This was one of my favorite "custom home building" videos I've seen lately! Love it! I'm at the plans, plans, plans stage and I love the advice of things you might do differently. So helpful! Thank you.
I agree with you on the laundry room and some other things. I'm a real estate agent in Texas and I tell you with new construction there is always always something we wish we would have added or done better. I built my home and I was my own general contractor. I had my plans for years and I tell you I wanted my garage a little larger. Not necessarily the doors but the inside.
Thank you! My plan had the garage 12" from wall to driver side door. You saved me. It was easy to fix on paper, but I was about to commit to a huge mistake.
Good to know about the garages. You want to be able to fit all vehicles (especially if you have a custom lifted truck) easily. You also want to look at insulation so the noise from certain vehicles won't permeate the home. Where I am, I would look at making sure the garage is air conditioned because it can exceed 110 degrees and that heat is hard on some automotive components.
I wish my kitchen was bigger too..its 22x22 but we got two new additions to our family which makes us a family ofc10 so the island needs to be bigger as well but it's too late now...I get you...
since the house is watertight I would do a (blower door) test tho it may likely fail the test by a margin... it might be a little late however going forward if I were you I would focus on the intricate details associated with passive house standards making the home a little more airtight to increase efficiency since the orientation is off ..you won't regret it.. its very important ..builder in NYC
Currently building as well and also have some regrets. I think when you’re custom building there’s a higher risk for error. I’m doing the same. My builder said it takes 3 builds before you’re comfortable and know exactly what you want. This is our first build. While I did do months of modifications with the architect, there’s still some things I would change now that it’s up. We have the same thing with the 10ft and 9ft ceilings as well as the basement. The bulkhead will drive me nuts! I have a 12 ft island with 6ft between as well. And yes, I still wish it was bigger. Lol I keep telling myself that these are the things that are going to drive ME nuts. Everyone that walks into your home is going to think it’s beautiful! I understand what you’re saying though. It can be a frustrating process! I think finding the right builder is key too. Mine pointed out a lot of things prior to framing that I wouldn’t have even considered being a possible issue. I never realized how even the smallest detail can become a bigger issue.
You are a blessing. I'm in the process of buying my land and just sent building plans for my custom home over to the builder so finding this video is perfect timing. Thank you! I'm watching your other videos, next! Also, congratulations on all of your success! :)
Olivia - your information is PRICELESS! And I love your Ansellvania moniker - so clever to combine your surname with your state! God bless from Scottsdale, Arizona.☀️😎🌵
Excellent retrospective on this important project. Thank you for articulating the details in an honest and objective way. Very impressed with the thorough analysis and the candid assessment.
There is a lot of discussion, so much that I would usually not listen to the whole video . You made it so interesting that I watch the whole thing and "liked" the video too. Great job Olivia
I really appreciate your sharing this information; I just found you & subscribed about 4 minutes in - this is exactly what I'm looking for! I'm going to search your videos to see if you've discussed your savings, land-buying, design, architect & home-builder search journeys, I want to build one day & am interested in learning how to go about it. Thanks again!
these details that pple may think is insignificant is very important. thank you so much. But your architect is in position to know and make sure it doesn't happen
Hi Olivia, the problems that you point out were very costly. Did you have a construction manager and an architect? For the amount of money that was spent on your dream home your problems should not been that many.
I want to let you know that your input on personalized home building will and has helped many..., Myself in particular! Many of us wanting to put our own unique preferences on what we feel our homes should have and are not knowledgeable about the process. You have really given insight and I, for one, appreciate your willingness to be raw about your experiences. I am Grateful for your outlook and will continue to follow you, because you're teaching me. So with that being said, I Pray that your home gives you and your family all the love, comfort and Blessings you deserve! Thank you for sharing!❤️
So glad I found this video, I've watched 3 times already. We just submitted plans for permits! Definitely did not catch a few of your mistakes either. 🙏🏽
Its always pleasant to listen to you share your experiences. Thank you but did you have a deep analysis of your architectural design with your team? Would it have made a difference to some of your regrets?
One thing that many people don't look at is their Internet service. If they are looking for FTTH (Fiber to the Home), you may have to budget the costs of installing the fiber from the main trunk to your home, (dependent on the provider). This might include trenching, etc.
What great points. Until one has BTDT, these things can go undiscovered. Re storm water fees, assuming they are charged based on impervious area, sometimes the fee might be less if paved surfaces have a way for water to return to the earth- like pavers with space in between or the German systems that are designed to use less concrete.
