how much to build house

[thundercrack]

hi, any idea how much a bricklayer would charge to do all the brickwork on a new build house. it would be the normal two floors . detatched with usual windows and doors, the footprint is about 9mtrs X 13mtrs. also has anyone any idea how much it costs to get someone to build the whole lot , plastering, roof etc. if I supply all materials?
thanks, alf

[buildersmate]

With a total gross floor area of 250 square metres and working on �1000 psm of finished house, you might expect a total cost (INCLUDING materials) of �250k. This is a good average figure, including reasonable quality bathrooms and kitchen. You could spend a lot more, or by paring things, a lot less. If you thinking of self-build for the first time I suggest you start by acquiring one of the good self-build books. The Self-Builders Bible by mark Brinkley is excellent and explains the relative costs of different parts of the house.
There are several trades where it is just impractical for you to supply the materials - electrician, plastering and plumbing being 3 of them.
Putting up the bricks is not actually a huge element of the total cost of a new build.

[kwicky]

It seems to be the trend these day to buy your house already planned in kit form. This will give you the inner shell so you can arrange the facing bricks yourself.

[jennyp]

If you go to your local Jewsons, or any other builders merchants, they will do a quote for you. We are just in process of doing a self build. Don't forget, you can reclaim your vat if you are doing a self build. As to cost of building, it will depend on what area you are in, and who you know. We did this 5 years ago also, and subbed everything out.

[thundercrack]

hi jennyp, thanks for your reply. The land is in my garden and we had the estate agent value it. he said the building cost is usually a third ,the land a third and the profit likewise, therefore we are looking at �70,000 building costs. I will be doing the plumbing and electrics myself and any other work that I can do so do you think that price is achievable?
thanks, alf.

[buildersmate]

The 'one third' rule used to be a reasonable guideline, but it certainly isn't applicable in many parts of the country, including all of southern England. The price of property has escalated, not because the cost of building a house has gone up, but because people are willing to pay high prices. That merely pushes up the price of the plot of land. So the land can end up being far more than one third of the cost of the project - up to 60% in London.
When you initially said the footprint was 9x13 and you were talking houses, I assumed you meant this was the size of the large house you wanted to construct. I now assume the size of the land from your garden you want to partition off is 9x13?
Unless you are a builder (in which you'd know more about the costs involved in construction) you'd be better off getting Outline Planning Permission on the land to get the most value from it, then flog it to a builder.

[thundercrack]

hi builders mate. that 9X13 is the footprint. the plot is 40ft X 120ft, but in lincolnshire so the value is �70.000. the architect said that the last property he built worked out at �500. per sq mtr. without the bathroom and kitchen. hard to work out the best way to go as new houses of 4 bedroom and garage of a reasonable quality only sell for around �200,000, ( not on an estate, individually built with a reasonable garden)so if they paid �70,000 for the land, how are they making a profit? I know wages are lower up here but that is mainly the land workers and immigrants, the tradesmen are on a near level with the south. so how do they make a profit?
thanks, alf.

[buildersmate]

I agree that the average rate for tradesmen doesn't vary that much across the country - perhaps +/-15%.
�500 psm is a very low figure, but then by the time one has added maybe �15k for bathroom(s) and kitchen, it probably reaches �600 psm. (Most 4 bed houses have a family bathroom and a small ensuite). Many self-builders I know seem to be spending between �700-�1000 psm. Much depends on how much work one does oneself - and the assumption that ones own labour is free. My own self-build has cost about �900 psm but I've done a lot of the internal work myself. But it has very high quality materials used.
Unless you are involved in the building trade or you are considering building new for your own occupation (selling your existing house), I still reckon you'd be best getting OPP then selling the plot to a builder.
The way a builder works is to work from the price he can expect to sell the house for, deduct the cost of building the house, deduct about 10% for marketing (estate agent) and profit, and that leaves the maximum price he is prepared to pay for the plot. Even running a tight project and cutting corners on materials I don't see how a figure of less than �600psm could be achieved. So �200k minus �150k (house) minus �20k (marketing/profit) leaves �30k value for the plot.
I know house prices are relatively cheap in Lincolnshire but that's a very big house for �200k, but you know your local area. Such a house down south (rural, more than 70 miles from London) could easily sell at �500k plus.