Is it possible to do under £200,000

[willow171]

Hi, first time here, and at the very start of our build journey.

Our house sale is going through and we have a couple of plots of land that we are considering, but before we put in any offers we need to have a rough idea about what it will cost to build. I know that there are so many variables to consider, but I wondered if you could give me your opinions as to whether we are on the right track. We hope to have between £150,000 and £200,000.

It will be in the south of England. We would like a 3 double bed house/bungalow, 2 bathrooms and probably 2/3 reception rooms. It will possibly be off grid for power, so will have to have solar panels, batteries etc and be as energy efficeint as possible. It will also need its own septic tank. Do you think it is possible to do under £200,000?

Are we being silly? or is this enough?

Thanks for any opinions. 

[Bitpipe]

Welcome, take your budget and divide by £2000 or £2500 to be conservative (and to allow for contingency) this is for a decent spec, you can maybe come in less if you do a lot of work yourself and are very focused on value engineering / design and aggressive searching for materials.

 

Does not allow for any professional services (architect, SE etc..).

 

That is your approx square meterage (all floors) gives you best case 100m2, 60m2 worst case.

 

While PV is affordable, storage batteries etc are still quite expensive. Best to get a power quote also from your local DNO.

[SteamyTea]

Much depends on how little you are prepared to not spend with the 'professionals'.

Some on here have spent 100k by getting architects, environmentalist, bat and bird watchers, newts moved, walls and fences, keeping neighbours happy, plumbers and plumbing systems that need certificates.

 

If you really want to build cheap, go to college and get some relevant certificates i.e. Limited Scope Part P, H&S certificate.

 

Or just find a house that is suitable to renovate.

[Adrian Walker]

10 minutes ago, willow171 said:

Hi, first time here, and at the very start of our build journey.

Our house sale is going through and we have a couple of plots of land that we are considering, but before we put in any offers we need to have a rough idea about what it will cost to build. I know that there are so many variables to consider, but I wondered if you could give me your opinions as to whether we are on the right track. We hope to have between £150,000 and £200,000.

It will be in the south of England. We would like a 3 double bed house/bungalow, 2 bathrooms and probably 2/3 reception rooms. It will possibly be off grid for power, so will have to have solar panels, batteries etc and be as energy efficeint as possible. It will also need its own septic tank. Do you think it is possible to do under £200,000?

Are we being silly? or is this enough?

Thanks for any opinions. 

 

It's doable for £200K, but that needs to exclude the land, design fees + surveys and the cost of getting utilities to the plot. For energy efficiency you need to look at and understand Passive House designs.  A visit to the NSBRC in Swindon is a must.

[willow171]

Thanks for the replies.

All the finishing we can do ourselves, decorating, tiling, fitting kitchens and bathrooms etc.

The actual building we would rather pick a company that would do all the supply and erecting as we have never had a house built before and really don't know what we are doing.

We will go to the NSBRC in Swindon, seems like a good place to start.

[JohnMo]

Do a search on the internet for £100k house builds.  That will give you an idea of spec. When upscaled to your house.  £200k will give you modest well insulated house, but you will have to very careful on spec and make sure you spend the money wisely.

 

What ever the architect says it will cost, take with a very large pinch of salt.

[Bitpipe]

22 hours ago, willow171 said:

The actual building we would rather pick a company that would do all the supply and erecting as we have never had a house built before and really don't know what we are doing.

We will go to the NSBRC in Swindon, seems like a good place to start.

 

Effectively what we did (with zero experience) - the structure is key but once in place you can sub out all the first and second fix, or DIY to your competence level.

 

Home builder's bible (an essential read) has a good explanation of how house design can minimise or increase costs - some is plot related (slope, access, services, etc) and some is the house shape and size itself (square, L shape, gable ends, roof complexity etc etc).

 

You will also become familiar with the time/quality/cost triangle - wisdom is you can have two at the expense of the third. In your case this may be time or quality.

 

You may decide that you can live with a budget bathroom and kitchen for a few years with a view to upgrading later. Prioritise spending money where it it is difficult to revisit e.g. fabric - insulation & airtightness, good windows etc.