Did you use an architect? It sounds like a lot of the things you don't like should have been captured during the design phase versus the construction phase.
I am so happy that you felt like you made a successful change about your black windows, is that an energy saver since it absorbs more heat? Which would be good in a cold state like PA. Sending you lots of patience and luck. Your process has been beautiful and so helpful to watch!
i love this video! but the reality is that every decision one makes affects the whole build as you know. ie your laundry room example. did you do any virtual walk throughs?
A garage built inside the house is a Bad idea incase of fire and car exhaust attached to house through a walk way is better, doors must all be 10' and over, and much extra room inside. Windows on the south side for more light. Check local codes for how big a craw space can be before they start taxing you for a basement and go as big as possible, concrete floor is a must not vented to outside but conditioned with rest of house to avoid mold. so you can use that space as storage. Down spouts from gutters, pipe water about 20 feet away from any building. Don't make pitch too steep on roof so shingling and re-shingling will be easier. Make overhang at least 4 feet to help keep rain out of windows and prevent walls from rotting out. Paint exterior walls before siding just buy miss tint cheap paint for that to prevent rot and mold. Use Advantech OSB for flooring this repels water because it is made with more glue. When picking out shingles do more research on brands and warrantee, buy one pack of what you think you want lay them out on roof and look from a distance to see if you like them.
It's her mistake because she's the one who wanted a 'mega mansion' and all the cost mistakes that go along with design for show rather than function. It's possible to have good looking functional house and landscape. But it means not being brainwashed by pop-culture that you need a pseudo-chateau to show you're rich. Hard to claim to be an individual when spending so much time, energy, and money to keep up with the Jones.
@@shawnw.4440 Geez.... You are making many assumptions that you have no business assuming. What I love about my country is the freedom to live in a - as you put it - ‘mega mansion’ or choosing to live in a 250 sq.ft. tiny home. To each his own... Olivia, as a successful business woman, has every right to build her dream home, raise a large, loving family, and enjoy this property decades to come. This is a tangible witness to her hard work, for her children, grand children & great grandchildren to enjoy for decades to come. It is her & her husband’s money - so more power to them. Some people choose to keep their money in a stock portfolio, checking numbers daily. She gets joy from her domestic life in a lovely home, rather than big numbers in a Fidelity account. Your uncalled for criticism is not becoming whatsoever, Shawn.
Hello friend your videos are awesome.Quick.question how much did it cost you per sq/ft for workmanship minus buying all hardware and paying for delivery cost can you give me a rough estimate ??
Hi there. I am here in Arizona wondering if your family has your own homebuilding company? Or were you and your husband just wanting to build your custom house and that was it?
Who did your plans? Didn't the builder have a model or prototype for you to walk-through? The issues you're speaking of are foundational. You should have been able to visit a home somewhere by this builder to eliminate these problems even if the exact model wasn't the same. Unless you have practical experience in the design or home building industries most of these things are beyond your scope of experience. Did you have a construction manager? I've worked for many builders as a designer and although they weren't custom I think I would have hired my own construction manager to review the plans and flush out potential problems.
Hey can you make a new update pertaining to this topic? Thankd!!
Absolutely, watch out for it in the next 4 weeks 🥰
You explain things so well that anyone easily understands, you're a life saver
This was one of my favorite "custom home building" videos I've seen lately! Love it! I'm at the plans, plans, plans stage and I love the advice of things you might do differently. So helpful! Thank you.
I agree with you on the laundry room and some other things. I'm a real estate agent in Texas and I tell you with new construction there is always always something we wish we would have added or done better. I built my home and I was my own general contractor. I had my plans for years and I tell you I wanted my garage a little larger. Not necessarily the doors but the inside.
Do you mind sharing your lender in Texas?
Thank you! My plan had the garage 12" from wall to driver side door. You saved me. It was easy to fix on paper, but I was about to commit to a huge mistake.
Good to know about the garages. You want to be able to fit all vehicles (especially if you have a custom lifted truck) easily. You also want to look at insulation so the noise from certain vehicles won't permeate the home. Where I am, I would look at making sure the garage is air conditioned because it can exceed 110 degrees and that heat is hard on some automotive components.
I wish my kitchen was bigger too..its 22x22 but we got two new additions to our family which makes us a family ofc10 so the island needs to be bigger as well but it's too late now...I get you...
