I can't offer much advice as I'm kind of at the same place. I currently use a Morely A-B-C pedal, a redeye preamp and a tuner/mute pedal on most gigs. I also have a looper, boost and distortion pedal that I don't use much. So I'm also considering buying or building a pedal board to make setup and use easier. I have extensive electronics training and experience and decent woodworking skills (I've done major remodels on three homes). I've googled "building a pedalboard" and got tons of hits.
If you've never soldered and don't own a soldering iron I would suggest you buy the ready made shorty pedal cables. Yes the flat right angle cables I've made up save about 1/2" on each end, but IMHO you won't save any money buying a soldering iron, learn to use it without burning yourself or your furniture and without wicking solder several inches up the cables (which are only going to be ~6" long), buying cable, connectors and heatshrink etc.
Good luck! Most important thing is take your time, plan it by laying everything out, measuring carefully and add in expandability to your design. And there are plenty of players who've outgrown their old boards - you may be able to pick one up for less than it will take you in dollars and time you ought to spend studying....
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