Man - I could FILL this thread. I'm gonna have to get organized. I grew up building additions/remodels with my dad. 3 years ago, my wife and I "completed" our house (in "" because I've still got to finish all the trim and built-ins!). We contracted excavation, concrete, framing, electrical, insulation, roofing, and sheetrock, but did everything else ourselves (including design). Only reason I contracted concrete, framing and electrical was because I was also working 45 hrs a week when we were doing it, so didn't have time.
My rule is that each new project gets me one new tool...so I've got a pretty good collection built up by now.
It sure makes things easier when you're set up and can get right to work. I still am dreaming of the day I get to build my shop - I'm currently set up in our unfinished daylight basement, but it's not the ideal layout for working wood. Someday...
So, we started with this: (the orange flags mark corners of the house in the muck - this is after I dropped 12 trees and had a cat pull the stumps).
Through framing:
And through siding (I'm the ugly one without a hat on)
I don't have any "finished" shot on my computer...in part because it's not "DONE"! We're finally getting the front landscaped this summer.