This is a great video with great information. Good luck with your beautiful home.
since the house is watertight I would do a (blower door) test tho it may likely fail the test by a margin... it might be a little late however going forward if I were you I would focus on the intricate details associated with passive house standards making the home a little more airtight to increase efficiency since the orientation is off ..you won't regret it.. its very important ..builder in NYC
Currently building as well and also have some regrets. I think when you’re custom building there’s a higher risk for error. I’m doing the same. My builder said it takes 3 builds before you’re comfortable and know exactly what you want. This is our first build. While I did do months of modifications with the architect, there’s still some things I would change now that it’s up. We have the same thing with the 10ft and 9ft ceilings as well as the basement. The bulkhead will drive me nuts! I have a 12 ft island with 6ft between as well. And yes, I still wish it was bigger. Lol I keep telling myself that these are the things that are going to drive ME nuts. Everyone that walks into your home is going to think it’s beautiful! I understand what you’re saying though. It can be a frustrating process! I think finding the right builder is key too. Mine pointed out a lot of things prior to framing that I wouldn’t have even considered being a possible issue. I never realized how even the smallest detail can become a bigger issue.
You are a blessing. I'm in the process of buying my land and just sent building plans for my custom home over to the builder so finding this video is perfect timing. Thank you! I'm watching your other videos, next! Also, congratulations on all of your success! :)
Great advice.
Please note that when your go for a larger/14 ft island you will have a seam in your counter.
Olivia - your information is PRICELESS! And I love your Ansellvania moniker - so clever to combine your surname with your state! God bless from Scottsdale, Arizona.☀️😎🌵
Excellent retrospective on this important project. Thank you for articulating the details in an honest and objective way. Very impressed with the thorough analysis and the candid assessment.
There is a lot of discussion, so much that I would usually not listen to the whole video . You made it so interesting that I watch the whole thing and "liked" the video too. Great job Olivia
I really appreciate your sharing this information; I just found you & subscribed about 4 minutes in - this is exactly what I'm looking for! I'm going to search your videos to see if you've discussed your savings, land-buying, design, architect & home-builder search journeys, I want to build one day & am interested in learning how to go about it. Thanks again!
these details that pple may think is insignificant is very important. thank you so much. But your architect is in position to know and make sure it doesn't happen
Hi Olivia, the problems that you point out were very costly. Did you have a construction manager and an architect? For the amount of money that was spent on your dream home your problems should not been that many.
Thank you, your video is actually helpful.
Super helpful. I’m happy to see that you are still smiling :)
I want to let you know that your input on personalized home building will and has helped many...,
Myself in particular!
Many of us wanting to put our own unique preferences on what we feel our homes should have and are not knowledgeable about the process.
You have really given insight and I, for one, appreciate your willingness to be raw about your experiences.
I am Grateful for your outlook and will continue to follow you, because you're teaching me.
So with that being said, I Pray that your home gives you and your family all the love, comfort and Blessings you deserve!
Thank you for sharing!❤️
This is one of the most useful videos I’ve seen so far and so pleasantly delivered.
So glad I found this video, I've watched 3 times already. We just submitted plans for permits! Definitely did not catch a few of your mistakes either. 🙏🏽
Glad it was helpful! As long as you havent dry walled, you can still make some changes:)
Very helpful, I haven’t heard these tips from anyone else.
Thank you for this Share!!
Very nice points … did you use an architect for your house design or purchased already ready house plans?
Its always pleasant to listen to you share your experiences. Thank you but did you have a deep analysis of your architectural design with your team? Would it have made a difference to some of your regrets?
Excellent video! Thank you so much.
One thing that many people don't look at is their Internet service. If they are looking for FTTH (Fiber to the Home), you may have to budget the costs of installing the fiber from the main trunk to your home, (dependent on the provider). This might include trenching, etc.
i am building a house and this is SOOO helpful! thank you!
What great points. Until one has BTDT, these things can go undiscovered. Re storm water fees, assuming they are charged based on impervious area, sometimes the fee might be less if paved surfaces have a way for water to return to the earth- like pavers with space in between or the German systems that are designed to use less concrete.
Did you use an architect? It sounds like a lot of the things you don't like should have been captured during the design phase versus the construction phase.
I am so happy that you felt like you made a successful change about your black windows, is that an energy saver since it absorbs more heat? Which would be good in a cold state like PA. Sending you lots of patience and luck. Your process has been beautiful and so helpful to watch!
the natural light is the biggest one. lack of light can't really be fixed.
