I have built several rural homes . They all first entailed clearing the ground and building the foundation . The homestead that I am sitting in typing this , I cleared the timber with an axe as at the time of that construction , I was too poor to be able to afford a chainsaw or other equipment . I hauled water to the site in two litter drink bottles in a borrowed wheel barrow to mix concrete for the foundation , the footings are about 8 inch thick and about 3 foot square . One thing in common on the several houses that I have built or helped build is to " not " have a detailed blueprint but something roughly sketched out on a piece of paper such as a sheet of notebook paper . My advice don't get bogged down in details as that will only complicate the building process . My latest house construction was a log house that I built last summer which I built about 90% by myself with zero heavy equipment . -- To elaborate a little more on the foundation I have built foundations that entailed a mix of cinder block chain walls , 24 inch by 24 inch doubled cinder block columns , cardboard tubes filled with concrete to form columns and single column cinder block columns as well as one concrete slab foundation . I can't recall ever having a nice level ground to build a house as the houses I am referring to are all on my survival grounds which are in very hilly terrain . Even that concrete slab foundation was built on the side of a hill . I had a neighbor come by and looked at what we were doing , getting ready to pour the slab and proclaimed it couldn't be done . Well we done it . Level or near level would be a easy task compared to what I am used to dealing with . --- All of my constructions got tested last memorial day night as we were hit with a cat 3 tornado . All of the houses I built held but unfortunately many of my neighbors lost their homes and some their lives . -- Again do not overcomplicate your plans if you are going to do the work yourself . Now if you are planning to hire it out , that is a different ball of wax . If you are going to hire it out to a professional , likely they already have a bunch of house plans already in their possession as when they build a house they usually keep a set of plans for future houses and customers .