ignoring the cost of a plot on which to build, what does the assembled masses here think the build cost of a 4 bed house would be. I know it's how long is a piece of string but lets just talk about the material cost of say your average well specked 4 bed estate house. Block construction not timber framed and a footprint of about 40x35ft. Anyone done it recently? or point to a news group more dedicated to new build with a big leaning to doing it yourself rather that just arranging the contractors yourself. many thanks
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My insurance company rate the re-build cost for my similar sized house as £130k. I got the original re-build cost (£86k) in 2000 by phoning up the builders and just asking, as the rebuild cost (not sale cost) greatly affects your buildings insurance.
This one made grand-designs a few years ago and cost £75K to build, from recollection is was reasonably high spec!
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is difficult to find these days and years ago you had to fund all the costs (i.e. profesional fees / plot cost/ groundworks) until the foundations were in before you could get a mortgage, no idea if this is still the case!
Unless you or your family are in the trade, it usually pays to employ a project manager (about 10% of build cost) to run your site!!
I remember that one - the whole family were in the building game IIRC so=20 the build costs were unrealistically low, as they were getting much of=20 the work free.
"The build was a family affair. The frame was made in Merry's father's=20 workshop; her uncle helped manage the project; and her cousins offered=20 their expertise on site."
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Fully agree with your comments - nevertheless oak timber frames, hand made bricks, lime render, underfloor heating, traditional building methods (e.g craftmen!) etc isn't cheap, so even if you add 1/3rd again that they got as 'freebies', a £100K goes a long long way!
Go for £75 a sq ft for a bare shell with basic fitings, and £100-£150 a square foot for all fitted out to your state with garden and drive and everything done the way YOU want it.
I've had £75 a sq ft mentioned to me as a finished build. Is this the going rate at the moment, how did you come by this figure. I was thinking that £100K would build something but am now leaning towards the thought that it may take another £20K. I suppose there is the advantage of the VAT return at the end to of set against some of this, although I appreciate that this is not a fortune!
Yes, that's correct, a bare shell with basic fittings, like a new wimpey hutch.
Then there's a decent drive, and that garage, and the shed, and the curtains need changing, and no more plastic tracks, she wants wooden poles, and oh lord, how about brass fittings on the sockets, and those fancy wall lights that cots about 500 quid a room... and that kitchen...Darling I want a PROPER kitchen that costs 20,000 quid, not this naff plastic s**te with a cheapo built in ceramic hob...and darling, can't we have some nice slate floors, and a pond, and some flower gardens, and a patio and.....it turns out to be nearer £100k-£150k mate. I know.
Is this the going
It all adds up.
The trouble is, there is a world of difference between a builder knocking something out at rock bottom price (= 'a house') and what She wants to live in (='a Home').
If you think you can move into a new build house and get away with less than £20k to 'personalise' it to Her Tastes (or lack of it) think again...
As there is a world of difference between a boring square box with a single pitch gable ended roof, manhole covres where the builder found it easiets to put them, ione electric socket per room, and no oter wiring, and a crap basic bog and bathroom...and a nice interesting design with hips and dormers and valleys and chimneys and so on. All filled to te gills with ensuite this and built in that.
Hence trying to set a sort of scale between '£75 a square= Barrat superhutch" and £150 a square = "very comfortable interesting and nicely finshed luxury modern house"
The bloke down the road took an old listed house bought for £475k and spent £2.5m on refurbishment, and building a ghastly modern packing crate on the side, and constructing a floodlit car park, like Tescos, and sticking vile modern art sculptures everywhere. My guess is its all about 4000 sq ft, so his total spend was getting on for £750 a square ft estimated.
Thats why I think its safer to budget on £100-£125 for something interesting, especially if its all done by someone else, who will take a cut and still make nearly as much of a cockup as you would yourself.
I.e. £75 will buy you what someone else finds quick and simple to build. Thart pases the ffiniton of'fit for occupation' £100 will buy you something that is pleasant to look at outside, with some basic landscaping. £125 will make the inside the way She wants it.
Because if you just wanted a basic house, why are you building your own?
By far and away the greatest costs are applying finishes and fitting doors, windows, electrical sockets and the like. These scale by habitable area.
More than two floors does get a buit cheaper, as you only have one set of foundsations and drains, and one roof...normally tehse are of comparable cost associated e.g. with each floor.
Bunglaows are therefore slightly more expensive, except you gain useable space by dint of lack of staircases. These take up an enormous amount of space in a small house.
You tend to have more bathrooms in bigger houses as well - so those sale by area too.
The actual shell costs of a house are surprisingly small. You can erect a warehouse at very low cost. Its 'homeifying' it that takes the money. I saw 'makeover' costs for london flats estimated at £100-150 a square. In the FT. That's to strip out and refit a space totally.
The reason te sheds do so well is precisel becaise te avreage first time buuyer on a 2 bed semi on a new estate, immdeiately goes out and spends
50 grand over the first year or two doing the garden, the decking, the drive, relacing all the lights, curtains, installing more cupboards, carpets etc etc and painting it all in suitable Carol Smiley ish colours..
Actually all my sofas are free gifts from friends and relatives.
Lights and curtains were horrendous though.
As were bathrooms with tiles and taps and stuff.
She could easily have spent over a grand for curtains and poles for just one french window...that costs about a grand in itself...
Ive spent abou 5 grand just paving up the areas we need to sit out on...and I think the planting is running at several grand, as is the bill for general hire of diggers to landscape..
Yeah I know what you mean - we had upstairs gutted and extended into the loft space over a single story extension, and downstairs drastically altered (walls out, staircase moved, that sort of thing).
It doesn't come in as much cheaper than a new build, as you end up having to pay for demolition and skips as well. Plus, of course, you have to pay the VAT.
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