Breaking down the budget for my $700,000 custom house

Building a custom house in Ontario is expensive, but there are ways you can save money. In today’s video I’m opening up my books and showing you exactly what I paid for every aspect of this build so far, from my land in Smiths Falls Ontario (outside of Ottawa) to the cost of my interior finishes.

I’ll talk about the cost of land and development fees, foundations and the value of adding a basement, the cost of my Boreal home kit, and all the nitty gritty details that could sink your project.

Note: This video is not an exhaustive list and is missing some aspects of the build, such as septic and water treatment. This is part 1 of several videos on the subject, so please subscribe to learn more about the full budget in the coming weeks.

* “If the women don’t find you handsome, they should at least find you handy” is proudly borrowed from the Canadian series The Red Green show.
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If you’re new here, welcome! This channel will be changing rapidly over the next year as I transition from a documentary travel series to a design vlog, then again to a DYI renovation series once the house is built. I have several years of videos planned out, so hit that subscribe button today.

Over the next several months, I’ll share my design inspiration – modern, clean, minimal – and show the evolution of the house design. I’ll talk about inspirational kitchen design and how to get the most out of your budget. I’ll share tips on how to design your bathroom to feel like an upscale spa, and how to balance minimalism with creative elements. I’ll even go into the technical details of designing electrical plans and how to select mechanical equipment for efficient solar use. I’m especially excited to talk about how my autism and sensory processing disorder is influencing the design and how we can all design better flowing homes.

There’s so much more to come. Let me know in the comments if there are any specific topics you’d like me to cover. Building community is important to me, so please comment often!
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My builder:
Another Boreal Home by Smart Homes Ottawa Inc.
http://smarthomesottawainc.net – 613-493-0115
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00:00 – Intro
01:22 – Not a millionaire’s house
02:00 – Cost of my land in rural Ontario
02:14 – HST (Ontario tax) and government rebates
03:22 – Cost of site prep on forested lot
04:11 – Cost of permits and development fees
04:47 – Foundation and other build starting costs
05:22 – Value for money of basement vs slab
06:06 – Cost of constructing the house and roof
06:51 – Cost for services. Plumbing, electrical, HVAC
07:51 – The interior finishes
08:39 – Thanks for watching, please subscribe

#housedesign #budget #construction #ontario #architecture #customhouse