Let me preface this by saying... Michael and I started out on this journey with little to no clue on what to expect. I have the benefit of working for a very successful residential construction company. If we did not have my connections, I can assure you that we would not be going this route. We have learned SO MUCH and are willing to share our story with anyone (hence, this blog), but I have to say that I could not imagine anyone doing this based off of our "advice" alone (hence, this post).
First and foremost, find yourself a good, well-connected General Contractor. When I say "good" I also mean that this person is not an asshole. You want someone who will get the job done without burning their bridges over it. I was lucky to pretty much have the pick of the litter on Superintendents, and I asked opinions before reaching out to one. I mentioned our GC's name at the permit office and the lady behind the counter could not stop talking about how nice he is, and how he never made them feel like they were dumb when they called with questions. This has paid off immensely in a few areas.
This brings me to another cost-cutting measure - pay cash when possible. BUT, always get an invoice. You do not want to run the risk of a vendor coming back to say that you never paid them. I keep the receipts for our cash withdrawals and staple them to the invoice. I also keep a detailed "active budget" in excel, and make notes on how each item/service was paid. It might sound like a pain in the ass, but the real pain will come when that $10k invoice that you paid cash on is landing you in court for supposed "non-payment". Just for good measure, I keep every invoice (cash paid or not), mark when I paid and how it was paid.
If something doesn't look right, whether it's an invoice or something on/in/with the house, always ask. I have "run the risk of looking stupid" on several occasions. I could care less if I look dumb - we want this house to be well made with everything we are paying for done correctly. Also, do not get in a hurry. In the grand scheme of things, two weeks ain't shit. I would rather wait now to have exactly what we want. We will be in this house for years, and this moment in time will seem like the blink of an eye.
Get multiple bids. We were fortunate enough that our GC has worked with several vendors and knew who to use on most areas. However, we did have to get a few bids on brick laying. This takes time - again, do not rush. We waited an extra week or so to get the bids and then make a decision. Cheapest is not always better. Again, this is where having a good GC comes into play. They should be familiar with the market and fair prices. You get what you pay for, and when it comes to building a house, you don't want to cheap out of everything. However, don't let yourself get taken to the cleaners either.
You can never have too many electrical outlets or too much lighting (inside or outside). Electrical work is one of those things that you want to have nailed down before the sheetrock goes up. If you even THINK you might want an extra outlet or light here, maybe a speaker there, DO IT NOW. Do not wait. It will be two or three times the cost to do it once those walls are up.
And, finally (for now), if you think of something and think it's too late, still ask. I didn't ask certain questions to the guy who built the only other house like ours until I "thought" it might be too late. Even then, I went to our GC with my ideas and advice, and we were able to get those items taken care of. Pretty much until the sheetrock goes up, anything can be adjusted.
These are just a few items right off the top of my head - and this is assuming you have your plans and budget in hand.
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