The Complete Guide to Building

Don't let your biggest investment become your biggest mistake. Build smart.

Cut the cost of building or remodeling your home in half by doing your homework, shopping smart and swinging a hammer. Builder Michael Conroy constructs house after house for an astonishing $43 per square foot - half the national average! And with the help of this book, you can, too.

So what's the secret? Squeezing a dollar at every stage of the project:

• Location: Make money by buying undervalued land. Get more for less by adding a road, removing trees or subdividing the lot.
• Home Design: Slash costs by adding stories, simplifying the floorplan and adding amenities that cost very little.
• Materials: Do a good job with economical materials; simple tricks like using plywood headers save a bundle.
• Crack the Code: Learn how following the building code to the letter will always save you money.
• Hire the Right Contractors: Find the people who will do the work right and for the right price, too.
• Do Some Work Yourself: Installing your own insulation or roofing won't save you any money, but painting, plumbing and wiring your house will.

How powerful is this advice? Follow the rules inside this book and you can own a $180,000 home outright in just six years, even if you have zero equity when you begin. That means you can say "no" to monthly mortgage payments and "yes" to yearly vacations in Cancun. The first step to this new and improved American dream in reading this book.