Video Diary of an Austin, Texas Spec Home

[Lynn Currie]

Hi All,

I'm FINALLY ready to launch something that I've been working on - a new construction project documented through videos.

In order to get a head start and work through some of the logistics of setting up the video schedule, I'm starting this thread with 6 videos under my belt and will be adding more regularly. I'm sorry for the ridiculously long post right out of the gate, but from here on out one video per post, I promise!

Before we jump in, let me give you some details on me and the project.

For those who don't know me, I'm Lynn {audience responds: "Hello, Lynn!"}. I'm currently doing a lot of urban-infill development in Austin. In case you don't know what that means, I buy tear-downs near downtown Austin, and build a new house on the lot.

This project is a new, single-family, spec build in one of Austin's higher-end, central, neighborhoods. We are building a 2749 square foot house, with a detached 2 car garage on the lot.

Here are how some of the numbers will likely play out:

Lot - $550k
Build Cost ~ $384,860 (I'm using $140 sq. ft. for this calculation)
---------
Total Investment ~$934,860
Expected Sales Price ~ $1.4M

The first two videos are about analyzing the deal. It's all screen-capture and documentation. The information and numbers in these two videos are not specific to this deal, but I used the same process. I created these before I got rolling on this project and think they cover important information, so am including them here.

Video 1: Screencast - Analyzing Land and Build Cost on a Spec Home Build
Find the property and analyze the cost of the land and the build so that you can determine the feasibility of a project. You can download a copy of the spreadsheet that I used in this video here.

Video 2: Screencast - What To Do While In The Option Period:
Once your property is under contract, perform your due diligence while you are in your option period (and with very little money at risk) to fully scrub the property and ensure that you can develop the land as you plan.

Video 3: Prepping for Demo
Once you’ve received your demo or relocation permit, steps need to be taken to prepare the property for the work.

Video 4: What You Need To Know About the City of Austin’s Tree Ordinance
This Austin, Texas ordinance protects trees over in 19? in diameter. Any development in the city must adhere to the guidelines. House nerd alert: Even if you don't care about Austin's tree ordinance, this video is worth watching for the cool drone footage above the house.

Video 5: Relocating the Existing House in Order to Clear the Lot
We chose to move the house instead of demolish it. In this video I’ll explain the house moving process that give you a behind the scenes look at how the magic happens.

Video 6: Prepping the Lot for the Foundation
Now that the house has been moved off of the lot, we have to clear all remaining debris, setup some utilities and get the corner staked out so the foundation crew can come in and get started.