Editor's Blog0 min ago
Building your own home
10 Answers
My husband and I have a wonderful house but we now need somewhere bigger. The builder who built our house 4 years ago is a small independent developer and not one of the big nationwide homebuilders. As such, we have a very high spec house and nowhere have they cut corners. The rooms are generous size and we have loads of storage, something which many new build homes do not have. Kitchen has high quality applicances and high finish, as are the bathroooms which included underfloor heating, fitted in units and again high spec suites.
We have been struggling to find a suitable 4/5 bed home in the area so contacted my developer to see if he had any other sites underway. He said he didnt but if we found a plot of land, he would build us a house. He even said he would buy the land and sell us the complete 'design and build package' which sounds great - just need to find some land.
I was interested to know if anyone else has done something similar and whether doing it this way around means you save money or does it work out more expensive? We are not planning some ''grand designs'' home just an everyday family home but to our design and layout without skimping on some of the basic things in an area of our choosing. Is there a general rule of thumb about how much you would expect to buy land for? ie £x per sq metre? or does anyone know the cost of building a 5 bed home - i know this would vary on finish and materials but most 5 bed homes in our area are sold for £350-£400k - clearly it doesnt cost this much to build it so just seeing what type of money we would be looking at finding our own land. thanks
We have been struggling to find a suitable 4/5 bed home in the area so contacted my developer to see if he had any other sites underway. He said he didnt but if we found a plot of land, he would build us a house. He even said he would buy the land and sell us the complete 'design and build package' which sounds great - just need to find some land.
I was interested to know if anyone else has done something similar and whether doing it this way around means you save money or does it work out more expensive? We are not planning some ''grand designs'' home just an everyday family home but to our design and layout without skimping on some of the basic things in an area of our choosing. Is there a general rule of thumb about how much you would expect to buy land for? ie £x per sq metre? or does anyone know the cost of building a 5 bed home - i know this would vary on finish and materials but most 5 bed homes in our area are sold for £350-£400k - clearly it doesnt cost this much to build it so just seeing what type of money we would be looking at finding our own land. thanks
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I'm afraid there are no rules of thumb where housing is concerned. Geographical area tends to dictate labour costs and land values - even for a given size of house.
Google "self build" or "selfbuild" . There are some excellent websites on the subject that cover all aspects of your project. I think there are magazines as well.
The problem with any replies here, is that they'll inevitably be subjective or anecdotal. That's fine, and very helpful, but there's no substitute for your own research. It's a big subject. You're doing the right thing. I wish you the best of luck :o)
Google "self build" or "selfbuild" . There are some excellent websites on the subject that cover all aspects of your project. I think there are magazines as well.
The problem with any replies here, is that they'll inevitably be subjective or anecdotal. That's fine, and very helpful, but there's no substitute for your own research. It's a big subject. You're doing the right thing. I wish you the best of luck :o)
I have done precisely what you describe. It is the only way (IMHO) to get what you aspire to. I suggest that you start by buying a couple of issues of Homebuild & Renovate magazine. In the back, you will find a reasonable guide to build costs. It differentiates between about 3 qualities of build/fit-out, and about 4 different types of construction from 'having a builder do the lot' to 'self-managed subcontractors plus major input yourself', split across regions of the country. That will get you started on the understanding the construction costs.
As regards to land, that's an entirely different story! One of the first things you need to understand is that the price of a plot depends entirely on what the expectation of the selling price of the home is once constructed. Idiots everywhere (and that includes Government) often believe that the increase in property prices is driven by the increase in the price of land. That's complete nonsense - it is the other way around! Property prices are driven by the ability of the punter to pay the asking price (market forces). Deduct the cost of constructing a new house on the land, then deduct about 15% for marketing cost and you have agood idea of what a builder will pay for the plot of land. This is why the price of building land went up 5 years ago, and has now gone down a bit again.
As regards to land, that's an entirely different story! One of the first things you need to understand is that the price of a plot depends entirely on what the expectation of the selling price of the home is once constructed. Idiots everywhere (and that includes Government) often believe that the increase in property prices is driven by the increase in the price of land. That's complete nonsense - it is the other way around! Property prices are driven by the ability of the punter to pay the asking price (market forces). Deduct the cost of constructing a new house on the land, then deduct about 15% for marketing cost and you have agood idea of what a builder will pay for the plot of land. This is why the price of building land went up 5 years ago, and has now gone down a bit again.
