I am asked this question by potential self builders, probably more often than any other question. – It normally goes along the lines of:

Sounds like a reasonable question doesn’t it? – Well, unfortunately it’s not! – It’s actually pretty much an impossible question to answer, - and anyone who tries to answer it in a few sentences will not be giving anything like an accurate picture. There are simply “too many variables” in every project to be able to look at any single project and say “This one will cost £X,000”

So, how do I at least try to “adequately” answer the question in a short section in this guide? – Well, obviously I can’t. BUT, what I can do is give you some ideas to help you to get a reasonable idea of what you “need to do” and what you need to know in order to be able to come up with a reasonably accurate “ball park” figure yourselves, of what your particular project could cost you to plan and complete.

It is important that you DO try to get some rough cost figures as early in the project as possible. – Once you have a grasp of likely costs in all the major areas you can start to “do your sums” to see what you can afford before you get too carried away with all sorts of ideas that, in reality, you are probably not going to be able to afford

You may have been to other web sites before coming to this one. If you have, you may have come across some of those “cost calculators” which claim that by entering a few figures into some boxes and clicking “calculate”, they will be able to tell you how much your build will cost per square foot.

You may have seen technical looking graphs in books and magazines which give you figures on all sorts of costs for different types of build methods down to an accuracy of “a few pence per square foot”.

If you have seen and used any of those “tools” I am not going to say “Ignore the results completely”, but what I would say is that you should take whatever they tell you with a pretty big pinch of salt!

Have a look at them in detail. - If you test one against the other you will normally find that you are given wildly varying results.

The problem with them is that they are usually one man’s view, or one publication’s own set of figures, gleaned from one person’s, or one companies experience and databases.

Ok, they are trying to help you” by making it all “easy” for you, and to save you time and effort. BUT, in my estimation, they can actually be dangerous!

I read one article recently in a respected publication, written by an expert, which showed figures per square foot, and gave example of prices from “small to large” houses. – The larger houses showed that, “like for like”, the highest price per square foot are for the larger houses. - Rising fairly significantly the bigger they got. – Garbage!

Compare some basics of building a small 4 bed detached house with a large 4 bed detached house;

Whichever of the two buildings you are working prices out on, you will need all the walls which surround each room. You will need a kitchen, a utility room, maybe 2 or 3 bathrooms, one set of stairs, maybe three double sockets per room, a telecom point and one TV point, one pendant light per room, one garage door, one front and back door, etc. Basically all the same list of “stuff” goes into either type of house.

So where is the difference? – The difference is that with the larger house, each room will generally be bigger. A 1200 4 bed sq ft house will often have the same number of rooms as a 2500 sq ft 4 bed house (ok maybe an “office” could be added to the larger option but to keep the examples the same we’ll ignore that in this exercise).

So, with a room list of: Living / dining / kitchen / utility / hall / w.c / landing / 4 beds / 2 baths, you end up with 13 rooms (or “areas”) per house. The average size of the rooms will be:

For the 1200 sq ft house – 92.3 sq ft per “area”.

For the 2500 sq ft house – 192.3 sq ft per “area”.

So, in “like for like” comparisons, for the same number of walls, doors, kitchens etc, you are simply enclosing “more air” the larger the building becomes.

You will probably reply to that saying “Oh yes, but the walls must be twice as long, and there will be twice as many bricks”.

There won’t! - It doesn’t work like that! – There will be “a percentage” more materials used (maybe up to 30%), but nothing like double. and, you don’t pay twice as much for your drawings, or the Planning Permission, or the Warranty, the windows, doors, bathrooms, stairs etc. – Can you see where I am going with this?

Both “Common sense” and “the facts” say that the larger you build, then, “like for like”, the lower your cost per sq ft will be.

So, by all means, have a look at all those graphs and calculators, - and possible even take them as a very rough guide as to “a very approximate range” that your finished price per sq ft may end up “somewhere near”. BUT, don’t start to use them to work out how much you need to borrow, and then start signing up for mortgages based on them. – Unfortunately, it’s just not that easy! – You’re going to have to do some homework to work out your costs properly!

