What are the major (and minor) risks in owning a home built in 1916?

Q. I came across a beautiful Craftsman style home built in 1916 and wonder how much of a task it would be to keep up a home that old.

A. Old homes can have character. I bought a home built in 1910 and my only apprehension was that I knew nothing about steam heat. But the boiler was only 1 year old and heatinghelp.com helped me tune that for comfort and efficiency, so I now actually prefer that over scorched air. The steel combo storm/screens are quite old, but seal the old windows up in winter for no drafts, and previous owner had insulated. Thermal mass of drywall over plaster holds the temperature, and residual heat from steam radiators makes a lower temperature comfortable. So my highest gas bill for 3 bedroom home in sub-zero F temperatures has been under $200.

Basically hire someone to do a good inspection to see if the home has issues or if it has had upgrades that would minimize anything major in the near future.

How can i get home building materials at builders cost?

Q. all home building supplies at the best price and home blueprint

A. The idea of material suppliers giving wholesale or discounted prices has to do with perceived volume of business. If you are building a house, take the total material list to a couple of lumber yards for a bid on the total package. Most of the time, a lumber yard will bid a complete house material package at or near the wholesale price. Builders who buy half a million dollars a year from a lumber yard are going to get the best prices and likely have an assigned salesman to cater to him. Having an apartment building or a contractor's license is not going to give someone the right to demand any significant discount. If you are a high volume buyer with the money to pay, that will the only credential you will need for the best service and the best prices from any business you walk into.

If you are just wanting wholesale prices on small quantity odds and ends, your best bet is to go to a place like Home Depot. I have found the level of service at Home Depot to be in line with the volume of my business there, which is minimal.

Where to begin the custom-home building process?

Q. Can someone point me to a good consumer-oriented website or offer advice on the steps toward getting a custom home built? My wife and I have a couple lots in mind, we're narrowing down a list of floor plans. We could use some guidance as far what tasks â and in what order â we should be planning for.

A. the process is going to be different for different areas. i would recommend going to amazon.com and buying a few books on how to be your own general contractor, and how to build your own home. (i have i think is called "building your own home on a shoe string") some go into more detail than others. but read a few and get aquainted with some of the terms and such. they will also go through the steps.
but here are the basic steps.
1) find /buy land. make sure it meets all of your requirements, and the local requirements for building. consider a perk test, septic planning, access roads, frontage, any minimum size requirements.
2) site planning. where is the septic located (or are you on town sewer and water). where is the house going, where is the well going (if not on town water) where is the electric going to come in from. and which way will the house be oriented (stake out the corners)
3) excavation and foundation (this will go off the plans that you have decided on) (be prepared for the unexpected, who knows what they will find when they dig)
4) framing
5) skinning (roof and exterior walls and maybe siding, windows) inside is now protected from the elements)
6) electric, plumbing, hvac
7) insulating
8) interior walls, floors, ceilings
9) appliances, painting, finish electrical and plubing fixtures.
10) final walkthrough, cleanup, touchup.

those are the basics

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