 

There are many strategies to work to a limited budget and to enable an extended timescale. One is to live on site (if possible, caravan etc) to reduce ongoing accommodation costs. Second is to partially complete and leave some bits until more funds available - however this needs consideration as, for example,  getting trades back to plaster one room may be less economic to getting them to do it as part of a bigger job. Third is to buy and resell vs hire (things like caravan, site storage, scaffolding, a digger etc..).

 

You need to watch the VAT situation as while new build is zero rated for materials and labour (NOT professional services or hire - lots of details on the HMRC website), you get one shot to claim VAT refund on materials you have bought but only at the end* of the build and some very extended builds can cause complications with the claim. Trades must always zero rate their services to you and any materials they provide as part of their services, you can't ever reclaim VAT charged by a trade, even in error.

 

*a number of different ways to determine this event, some in your favour and some against.

 

Going 100% off grid may need to be a longer term objective when economic to do so, does your plot have any services at present? How will you get water? Have you got a quote for power? Local sewerage should be straightforward but will need appropriate ground conditions to discharge effluent etc.

 

Good news is you've come to the best place to get as much information as possible from people who have been there and done that!

 

 

[ToughButterCup]

23 hours ago, willow171 said:

.....

Do you think it is possible to do under £200,000?  Are we being silly? or is this enough?

...

 

A very warm welcome....

Yours is the most asked question on BH. The question of cost underpins almost every post here, even the technical ones.So the very best advice we could give is to suggest you waste an complete week or perhaps more reading BH. If you do it in a focused way it really - honestly - will repay the effort. In the first year of reading BH , we  avoided bills for at least £17k ( by changing the pile design for our house based on advice and links included on BH)

 

Please though, do always do your own Due Diligence. We are not experts, just hard-bitten , nosey little tinkers .....

Best of luck

Ian

[willow171]

2 hours ago, Bitpipe said:

 

Effectively what we did (with zero experience) - the structure is key but once in place you can sub out all the first and second fix, or DIY to your competence level.

 

Home builder's bible (an essential read) has a good explanation of how house design can minimise or increase costs - some is plot related (slope, access, services, etc) and some is the house shape and size itself (square, L shape, gable ends, roof complexity etc etc).

 

You will also become familiar with the time/quality/cost triangle - wisdom is you can have two at the expense of the third. In your case this may be time or quality.

 

You may decide that you can live with a budget bathroom and kitchen for a few years with a view to upgrading later. Prioritise spending money where it it is difficult to revisit e.g. fabric - insulation & airtightness, good windows etc.

 

There are many strategies to work to a limited budget and to enable an extended timescale. One is to live on site (if possible, caravan etc) to reduce ongoing accommodation costs. Second is to partially complete and leave some bits until more funds available - however this needs consideration as, for example,  getting trades back to plaster one room may be less economic to getting them to do it as part of a bigger job. Third is to buy and resell vs hire (things like caravan, site storage, scaffolding, a digger etc..).

 

You need to watch the VAT situation as while new build is zero rated for materials and labour (NOT professional services or hire - lots of details on the HMRC website), you get one shot to claim VAT refund on materials you have bought but only at the end* of the build and some very extended builds can cause complications with the claim. Trades must always zero rate their services to you and any materials they provide as part of their services, you can't ever reclaim VAT charged by a trade, even in error.

 

*a number of different ways to determine this event, some in your favour and some against.

 

Going 100% off grid may need to be a longer term objective when economic to do so, does your plot have any services at present? How will you get water? Have you got a quote for power? Local sewerage should be straightforward but will need appropriate ground conditions to discharge effluent etc.

 

Good news is you've come to the best place to get as much information as possible from people who have been there and done that!

 

 

Thank you.

We don't have the plot yet. The one we are hoping for has no services, and to get them there it would have to go over someone elses land and probably about 500m away. I know we will have to try to get mains water there. But hope to go off grid for electric. This is all very new to us, and I know it may not be possible.

I think I need to get The home builders bible!

[Bitpipe]

On 14/01/2022 at 15:18, willow171 said:

Thank you.

We don't have the plot yet. The one we are hoping for has no services, and to get them there it would have to go over someone elses land and probably about 500m away. I know we will have to try to get mains water there. But hope to go off grid for electric. This is all very new to us, and I know it may not be possible.

