By the end, construction will have taken ten months. We were on-site nearly the entire ten months. There were many, many problems and frustrations. We learned a lot and we think our crew learned from us. We learned some things about Filipino culture. So, I’d say that
if you are knowledgeable about building, want a project and a challenge and can be patient, hire a foreman and crew and build your own house.
If you want a relaxing, stress-free retirement, buy an existing house or try to hire a good builder, mostly stay away from the project. Move into and enjoy your completed home when it’s done — don’t watch the sausage being made. There are good builders, bad builders and all shades in between. There are practically unlimited ways for a builder to up his profits by taking shortcuts, using cheap materials, stealing and looking for kickbacks from construction supply firms . Almost all will be hidden when the house is complete. A bad builder can turn your retirement idyll into a nightmare, so choose carefully. Take the time to carefully look at several buildings built by the prospective architect/engineer/builder and interview the owners, privately if possible.
Originally Posted by grahamw48
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