Why do y'all build each others' houses?

[Friday]

I'm mystified by this whole house-building phenomenon.  Seriously.   Do you have an agreement where first everyone will work on person A's house, and in return, person A promises to build person B's house X years down the line? Have you worked out a business agreement where one person provides thousands of dollars worth of labor in exchange for... ginger beer?  ...socks?  ...bail?    Or do you all just, by random coincidence, really ENJOY that sort of thing?  And how come you all seem to know what to do??  Or is building a house just not nearly as complicated as I assumed it would be?

[Jim Johnson]

No
No, Yes, No
Maybe
Beer
Not Nearly

[Friday]

I always feel hella guilty just asking people to help me move for one day.  And I've repeatedly had the experience of helping people move who then decline to return the favor.     Bad karma, I guess.  Or perhaps a dearth of beer.   

[Tom Sawyer]

I just got home, can still taste the polyurethane. 

I do it cause Jim says he'll beat me if I don't work hard enough. 

[Pat K]

I always feel hella guilty just asking people to help me move for one day.  And I've repeatedly had the experience of helping people move who then decline to return the favor.     Bad karma, I guess.  Or perhaps a dearth of beer.   

Hey Lloyd and I already have you penciled in for your move
to a house.

If you want the house built, well that would take more time
and a lot of Beer.

[margomaps]

I can't speak for anyone else here, but...

Working together with friends to accomplish something big can be very rewarding.

Significant money is saved versus hiring a stranger to do the work.

You can make sure the work gets done to your satisfaction -- which hopefully means done right, and done well.

A lot of people have a DIY gene and are compelled to do stuff like this rather than paying someone else to do it.

A lot of people have a cheapness gene and are compelled to do stuff like this rather than paying someone else to do it.

You'll learn a lot building a house.

Nobody will learn where you put your secret rooms/compartments except those you trust.

It beats the heck out of watching TV.

It can be good exercise -- both mentally and physically.

Building a house gives you "self-reliance" cred.

Once you get over the fear of screwing up, and if you have the time, there's really no reason to just let some random stranger/contractor build your house for you.

[Friday]

I always feel hella guilty just asking people to help me move for one day.  And I've repeatedly had the experience of helping people move who then decline to return the favor.     Bad karma, I guess.  Or perhaps a dearth of beer.   

Hey Lloyd and I already have you penciled in for your move
to a house.

Naw, you and Lloyd already went above and beyond the call of duty and I haven't forgotten it.  I owe each of you a move-in. 

[Jim Johnson]

I just got home, can still taste the polyurethane. 

I do it cause Jim says he'll beat me if I don't work hard enough. 

'beat me' is the same as 'not give me beer'... depends on your culture... and how much beer you have.   

[Tom Sawyer]

I do my best to drink up Jim's beer...

Mark gives me Chinese food 

[Pat McCotter]

It's called community (no, not commune or communism.) I haven't helped with the builds, yet, but I have experienced community - when I was in the hospital and many people jumped in to help Gloria. I owe them all big-time but I don't feel guilty about accepting the help - I know that I have helped people move in and I will help somebody do something in the future. Not necessarily those who helped us but someone in my community of friends will need help and I will be able to.

[Lloyd Danforth]

I always feel hella guilty just asking people to help me move for one day.  And I've repeatedly had the experience of helping people move who then decline to return the favor.     Bad karma, I guess.  Or perhaps a dearth of beer.   

Hey Lloyd and I already have you penciled in for your move
to a house.

Naw, you and Lloyd already went above and beyond the call of duty and I haven't forgotten it.  I owe each of you a move-in. 

Hardly!  Pat and I drove down from Porcfest to help Sandy move a shipment she had received into her place. She lives in Nashua, so, it was quite a long trip. We got there late and, pretty much, huffed and puffed over a coupe of boxes. while She, John Babiartz and perhaps another person hauled stuff up 3 flights in 90 degree weather

[Russell Kanning]

Do you have an agreement where first everyone will work on person A's house, and in return, person A promises to build person B's house X years down the line?
Have you worked out a business agreement where one person provides thousands of dollars worth of labor in exchange for...
Or is building a house just not nearly as complicated as I assumed it would be?

Shhh .... It's our secret ... don't tell the government.
Gentlemen's agreement
Yes

[Russell Kanning]

Working together with friends to accomplish something big can be very rewarding.

Significant money is saved versus hiring a stranger to do the work.

You can make sure the work gets done to your satisfaction -- which hopefully means done right, and done well.

... including an entire revolution
Big bucks saved. Contractors suck. They charge huge amounts of money and don't get the work done and don't do it right.
Shire building is mo better.
Every situation is different ... but it all beats the pants off of paying someone $125/foot to build you a mcmansion 4 months late.

[Kat Kanning]

Why do y'all build each others' houses?

It's fun.   You learn lots of stuff.

[John Edward Mercier]

If you buy a spec home its pretty much going to come standard, while self-building allows for custom at a lower cost.