People ask me this more than anything else: how did we build our own home? The short answer — we planned to GC it ourselves from day one. The longer answer is two full-time jobs, spreadsheets after dinner, and a few years living with my parents to make it happen. Here's what it really looked like.

One of the things that surprised me most during our home-building journey was how much had to happen before construction could actually begin. Here's everything you need to know before you break ground.