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Michael Luckado

Michael Luckado has built, remodeled, and repaired thousands of homes across the U.S. He co-founded ArmchairBuilder.com to help people save money and time creating their dream home.

Milestones in New Home Builds

Building your new dream home is extremely exciting and demanding all at the same time.  From product selections to design choices, there are many decisions that need to be made throughout the process that can either speed up or slow … Continue reading

Can I Build My Own House?

One common question that comes up when looking at house plans is, “Can I build my own house while acting as the general contractor?”  The good news is you don’t need a contractor’s license to build your own home.  You … Continue reading

Fixed Price vs. Cost-Plus Contracts

When it comes to hiring contractors, it’s very important to understand the contract options before signing any documents.  Two major types of contracts used today when building homes are fixed price contracts and cost-plus contracts.  For most new home projects, … Continue reading

Sloped Building Lot Considerations

A sloped building lot can provide gorgeous views and add serious character to your new dream home.  But if you are thinking about purchasing a lot with a big elevation change from front to back or side to side, there … Continue reading

Air Conditioner Foundation Brackets

A great way to protect your exterior air conditioner unit and to improve efficiency is to lift it off the ground with foundation brackets.  By lifting the unit off the ground, weed eaters, lawn mowers, insects and water are prevented … Continue reading

Minimum Habitable Room Size Code Change

Hot off the press is a new building code change which affects the minimum required size for habitable rooms in newly built homes.  This change to the 2015 International Residential Code states the minimum allowable size for any habitable room … Continue reading

The Inspection Process for New Homes

The local building department can be your best friend when building a new home because they help to spot potential problems well before they become major issues for you, the homeowner.  But unless you plan for the inspections required while … Continue reading

Poured Concrete Foundation Quality Tips

  Braced Foundation The foundation for your new home supports the entire structure and its contents.  Many builders consider this to be the most important element to building a quality, trouble-free structure.  Poured concrete foundations are becoming the standard for … Continue reading

Top Ten Reasons to Build New

Many of the people that look at house plans have decided that without question, building new is the way to go.  On the other hand, some folks looking through these designs are trying to decide whether they should go through … Continue reading

Hidden Costs in Home Building

Building a home can be such a gratifying experience.  We get to create something from scratch that will last for generations while improving the way we live.  But there’s another side of the actual construction process that isn’t discussed very … Continue reading