Building an Affordable House
$79.99
Second Edition
Low Stock
Description
While building trends may change, one thing does not: the need to build quality homes at affordable prices. And in today's building market, sustainability is an important part of building homes that last so homeowners can keep long-term costs down.
While building trends may change, one thing does not: the need to build quality homes at affordable prices. And in today’s building market, sustainability is an important part of building homes that last so homeowners can keep long-term costs down. Building an Affordable House 2e helps readers do that with insight from the people who work in the field every day. Building expert Fernando Ruiz knows that from a homebuilder’s perspective, competitive, affordable housing represents a basic business plan that blends curb appeal, useful floor space and a low price tag to guarantee quick sales. It is a blueprint that takes the speculation out of spec building and provides the builder with an elusive commodity in the construction industry: peace of mind. Plus, keeping sustainability at the forefront of building decisions isn’t simply good for the environment?it’s good for the homeowner’s bottom line. Building an Affordable House 2e provides an updated sensibility to the building decisions every homeowner must make in today’s challenging construction environment, whether they are building a brand-new house or renovating one they love. This update (long overdue after 17 years) included all new code information, techniques that honour sustainable building practices, and cost-saving methods that are safe and effective. This book reveals the secrets of building better for less and developing your own cost-cutting approach that balances marketability, quality, and price. AUTHOR: Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Fernando Pages Ruiz immigrated to the United States in 1970 and became a US citizen in 1984. Over a 30-carear in construction, he has become a dedicated proponent of building innovation in low cost housing. Pages Ruiz speaks, writes and consults internationally on how to build high-quality, affordable and energy-efficient homes. A builder with 30 years of experience and an expert on how to cut costs and keep quality when building or remodeling, Pages is the author of two books published by the Taunton Press: Building an Affordable House: A high-value, low-cost approach to building (2005) and Affordable Remodel: How to get custom results on any budget (2007). As a builder, his projects have numerous award, including the 2008 “Green Building Single Family House of the Year” and the 2007 “Workforce Housing Award” from the National Association of Home Builders. In 2006, the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s PATH project chose him to build America’s first PATH Concept Home, a home that is affordable to purchase and to maintain, while meeting the criteria of LEED for Homes, ENERGY STAR, MASCO Environments for Living, and the NAHB’s Green Building certifications.
Reviews
May Be Your Smartest Construction or Design Investment There is no silver bullet to building an affordable house--you must save money in most construction areas, while good taste compensates for a lack of luxuries. The book Building an Affordable House will get you started. No issue in housing is more important now than affordability, and Fernando Pages Ruiz knows this topic inside and out from the builder's perspective. He is a rare affordable housing advocate who doesn't focus on policy but on how quality houses can be built as cheaply as possible to serve markets struggling to find shelter.
Simply building a small house on a small lot won't get you to affordability. You must pay a lot of attention to the construction cost--and design accordingly. Spending less than $30 and reading Building an Affordable House may be your smartest construction or design investment.-- "Robert Steuteville, F-CNU, is the editor of Public Square: A CNU Journal and senior communications adviser for the Congress for the New Urbanism"