To work out your costs properly, you will need to compile a list of all of the “medium to large cost” components which will come together to create the whole project, and try to put at least a rough estimate of cost against them. You can use the “Cost Estimating” section of this guide to help you.

If you spend some time doing that at the beginning of your project, you will be setting the whole thing up properly. – If you don’t do this, and you just use those “Cost calculators” to compile your prices, you could be asking for trouble!

Do some research into the price “commonly” being asked for the size of plot you would like to be able to buy, in the area where you would like to live (you may find suitable land in the “Land & Property Directory” on this site, - or you can search local Property papers.

If neither of those sources gives you the information you need, try ringing a few Estate Agents and ask them if they have anything coming “onto the books” in your chosen area, and / or ask if they have sold anything within the past few months in that “general area” (If they haven’t, give them your details to let you know if any does come on).

If those steps fail, try driving around the area to see if anyone is actually in the process of building a “Self Build”, and, if so, go and talk to them. If they are the “friendly type” (which most Self Builders are) can ask them, not only how much they paid for their land, but you might also get some useful information from them about other places you can possibly find plots which might be suitable for your project. – Having been through the process, they may know of local Builders selling off land, or Land Agencies, or may even just have some “word of mouth” contacts that may be useful.

Using one of these methods, with a bit of effort, within a couple of weeks, you should be able to get an idea of the likely price of suitable land in your chosen area.

There is one undisputable fact which, on its own, backs up my assertion that “You can’t quote “Universal Build Costs” that will cover any Self Build project:

It is a fact that two plots measuring identical sizes, with planning Permission, could have prices ranging from £10,000 to £500,000, depending whereabouts in the UK you are making your located.

That ONE FACT show EXACTLY why you need to go through the process I am describing, and you will soon see how other factors make this process even more essential

There are differing estimates about how much of your total budget should be spent on your land. – Many people use “Percentages” to give a “guide figure”. – Well, I’m sorry, but that’s just another one of those “easy” ways of coming up with “a figure” without having to do any work! – And it should NEVER be used as the basis for you going out looking for land to possibly buy!

In the end, the amount of money you spend on your land depends on what you want from the end product:

If it is simply going to be “A place to live, - which gives us more space than we have had before”. Then the location, and therefore “the price” of the plot can be a lot more flexible, and you can probably keep it fairly low. However, If you choose to follow this route, the end value of your property will not usually attain “the highest values” and therefore you possibly won’t increase your equity by very much once you have finished the project. BUT, if increasing your equity is only a “secondary consideration” to getting “what you need” from the house itself, then this is not something that will usually worry you.

If you are looking at the project as being a major investment from which you hope to create as much “property equity” as possible, then the plot becomes much more important:

As I have said, I personally think that that is a far too “general” a statement to consider using as a rule. Land prices simply vary too much regionally to make it work for everyone.

For example, a good quality plot measuring 75’ x 100’ could cost you £10,000 in one area of the country and £250,000 in another. – On either plot you could quite happily build a 4 bed detached house at a cost of, say £100,000 (build costs don’t tend to vary greatly with location, - not enough to affect this example anyway).

In the first example the plot cost just 10% of build cost, in the second it was 250% of the build cost, but both plots are capable of being developed to provide a high quality new home in their own particular locations, and both will suit different people.

You would not consider paying £250,000 for a single plot in the location where you paid £10,000, and vice versa.

“The 50% / 50% RULE” now goes out of the window!: You would not even consider trying to build a 4 bed house for £10,000 on the cheaper plot, neither would you think you should be spending £250,000 on your 4 bed house on the dearer plot.

So, the equations for “plot cost” versus “build cost” are, in fact, fluid, and will vary dependant on location.

 “The trick” when buying land, if you want to “increase your potential profit percentage”, is to concentrate more on getting a “good deal” on “good quality” land in a “good area”, and making sure that you leave enough of your budget to build the house you want and need.

The amount of money you have available to “start your negotiating” with will depend on:

 1) Your total budget.

2) The size of house you want to build.

3) How much you think you need to “put aside” for potential “extra costs” associated with each plot you find (sloping sites / ground problems etc).

