5 ms·

> if you wouldn't get a job as an electrician or day laborer which paid $400 a month then you shouldn't take on any major construction project to save $400 a mo

by maratd 12y ago

> if you wouldn't get a job as an electrician or day laborer which paid $400 a month then you shouldn't take on any major construction project to save $400 a month We're engineers. We enjoy building things. All sorts of things. I wouldn't do it all the time, but why not try your hand at building yourself a house? Not as a means to save money, but as a hobby, an interesting project, something fun?

patio11 12y ago
All the respect in the world for someone who wants to stride out into the wilderness and build a hobbit hole with their own two hands. If one enjoys it or finds it aesthetically appealing, great. If one simply wants to improve one's family's financial situation, trade solutions to business problems for money then trade money for living space, which is available from specialized providers who enjoy substantial economies of scale and technologically-induced productivity advantages over you.
- maratd 12y ago
  > All the respect in the world for someone who wants to stride out into the wilderness and build a hobbit hole with their own two hands. Okaaay ... not where I was going. I suppose you can do that. You can also build yourself an office in your backyard, which is what I'm going to do in a few months. Won't save me any money, but I expect it to be fun. I feel sorry for those who can only think in dollars and cents. Not everything is about maximizing utility. You're allowed to have fun. You can even have fun improving one's financial situation.
  - HeyLaughingBoy 12y ago
    It probably will. I'm building a small 8x12 framed shed (should have been done by now but life intervenes...). I doubt it will end up costing me more than about $750 all in. Whereas, the 12x24 pole construction lean-to I had built by a "contractor" 8 years ago cost about $3k back then. And pole buildings are expected to be cheap DIY can definitely save money. I'll probably build another 8x12 building in the next 24 months, but this one will be designed as an office with insulation, power, etc and likely cost a lot more than $750.

by maratd 12y ago

patio11 12y ago

All the respect in the world for someone who wants to stride out into the wilderness and build a hobbit hole with their own two hands. If one enjoys it or finds it aesthetically appealing, great. If one simply wants to improve one's family's financial situation, trade solutions to business problems for money then trade money for living space, which is available from specialized providers who enjoy substantial economies of scale and technologically-induced productivity advantages over you.

maratd 12y ago
> All the respect in the world for someone who wants to stride out into the wilderness and build a hobbit hole with their own two hands. Okaaay ... not where I was going. I suppose you can do that. You can also build yourself an office in your backyard, which is what I'm going to do in a few months. Won't save me any money, but I expect it to be fun. I feel sorry for those who can only think in dollars and cents. Not everything is about maximizing utility. You're allowed to have fun. You can even have fun improving one's financial situation.
- HeyLaughingBoy 12y ago
  It probably will. I'm building a small 8x12 framed shed (should have been done by now but life intervenes...). I doubt it will end up costing me more than about $750 all in. Whereas, the 12x24 pole construction lean-to I had built by a "contractor" 8 years ago cost about $3k back then. And pole buildings are expected to be cheap DIY can definitely save money. I'll probably build another 8x12 building in the next 24 months, but this one will be designed as an office with insulation, power, etc and likely cost a lot more than $750.