Figuring out how much to borrow for building our house

"We got some estimates, but I'm worried about unexpected costs popping up later."

Yeah, I totally get that. When we built our place a couple years back, we thought we had everything nailed down, but then the excavation turned up some rocky soil issues... ended up costing us a few grand extra. Honestly, I'd recommend padding your budget by at least 10-15% for those "just in case" moments. It sucks to borrow more than you think you'll need, but trust me, it's way less stressful than scrambling later.

"Honestly, I'd recommend padding your budget by at least 10-15% for those 'just in case' moments."

That's solid advice, but I'm curious—did your builder or contractor give you any heads-up beforehand about potential excavation issues? I've noticed some builders are pretty upfront about possible surprises, while others seem to gloss over them. Makes me wonder if it's worth pressing contractors harder on specifics early on, even if it feels a bit awkward...

That's solid advice, but I'm curious—did your builder or contractor give you any heads-up beforehand about potential excavation issues?

I totally get feeling awkward about pushing contractors for specifics, but honestly, it's your money and your home. Better to ask those tough questions upfront than deal with costly surprises later... learned that one the hard way myself!

learned that one the hard way myself!

Yeah, excavation can be a real wildcard. Had a similar issue myself—builder gave me a rough heads-up but nothing concrete. Ended up hitting some rocky soil that needed special equipment, and costs jumped noticeably. My takeaways:

- Always push for specifics on excavation and foundation work.
- Budget at least 10-15% extra for surprises.
- Don't assume contractors will volunteer info—ask directly, even if it feels awkward.