Latest Houseplans Podcast Episodes
How to Build a Fire Resistant House— BYHYU 142
Build Your House Yourself University - November 28, 2018 10:30 - 17 minutes ★★★★★ - 390 ratingsFor those of us who want to make our homes as safe possible, incorporating some fire resistant features is a smart idea. Interestingly, many ordinary, everyday homebuilding materials are either naturally fire resistant or they can become fire resistant with a few tweaks. Although most building m...
What’s Trending in Windows?— BYHYU 141
Build Your House Yourself University - November 21, 2018 10:30 - 8 minutes ★★★★★ - 390 ratingsSince windows are one of the most important design features and expensive line items in our new homes, it’s important that we know what window trends are current, so we don’t make the expensive mistake of purchasing windows that will take away from our homes curb appeal and resale value. We wan...
Should I Consider Using Real Wood For My New Home?— BYHYU 140
Build Your House Yourself University - November 14, 2018 10:30 - 17 minutes ★★★★★ - 390 ratingsYou can’t beat the durability and the low maintenance advantages of synthetic, faux wood materials. But I’ve seen lots of synthetic, wood look materials, and although a few of them look pretty realistic, some people feel like no synthetic material can match the natural beauty of real wood. An...
Why Soffits and Fascia Are Important—BYHYU139
Build Your House Yourself University - November 07, 2018 10:30 - 9 minutes ★★★★★ - 390 ratingsSoffits and Fascia are parts of the house that don’t often get a lot of thought or attention from homeowners planning to build their dream homes. But they’re important not only as design elements for your home but also because they protect your house. And choosing the right materials for your...
Home Trends from the Austin, Texas Parade of Homes—BYHYU 138
Build Your House Yourself University - October 31, 2018 09:30 - 17 minutes ★★★★★ - 390 ratingsLast week I traveled to Austin TX for their Parade of Homes. I like going to different parts of the country to see what new homes features are popular in different areas. If we incorporate some of our favorite features from different regions, it can make the homes we build more interesting. A...
Storm Proofing Measures We Should All Consider, No Matter Where We Build— BYHYU 137
Build Your House Yourself University - October 17, 2018 09:30 - 21 minutes ★★★★★ - 390 ratingsWhether you believe in global warming or not, it seems that storms are becoming more and more prevalent and damaging. And even if you don’t live in tornado alley or a coastal region that’s prone to hurricanes, you might want to consider adding some storm-proofing measures to your new house. S...
No One Told Me I’d Run Into This Challenge— Insurance Woes—BYHYU 136
Build Your House Yourself University - October 10, 2018 09:30 - 17 minutes ★★★★★ - 390 ratingsAs we are continuing to prepare to start construction, I have been calling around for quotes for the insurance that will need to be in place before we begin work and I’ve run into some challenges. There are two policies that you’ll need to protect yourself if you are acting as an owner-builder,...
Ventilate Right with Whole House Mechanical Ventilation Systems—BYHYU 135
Build Your House Yourself University - October 03, 2018 09:30 - 14 minutes ★★★★★ - 390 ratingsBuilding a tight house is the goal for most of us. What that means is that the unintended openings, gaps, and holes in the home’s exterior shell and in the duct system should be sealed, to keep outside air from leaking in, and to keep inside air from leaking out. A tight house will be more comf...
Control One of Your Home’s Biggest Enemies: MOISTURE—BYHYU 134
Build Your House Yourself University - September 26, 2018 09:30 - 15 minutes ★★★★★ - 390 ratingsUncontrolled moisture, in the forms of liquid water and water vapor, is huge enemies of any home. If not controlled, moisture can cause heating and cooling inefficiencies, resulting in an uncomfortable house and higher utility costs. Uncontrolled moisture can also lead to rot, mold, structural...
We Hired a Builder—Project Update—BYHYU 133
Build Your House Yourself University - September 19, 2018 09:30 - 6 minutes ★★★★★ - 390 ratingsI’ve gotten lots of emails from many of you stating that you love the show but that you decided to hire a builder. It’s almost as if you were apologizing for hiring a builder, but this podcast is for anyone building a house, so we can all build a quality dream home with or without a general con...