I think I need to get The home builders bible!

 

Services can be very expensive and sometimes not logical, i.e. even if next-door have mains power and water, you may still need to bring your connection in from a distance.

 

Even though you don't own the plot, you can get free quotes now for power and water.

 

Off grid is a nice idea but you have to be realistic on cost and space for batteries etc. plus your quality of life.  What do you do if you have zero power at night in winter and can't operate your sewage system, heating etc.

 

You don't say if £200k is your whole budget i.e. inc plot purchase or if it needs to cover professional services or is just the build budget itself.

[saveasteading]

On 13/01/2022 at 13:05, willow171 said:

in the south of England

Yes but....

 

Perhaps that is the biggest issue. Wages are silly high and skills are sadly lacking. Keeping the building very simple will be essential.

 

More info needed from you.

Architect led or yourself?

What relevant skills do you (or friends and family) have?

Will you project manage: Several hours every day from now til finished.

Are you planning to do any construction yourself.

 

I think the answers, and their effect on cost, are self explanatory.

[willow171]

Our absolute total will be around £500k. That will be to include plot, any planning, architect fees, building, connecting to services or solar and batteries, many other things I can't think of right now.

I'm good at decorating, and my husband can do tiling and can fit the bathroom and kitchen if need be. We are happy to have budget bathroom and kitchen. The location is more important to us. We are hoping to have between 1-4 acres. 

And I don't think I know enough to project manage, so think we will have to have someone do that for us.

 

Edited January 16, 2022 by willow171

[Bitpipe]

44 minutes ago, willow171 said:

 

And I don't think I know enough to project manage, so think we will have to have someone do that for us

 

You know enough and can learn the rest here. Otherwise wave good bye to another 10-20% of your build budget!

[saveasteading]

5 hours ago, willow171 said:

I don't think I know enough to project manage,

Will you have the time  too be there every day and simply be seen to be interested, and a real person? That is 3/4 of the solution.

The art of questioning and nagging, but not quite too far.

[willow171]

9 hours ago, saveasteading said:

Will you have the time  too be there every day and simply be seen to be interested, and a real person? That is 3/4 of the solution.

The art of questioning and nagging, but not quite too far.

Yes, I could be there daily to be seen. But honestly, if I had to dispute anything with the builder, I would probably cry (menopause has a lot to answer for ?). My husband is fantastic with people and sorting things, I am the one that does all the emailing and researching, but he will be working full time and wont be able to oversee things.

[PeterW]

15 hours ago, willow171 said:

We are hoping to have between 1-4 acres

OK - unless you are going to be in an area north of the Norwich / Birmingham line, and preferably much further north still, your budget is not achievable. 
 

If you want the off grid / sustainable smallholding type property then it’s not practical or possible in the south of England as land prices are too high. A standard 1/6th acre plot will cost you £2-300k in the less desirable locations (ie not near major transport links) and you are highly unlikely to find suitable agricultural land packets that can also support a property. 
 

Your £500k will go a lot further the more northerly you go - what is tying you to the south ..??

[SteamyTea]

5 minutes ago, PeterW said:

what is tying you to the south

Culture and better weather.

And the language is easier to understand.

 

[SteamyTea]

On 13/01/2022 at 13:05, willow171 said:

It will possibly be off grid for power, so will have to have solar panels, batteries etc and be as energy efficeint as possible. It will also need its own septic tank.

Much of that depends on the size of the property.

The smaller the internal space, the easier it is to do.  Trouble is, small places have limited roof area for PV.

So what you have to do it have a wide, but narrow place with a very large roof that is south facing, and at the most effective angle for winter generation i.e. quite steep.

You will not get away with a septic tank these days, so you will need a treatment plant.  This uses electricity, around 1 to 2 kWh a day.

[Adrian Walker]

15 hours ago, willow171 said:

Our absolute total will be around £500k. That will be to include plot, any planning, architect fees, building, connecting to services or solar and batteries, many other things I can't think of right now.

I'm good at decorating, and my husband can do tiling and can fit the bathroom and kitchen if need be. We are happy to have budget bathroom and kitchen. The location is more important to us. We are hoping to have between 1-4 acres. 

