Keep construction on track with helpful checklists Turn your dream of a custom home into reality! Thinking about building your own home? This easy-to-follow guide shows you how to plan and build a beautiful home on any budget. From acquiring land to finding the best architect to overseeing the construction, you get lots of savvy tips on managing your new investment wisely -- and staying sane during the process! Discover how to: * Find the best homesite * Navigate the plan approval process * Obtain financing * Hire the right contractor * Cut design and construction costs * Avoid common mistakes

All the fundamentals of designing, constructing and keeping a home in top-notch condition are contained in this fully illustrated, clearly written manual that can save consumers up to 70% on the cost of their homes. 1,000 illustrations and photos.

Build Your Own Brick House follows the process of a self-build, using traditional brick and block techniques, enabling the self-builder to understand both the individual stages and the nature of the build as a whole. It takes a practical approach, focusing on the best use of time, abilities and budget, and on communicating more clearly and effectively with designers and tradespeople in order to make the build as smooth as possible.The book covers:The possibilities and practicalities of building in brick; Making a budget and finding/buying a plot; Designing with brick; Obtaining planning permission and Building Regulations approval; Employing both a main contractor and subcontractors. Each stage of the build is covered, from foundations through the walls, roof, interiors and services, up to completion of a project and trouble-shooting. An essential and practical manual for the self-builder, and packed with tips and tools to help the self-builder understand the individual stages and the nature of the build as a whole. Fully illustrated with 250 colour photographs. Gerald Cole is the consulting editor of SelfBuild & Design magazine and has completed his own self-build.

"Everything you need to know about housebuilding. There's expert advice on building the foundation; installing the roof and roof-drainage system; sheathing the walls and applying siding; putting in doors and windows; adding plumbing, wiring, the heating system, and insulation; erecting staircases, and more"--Inside cover.

Lockhart and Carroll take readers step by step through a series of helpful illustrations that present solutions for building a home.

Grammy Award winner Rhiannon Giddens celebrates Black history and culture in her unflinching, uplifting, and gorgeously illustrated picture book debut. I learned your words and wrote my song. I put my story down. As an acclaimed musician, singer, songwriter, and cofounder of the traditional African American string band the Carolina Chocolate Drops, Rhiannon Giddens has long used her art to mine America’s musical past and manifest its future, passionately recovering lost voices and reconstructing a nation’s musical heritage. Written as a song to commemorate the 155th anniversary of Juneteenth—which was originally performed with famed cellist Yo-Yo Ma—and paired here with bold illustrations by painter Monica Mikai, Build a House tells the moving story of a people who would not be moved and the music that sustained them. Steeped in sorrow and joy, resilience and resolve, turmoil and transcendence, this dramatic debut offers a proud view of history and a vital message for readers of all ages: honor your heritage, express your truth, and let your voice soar, even—or perhaps especially—when your heart is heaviest.

Pretty Good House provides a framework and set of guidelines for building or renovating a high-performance home that focus on its inhabitants and the environment--but keeps in mind that few people have pockets deep enough to achieve a "perfect" solution. The essential idea is for homeowners to work within their financial and practical constraints both to meet their own needs and do as much for the planet as possible. A Pretty Good House is: * A house that's as small as possible * Simple and durable, but also well designed * Insulated and air-sealed * Above all, it is affordable, healthy, responsible, and resilient.