Build Your House Yourself University

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Design #42

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.

Recent Episodes

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Recent Reviews

@avi1

Excellent!

Great podcast and excellent resource. If you’re building your own house, this is a must.
Rockford20

Great show

Informative, accurate, and easy to follow. You lay it out simply for those of us who are mechanically challenged
Soca 24/7

More than a podcast

I have recently been struck with the overwhelming desire to build a home for my multigenerational family, and I have wanted to give up before I started so many times. Fortunately for me I stumbled upon this podcast. Not only is there a wealth of knowledge that novice homebuyers and builders should know, but the mood and tone are my therapy. The soothing comfort of the orator’s voice is so relaxing. I listen every time I get in my car. During my sometimes 2 hour commute to work, I am unbothered because my mind is stimulated by the information given. You can definitely tell that a great deal of research has been made for every topic, and experts are sometimes invited to give great insight and clarity. Everything is done in a very professional, organized, and simplistic manner making following along easy. I appreciate the little simple quizzes and the completeness of the process. I 100% intend on listening to every episode multiple times as I compile notes into my home building binder. Thank you so much for creating this platform. I had been searching for months for some kind of inspiration to keep me going on this long journey that I have just started. Thank God I have found you. 10 out of 10!
Ashton and Angela

So glad you have a podcast

Your show has really helped kick start our family home design and construction ideas! Thank you for your obvious dedication to instructing and informing those willing to learn! Update: we are finally breaking ground and meeting with contractors! Your show has been integral to our home design process. I am a wife, a mother of a 7, 5 and 7 month old, and I get to homeschool them while we watch the house take shape. We live 100 yards from where the new house is to becoming a home. I am excited that I get to show them the whole building process, and they will literally be there( out-of-the-way of workers) every step of the way!
Michael Pulsklamp

So helpful! Even for us unusual builds

I’m sorry it has taken me this long to review and rate. I listen in my car, on my commute and then don’t remember to come here to comment. This is a great podcast for anyone interested in learning about home building! It is amazing how well balanced between good solid info and still fully accessible to people who are not entrenched in a craft. We are slogging our way through the process and this show is a nice break from the worries and troubles, but still focused on building! Tons of good info. From down in the dirt to decorating tricks. I can not recommend it enough. Someday when our straw bale home is done I would love to share our stories! It’s an unusual build. Freestanding metal roof with a 1950 sqft main house and a 1000 sqft ADU. Both with straw bale exterior walls hand plastered with site sourced clay plasters. Looking forward to many more great episodes! Thank you!
love 2 glow

Awesome host and very informational podcast

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Because of your very well researched and well informed podcast my husband and I have been able to more easily navigate this unfamiliar world of beginning our home build. You have made very complex and sometimes dull subjects come alive which allows me to listen and learn as I commute to work every day. Thanks again for the effort you have put into this podcast and I hope you are able to continue to help newbies like me build their dream home.
Prtr8r

Just starting the planing stage.

Just a few episodes in and like it. I started from episode #1 from years ago, got a long way to go.
It'sCardiG

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 learned so much practical info, terminology, and tips. By far my favorite home building podcast. All of this intel has DEMYSTIFIED our building process. Thank u Michelle for the podcast.
Southern MD Doc

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 much I didn’t know until listening to this podcast. What a wonderful resource! I’m going into my next custom home build much better informed and prepared. Thank you so much for your hard work and research.
Jil an

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 explains all of it in easy to understand language for those of us with little background knowledge in home building.
The Patriots Farmhouse

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 because we are doing all ourselves and this podcast has given me so much info to work alongside my husband. I cannot get enough of it and I wish it was everyday we had a new one! I just binge listen whenever I can 😍
BackcountryCam

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 someone just getting started helps. Not only do I appreciate the time it takes to make this content. But also the stick to itness to keep the pod going! Thanks!
clutch carpenter

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 of that then I ever could. I’d recommend this show to anyone who wants to own a home, let alone build one. My wife and I are getting ready to build our forever home, and even though we both have construction experience, we gleaned some great nuggets of wisdom from this show. Also, Michelle’s voice was MADE for radio. 10/10.
Blaxative

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 holds strong even through the new episodes. Very informative for people just getting into buying a home, people who want to renovate their house themselves or through a contractor, and those who want to take a remodel or revamp into their own hands. Thanks Michelle!
James 615

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 so far. Can't wait to listen to them all.
Orlando I.

