Please can you help?
I would be grateful if someone could outline for me, in laymans terms, how building your own property from scratch weighs up against buying a house already built?
I am assuming you already own the land and have building permission.
Please take in to account costs and work involved in hooking house up to the mains (water, drainage and power), costs of building and materials.
Let us assume the site is isolated (say, 5 miles from nearest other house), in a rural area of the UK.
Thanks!
PS, nothing fancy, just a 3 bed place made to be functional rather than an architectural gem- what are the most economical materials to use? Are there any good resources out there I could look at?
Thanks!
Answers:
I think it would be cheaper to buy a house already built, given your criteria.
To get utilities from at least five miles away is going to be a horrendous cost. But you could dig a bore hole for your water, fit a septic tank for your waste and use a bottled LPG gas for cooking and heating, these sound like expensive options but believe me when you get a quotes from the utilities they would be the cheaper options.
Its just your electric power supply. if you can get this overground on poles this is cheaper than digging a trench and burying it. but still at least £1000 per mile.
if you going to build from scratch you will need to build under a 'building guarantee scheme', either NHBC or Zurich costing about £2,500. Architects fees about £2,000, building materials for a three bedroomed detached property .approx £55,000, labour approx £110,000, hope this helps
Find out more about self build at http://www.buildstore.co.uk/
Have you considered Straw bales ? This produces a really high efficiency insulation, easy construction, environmentally friendly construction. The walls may be thick, but if you have space.
If you are well out in the sticks, sounds like you might be off mains, and need to consider windpower,solar and composting toilets too.
Go for the alternative energy sites. Visit the Alternative Energy centre in Wales.
sorry cant help you with the logistics but i can say i would deffinatly prefer to build my own place. what a joy to have your place exactlly how you want it.
Dunno about the costs, but I've had two relations do it (though they were rich by my standards) and it turned out well. It helps to know people who're in the building trade to help keep costs down, I'd imagine.
http://www.self-build.co.uk/ might be of help.
I built house from scratch. Will never do again..
Aside from the obvious costs consider the following;
1. Paying property tax and mortgages during period of construction which is always longer than planned.
2. Legal costs to do with disgruntled neighbors who do not want a new neighbor.
3. 20% upcharge for unreliable contractors that do not show up or keep to contract.
4. Utility bills for period they are installed but you do not live there.
5. Costs to bring all utilities to house, and downtime due to weather etc.
6. Costs that your municipality may pass onto you. I had the Town Engineer charge us back $130 per hour for every Town related visit / issue pertaining to our property.
7. All costs when you are not there to supervise. People do slack off.
8. Costs are more for underground utilities based on distance from the road - forget long driveways - mine is 400 ft. and required a $10,000 pump system to push the "sewage" up the driveway.
And there are lots more...
Cost about 50% more..but it is BEAUTIFUL!
If you are capable of doing the work yourself, you can save a lot of money. But it's a lot of work. Only you can decide if this path appeals to you.
If you have to hire other people to do the work, you will end up with the house you want, but it will probably cost more than buying an existing home. Depending on the things you ask the builders to do, it could cost a lot more.
A few points here:
It is cheaper to build house youself from scratch, simply because I presume you will be providing the labour where possible.
It allows for your personal creativity in design etc.
It takes a ton more time to build etc.
You need to be a tough person to cope with all the paperwork, inspectors, tradespeople to supervise, delays, budget blowouts etc.
You need to have family or friends to help you in the building...
It can take 1-2 years before the house it built & ready to move into.
Next cheapest and more convenient option:
See if you are allowed to "relocate" an existing house onto your land. That is a great option because you have the beauty & character of an older house, (very cheap to buy & relocate) but with mandatory brand new plumbing, electric wiring, roof etc. that you would otherwise worry about maintaining in the next 20 years or so.
I have done both, and it took nearly 3 years to build a two storey house from the beginning (that we lived in while we built each stage) with three people working 2-7 days a week depending on work demands.
Most expensive, but also most convenient:
I currently live in the house I bought and have quietly renovated over the past 10 years. (Much more convenient, immediate move-in, renovate at your convenience and to suit your cashflow, less pressure, and in the right suburbs etc. still cheap.l
I am also currently looking at finding and "re-locating" an existing house to a new block of land, so I know this is reasonably cheap and convenient, as long as you have a reputable "mover" to do the job. You can then do the "cosmetics" of plastering & painting etc.
