SEAN: YEAH, KAREN MEYERS GIVES US A LOOK.
♪ KAREN: BUILDING A HOUSE AND TENDING GARDENS, NOT EXACTLY THE RETIREMENT JOHN MCDONALD HIS WIFE ENVISIONED WHEN THEY LEFT MONTANA.
JOHN: WE HAD PLANS.
WE THOUGHT WE WOULD MOST LIKELY END UP IN SOUTHERN MAINE, PROBABLY BRUNSWICK.
BUY A CONDOMINIUM.
AND JUST BE DONE WITH HOUSES, AND LAWN MOWING, AND GARDENS AND THAT SORT OF THING.
AND OF COURSE, WE’VE DONE THE EXACT OPPOSITE.
KAREN: THEY ENDED UP IN WARNER.
PURCHASING THIS LOT AND A BUILD-IT-YOURSELF HOME.
JOHN: OUR OWN CUSTOM HOUSE THAT WE ARE -- WE ARE JUST DELIGHTED WITH.
WE COULDN’T BE HAPPIER.
SERIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, THAT IS FROM THE HEART.
KAREN: THE HOUSE COMES AS A KIT.
THE MANUFACTURER, SHELTER-KIT, IS JUST DOWN THE ROAD IN WARNER, WITH A FACTORY IN NEWPORT.
DAVE: MOST OF OUR CUSTOMERS HAVE NEVER BUILT ANYTHING.
THEY MIGHT HAVE BUILT A WALL.
THEY MIGHT HAVE DONE SOME SHEET ROCKING OR SOMETHING BUT THEY’VE ALMOST -- NONE OF THEM HAVE BUILT A HOUSE.
KAREN: OWNER DAVE KIMBALL SAYS NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY.
DAVE: EVERYTHING IS PRE-CUT.
THERE’S A MANUAL.
EVERY PART IS LABELED.
ALMOST ANYONE CAN PUT THESE TOGETHER.
KAREN: WHEN THE KIT SHOWS UP, IT INCLUDES EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO BUILD A COMPLETE, WEATHER-TIGHT SHELL.
DOORS AND WINDOWS ARE NOT INCLUDED.
DAVE: IT IS THE FRAME, THE SHEATHING, HOUSE WRAP, SIDING, ROOFING, SUB FLOORS.
AND WE CREATE THE FLOOR PLANS FOR THEM, SO THEY KNOW WHERE TO PUT INTERIOR WALLS.
WE DON’T PROVIDE THEM, BUT THEY KNOW WHERE THEY GO, AND THEY’VE APPROVED THE LOCATION.
KAREN: THE 45-PAGE MANUAL BECOMES YOUR BIBLE.
JOHN: IT WAS EXTREMELY USER-FRIENDLY.
IT WAS LIKE, OH, OK.
I SEE.
AND I DON’T KNOW, NOTHING, I MEAN, WHEN IT COMES TO BUILDING.
[LAUGHS] ♪ KAREN: JOHN, UNLIKE MOST OF SHELTER-KIT’S CUSTOMERS, OPTED TO HIRE A CONTRACTOR TO PUT UP THE HOUSE FOR HIM.
JOHN: 20 YEARS AGO, HECK YEAH.
BUT JUST, YOU KNOW, AS THIS POINT IN OUR LIVES, IT’S JUST, YOU KNOW, IN OUR LATE 60’S, IT DID NOT SEEM PRUDENT.
KAREN: STILL, HE SAYS HE SAVED A FEW BUCKS, COMPARISON SHOPPING WITH CONVENTIONAL BUILDERS.
JOHN: HE SAID, YOU KNOW, IT’S A GOOD DEAL.
HE SAID, "I COULDN’T BUILD YOU STICK HOUSE FOR WHAT THIS" -- IT WAS CLOSE, BUT HE SAID, "I COULDN’T BUILD YOU A STICK HOUSE FOR WHAT THIS IS COSTING." KAREN: KIT PRICES RANGE BETWEEN
$30 AND $50 PER SQUARE FOOT.
AFTER FINISHING OFF THE HOUSE, THAT FIGURE WILL BUMP UP SIGNIFICANTLY.
SHELTER-KIT SEES HOMEOWNERS TYPICALLY SPENDING ABOUT $100 PER SQUARE FOOT.
ACCORDING TO HOME CONSTRUCTION WEBSITE PROMATCHER, THE AVERAGE COST OF BUILDING A NEW HOUSE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE IS $143 PER SQUARE FOOT.
JOHN: COMING INTO THE MUD ROOM.
KAREN: JOHN’S HOUSE IS THREE BEDROOMS, TWO BATHS.
ONE AND A HALF STORIES.
A POPULAR DESIGN.
JOHN: MY WIFE IS A MONSTER QUILTER, AND -- SO SHE TURNED THIS ROOM INTO HER SPACE, YOU CAN SEE.
SHE WISHES IT WAS TWICE AS BIG.
KAREN: HE CHOSE A CUSTOM KIT.
THERE ARE STANDARD KITS, TOO.
JOHN: THIS IS OUR SLEEPING SPACE, OF COURSE.
KAREN: WOW.
YOU HAVE GOT THE PANORAMIC VIEW.
JOHN: YEAH, IT GETS A LOT OF LIGHT IN HERE.
♪ KAREN: SIZES VARY FROM 150 SQUARE FEET TO 8400 SQUARE FEET.
AND THE KITS ARE SHIPPED ALL OVER THE WORLD.
DAVE: WE HAVE FOUR OR FIVE IN JAPAN.
WE HAVE ONE IN SPAIN.
WE HAVE MANY IN CANADA.
AND THEN ALL OVER THE COUNTRY.
WE ARE WORKING ON PROJECTS RIGHT NOW.
I THINK WE HAVE TWO GOING ON IN CALIFORNIA.
ONE IN UTAH.
ONE IN WASHINGTON.
TWO IN WEST VIRGINIA.
AND THEN SOME IN THE NORTHEAST.
KAREN: JOHN AND HIS WIFE ARE NOW SETTLED IN, BASKING IN RETIREMENT, ENJOYING THE RELAXING DAYS IN THE NORTH WOODS, IN THEIR BRAND-NEW HOUSE.
JOHN: THE HOUSE IS PRETTY MUCH EXACTLY WHAT WE WERE LOOKING FOR.
♪