I came across this article in Homebuilding & Renovation which may be misleading to some people into thinking that self-building a house is a lot cheaper than they expected. The article itself does not really delve into the intricacies of each build but gives the bare minimum information of build cost, time taken and location. The article does however have a disclaimer that the land was already purchased.
I came across this article in Homebuilding & Renovation which may be misleading to some people into thinking that self-building a house is a lot cheaper than they expected. The article itself does not really delve into the intricacies of each build but gives the bare minimum information of build cost, time taken and location. The article does however have a disclaimer that the land was already purchased.
@jane the article doesn’t tell the whole story, just gives the bare minimum amount of information, Build cost, time taken and location. It all seems easy and anyone can do this from just reading this article.
@Jane, let me give you an example of what I mean, let me take an example from the list but before I do let me clarify the terms:
Self-build: Self-build is the practice of creating an individual home for oneself through a variety of different methods. The self-builder's input into this process varies from doing the actual building work to contracting out all the work to an architect or Building Package Company.
Build Costs: Costs associated with the construction of a building, this should include costs of gas/electric/water supply, all materials required (foundation, floors, walls, roof, electrical, plumbing). What may not be included are doors, windows, bathroom, kitchen and finishes as these may be dependent on the client…..if the client knows exactly what they need at the tender stage then the contractor will add these costs into the final quote.
Phil Coe transformed an old agricultural building into a modern home using skills he learned in college and tutorials on the internet.
Build cost: £80,000 (£615/m²)
Build time: 2 years
Location: Yorkshire
This does not really give the full picture of what is really involved.
How much of the work has been undertaken by the owner? What are skills the owner had prior to starting this project and not everything can be learned on the internet.
@jane From the build cost the approx. area of the build is 130 m², so it is most likely a three/four bedroom property.
I am assuming that the main structure was already in place so not much work needed to be done on the foundations that were existing. The owner also did most of the work himself and would have hired specific people for the jobs that he couldn’t do. This build also took 2 years to complete.
Full planning fees - £462 (Note: you may not get planning the first time, the planning might be ‘subject to conditions’ with a cost attached) (Change of use from an agricultural building to a dwelling does not require permission but it is best to get approval prior to any development. The cost of an application for a lawful development certificate is 50% of the cost of the corresponding planning application.)
The following costs are not definative and just an estimate for guidance:
Drawing for planning - £500+
Building control drawings - £1,100+
Insurance for self-build - £600 to £1,200
Warranty at 1% of build cost - £800
Structural Engineer - £500+
Survey of the existing building and land – £600 to £1,200
Ecological report – £600 to £1,200 (if the project impacts any protected species (bats, newts etc.))
Arboriculturist – £300 to £1,000 (if there are any trees that might be impacted on site)
Building Control Fees - £1,000 and £1,800
Approximately – min £6,500 extra is needed in the budget, 8% more
Something very important to take into consideration is where you will stay during construction. This is a 2 year project and not all that time would the build be liveable. Renting a property/camper van depending on where you reside could be costly and time constraints on a project need to be looked at before making commitments.
eg. Camper van cost for 1 week, 4 person, £300 to £1,000 (this could vary dependening on time required)
Min cost for camper van for 6 months - £7,800 almost 10% of the budget.
Something very important to take into consideration is where you will stay during construction. This is a 2 year project and not all that time would the build be liveable. Renting a property/camper van depending on where you reside could be costly and time constraints on a project need to be looked at before making commitments.
eg. Camper van cost for 1 week, 4 person, £300 to £1,000 (this could vary dependening on time required)
Min cost for camper van for 6 months - £7,800 almost 10% of the budget.
Yes but we don't know whether he would have another property, staying with friends or whatever. Having said that, I agree about the other costs you listed.
Taking inspiration from the local vernacular, Niall and Helen Maxwell built their own sustainable home fit for modern living using local materials and labour to keep costs down.
Build cost: £80,000 (£1,066/m²)
Build time: 3 years 10 months
Location: North Carmarthenshire
The build cost/m² of this property is greater than the one previous as it’s area is only 75 m², this is probably a comfortable 1 bedroom home. This costs more because most or maybe all the construction was done by others. They have also kept their property sustainable and that can in most cases increase the cost. The build also took almost 4 years to complete.
From the information given there really is not much that can be taken away. After doing a bit of research I found that Nial Maxwell is an architect so his experience in building works is vast, he has a lot of knowledge in this field and creating sustainable structures. This would greatly reduce costs as the design/project management/materials etc. would already be taken care of and just the statutory fees would need to be paid or any specialist work done by others.
Planning fees - £462
Insurance for self build - £600 to £1,200
Warranty at 1% - £800
Structural Engineer - £500+
Building Control Fees - £1,000 and £1,800
Approximately – min £3,500 extra is needed in the budget for fees. 4% more
This was a second home so the four years it took to complete the build was not a problem. The comparison of these two self-builds shows the differences in what can be achieved if most of the work is done yourself, that is where you will save money. A lot of the cost is in how long the build will take and where you will stay for the duration.
The first property is almost double the size of the second. It is of a simpler construction/design and there was no mention of the sustainability aspects in the property. All of these factor into increased costs in any new construction.
A clever cantilevered design means this self-build home makes the most of a tight plot and near-by neighbours, while vaulted ceilings on the first floor mean that the space feels open and light.
Build cost: £170,000 (£1,416/m²)
Build time: 1 year
Location: Nottingham
The build is smaller probably a 3 bedroom property (area 120 m²). This has unusual features using cantilevers it was most probably designed by an architect and the planning process may have been long, depending on the council and the restrictions of the area. This does not give any indication that the property was done by the owners themselves, and the cost of the build would include contractors.
Architects Fees - £3500+ (This would be a minimum rate for just the planning)
If Architect is hired for the tender and construction process:
Tender - £3500+
Construction - the fee at a min. would be 5% of the construction - £8,500
Planning fees - £462+
Insurance for self-build - £600 to £1,200
Warranty at 1% - £1700
Structural Engineer - £2500+
Survey of the existing building and land – £600 to £1,200
Building Control Fees - £1,000 and £1,800
Approximately – min £6900 extra is needed in the budget for fees. 4% more of budget (This excludes Architects Fees)
Min Architect Fees for full works - £15500. 9% of the budget
Living arrangements need to be considered as before as this is a complete new build.