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 resource. The only thing that can top your podcast is a future publication summarizing all your findings, hint, hint. Put me in the waiting list. A must-listen if you are ever on the market for building or renovating a home.
Younghorses

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 to find this one. I’ve binge-listened to about 75 episodes and I’ve made a running list of things I’ve learned or want to remember, organized by subject. It’s brilliant. I think I’ve found it at just the right time- as I’m finalizing house plans. I’ve made a bunch of changes I’m really excited about. I know there’s no such thing as the perfect house, but I’m about 90% closer to one than I was before I started listening. Thank you thank you for this invaluable advice!
FranceJA

I’ve learned something from every episode

Planning my retirement home/studio and this is the only podcast that always gives me practical information and encouraging guidance. Thanks!
Riker,I hardly know her

Love the pod!! I hope your year ends wonderfully.

On the note of your recording equipment , do you think home recording rooms or lighting areas will become popular in the future??? Thank you for the show and experience.
Brian Sodre

New Builder Training Course

As a newly licensed builder, this podcast has truly opened up my understanding of construction, proper terms used in construction, and outlining important topics. Michelle, you rock!
Betsy DH

Really informative

I’m not sure how I found this podcast but I’m so glad I did. My husband and I have renovated 2 kitchens, 4 bathrooms and numerous other things and our marriage holds. The biggest test is coming— we are building our aging in place house from scratch. Michelle’s really clear and very thorough episodes have given us much info. In fact, we are taking a field trip to Metro appliances in Jonesboro today! Thanks Michelle! Would love some more AIP info—we don’t want to build a nursing home but definitely want to be mindful of our future in this house.
L68865357866

Just what I needed

It’s been said over and over, but as we prepare to build a new home, this has been exactly what I needed to feel more confident and prepared! Thank you so much for your show!
boymomtimesfive

Exactly What I Needed!

This podcast is exactly what I needed for the early planning stages of our build. It balances digging into the granular but important details with explaining broad concepts and the impacts that early choices can make on the final results. I’m feeling more empowered and capable of making our dream build a reality with every episode!
TaraInTexas

Exactly the type of podcast I was searching for!

Wealth of information on a huge variety of topics related to home building. Thanks for all the time and effort dedicated to creating this podcast!
filmshooter01

Very professional, entertaining and informative!

The host Michelle has taken it upon herself to help all of us who want to build our own home someday by creating weekly podcasts about some aspect of building a house as an Owner Builder. She has been doing this for 5 years now. Wow! The show’s theme music is great too. There is so much content. I just found her podcast 2 weeks ago and I am making my way through all her “mini” courses in her BYHYU! Highly recommended for anyone interested in building or even buying their own home.
Jay and Margaret

Thank you so much!

This podcast is an absolute gem and has been an invaluable asset during our building adventure. It covers, in remarkable detail, design and build considerations that I never would have dreamed to think about, all delivered in a clear, concise and understandable fashion. We will definitely end up with a better result because of this amazing piece of work. Thank you! Jay and Margaret Hartman St Paul, Mn
JulesArch

Incredible Resource!

This is a dream podcast for me. I’m a licensed architect who has worked for 25+ years in non-residential design and construction. We’ve bought a lot and now I’m designing our dream home. Michelle does an amazing, I mean AMAZING!! job researching, organizing and delivering this information. I am systematically listening to all her episodes with my word doc open for notes. Exactly what I was looking for to work through all the hundreds of considerations and decisions. Michelle - I’m sending positive thoughts for your journey and thanking you profusely for providing this podcast! Hugs!! - Julie
Joanna184

Great listen

Excellent podcast! She is clear, concise, and cheery! It’s so nice to hear an easy going podcast that provides relevant and helpful information. Keep up the great work!
MRodColoradoEntrepreneur

Excellent details

The host gives the details you need to not forget items you’d like to have. Good to know BEFORE you built your house.
Rodrigo19841986

Byhyu is great

Muchas gracias por la programa.
Dbdbdbdb2222

Big Time Confidence Builder

A few months ago I started doing research on building my family’s dream home, and this podcast was one of the first resources I found. It is excellent. Each episode is different, I love how they jump between info on materiality, design trends, how to work with the different professionals you’ll encounter, and general tips for building. This podcast, combined with a few books, internet research, and some relevant real life experience has my confidence soaring that we’ll be able to pull this off. Thank you!
_purple__girl

The best education for building a house all in one place

Michelle has done her homework on home building and is unselfishly sharing through this podcast. This is the best resource for anyone looking to build whether you want to use a builder or not. Highly recommend!
LadyTracy5

Best podcast for building custom home

Love Michelle’s soothing voice and all her great tips. She really does her research and I have leaned so much for building our forever dream home. Thank you for your podcast!
Kind Consumer

Direct instruction and warm feeling

Michelle Nelson is totally direct and to the point with her House Building and Projects 101. She just inspires confidence that you can get these topics and make them happen to fit your specific needs.
Lee J

