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4.8

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371 reviews

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Wish you knew more about the biggest investment you will most likely ever make? Build Your House Yourself University (byhyu) will teach you to save money and make smart decisions about the construction of the place you and your family will call HOME. We will help you understand residential construction— simplify and demystify the design build process. You’ll come away with successful strategies for building your own house, with or without a general contractor. Become an educated consumer, even if you prefer to buy, rather than build a new house. Complex construction jargon and best practices will be explained in easy to understand terms. It’s not the typical DIY (do it yourself) show. You will learn how to MANAGE the labor, not DO the labor for your new house. Join me, Michelle Nelson, host and fellow informal residential construction student. I’ll share the research I find on home design and building as I prepare to build my home. Together, our community of future home builders, will learn the tips, tricks and trends of experienced contractors and industry experts. I’ll interview owner-builders and construction professionals. During our mini lessons, I’ll inform you about framing, flooring, windows, insulation, kitchen cabinets and countertops…almost anything having to do with new construction homes. You’ll hear about energy efficiency and green building too. There will be product reviews in which you will be introduced to cutting edge, as well as, tried and true products and services. And in keeping with the university theme, episodes will end with short, fun quizzes. If we do our due diligence BEFORE we start construction, we will actually start construction with the most difficult part of the project behind us. Let’s put in the time, effort, preparation and research BEFORE we break ground and building our homes will be much easier and more enjoyable.

Podcast episodes

Check latest episodes from Build Your House Yourself University podcast

Choosing the Best Freestanding Tub for Your Style, Budget and Needs

2022/06/22

Even if you’re not a tub person you should strongly consider adding a bathtub somewhere in your new home. You may never intend to use the tub yourself, but it’s nice having a tub available for bath-loving guests, for bathing children and grandchildren, and for grooming pets. Many homeowners include a tub in their primary bathroom not only for practical, utilitarian reasons but also for aesthetics. Freestanding tubs continue to be an extremely popular choice primarily because of aesthetics. Freestanding tubs are thought of as sculptural showpieces and increase the perceived value of the home. In this episode, you’ll get information that will help you choose the right freestanding tub for your new home. SHOW NOTES at BYHYU.com

Furniture Layout and Space Planning

2022/06/01

Even if you haven’t started building your house yet, you should start thinking about your furniture layout. Furniture placement is important because it will dictate how good a room looks, how well it functions, and how easily you can move in and through the space. If your rooms have beautiful furniture pieces, but they’re arranged awkwardly, it will take away from the overall stylishness and functionality of your home. Developing a good furniture layout early on will help you come up with a more accurate electrical plan where you can specify where electrical outlets for lamps, TVs, and other electronics— an electrical plan that makes the most sense as it relates to the furniture that will be in the room. So let’s discuss some furniture placement/layout rules of thumb that you should consider way before you buy your furniture. Show notes at BYHYU.com

BEST OF BYHYU: Why Soffits and Fascia Are Important—BYHYU 253

2022/05/11

Soffits 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 fascia and soffits can reduce the required maintenance for your home. This week we’ll briefly talk about soffit and fascia options so you can make the best choice for your home. Let’s start by establishing exactly what and where soffits and fascia are. Show notes at BYHYU.com

Design Trends Spotted at the Spring 2022 High Point Market

2022/04/27

The High Point Market is the largest furniture trade show for design professionals in the world. Twice a year more than 75,000 designers, furniture buyers, retail store owners, and architects go to High Point, North Carolina to see what’s trending in furnishings. Unfortunately, the show is not open to the general public, but many designers report on what they see each year at High point. If you didn’t know, North Carolina is known as the furniture-making capital of the United States. It’s where most quality furniture manufactured in American is made. In today’s episode, we’ll go over some of the most popular design trends spotted at the recent spring 2022 High Point Market. The information in this show comes from a couple of articles at Houzz.com. Most of the designs features have been around for 2-3 years and are still trending. Others are emerging trends. As we go through the list, remember, you don’t have to incorporate all of these or frankly any of these features into our new house, but it’s always nice to stay on top of what’s currently in style. Shownotes at BYHYU.com

When Will Supply Chain Issues (And Resulting Increased Wait Times and Prices) End?