Part 2
My project cost us £820 per square metre of constructed build. That is very low - a similar extremely spec house built by builder would cost about double. But I put probably £40k worth of my own labout into it over 2 years.
The plot cost in excess of £250k (southern England). I didn't do it to make a profit but to get the house and localation I wanted.
The self-build magazines will help put you on the track of land-hunting. Depending where you live it may be easy or difficult. In s England it took us 2 years of pretty intensive searching over an area 30 miles square to find what we wanted - a near derelict bungalow in land, which we demolished.
Lastly, this website helped me a lot initially. Subscribe to it and ask questions there. The people are very knowledgeable.
http://www.ebuild.co.uk/
My project cost us £820 per square metre of constructed build. That is very low - a similar extremely spec house built by builder would cost about double. But I put probably £40k worth of my own labout into it over 2 years.
The plot cost in excess of £250k (southern England). I didn't do it to make a profit but to get the house and localation I wanted.
The self-build magazines will help put you on the track of land-hunting. Depending where you live it may be easy or difficult. In s England it took us 2 years of pretty intensive searching over an area 30 miles square to find what we wanted - a near derelict bungalow in land, which we demolished.
Lastly, this website helped me a lot initially. Subscribe to it and ask questions there. The people are very knowledgeable.
http://www.ebuild.co.uk/
In spite of my pseudonym I am not a builder. I had undertaken major elements of improvement to previous homes, including carpentry, electrical, masonry and plumbing projects - just about everything except plastering.
I once employed an architect to design and oversee the construction of an extension. Architects are often good at design but fewer are any good at project-management. I knew I could do better. Through my job I knew a far bit about the commercial / contractual side. All my knowledge of the planning and legal side of land purchase is self-taught. You will come to appreciate that part of the opportunty for 'making a paper profit' on a self-build comes from making on the plot - in other words getting a bigger house on a plot than the EXISTING property justifies for its valuation. Or alternatively getting planning permission on a site where none exists currently. Do not imagine the latter is easy - builders and land speculators will often get there before you. The best book for understanding the planning system and how to try and exploit it is this one.
http://www.amazon.co....n-Speer/dp/095334892X
I once employed an architect to design and oversee the construction of an extension. Architects are often good at design but fewer are any good at project-management. I knew I could do better. Through my job I knew a far bit about the commercial / contractual side. All my knowledge of the planning and legal side of land purchase is self-taught. You will come to appreciate that part of the opportunty for 'making a paper profit' on a self-build comes from making on the plot - in other words getting a bigger house on a plot than the EXISTING property justifies for its valuation. Or alternatively getting planning permission on a site where none exists currently. Do not imagine the latter is easy - builders and land speculators will often get there before you. The best book for understanding the planning system and how to try and exploit it is this one.
http://www.amazon.co....n-Speer/dp/095334892X
By building your home you are going to turn your dream into reality. You will have to make a lot of decisions regarding the design, but it will be worth it to you in the end to have exactly the home you want. Here are some suggestions for making any home sparkle:
• Clean your house thoroughly. It will give it a new look.
• Consider lighting. It will brighten up your home.
• Use splashes of colors in a good combination.
• Paint your house in a new shade.
• Good quality fabrics add character to your home.
• Place a selection of plants in your home.
• Buy appropriate furniture to coordinate with your home's color scheme. Media URL: http://www.home-decorating-room-by-room.com
Description:
• Clean your house thoroughly. It will give it a new look.
• Consider lighting. It will brighten up your home.
• Use splashes of colors in a good combination.
• Paint your house in a new shade.
• Good quality fabrics add character to your home.
• Place a selection of plants in your home.
• Buy appropriate furniture to coordinate with your home's color scheme. Media URL: http://www.home-decorating-room-by-room.com
Description:
You can just fix the price for land and house. It varies from place to place. Every geographical location has a value to it and the cost of plots around the area depends on them. If you couldn't find a perfect place with that contractor, why don't you move on and seek help from some other contractor or builder.
You can ask for help to this people:
http://
You can ask for help to this people:
http://
What’s the essential step in building a new house from the ground up? Many people would say it’s choosing the right home builder. https:/
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