Hope this is of some help.
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I am assuming you already own the land and have building permission.
Please take in to account costs and work involved in hooking house up to the mains (water, drainage and power), costs of building and materials.
Let us assume the site is isolated (say, 5 miles from nearest other house), in a rural area of the UK.
Thanks!
PS, nothing fancy, just a 3 bed place made to be functional rather than an architectural gem- what are the most economical materials to use? Are there any good resources out there I could look at?
Thanks!
Answers:
I think it would be cheaper to buy a house already built, given your criteria.
To get utilities from at least five miles away is going to be a horrendous cost. But you could dig a bore hole for your water, fit a septic tank for your waste and use a bottled LPG gas for cooking and heating, these sound like expensive options but believe me when you get a quotes from the utilities they would be the cheaper options.
Its just your electric power supply. if you can get this overground on poles this is cheaper than digging a trench and burying it. but still at least £1000 per mile.
if you going to build from scratch you will need to build under a 'building guarantee scheme', either NHBC or Zurich costing about £2,500. Architects fees about £2,000, building materials for a three bedroomed detached property .approx £55,000, labour approx £110,000, hope this helps
Find out more about self build at http://www.buildstore.co.uk/
Have you considered Straw bales ? This produces a really high efficiency insulation, easy construction, environmentally friendly construction. The walls may be thick, but if you have space.
If you are well out in the sticks, sounds like you might be off mains, and need to consider windpower,solar and composting toilets too.
Go for the alternative energy sites. Visit the Alternative Energy centre in Wales.
sorry cant help you with the logistics but i can say i would deffinatly prefer to build my own place. what a joy to have your place exactlly how you want it.
Dunno about the costs, but I've had two relations do it (though they were rich by my standards) and it turned out well. It helps to know people who're in the building trade to help keep costs down, I'd imagine.
http://www.self-build.co.uk/ might be of help.
I built house from scratch. Will never do again..
Aside from the obvious costs consider the following;
1. Paying property tax and mortgages during period of construction which is always longer than planned.
2. Legal costs to do with disgruntled neighbors who do not want a new neighbor.
3. 20% upcharge for unreliable contractors that do not show up or keep to contract.
4. Utility bills for period they are installed but you do not live there.
5. Costs to bring all utilities to house, and downtime due to weather etc.
6. Costs that your municipality may pass onto you. I had the Town Engineer charge us back $130 per hour for every Town related visit / issue pertaining to our property.
7. All costs when you are not there to supervise. People do slack off.
8. Costs are more for underground utilities based on distance from the road - forget long driveways - mine is 400 ft. and required a $10,000 pump system to push the "sewage" up the driveway.
And there are lots more...
Cost about 50% more..but it is BEAUTIFUL!
If you are capable of doing the work yourself, you can save a lot of money. But it's a lot of work. Only you can decide if this path appeals to you.
If you have to hire other people to do the work, you will end up with the house you want, but it will probably cost more than buying an existing home. Depending on the things you ask the builders to do, it could cost a lot more.
A few points here:
It is cheaper to build house youself from scratch, simply because I presume you will be providing the labour where possible.
It allows for your personal creativity in design etc.
It takes a ton more time to build etc.
You need to be a tough person to cope with all the paperwork, inspectors, tradespeople to supervise, delays, budget blowouts etc.
You need to have family or friends to help you in the building...
It can take 1-2 years before the house it built & ready to move into.
Next cheapest and more convenient option:
See if you are allowed to "relocate" an existing house onto your land. That is a great option because you have the beauty & character of an older house, (very cheap to buy & relocate) but with mandatory brand new plumbing, electric wiring, roof etc. that you would otherwise worry about maintaining in the next 20 years or so.
I have done both, and it took nearly 3 years to build a two storey house from the beginning (that we lived in while we built each stage) with three people working 2-7 days a week depending on work demands.
Most expensive, but also most convenient:
I currently live in the house I bought and have quietly renovated over the past 10 years. (Much more convenient, immediate move-in, renovate at your convenience and to suit your cashflow, less pressure, and in the right suburbs etc. still cheap.l
I am also currently looking at finding and "re-locating" an existing house to a new block of land, so I know this is reasonably cheap and convenient, as long as you have a reputable "mover" to do the job. You can then do the "cosmetics" of plastering & painting etc.
Hope this is of some help.
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