Where in Pittsburgh? It's my hometown. Happy New Year!
i love this video! but the reality is that every decision one makes affects the whole build as you know. ie your laundry room example.
did you do any virtual walk throughs?
Awesome video.
good video...very informative
Thank you so much. This video is a great help on my home construction journey.
Glad it was helpful!
A garage built inside the house is a Bad idea incase of fire and car exhaust attached to house through a walk way is better, doors must all be 10' and over, and much extra room inside. Windows on the south side for more light. Check local codes for how big a craw space can be before they start taxing you for a basement and go as big as possible, concrete floor is a must not vented to outside but conditioned with rest of house to avoid mold. so you can use that space as storage. Down spouts from gutters, pipe water about 20 feet away from any building. Don't make pitch too steep on roof so shingling and re-shingling will be easier. Make overhang at least 4 feet to help keep rain out of windows and prevent walls from rotting out. Paint exterior walls before siding just buy miss tint cheap paint for that to prevent rot and mold. Use Advantech OSB for flooring this repels water because it is made with more glue. When picking out shingles do more research on brands and warrantee, buy one pack of what you think you want lay them out on roof and look from a distance to see if you like them.
Very helpful! Thanks.
Thank u so much from south africa.
Great information.
Sound reduction can be achieved at a lower price with insulation and higher rates Windows.
Thanks for letting us know
Hi Olivia - I just want to understand - is it your mistakes or its the architecture or designer or didn't you have one?
It's her mistake because she's the one who wanted a 'mega mansion' and all the cost mistakes that go along with design for show rather than function. It's possible to have good looking functional house and landscape. But it means not being brainwashed by pop-culture that you need a pseudo-chateau to show you're rich. Hard to claim to be an individual when spending so much time, energy, and money to keep up with the Jones.
@@shawnw.4440 Geez.... You are making many assumptions that you have no business assuming. What I love about my country is the freedom to live in a - as you put it - ‘mega mansion’ or choosing to live in a 250 sq.ft. tiny home. To each his own... Olivia, as a successful business woman, has every right to build her dream home, raise a large, loving family, and enjoy this property decades to come. This is a tangible witness to her hard work, for her children, grand children & great grandchildren to enjoy for decades to come. It is her & her husband’s money - so more power to them. Some people choose to keep their money in a stock portfolio, checking numbers daily. She gets joy from her domestic life in a lovely home, rather than big numbers in a Fidelity account. Your uncalled for criticism is not becoming whatsoever, Shawn.
@@shawnw.4440 You sound jealous as hell LOL Get a job Shawn, then maybe you can build a mansion too.
This is so helpful. I'm going to watch again and take notes.
Thank you
Hello friend your videos are awesome.Quick.question how much did it cost you per sq/ft for workmanship minus buying all hardware and paying for delivery cost can you give me a rough estimate ??
Hi there. I am here in Arizona wondering if your family has your own homebuilding company? Or were you and your husband just wanting to build your custom house and that was it?
I don't think that 11-foot basements are an option. You'd need special forms for that.
And here I am with 7.5 foot ceilings 😬
How much was it total to build it?
I would've done 12, 12, 10 that would've solved all the height issues
Would you mind giving the name of your builder? I am also in the Pittsburgh area looking to build as well..:
Very informative.
Thank you ❤️
Door sizes are up to the homebuilder
How large is your 1st floor, minus garage space?
3420 sf
Who did your plans? Didn't the builder have a model or prototype for you to walk-through? The issues you're speaking of are foundational. You should have been able to visit a home somewhere by this builder to eliminate these problems even if the exact model wasn't the same. Unless you have practical experience in the design or home building industries most of these things are beyond your scope of experience. Did you have a construction manager? I've worked for many builders as a designer and although they weren't custom I think I would have hired my own construction manager to review the plans and flush out potential problems.
Means person making the decisions on interior finishing not the f..I got framer
Make edits to this video showing photos of what you are talking about. We are all sitting here wondering what you are talking about
Didn't an architect oversee the project?
No, he's been there a couple times but just to check on the house and progress:)
@@OliviazVentures Who was the architect if you don't mind me asking?
Kitchen 1000 sqft
Regrets not making it 1030 sqft 😆
Seek first the Kingdom of God and all these things will be added unto you. Mt 6:33. I'm speaking this Scripture to myself as well.
Help to build my house
Tether
Send money
Ffff
What does she have on her fingertips.....chiclets?
Very helpful. Thank you so much!