Incredibly Practical and Useful: A must for those building a home or remodeling

I listen to many podcasts but Michelle’s BYHYU give the most practical advice and research. This must be a labor of love since I can only imagine how much time it takes to prepare for these podcast. This is the best podcast info on building your home.
russ9495

Absolutely Fabulous

I had been searching for a one-stop-shop that would educate me on all the ins and outs of building our home. I had just resorted to the impossibility of something extravagant like that existing and then I found THIS! I couldn’t have dreamed up a better home building resource than BYHYU. Happy and so proud to be a student of Michelle’s!!
Ec7508

Pleasure to listen to

Michelle has achieved the impressive feat of being fun to listen to, and imparting tons of info. Thank you!!
Captain sly

Essential for an Owner-Builder

My wife and I are building our own home with the help of a consultant. This podcast is literally “what we needed!” I listen to it daily and religiously. Highly recommended and highly informative!
NJSels

Super helpful & informative

This podcast is an excellent resource as we plan our “barndominium” build. It helps us consider many details we might otherwise overlook. Thanks Michelle for this excellent resource. Always concise & informative!
Surfer one

Bathroom remodel and more

Last summer, we remodeled both bathrooms. Fortunately, I had already listened to a few of these podcasts. Michelle’s approach helped us collaborate with our contractors, designers,And vendors. Now we are moving onto other projects, so we are listening to all of her podcasts in chronological order. We started with number one and we are moving through each one, taking notes, looking at her website, checking out the photos and the links.As an educator, I appreciate her pro term definitions and quizzes. Very helpful in learning so much jargon and terminology. My only feedback is I wish there was a companion book to go along with the podcast.
homegrown95

Awesome podcast!

We are preparing to build our dream home next year and stumbled upon this podcast about a year ago. It has been amazing inhelping us learn all the things we didn't know we didn't know. Plumbing, electrical, decorating, energy efficiency...she covers it all in a thorough and easy to understand manner. Essential listening for anyone building a home.
@drawn.outside

Michelle makes it easy to learn!

Michelle must be an educator at heart! She starts each mini-lesson with a vocabulary word, which she breaks down. Learners hear the pro term again later in the lesson. At the end she even does a quiz. I’m on Episode 40 at this point and I have learned so much. Starting my knowledge at basically nothing it feels good to get educated on one of the biggest decisions of my life. I also love how she brings up so many energy efficient options.
Lawyerchick00

Very informative owner-focused podcast!

I’m very glad to have found this podcast - I just wish I’d found it sooner! My favorite episodes are the ones where Michelle talks about her own project. It’s so interesting to hear honest discussion of the bumps along the road and how you’ve overcome them.
Bethrosi

Educational. Easy to listen. Informative.

I found your podcast while planning to build our dream house. With many questions and doubts in our minds if we can build our dream house without a GC your voice/podcast guide us to make wise choices. Thank you very much. More power.
inter40

Great Podcast!

Thank-you!
planhanery

Awesome show

This podcast is amazing- I am learning so much! The sound quality is incredible, and the host is not only a wealth of information, but relatable and has a great voice. Can’t wait to apply what I learn to my own build!
TX Susie

So practical!

My favorite episodes are the ones where Michelle chooses a topic, such as windows or counters, and walks through each from low to high price point and the pros and cons of each. I feel like I’ve learned so much practical information that will help me do more effective research and understand more about what the builder is talking about! I’d like to hear another interview from someone who recently built and talk through things they changed throughout the process and how they saved money here and there etc. Thanks Michelle!
Alifox40

More Please!!!

My husband and I are looking to be owner builders next year and I’m trying to take in as much as I can. This podcast has been super helpful, informative, and a god-send for me as a busy mother of 3. We have big dreams and Michelle is making them possible! Can’t thank you enough!!
ImAFanNo2

so much resource and value in this channel

I am blown away with how much information I am getting from this podcast. Michelle certainly is saving me a tremendous amount of time doing the research myself on each aspect of custom home building, making this journey seem less overwhelming. Thanks so much Michelle for all you did and are doing!!! My struggle right now is finding our perfect lot for our forever-home in a quaint city with a super good school districts but full of neighborhoods with HOA and hardly any lots left unbuilt on (unless they’re huge acreages which we don’t need), and also finding a VA C2P loan to start preapproval process to get a one-time close only on the whole project which I hope you could shed some light on in one of your future episodes! Would you please maybe include side-by-side cost comparisons to your mini lessons when applicable? Really appreciate you!❤️
ARC56LA

Thank you

We are building our forever home and your podcast is FABULOUS! Informative and enjoyable to listen to! Thank you for all these wonderful episodes that are answering ALL my questions and some questions I didn’t know I needed to ask😆

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