4) How much you think you want to leave as a “Buffer” against things going wrong.

5) How much you want to have left to furnish the new house

6) What you estimate you will get refunded in VAT at the end of the project.

 

 

Just as with the land, there are various different options available when it comes to designing your new home and planning the project.

Your personal circumstances, abilities and budgets will dictate, to a certain extent which route you go down.

Decisions made now can have cost implications of possibly many thousands of pounds on the overall cost of the project.

You may not be aware that you don’t actually have to use ANY professional designer to submit a Planning Application. - Anyone can do it.

As long as you provide all of the information in the correct format for the application, it doesn’t matter if you do it yourself, or if you pay an Architect to prepare the drawings. – The application is viewed the in the same manner whoever prepares it.

Some potential Self Builders may be qualified Draughtsmen (or women) and be quite capable of producing a satisfactory set of drawings and filling in the forms to submit as a Planning Application (in which case, the costs will simply be “the printing of the drawings”, plus the “application “ (which is around £250).

Some people may have some experience in design or drawing, and be able to “knock up” the basic designs easily, but may not be sure about getting everything into the right format for the Planning Application. In this case they will usually be able get the basic design drawings done themselves, and find a local draughtsman to check, complete, prepare and submit everything for them (On a basic 3 / 4 bed this may cost as little as a couple of hundred pounds for the Draughtsman’s services, plus printing and the application fees) .

Another option, if you don’t have any drawing or design skills, is to use a local Draughtsman or small local Architect from day one, this could cost you from around £500 to a three or four thousand pounds depending on which type of service you use, and the “nature and complexity” of the design work involved.

At the other end of the scale, some people else may be looking for an “all singing, all dancing” technically and visually “amazing” house which needs the design services of a “Top Architect”, and can cost many thousands of pounds to design. One major project I know of had a “design price” of £17,000 quoted in 2009, just for the preparation of the drawing and technical detailing!

None of the choices on who you use to prepare your designs, how you plan your project, or how much you end up paying is “right or wrong”. Everyone’s situations will be different.

If you are on a tight budget, and you know that once you reach your “spending limit”, “That is it, - there is no more”, then you need to watch every area of cost FROM DAY ONE. - If you can easily do something yourself to keep costs down, do it.

Even if you have no experience in house design, you will probably be able to do the “initial design” (i.e. layout) of the house yourself, especially if you follow the “House design” pages later in this guide. - Just doing that could, on its own, save you hundreds of pounds. (NOTE: To help with that task, you may also be able to find a design that you like which has already been built. Some of our advertisers, who are designers, will often give potential customers free access to many of their designs on their web sites. You will also find sample designs in many publications related to Self Build. - If you find a design that you like the look of, you could take some of the ideas from the basic layout, and use them as a “starting point” for your own design. - If you take those ideas in “sketch form” to your designer they then won’t have to charge you to prepare them. – Possibly saving you a few hundred pounds).

An important factor at the design stage, which can greatly affect your costs, but has nothing to do with WHO does the design, is the design itself.  It is VERY important at this stage for you to consider how the design, shape, specification and style of your new property can affect the overall cost of the project. This is a subject which is covered in more depth later in the guide, but what you need to remember at THIS STAGE, is that each and every decision you make in regards to the design will have an impact on the overall cost of the project.

Some of your decisions will have the effect of saving you money, and some decisions which may “just happen” without anyone giving them any great thought, could add thousands of pounds to the cost of the project.

For example: Imagine you are sitting talking between yourselves at home about what you are going to ask the designer to include in your new home, and you are looking at a glossy magazine.

Just say (for example) you look at the “roof tiles” in a photo and you like them. (They are the small multi shaded clay style tiles ( which ARE very nice!) - You make the comment, and ask the question: “They’re nice, shall we ask for those for to be used in the design?” If the answer comes back as a simple “Yes”, without you giving it any further thought, you may not be aware that you are just about to add maybe £2,000 - £4,000 to your build costs, in the time it takes to speak ONE SENTANCE!

Those tiles, nice as they are, and however much they may increase the value of your house when it is completed, are expensive to buy and also cost a lot more than larger concrete tiles to fit. They have to be paid for! - Out of your build budget. – Remember: - You can only spend it once!