2022/04/06

From large things like garage doors to the small things like electronic chips that go into TVs and appliances, the materials that we need to build and furnish our homes are still hard to get. More than two years after the start of the pandemic, supply chain issues continue to cause significant construction slowdowns and above-average pricing in homebuilding. So when will supply chain issues end? That’s the million-dollar question, and the truth is, no one really knows. But there are opinions out there and that’s what we’ll talk about in this episode. As you probably realize, the answer to “When will things get back to normal?” is relevant to anyone who’s building or remodeling a house. Because as long as there are interruptions and delays in the supply chain, there will also be interruptions and delays in construction. Your new build or remodeling project is likely to cost you more time and money than it would if the supply chain weren’t having so many challenges. Let’s talk about exactly what the supply chain is and when experts are predicting a return to normalcy. SHOW NOTES at BYHYU.com

10 Popular Design Features from the 2022 Ft. Worth Dream Street Show Homes

2022/03/16

Like we did last year, my husband and I took a day trip to the Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas area to visit the 3 high-end show homes at Fort Worth’s annual Dream Street event. I enjoy going to show homes like these so I can see the features that are most popular with area designers. Now, to be clear, these are multimillion-dollar homes and not all of the elements showcased will fit into every budget. But to me, it’s helpful to see what’s fresh and new, and what continues to be relevant in decor, appliances, and amenities, even if we don’t include the exact finishes and brands showcased. Homes like these can serve as inspiration for those of us who are building. SHOW NOTES AT BYHYU.com

Smooth vs Textured Walls, Bullnose vs Square Corners, Level 4 vs Level 5 Drywall Finish, What Should You Choose?

2022/03/02

In addition to knowing about the different types of drywall that are best for different areas of your home, it’s good to think ahead of time the style and finishes you want for your walls so you’re not stumped when your builder or drywaller ask you if you want a Level 4 or level 5 drywall finish. Or whether you want any texture on your wall, straight square corners, or bullnose? In today’s episode, I’ll briefly cover whether smooth or textured walls are more popular for today’s new builds and if curved bullnose corners are still in style. We’ll also cover the basics of drywall finish levels so you can confidently tell your contractor what you prefer. Show notes at BYHYU.com

What You Need To Know About Drywall/Sheetrock To Improve Your Home’s Quality and Function

2022/02/09

It’s honestly pretty hard to get excited about drywall. Drywall is a subject that’s kinda, well…dry. But drywall is a material that goes in just about every space of the house, so we want to be able to make informed decisions about what type of drywall we should request to make our walls last longer and perform better. I won’t go into too much boring detail, but I’m hoping to give you enough information so you can have an intelligent conversation with your builder or drywall contractor, so you will know the best types of drywall for different areas of your house. Despite what you might think, all drywall isn’t the same. SHOW NOTES AT BYHYU.com

What’s Trending for 2022 According to Houzz (We’re Talking Trends, Not Fads), Part 2

2022/01/26

This week we’ll cover part 2 of a recent article from Houzz.com called “40 Home Design Trends That Will Shape 2022.” Houzz compiled the list of trends based on the thousands of popular photos people uploaded to their site and information they got from speaking with dozens of home design professionals. They also analyzed the searches that people did on their website for different furniture pieces, colors, materials, and other design elements. Show notes at BYHYU.com https://www.facebook.com/BYHYU/

What’s Trending for 2022 According to Houzz (We’re Talking Trends, Not Fads), Part 1

