DIY Modern Homes in Austin
Monday, July 2nd, 2007 at 8:48 am 
By adminYou are searching for a modern home in Austin. You’ve been checking my list of modern homes for sale for months but still haven’t found what you are looking for. You’re starting to wonder if you’ll ever find that perfect home.
We are very fortunate in Austin to have more than our share of great modern architecture. We even have a few developers who focus solely on modern & green built homes, but there still aren’t always enough to go around.
So what is a home buyer to do? Take a lesson from the little red hen (a story my mom loved to tell):
One day the Little Red Hen found some grains of wheat. “Look look!” she clucked. “Who will help me plant this wheat?”
“Not I”, quaked the duck, and he waddled away.
“Not I”, oinked the pig, and he trotted away.
“Not I, meowed the cat, and he padded away.
“Then I will plant it myself,” said the Little Red Hen. And she did.
Build it yourself! The most direct route to finding your modern dream home in your dream location is building/remodeling it yourself. Of course, it is the most arduous route as well (no free lunches!).
The necessary disclaimer: This course of action should not be taken lightly, nor be undertaken by the faint of heart. There is significantly more risk involved, and it is much more painful than purchasing a complete home. You have to make hundreds of decisions, you will probably go over budget, and you may gain a gray hair or two. YMMV
However, there are many people who have taken this path and been very happy - at least two Austin bloggers among them:
- Erwin House - Excellent documentation of the ups & downs of a Central Austin modern remodel.
- Austin Modhouse - Detailed photos and notes of designing & building a modern home.
Even HGTV is trying to help people make this leap. Their show Hidden Potential features a Realtor showing homes to buyers with an architect in tow. After each showing the architect describes how the buyers could remodel the home to meet all of their needs.
This show dramatically simplifies the process (like all good TV), but the right buyers can make this work.
Modern home photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/misocrazy/171158126/
Critical components of a successful design-build/remodel project:
- A clear understanding of your goals, budget and risk/pain tolerance from the beginning.
- A great team - Realtor, Architect, Builder, Inspector, Lender, …etc.
- Familiarity with Austin Zoning & Construction rules (can you say McMansion? …more on this later)
- A detailed plan, schedule & budget
- Patience
- Faith
- A positive attitude.
Add your tips to the list in the comments section!
Building your own home is not easy, but it is possible with the right help. Keep your options open if you’re looking for a new home. If you do decide to take on the project, be sure to send photos :).
A great Statesman article (with excerpts) for those seriously considering this course of action:
Architects making their marks on older neighborhoods
By Jean Kwon, Sunday, April 29, 2007
Independent Austin architects and designers are making footprints on the cityscape in thoughtful and fiercely original ways.
Who built that? Who lives there? The unfussy lines and calm silhouette say modern, but the tawny limestone and rustic expression are pure Austin. The house is earthy and simple, yet sophisticated. It doesn’t shout, but it grabs your attention.
Unlike prefabricated or standardized homes built by commercial builders, typically for subdivisions, custom-designed homes by young, experimental architects are built on commission from individual clients.
To the average home buyer, hiring an architect to design a home poses a substantial risk, creatively and financially.
People who hire architects “go out on a limb,” Brooks said. “Austin’s not full of contemporary architecture. That’s not the normal house that you see. . . . If it’s the first time you are building something, it can be scary because creatively you don’t know what you are getting. You can’t walk through it and test-drive it like you can a suburban home.”
Hiring an architect also can be more expensive. There are the design fees — typically anywhere from 6 percent to 20 percent of construction costs, depending on the complexity of the project and the experience of the architect. And those fees are paid up front.
Then there is resale.
“There is no one out there who doesn’t think about the fact that they may not be in the house forever,” Brooks said. Contemporary architects “are making something that people aren’t used to, and certainly when you talk to Realtors they will not encourage you to build something contemporary. ‘Flat roofs? You’re crazy.’ (Contemporary design) is a very small market.”
But “when a house not only works well for the user but is a good work of design, it not only is worth more but it can become a beacon for promoting contemporary design,” Brooks said.
