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Build Your House Yourself University

Wish you knew more about the biggest investment you will most likely ever make? Build Your House Yourself University (byhyu) will teach you to save money and make smart decisions about the construction of the place you and your family will call HOME. We will help you understand residential construction— simplify and demystify the design build process. You’ll come away with successful strategies for building your own house, with or without a general contractor.

Become an educated consumer, even if you prefer to buy, rather than build a new house. Complex construction jargon and best practices will be explained in easy to understand terms. It’s not the typical DIY (do it yourself) show. You will learn how to MANAGE the labor, not DO the labor for your new house.

Join me, Michelle Nelson, host and fellow informal residential construction student. I’ll share the research I find on home design and building as I prepare to build my home. Together, our community of future home builders, will learn the tips, tricks and trends of experienced contractors and industry experts.

I’ll interview owner-builders and construction professionals. During our mini lessons, I’ll inform you about framing, flooring, windows, insulation, kitchen cabinets and countertops…almost anything having to do with new construction homes. You’ll hear about energy efficiency and green building too. There will be product reviews in which you will be introduced to cutting edge, as well as, tried and true products and services. And in keeping with the university theme, episodes will end with short, fun quizzes.

If we do our due diligence BEFORE we start construction, we will actually start construction with the most difficult part of the project behind us. Let’s put in the time, effort, preparation and research BEFORE we break ground and building our homes will be much easier and more enjoyable.

Copyright: © BYHYU.com 2016

Latest Episodes:

Carpeting 101—Judging Carpet Quality and Durability—BYHYU 083 Aug 30, 2017

Show notes

Even if, like me, you want hardwood, tile and/or vinyl flooring throughout most of your house, many of us love the warmth, style and soft surface that carpet provides, especially in bedrooms. Carpeting also muffles sound, so it can be especially practical in kids bedrooms or playrooms. This week’s episode will give you a better understanding how to choose quality carpeting. Carpeting that should last you at least 15 or 20 years. Shownotes at BYHYU.com

Choosing the Perfect Roof Color—Part 2—BYHYU 082 Aug 23, 2017

Show notes

This week we have the final part of my interview with Sue Burkett of Owens Corning. She’s educating us about how we can make a statement with roof color using Owens Corning roof shingles.

If you think of the front of your house like a face, then the roof is like hair. And roof color, like hair color, can drastically alter the overall appearance and reflect your personal style.

What I love about Owens Corning shingle colors is that they have so much dimension. In keeping with our hair analogy, their shingles aren’t just flat, uninteresting colors. Instead, the roof shingles have depth, kind of like highlights and low lights in hair color.

Take a look at Owens Corning.com for inspirational photos of their roof shingles and design tools that will let you test out different roof colors on photos of sample houses that they have on their site or on house photos that you can upload yourself.

Show notes at BYHYU.com

Choosing the Perfect Roof Color—Part 1—BYHYU 081 Aug 16, 2017

Show notes

Too often we think of our home’s roof as only a structural element, when, in fact, choosing roofing that’s also stylish and unique is a great opportunity to make your house stand out from others in the neighborhood. On average, a roof accounts for 40% of the home’s exterior appearance. So choosing the perfect roof color is vitally important in building a distinctive and attractive dream home.

This week and next week, we’ll hear about Owens Corning Roofing. Now, you probably know Owens Corning’s insulation by its signature pink color. But they also produce other products for the home, including roofing. Sue Burkett will tell us about Owens Corning roof shingles, which come in beautiful hues that are tasteful, but far from ordinary.

Show notes at BYHYU.com

Dishwasher Buying Guide Quick Tips—BYHYU 080 Aug 09, 2017

Show notes

This week we're talking about dishwashers. We’ll cover some of the newest and most popular options that you’ll have to choose from when selecting a new dishwasher. Since most of our homes already had a dishwasher installed when we bought them, many of us have never had to shop for a dishwasher. I’m hoping these 12 quick tips will help you narrow your choices.

