There was a story several years ago talking about the horror stories from the TV show homeowners. This was about the Sears guy who worked for PBS. The complaint was that these guys came in way over budget and when the show got all the footage they wanted, they were done, leaving the homeowner with lots of work left undone. Basically if you didn't see the completed part on camera, it probably wasn't finished. The people they interviewed say it was fun being on TV but they didn't save a dime and it was generally a nightmare.

We have done a lot of "owner builder" projects around my house but my wife has a lot of contacts from 7 years of building houses and I know the value of hiring a professional when I am in over my head. I really only enjoy the electrical part and the woodworking after the CO so that is pretty much all I do. Other than that we are operating as the GC/super, hiring real trades. There is still a whole lot of money to be saved and we have the control we want over the project.
That may still be over the head of your average homeowner but I am fortunate to have a partner who has built over 100 houses.


Greg Fretwell