
nop houses are quite a bit here too... this one should build for about 1.4 mil but i am lucky .. my dad started out with nothing and invested in farm property .. he used all of our kids names and because he was so careful .. when he was alive and after he died .. everything is still doing well. my brothers are building theres soon in anothre location on a river... i tell you we are just a poor ass oky family that got lucky.. most of our family that started out that way are doing good... i think its the undying oky spirit. but we aren't the kindof people you see on tv .. we don't shop in manhattan.. we shop in target and drive normal cars. But its like this... one bad farming year and this bought and paid for house -- goes on the market to help the family business...that just how it is. Scary and sad we all know how quickly it could come and go and we just enjoy the good times... and the house I live in now .. is only 1600 square feet .... comfortable but cramped with us and the two kids. I need the country.
I know someones gonna ask-- an oky is generally of irish decent and imigrated to oklahoma during the potato famine and then to california during the dust bowl. generally landing in this valley.. grapes of wrath. thats what katrina reminds me of and i know that whoever moves and has to start over... they will be okay because they all have strong spirits down there.
 09/15/2005 11:20:24 AM · #21
Been there (complete house) and will not go there agin unless I completely lose my marbles. It was tough doing the stuff while trying to work at the same time (and to think we had a contractor doing the "management" for us). Just amazing the lack of what I thought was common sense. Must admit that taking photos does get attention at times from subies :-))

I also have lived through an only bathroom remodel (different place) and would think seriously about moving instead in the future :-)
 09/15/2005 11:29:02 AM · #22
Besides the artistic shots you take to document the realisation of your dreams, take plenty of straight forward doccumentary shots,where things are inside the walls ect. We make a big book showing where all wires, plumbing runs and structural elements are before the sheetrock or insulation go up. Placed in a book and given to the clients at the end of the job as a sort of owners manual, this makes any futre remodels or problem shooting a few years down the line much simpler and less expensive. And remember the old axiom, the first 90% of the job takes 90% of the time, the last 10% takes the other 90%;)

Message edited by author 2005-09-15 11:39:08.
 09/15/2005 11:58:28 AM · #23
Originally posted by BrennanOB:
Besides the artistic shots you take to document the realisation of your dreams, take plenty of straight forward doccumentary shots,where things are inside the walls ect. We make a big book showing where all wires, plumbing runs and structural elements are before the sheetrock or insulation go up. Placed in a book and given to the clients at the end of the job as a sort of owners manual, this makes any futre remodels or problem shooting a few years down the line much simpler and less expensive. And remember the old axiom, the first 90% of the job takes 90% of the time, the last 10% takes the other 90%;)


I was going to suggest something very very similar to this. We took shots of our wiring and plumbing, (or I think we did -- we planned on it) os that if anything messed up, we would know exactly where in the wall it was.

And that old axiom is so true.

Also, make sure it is finished before you move in, because it seems that those last few jobs never quite get done when you are living in them.
 09/15/2005 12:03:35 PM · #24
I actually may be "entering" this process soon...

HOME BUILDING

*lol*

Any advice?

(good thing, if I do, my fiance's father will be the general contractor and he's not the type to rip off his daughter either.)

09/15/2005 12:06:22 PM · #25
I hate to mention it because it is often the bane of a contractor's life, but look into the concept of retention, a fixed percentage ( between 3 to 15% usually ) of the contract price held back untill the last peice of the last punch list is delt with. Contractors are usually running late on your job and have commitments to the next client. Retention payment makes sure it is worth their while to see that the final details on your job get finalised.
Pages:  
Current Server Time: 04/19/2024 08:10:33 AM

Please log in or register to post to the forums.


Home - Challenges - Community - League - Photos - Cameras - Lenses - Learn - Prints! - Help - Terms of Use - Privacy - Top ^
DPChallenge, and website content and design, Copyright © 2001-2024 Challenging Technologies, LLC.
All digital photo copyrights belong to the photographers and may not be used without permission.
Current Server Time: 04/19/2024 08:10:33 AM EDT.