Should You Hire An Interior Designer— BYHYU 132
Build Your House Yourself University - September 12, 2018 09:30 - 10 minutes ★★★★★ - 390 ratingsSo, should you hire an interior designer? Well, Interior designers will tell you that you should absolutely hire them to help you decorate your new house. But ask a barber if you need a haircut and you know what he’ll say. Whether or not you hire an interior designer is an incredibly personal ...
Home Security Systems—BYHYU 131
Build Your House Yourself University - September 05, 2018 09:30 - 12 minutes ★★★★★ - 390 ratingsAccording to the National Council for Home Safety and Security, only 17% of houses in the US have a security system. Many people have avoided home security because of the costly, long-term monitoring fees and annoying false alarms that plagued home security systems decades ago. But systems to...
Ceiling Fans—BYHYU 130
Build Your House Yourself University - August 29, 2018 09:30 - 10 minutes ★★★★★ - 390 ratingsAfter discussing outdoor cooling methods, including outdoor fans, in last week’s episode, I realized we haven’t really talked about indoor ceiling fans. So, this week, I’ll give you some quicks on how to select, use and maintain your ceiling fans. The right sized ceiling fan will keep you coo...
Keeping Your House Cool, Inside and Out—BYHYU 129
Build Your House Yourself University - August 22, 2018 09:30 - 21 minutes ★★★★★ - 390 ratingsIn this week’s episode, I have some helpful strategies that we can use to keep the inside and outside of our homes cooler and more comfortable during the hot summer. I did some research on what we can add to our homes that will make high outdoor temperatures more bearable. I’m talking about thi...
Watch Out for These 2 Things in Your Contract— BYHYU 128
Build Your House Yourself University - August 15, 2018 09:30 - 11 minutes ★★★★★ - 390 ratingsThis week’s episode is inspired by one of my favorite resources for homebuilding and design ideas and advice: Houzz. Houzz is spelled and it’s short for House buzz. That site not only gives you access to thousands of inspiration photos, but also short blog posts and a helpful forum called Garde...
A Few More Home Entertaining Design Features—BYHYU 127
Build Your House Yourself University - August 01, 2018 09:30 - 8 minutes ★★★★★ - 390 ratingsAfter I finished last week’s episode, I thought of a few more design features you should consider for your home if entertaining friends and family is important to you. If you didn’t get a chance to listen to last week, check out episode 126 called Designing your Home for Entertaining and Fami...
Designing Your Home for Entertaining and Family Gatherings—BYHYU 126
Build Your House Yourself University - July 25, 2018 09:30 - 11 minutes ★★★★★ - 390 ratingsMost of us building custom homes are not just doing it for ourselves, but so our friends and family can enjoy the space too. Even if you don’t plan on being the central hub for regular cocktail parties, game nights and potlucks, your nice new house will probably be the spot for holiday dinners ...
BYHYU BONUS EPISODE: 21 Bonus Electrical and Lighting Plan Tips—BYHYU 125.5
Build Your House Yourself University - July 18, 2018 10:00 - 11 minutes ★★★★★ - 390 ratingsIn addition to the suggestions and tips that I gave you episode 125 called “Consider These Things for Your Electrical and Lighting Plan”, I’m giving you 21 bonus tips that I’ve curated from past BYHYU episodes. So that you can easily access our lighting and electrical tips for your own lighting ...
Consider These 50 Things for Your Electrical and Lighting Plan— BYHYU 125
Build Your House Yourself University - July 18, 2018 09:30 - 20 minutes ★★★★★ - 390 ratingsAfter giving a general overview last week of what’s needed for the specifications for the plumbing, mechanical and electrical subs, I thought it would be helpful to go into more detail about the lighting and electrical plan that you will need to give to the electrician. There is so much to cons...
Electrical, Plumbing and Mechanical (HVAC) Specifications Overview—Project Update—BYHYU 124
Build Your House Yourself University - July 11, 2018 09:30 - 17 minutes ★★★★★ - 390 ratingsI just came back from the Tulsa Parade of Homes. The real estate market in the Tulsa area is pretty underrated. There are beautiful homes and neighborhoods there and I love their parade of homes. This was my third or fourth year going there for the parade. Like always, this parade of homes all...
