Review of The House You Build: Making Real-World Choices to Get the Home You Want (American Institute Architects) (Hardcover)

Most houses that you see come in two choices: First is the standard sub-division spec house, designed to not offend any possible purchaser and to not exactly fit any family; Second you might call the houses of the rich and famous, where the houses are spectactular, but they don't talk about how many hundreds of thousands they cost.

This book takes a different view. It discusses houses in the $150,000 to $200,000 range that have been customed designed to fit the needs and desires of the owners. It covers some 20 houses in detail. The special conditions caused by legal restrictions, difficult building lots, everything is discussed. Of special interest is the discussion and illustration of using standard stock components, many of them industrial in intent in innovative ways to reduce the cost of the house by thousands of dollars. While doing so, the designers have been careful to integrate these components with standard structures to produce a home both inexpensive yet customized to the needs of the owner both functionally and in appearance.

Product Description
Until now, homeowners have had to choose between the twin worlds of budget-friendly mediocrity and unaffordable fantasy. Responding to this gap, acclaimed architect Duo Dickinson demonstrates that a customhouse doesn't depend on a fabulous price tag. The House You Build offers a third way of building that is grounded in the realities of time and money, but focuses on your fondest hopes and dreams. Here are 20 real-world situations where unique and imaginative homes were built on real-life budgets. When you build on a budget, there are no right answers, only careful choices. There are 20 dreams in this book, and these dreams came true. The House You Build is the first book of architect-designed homes that presents the real costs of their construction including design fees, the Six Rules on Getting What You Want (and can afford), a broad range of house styles from all over the country, and homes that accommodate a wide variety of lifestyles.

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