Show notes at BYHYU.com

My House Plans--Back To The Drawing Board (Literally!)--BYHYU 079 Aug 02, 2017

Show notes

Welcome to episode 79 of Build House Yourself University—BYHYU. I’m Michelle Nelson, your host and fellow student, and together we’ll learn the basics of home design and construction and demystify the building process, so we can ask the right questions and build quality dream homes, with or without a general contractor.

This week I’ll give you the surprising update on my project. I’ve hit a stumbling block (actually two). But, I’m working through it. No one said the road would be easy.

Show notes at BYHYU.com

www.facebook.com/BYHYU

9 Unusual Questions You Should Ask Potential Builders--BYHYU 078 Jul 26, 2017

Show notes

If you’ve decided to hire a builder to be a general contractor, site supervisor, or even a consultant for the construction of your new house, there are a whole slew of questions that you’ll want to ask him before you commit to working with him. There’s the basic list of questions that you’ve probably heard before. These are questions that most people ask when they are vetting, or investigating, a builder. I bet you can guess many of them:

Are you licensed and insured?

How many years have you been building?

What kind of warranty do you offer?

How do you handle change orders?

So, there are also a few other questions that I came across last week that go beyond what the average homeowner typically asks. This list of questions is from one of my favorite websites, energyvanguard.com. That blog post was called “10 questions to ask your prospective builder.” We’ll cover 9 or those 10 question today.

Show notes at BYHYU.com

www.facebook.com/BYHYU

Choosing the Right Kitchen Sink—There’s More To It Than You Might Think—BYHYU 077 Jul 12, 2017

Show notes

I know what you’re thinking… Really, Michelle? A full mini lesson on kitchen sinks? White or stainless steel. What else is there to think about? What’s the big deal?

Well, even if, like me, you don’t cook most days of the week, you do probably use your kitchen sink every single day, and probably several times a day.

The kitchen sink is one the hardest working fixtures in the entire house. So, we need to choose the best sink for our kitchen routine and our kitchen design.

Some sink materials are tougher than others. Taking the time to become familiar with different sink features and materials will help you find a sink that will make your kitchen look great and function well. This week we’ll go over the pros and cons of the most common kitchen sink materials, then I’ll give you a few tips for choosing the best sink size and style for your home and habits. Plus we’ll go over our Pro Term: Farmhouse sink.

Shownotes at BYHYU.com

Faucets 101--Spouting off about mixing metals and quality fixtures — BYHYU 076 Jul 05, 2017

Show notes

Learning about kitchen faucets probably won’t be the most exciting thing you do today, but it’s important that we get a basic understanding of the features we should be looking for. Because we use our kitchen and bathroom faucets so often, we’ll want to choose those that will last for a really long time without problems and that work with our house design and preferences. Here are 12 kitchen and bathroom faucet quick tips.

Show notes at http://BYHYU.com

Why You Gotta Call My House a McMansion?! 10 Reasons a Larger House Might Be Right for You— BYHYU 075 Jun 28, 2017

Show notes

What’s up with house shaming people for wanting a larger house? That's so judgy. When researching this post, and just talking to people in general about new houses, I’ve run across tons of derogatory statements about larger houses and people who want to live in them. House shaming people for living in, or building larger houses, is far more common than house shaming folks who like small houses.

Just like smaller houses, larger houses have some disadvantages, but there are also advantages to living in a larger house. My feeling is… to each his own. If you like a smaller house, cool. Build a small house. If you want a larger house, and you have the budget to build it, that’s okay too.

Last week we talked about the pros of living in a smaller house. This week, we’ll go over the pros of living in a larger house. Yes, despite what you’ve heard in the media, there are advantages to living in a larger house.

Shownotes at BYHYU.com

10 Reasons To Build a Smaller House—BYHYU 074 Jun 21, 2017

Show notes

Small is a relative term. You might think of a tiny house when you hear someone using the term “small house” or you might think of an 1800 square foot home. Wherever you fall on the spectrum, there are some definite benefits of building a smaller house.

Show notes at BYHYU.com

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