This is definitely where doing your “homework” is important. Read this guide. Read magazines and see how “design” has affected the budgets of other projects. Also, some of the Self Builds books could give you useful help here. If you have the time and can organise it, a trip to a “Self Build Show” where they have seminars given by people who have “done it”, or by Estimators or similar professions, could be a useful exercise to help you understand how design affects cost.

This is a massive area to try to cover, and far too large to try to cover in a small section like this. There are sections covering this subject, together with hints and tips throughout this guide covering many aspects of how materials affect cost, so, the more of the guide you read, the more you will become aware of the impact of your choices and decisions.

There are however, a few golden rules which, if followed can set you in “good stead” to be able to “keep taps” on what you spend on materials as you design and build:

As I mentioned earlier, you can add thousands of pounds in costs to your project just by “not doing” “your homework” on a particular section. The example of choosing the small roof tiles over larger concrete tiles mentioned earlier shows how making decisions whilst “chatting”, and not weighing up the implications first, can affect your build costs.

Right from the start of the project, you will find that there are areas you can think about which could save you money on the project overall. - For example: Right at the outset you may wish to consider: “How much would it cost to use a Package Build company? - Or a Project Manager? - Or a local Builder?” – If by using one of these options, you don’t have to take 8 months off work, you may actually be better off! – If a Project Manager quoted you £10,000 to “manage” everything from day one, which allowed you to stay at work, you may be able to earn more in salary than it would cost you to take on the Project Manager. – Then build in the fact that he will do all the running around, saving you fuel and running costs, AND the fact that your free time can now be spent “shopping around” for bargains, you could actually end up FAR better off. -

Once you have made a decision on, for example, whether you are going for Timber frame or Traditional build, you can start to look into the costs associated with different types of Timber frame construction. – There are various options, and all of them come with a different price tag. – Spending some time looking into each type of construction and its associated price tag, could help you to make a decision which could save you £1,000’s

Look into “price ranges” on bricks / blocks / concrete and all the major components of the projects. – You may not realise that nice bricks can cost £200 / 100 or £800/ 1000. – If you don’t do a bit of research, and instead go and stand at a Brick Merchants and simply point out a brick that you like, you could end up paying £300 / 1000 more than another brick which you may have as your “second choice”. – If your house needs 20,000 bricks, you could have saved £6,000 by doing some research into prices before you made your decision.

Reading as much of the relevant parts of this guide should help you to know what areas of research would be helpful to you, but it may be that a visit to a Self Build show or to  a few DIY stores / kitchen suppliers / bathroom suppliers / Builders Merchants etc, to see what they have to offer will be a good use of your time.

BUT DON’T GET TOO BOGGED DOWN IN RESEARCH. - If you do, you will risk never getting the project started. At some stage you need to say “I know enough now, I’m never going to know everything there is to know, we now need to get on with it.

The ordering of materials is an important component of your “cost control”. You want to make sure that you get enough of each type of materials for the job. You need to know how much waste to allow for, and you need to bear in mind the implications of having to order extra if you are short.

If you order too little of a material, and you need to reorder the extra small amount, there could be time delays and knock on effects to the project, BUT, you could also end up paying significant delivery charges for those small amounts to be brought to site. If there is a risk of that, you may be advised to order a bit extra in the first place.

As an example: If you are ordering concrete, you may get a lowest price of £50 / Cubic metre for 6 Cubic metre loads (depending whereabouts in the UK you live). BUT there may be a clause in your quote which says that if you order a “part load” (i.e. anything less than 6 Cu. M.) you will pay £30 for each Cu.M “NOT CARRIED”. This is to cover the transport costs for delivering small amounts.