Tulsa Parade of Homes. Here’s What I Saw that You Shouldn’t Put in Your New House— BYHYU 123
Build Your House Yourself University - June 27, 2018 09:30 - 14 minutes ★★★★★ - 390 ratingsI just came back from the Tulsa Parade of Homes. The real estate market in the Tulsa area is pretty underrated. There are beautiful homes and neighborhoods there and I love their parade of homes. This was my third or fourth year going there for the parade. Like always, this parade of homes...
How Much Storage Space Should You Include in Your New House? —BYHYU 122
Build Your House Yourself University - June 20, 2018 09:30 - 8 minutes ★★★★★ - 390 ratingsHow much storage should we build into our new homes? What I read over and over again was that you should include more storage than you think you need for your family’s current and future needs. That ample amount of storage will not only make living in your new house more pleasant but it will al...
How Should You Pay a General Contractor? Fixed Price versus Cost Plus Contract?—BYHYU 121
Build Your House Yourself University - June 13, 2018 09:30 - 10 minutes ★★★★★ - 390 ratingsA couple of weeks ago we talked about the bidding process, mainly as it pertains to owner-builders bidding for subcontractors themselves. This week I’ll give you a quick overview of the different types of contract agreements you might decide on if you ’re going to hire a general contractor to b...
10 Outdoor Kitchen Quick Tips—BYHYU 120
Build Your House Yourself University - June 06, 2018 09:30 - 10 minutes ★★★★★ - 390 ratingsAn outdoor kitchen is a space that used to be thought of as a luxury but is now regarded more as a must-have amenity in many areas. Even if you only have a small space and a not so big budget, you can put your grill in a small outdoor kitchenette. An outdoor kitchen will increase your home’s v...
Understanding the Bidding Process—BYHYU 119
Build Your House Yourself University - May 30, 2018 09:30 - 22 minutes ★★★★★ - 390 ratingsAfter last week’s listener question episode about what to do when your bids are coming in above expected, I thought that a more in-depth mini-lesson on the bid process would be helpful. Bids… that’s what we’re talking about this week. Once we have a detailed plan for our project, in the form ...
My Bids Are Coming In Well Above Expected, What Should I Do? Listener Question— BYHYU 118
Build Your House Yourself University - May 23, 2018 09:30 - 7 minutes ★★★★★ - 390 ratingsRecently a listener emailed me with a question that I thought would be good to answer on the podcast. It has to do with the bidding process. Getting bids is the process of getting cost proposals from subcontractors. To get an accurate bid, at a minimum, we need to give each subcontractor a ...
When Is The Best Time to Build a House? The Answer May Be Different Than You Think— BYHYU 117
Build Your House Yourself University - May 16, 2018 09:30 - 9 minutes ★★★★★ - 390 ratingsSo when exactly is the best time to build a house? I always assumed it was the spring or summer because that’s when everyone seems to start construction. And depending on what your goals are, spring and summer are the best times. However, fall, and rarely winter, could be a better time to sta...
Owner Builder Interview with Juan Catano, Part 2—BYHYU 116
Build Your House Yourself University - May 09, 2018 09:30 - 19 minutes ★★★★★ - 390 ratingsThis week we have the second part of an owner builder interview that I did with Juan Catano. He and his wife are remodeling their duplex and making it into a triplex. In this part of the interview, Juan tells us what he wishes he had known before he started his project, what surprise costs he r...
Owner Builder Interview with Juan Catano, Part 1—BYHYU 115
Build Your House Yourself University - May 02, 2018 09:30 - 26 minutes ★★★★★ - 390 ratingsJuan Catano works in industrial construction and is currently remodeling his home. He and his wife are changing their duplex into a triplex and recently, they’ve taken on the role of general contractor. This week, you’ll hear the first part of a 2 part interview that we did. He’ll tell about ...
If Your Mind Is In the Gutter, Good for You!— BYHYU 114
Build Your House Yourself University - April 25, 2018 09:30 - 22 minutes ★★★★★ - 390 ratingsI often see gutter systems on homes, but I was unclear about whether gutters are a necessity or not. So I did a little research and I’ll tell you what I found in this week’s episode. We’ll talk about who needs to add gutters to their house and why, and we’ll briefly cover the basic types of gu...
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