2022/01/12

Happy New Year. In this episode, we’ll cover a recent article from houzz.com called “40 Home Design Trends That Will Shape 2022. “ I think it’s important for us to be aware of what’s trending in home design, but we probably shouldn’t be too interested in fads. We’ll be talking about trends. There’s a difference. A fad is short-lived. It comes and goes quickly. A Fad is a style that suddenly becomes popular and is embraced with exaggerated zeal. But fads usually don’t stay popular very long and can seriously date your house. Think sponge-painted walls of the 90s. A trend, on the other hand, is a general direction in which something is going. Trends are popular in a particular season and they last longer than fads. Some trends can stay in style for many years or even decades and some trends can actually become timeless classics. Many trends are current and classic and those are the best ones to follow, if you like them, because they won’t date your house. A white kitchen, for example, is on-trend today, but is also a timeless classic. A white kitchen looked great 10 years ago (and even 100 years). A white kitchen also looks great today and probably be on-trend 10-100 years from now. To come up with today’s list of trends, Houzz browsed thousands of their popular photos and spoke with dozens of home design and remodeling professionals. They also studied the latest Houzz data and research and looked at lots of past articles to come up with this collection of home design trends that they think will be popular in the months to come. Show notes at BYHYU.com https://www.facebook.com/BYHYU/

BEST OF BYHYU: Where To Save Versus Splurge When Building a House

2021/12/29

Hope you had a great Christmas and I’m wishing you a happy new year. I want to sincerely thank you for continuing to listen to and share this podcast. I realize that there is a ton of content out here so I’m grateful that you take time out of your schedule to support BYHYU. An extra thank you goes to those of you who have given positive feedback to me either through emails or reviews. And to those who have shared your favorite episodes through text, email or on your social media platforms. It’s so helpful when you become an ambassador for the show and encourage others to listen. I appreciate you very much for that. Okay, let’s go to a show that was published a few years ago that contains information that’s still relevant today. Since 99% have some degree of budgetary limitations during our builds, we’ll have decided where to save and where to splurge. This show gives you some suggestions. Let’s get right to it. Show notes at BYHYU.com https://www.facebook.com/BYHYU/

BEST OF BYHYU— Designing A Forever Home

2021/12/15

In the last episode, we discussed aging in place features that we can add to our homes that will allow us to live in them comfortably even if we develop challenges with mobility and coordination as we age. I referred to some designs detailed in this week’s repeat episode called Designing A Forever Home. I wanted to release this show on the heels of the Aging in Place podcast to sort of tie everything together. If you’ve listened to this before, I encourage you to take another listen to remind of some information you may have forgotten or to simply solidify some concepts that you’ve already learned. Show notes at BYHYU.com

It'sCardiG 2022/04/29

Every Topic, Every Answer

We began designing our house last year and I have been listening and relistening to these episodes ever since. I have gotten so many ideas and learne...

Southern MD Doc 2022/04/16

Fantastically informative

I’ve had a semi custom house built in the past, been through two remodels of office space and built a full custom office building and never knew how m...

Jil an 2022/04/14

5 stars

So happy I found this podcast. We are building our home through a general contractor, but there are still so many decisions to be made. Michelle expla...

The Patriots Farmhouse 2022/03/24

Literally the BEST!

I LOVE this podcast! I have learned SO much. We are currently into a huge renovation of our home that was unexpected and learning is too priority beca...

Camgue 2022/03/16

Just getting started

Wow… Ok I wasn’t sure where to start. But honestly scrolling and listening to applicable shows. Super clear explanations about varying topics that as ...

clutch carpenter 2022/02/20

Contractor here. Great podcast.

I’m all about empowering my clients to help them understand their homes and how the systems that they depend on work. This podcast does a better job o...

Blaxative 2022/02/02

Great for New Homeowners

I just started listening to this podcast and am going through the backlog of old episodes. The quality from the beginning is great and informative and...

James 615 2022/01/21

James B

This podcast is super informative and covers a wide variety of topics. I am a tradesman and i learn something from every episode. I am on episode 54 s...

Orlando I. 2022/01/10

A portable encyclopedia

Gems of valuable knowledge in every episode. Thank you for taking your time do the deep research and conduct the interviews to build this great resou...

Younghorses 2021/12/29

Luckiest person ever to find this podcast!

I listen to all kinds of podcasts and since I’m about to build a house, wondered if there were any about building tips. I can’t believe how lucky I am...

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