[cac1]

I built 3 houses acting as my own general contractor. That's not what you are asking about, but I leaned some important things doing it. The most important was my estimate that there are about 10 years required to build a 3-bedroom conventional house giving a job and other obligations. The second is that to do it yourself will likely result in a divorce. This is a very tough road to follow. Consider designing exactly the house you want (it takes me about a year to design a nice house) and then act as your own general contractor hiring sub-contractors to do the actual work. Even then it will probably be the hardest thing you have done and take over a year. Getting a house up and looking good on the outside is relatively easy, quick, and cheap. Finishing the inside is much more expensive and time consuming that a person expects.

Good luck!