Investment propertyThe UBuildIt System: Become Your Own General Contractor
It may be true that production home builders offer a lower cost per square
foot than other alternatives to home building, but the product may resign new
homebuyers to "cookie-cutter" homes in less than unique neighborhoods in the
process. Custom home builders throw the gates wide open to the well-heeled
buyers who procure their own home site. But many buyers may not want to leave
their "dream home" at the mercy of a general contractor,
wondering if every well thought-out detail is being implemented, a true time
frame for construction isn"t just a pipe dream, and the whole project comes
in within the original budget.
Another alternative is a concept conjured up a decade ago by Chuck Warrender,
a general contractor with nearly 25 years of experience in the construction
industry. Based in Kirkland, Washington, Kirk created "UBuildIt " as a
solution to the traditional general contractor/homeowner approach to home
building. His concept is based on the belief that the process of building a
home produces better results for everyone involved when homeowners are better
informed and more involved in the decision-making.
Under the UBuildIt System, homeowners serve as their own general contractors
on new home-building projects. They manage the project on guidance from the
UBuildIt manual as well as advice from a construction expert who works with
them throughout the project. In a nutshell, UBuildIt offers expert help with
owner control. The company provides homeowners with the knowledge and
contacts they need to make informed decisions, and they realize a significant
cost savings in the process, as much as 20 % of the total project costs,
according to UBuildIt claims.
Warrender credits the Home Depot discount hardware store chain and the "This
Old House" television show with spurring interest in such do-it-yourself
construction projects. The business gets a flat fee for helping homeowners
plan and bid their construction projects, and will also help them manage the
project every step of the way for an additional percentage (usually 5% to 7%)
of the construction cost itself. The planning fee varies depending on
location and difficulty of the site. In addition, clients receive volume
discounts on materials and subcontractor labor from UBuildIt suppliers. The
company has even provided a network of small banks with whom they have formed
a relationship to procure the more difficult-to-obtain owner/builder
financing. The company offers franchises as well, targeting experienced
general contractors who are at points in their careers that they would rather
be paid for their expert advice than build the homes themselves. The
franchise also offers help with remodeling projects, which accounts for 20% of
their overall business.
Some industry types doubt whether individuals not versed in the homebuilding
arena can do as good a job as a professional general contractor, even with
the mentoring offered by UbuildIt. But Janet Reda, a UBuildIt customer who
oversaw the construction of her family"s 4200 square foot home in
Woodinville, WA, said she would do it all again. "There were very few minor
complications," she said. "The house got built in six months and it turned
out fantastic." Indeed, a whopping 40% of the clientele who have used the
UBuildIt system are women.
Warrender discourages homeowners who he feels lack the confidence needed to
keep scores of subcontractors on schedule. "We do a complete cost breakdown
of all the items going into a project, including everything from the cost of
sheet rock to the towel bars", says Ted Carney, of the Mount Vernon, WA,
branch of UBuildIt. "We also have 47 pages of specifications that we go
through that allows good communication and clarification and lets them know
what their options are."
Tm Lefebvre and his wife Mary built their 3500 square foot home with a
project cost of $300,00 all told. "I"m pleased with UBuildIt"s service, but
if I ever do it again, I certainly won"t need them," he says. "After the
first three months, we were pretty much on auto pilot. We knew what was going
on, what was coming next, and how to do it on our own."
With plans to expand nationally within the next year or so, UBuildIt has
assisted more than 700 homeowners in the construction of their new homes,
using 13 offices in western Washington, and one in West Lafayette, Indiana.
The business is continually growing and the concept has caught fire wherever
it goes. Suppliers like the system because it gives them a larger volume of
steady business and smoother relationships with better-informed customers;
UBuildIt franchise owners love it because they can provide the brains and
support without physically overseeing the construction of the homes; and
homeowners love it because they can sit back in the comfort of the home they
chose every last detail for and smugly claim, "I built it!"
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