If you order 5.5cu m for your last delivery, and you find out that you are a couple of “barrows full” short, you may have to order the extra .5cu m. In this case you would be charged £25 for the concrete itself, and £165 for the concrete “not carried”! - You would have been far better ordering what you thought was “a bit extra” in the first place ( Note: there is sometimes a way round this by negotiating that after one or one or two full 6 cu.m deliveries, there will be “no part load charges”)

Most builders allow about 5% wastage on a general order, some go up to 10%. Some parts of the building process generate more waste than others. Brickwork / blockwork can be fairly wasteful. The same goes for roof tiling, insulating, plaster boarding, tiling, and other processes which create “offcuts” which can’t be used. However, some of those materials are often easy to get hold of quickly if you need more (plasterboard / blocks / roof tiles / tiles), so you may be able to order “tight” and then order extra if you need them. - Bricks, however can be a very different animal! – To avoid possibly incurring hundreds of pounds in extra delivery costs (especially if they are not readily held in stock), measure up your brick quantities as accurately as you can and add maybe 5- 10% on top of your net measurement. It will be up to you then to keep your builders from being wasteful, and also to you to make sure you don’t “lose stock” to damage or breakages by “bad storage” or “theft”.

Surprisingly, how you go about the “build process” itself does not have such a dramatic effect on costs as you may think.

Decisions made prior to the building work starting actually have a far higher potential to impact on the overall costs than “how you build” it.

·         Bricks tend to cost “£X / thousand”, give or take a few percent, wherever you are in the country (or whatever shape your house is).

·         Scaffolding prices will be fairly similar wherever you are in the country, or whatever type of scaffold you use.

·         The price to install roof trusses will be pretty much the same wherever you are located.

·         Electrical / plumbing installation tends to be around the same cost in England as it is in Scotland,

·         The same goes to many of the “building processes” which are going to be involved in your project.

It is impossible to give accurate “build costs” for any particular house building project without looking at a set of drawings. Any “cost calculator” system which tells you it can is probably wrong!

However, what WILL affect the build costs, however are the decisions you made prior to starting. Your choices of land, house design, building methods (timber frame / traditional), specification etc will have a far greater impact on your overall budget than your “location in the UK”, “which bricklayer” or “what type of scaffolding” you use.

If you are on a tight budget you need do your research and keep a tight control on yourselves when making those early decisions. If you do, then the actual build costs will tend to be fairly reasonable and constant, wherever you are building.

For example: If you decide early on to use a “Traditional hand cut roof” rather than roof trusses, you could add up to £5000 to your “build cost”. – The reason for that is that the labour input that goes into a hand cut roof is very high when compared to the cost of trusses and a crane to position them. BUT, That extra cost is not a result of anything to do with the “building process”. – It’s because of a decision you made “early on”.

If you decided early on to use “Ground source heating” then that early decision, will mean that your build costs later on in the project will automatically increase because of the fact that the system you have chosen will have a high installation cost.

So, as with every other part of preparing for your project, in order to find out how much it will cos, and to keep control of your build costs when you come to ACTUALLY BUILDING your new home, you will need to do your homework EARLY ON.

 

Hint: List all the separate “Building components”, and then try to put figures for the “build or installation cost” against each item. – You may have to get estimates from Builders to be able to do this, but, alternatively, you may be able to get some ideas on costs for “individual parts” of the construction from magazinesand web sites (including this one) / suppliers / forums (including the one on this site).

However you do it, as long as you have put “a figure” that has been reached by doing some research, you should not be “too far out” with your estimates over all. – Some of your cost estimates will be on the high side, some low, but, with a bit of luck they will even out to give you a reasonably accurate cost build up to be able to work with. – You then need to keep “a very close eye” on how you are doing as you start work on the project. – You need to keep to those figures for the project to be successful, and if you find yourself going over budget at an early stage, don’t just ignore the fact, - have a “rethink”, and find ways to claw back the deficit if you can.

If you can’t do all this “stuff” yourself, then you could consider using a Quantity Surveyor or Estimator to compile the lists and figures for you, based on your drawings. You may find that this is a cost effective option to take because they will be able to accurately measure a lot of the areas of the project which you may not be able to do as accurately. And, as I mentioned earlier, incorrect measuring can lead to increased costs. – Paying for a Professional to compile your figures could actually end up saving you money.

The other option, if you are planning on using a Project Manager, would be to give this part of project to him / her. They should be able to measure the quantities and get the prices all together for you as part of their duties if you wish them to do so.