How to Plan, Subcontract and Build Your Dream House: Amazon.co.uk: Warren J. Jaeger: Books

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Product Description

From the Author

Save up to $50,000 or more as your own general contractor
The only comprehensive book on the subject written by a design builder with 45 years experience. You are carefully guided through the entire building process from evaluating a building site to planting the lawn. Contains real life anecdotes and examples. Learn WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE, WHEN IT NEEDS TO BE DONE, and HOW TO GET IT DONE. Learn how to avoid the pitfalls and the rip-offs. Learn what nobody wants to tell you. Learn the 69 essential rules for success in construction. Purchasers of the book receive free technical support on your project for two years. All questions answered. For complete table of contents or if you want to ask a question, E-Mail the author.

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Customer Reviews

5 Reviews

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Average Customer Review

4.2 out of 5 stars (5 customer reviews)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A book I should have read a long time ago, 3 Sep 1999

By A Customer

As an avid amateur builder (I've built the equivalent of two and a half houses almost singlehandedly), I thought that I knew quite a lot about the craft of building, but Warren Jaeger's book has shown me that I still have lots to learn. Frankly, I wish that I'd had the book at my elbow years ago when I began to bang some serious nails. It could have saved me much time, effort, and money. Jaeger knows his stuff. He's authoritative, thorough, clear - traits he no doubt acquired during his 45 years as a pro builder. He doesn't miss a trick, offering sound advice on many of the ten-thousand steps that a builder makes between deciding to construct a house and holding a housewarming bash. He doesn't tell you how to drive nails or hold your saw, but in a conversational manner, dishes out a wealth of information to help you make intelligent decisions as you or your builder hammer a house together. One of Jaeger's more striking bits of wisdom - and the book is crammed with such bits - is a discussion of radon. In a few pages, Jaeger clarifies what is a generally confusing issue and puts to rest the "radon myth" that worries homeowners everywhere. Unlike the authors of many "how-to" books, Jaeger has a distinct personality - call it avuncular. He's not a disembodied voice giving pronouncements from on high. Rather, he talks from experience, and with the best of intentions, conveys what he has learned about building during a lifetime on the worksite. If his tone strikes readers as dogmatic, attribute it to his fervor. He want desperately to help readers to avoid making mistakes and uninformed decisions. Jaeger's book would have been a godsend not only while I built my own houses but while I wrote my own book on building, The Builder's Secret: Learning the Art of Living Through the Craft of Building. To write the book I traveled the USA and interviewed dozens of owner-builders about why they built or remodeled their own homes (as opposed to hiring others to do it for them), and what the experience meant to them. I'm sure that Jaeger's book would have helped me frame better questions. It may not have changed my findings - that the joys and rewards of doing-it-yourself far outweigh moments of despair - but it may have given me access to questions that I now realize I ought to have asked.

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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars stresses opinion and bias over impartial advice, 21 Feb 1999

By A Customer

Mr. Jaeger presents a biased view of his opinions on planning, subcontracting, etc. While some of the information is in fact useful, I found many of the sections needlessly given short shrift because of Mr. Jaeger's biases. His authoratative style and demeaning language completely turned me off. For instance he totally writes off full basements because of his opinion that they are damp and dark, while they can indeed be inexpensive storage or living areas in a dry climate with suitable drainage. If he presented his information in an informative manner with the pros and cons and let the reader make up their own mind I would have found it more useful. His dismissal of the dangers of radon gas reads more like an op-ed piece than an informed discussion of a serious concern for many home builders and public health officials. I would discourage people from buying this book and insead recommend "Modern Carpentry" or "Carpentry and Building Construction" which provide all the information you will need to build or subcontract your home from the ground up.

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5.0 out of 5 stars A Fantastic resource, 1 Jan 1999

By A Customer

I am getting ready to build our family house and am relying extensively on your great book. Can I just say that I love your style? I am a person completely allergic to rip-offs and pitfalls and your book definately strikes a chord. I love all your rules along with the sound advice given with a sardonic tone! Many times I laughed myself silly though as a complete novice to the area of construction I was also daunted more than once. Thank you also for all your extremely useful information. You've written a book which is a fantastic resource.