I founded BuildingAdvisor.com® to help homeowners design, plan and execute building and remodeling projects. Our mission is to help you develop the design that’s just right for you, and then to get it built on time and on budget. You’ll find practical advice whether you plan to hire a contractor, be your own contractor, or even swing a hammer. We want you to get the best project you can for the least money — with the smallest risk and fewest headaches! We focus on:
- Finding the perfect lot, assessing the hidden costs, and negotiating for the best price.
- What to do yourself, what to hire out — and how to build and manage an effective team.
- How good planning can save you thousands of dollars and minimize your risk.
- How to develop the design that’s just right for you — attractive, functional, and affordable.
- How to select materials that provide years of good performance with minimal maintenance.
- Building techniques that optimize year-round comfort, energy efficiency, and a healthy indoor environment.
- Creating spaces that are affordable to build and easy to maintain.
- All for the least money, lowest risk, and fewest headaches.
I have over 40 years of construction experience as a design/build contractor, building energy consultant, and construction writer. I am the author of The Best Practices Guide to Residential Construction and numerous articles on residential design and construction, and was editorial director of The Journal of Light Construction for 16 years.
I’ve been on both sides of nearly every type of residential building and remodeling project – as owner, owner-builder, design-build contractor, and general contractor. I’ve also bought and sold undeveloped and developed land, and bought and sold over a dozen residential properties, most of which I remodeled while living there. Other building professionals I’ve worked with over the years also bring their perspectives to the site, and we especially value input from readers like you. We welcome your comments and questions.
I believe that you learn the most about construction (and every other job) on the job – especially the ones that don’t go so well. In that sense, construction projects are usually great learning experiences because there are so many opportunities to mess things up. Having made so many mistakes over the years, I guess I should know a lot by now.
Of course, you never can know it all, but the more knowledge you bring to the table in a project the better. While this website cannot substitute for years of swinging a hammer and hours spent waiting for the subs to show up, it can help you steer clear of many common pitfalls, and help you make good decisions throughout the project. And, boy, will you be making decisions!
Steve Bliss
Founding Editor, BuildingAdvisor.com® Contact Us
Please note: BuildindAdvisor.com is a US-based website. While much of the information is relevant in other countries, information about building codes, government regulations, and building costs may not apply to locations outside the US.
Louie Carter says
An outstanding site. As a retired licensed residential contractor in Georgia and South Carolina, I found your entire site to be excellent and very well presented. You have done an excellent job with your site, and your generosity in providing so much accurate and practical information is a breathtaking contrast to what most contractors do……….which is hide as much as possible about their processes and procedures in order to deceive their customers. Congratulations for what you have done. I think you really “hit the nail on the head” in accomplishing your stated purpose for the site.
Note: my personal website may or may not show all of the detail since I no longer maintain it since my retirement.