And I don't think I know enough to project manage, so think we will have to have someone do that for us.

 

 

 

You say that you have a couple of plots of land that you are considering, details would be useful to the group - size, PP, price, location, etc

[saveasteading]

2 hours ago, willow171 said:

Yes, I could be there daily to be seen. But honestly, if I had to dispute anything with the builder, I would probably cry 

No you won't.  Choosing builders you can relate to (not just the sales people though) and Keeping a diary of who said what soon sorts out the chancers, and you will get the hang of it. 

[Iceverge]

I reckon a reasonable building cost formula is. 

 

 (Site value £) + (£1000/m2(materials+labour)) +(£100,000 (professional fees, levy's, furnishings +decoration, landscaping, builders profit))

 

You won't be able to change the first two much unless you supply uncosted labour at your own expense.

 

The last one can be adjusted. You might be a professional yourself, or employ the bare minimum you can get away with.  You can do without furniture or paint. Landing scaping can be left au naturale, you can do the builders job (again this only works if your own time is worth nothing).

 

 

Off grid isn't a cheap option unless you choose to live a life of 100+ years ago, boiling your knickers in a pot over a stove and sending malnourished children up the chimney to get rid of the soot! 

 

There are of course innovative ways of finding funding like @Jenki has in his introduction post. Unfortunately I think your budget is too modest in the south of the UK unless you already have a site. 

[Ian Blair]

Absolutely !!!! Best advice is do as much as you can yourself, drawings, planning application, building regs, project manage, negotiations, two and a half years of pain with a full time job as well, long days and nights, no social life to speak of, loads of research before hand so you know what to expect and have a budget, all planned out and stick to it 100%, we did and it worked a treat, starting our next two once planning is agreed !!!!

[Bitpipe]

5 hours ago, willow171 said:

Yes, I could be there daily to be seen. But honestly, if I had to dispute anything with the builder, I would probably cry (menopause has a lot to answer for ?). My husband is fantastic with people and sorting things, I am the one that does all the emailing and researching, but he will be working full time and wont be able to oversee things.

 

First of all if you use a general contractor (aka builder) for the whole house construction then they will already have priced in 10-20% for management of the job and overseeing the sub trades, materials etc. This is probably the most expensive way to build but does have the advantage of having a single point of contact to work with.

 

Even then, as the client you need to need to be regular engaged with the contractor to ensure you're getting what you want, when you want it and at the price agreed. Left to their own devices, even the most competent builder will just get on with it and if you're not around to answer questions on how something should be done then there will either be a delay until you confirm or they will do it how they usually do it and you may be disappointed at the result. Popping into the build at weekends only means that anything that needs remediation will take longer, especially if a decision was taken on Monday that is now much harder to address.

 

What many of us have done here (and in my case with no relevant experience) is to directly contract with contractors or subs to do specific parts of the build such as the groundworks, the structure (TF is usually easier in that respect), roofing, windows, exterior finish, electrics, plumbing, joinery, boarding & plastering, decoration & second fix (inc. kitchen).

 

Sounds daunting but it's not as hard as it sounds, if you are organised and can shop around to save money on high cost items. Being on site to 'open and close' is usually all that is needed. Problems spotted early are usually quick to fix. Mostly it's a question of asking the trade - what do you have planned for today / this week, do you have what you need and let me know if problems or I'll pop in to see how it's going.

 

A non confrontational approach is usually best, if people are making you cry then they are not the right people!

 

It can even be fun (Ok, I use that advisedly)!

 

Seriously though, if you have a tight budget then you need to get involved in what ever capacity you can otherwise you will need to find more money to pay someone to take that responsibility.

[willow171]

On 17/01/2022 at 10:15, PeterW said:

 

Your £500k will go a lot further the more northerly you go - what is tying you to the south ..??

 

Always lived in hampshire, as do all our close family, and as much as we are tempted to go north, not sure I could. Between the 2 of us we have 5 brothers and their families and my parents and we all live within 10miles of each other ?. Maybe it is time one of us made the first move!

 

 

 

[Dave Jones]

it boils down to m2 cost. £2000/m2 is council house spec. 

 

do the math.