Help me cost up my new build (300sq m)

[Indy]

Following on from the other thread I've posted in the new build section, I now have a final set of plans that will be submitted for formal approval this week (hopefully). Obviously, can't predict what the planners will come back with but assuming that the overall space/design stays roughly the same and I want to utilise the time between planning being submitted and granted (could be 6m from the worst case reports I'm hearing!).

 

From a chat with my architects, who are incredibly helpful and pragmatic - we should be estimating £3500/sq m. At a floor space of 300sq m - this would put the build cost over £1m, which is bonkers and totally unaffordable. I guess what I'm trying to understand is whether these are on the pessimistic side or should I just give up and accept reality (which in turn could even mean selling the plot without the build as we can't really afford that build much).

 

I see figures of £2k to £2.5k bandied about, which I'm guessing are ex VAT which is fine as ours is a new build so VAT exempt. That makes it slightly more palatable at bringing the cost down to say £600k - £750k.

 

As a bit of background, both my wife and I are not really DIY enthusiasts. I do odd jobs around the house but that in no way translates to building a house. Both of us are competent at project management, but

(a) This is not in the construction industry

(b) Have incredibly demanding full time jobs

(c) 2 young kids to look after

So I'm not really sure taking over PM for a new build will be the wisest decision. I am reading up as much as I can, attending all webinars, NSRBC fairs etc to get myself as familiar as I can.

 

Floorplans etc are all here

https://ibb.co/H4TzPj7
https://ibb.co/Dp2jj6P
https://ibb.co/JcR6NB3
https://ibb.co/FXk5tvy

 

So my question is, what should be the next step? Do I contact a QS or estimators online to get a BoQ (unpriced), use the service at Travis Perkins etc or just wait until we have technical drawings to talk to builders who will come back with build costs?

 

EDIT: Forgot to add location, we're in Elmbridge (Surrey) - which is a fairly pricey part of the South East so I do expect things to be more expensive generally.

 

Edited January 19, 2022 by Indy

[recoveringbuilder]

You’ll only be vat exempt if you have a builder do the full job and supply everything otherwise you need to claim your vat back at the end of the build.

If that’s the route you take then you will obviously be paying more for everything as your builders won’t do any shopping around for best prices. 
we had a builder in recently doing a small job for us and he said building our house now to the spec it is would cost us £3k per sq m and we’re in Scotland!

 

[IanR]

Cant't help with current prices for costings, but looks a simple build so would expect a local builder to get pretty close without needing to use a QS or construction drawings.

 

As an observation, do you really need a fireplace (and chimney)? The chimney position is going to put shade on the roof where PV would go.

 

There's going to be more and more pressure on all but rural homes to stop burning solid fuels, so not sure how much life there is left in "fireplaces" in suburban homes.

 

If the LPA insist on a chimney stack for the street scene, then stick a false one on the other side perhaps.

 

I also believe the stack will intrude on the Master Bedroom, which isn't shown on the drawing. You'd also not restrict the width of the path.

Edited January 19, 2022 by IanR

[nod]

We have 416 m and we will be around a third of that 

[Bitpipe]

1 hour ago, Indy said:

 

As a bit of background, both my wife and I are not really DIY enthusiasts. I do odd jobs around the house but that in no way translates to building a house. Both of us are competent at project management, but

(a) This is not in the construction industry

(b) Have incredibly demanding full time jobs

(c) 2 young kids to look after

So I'm not really sure taking over PM for a new build will be the wisest decision. I am reading up as much as I can, attending all webinars, NSRBC fairs etc to get myself as familiar as I can.

 

To be blunt, you have three choices.

 

1) find the gap in your £1M budget and keep your shoes clean.

2) exit your comfort zone and get involved in the build

3) quit your project.

 

We ticked all the same boxes as you - zero experience, zero DIY talent, and we also had busy jobs and small kids. In Berkshire so same neck of woods cost wise. We were also looking at unaffordable costs for our 400m2 home but managed to get it in for £1500/m2 back in 2016. Appreciate that there has been a lot of inflation since but £2k-2.5k/m2 should still be very doable.

 

£3500 /m2 is a very premium price - no doubt you could spend that but it feels very top end. 

 

Using a single main contractor is always the most expensive route as they will price contingency and management overhead into their costs.

 

However as a self builder, you don't need to get your hands dirty, you just need to organise trades, contracts and occasionally materials and preferably live on site (which will save you £££ on rent especially in the SE). A laptop and phone plus a tape measure will be your main tools.

 

When you get planning, the decision on what to build your house from is still an open question. Planners only care about the external appearance.

 

So, assuming you're successful, you now need to spend some time evaluating different build methods. Get budgetary quotes from builders assuming brick & block. Shop your planning drawings around timber frame companies to get frame costs. Talk to ICF firms for their perspective. You don't need detailed drawings to do this (indeed, having such drawings assumes you've already made that decision).

 

Everything aside from the frame will be the same  - roofing, windows, exterior cladding, internal fix & finish, landscaping etc.

 

Timber frames lend themselves to self project managing as many of the structural issues are addressed in the one package - sometimes even foundation systems. We went that route (getting a separate contractor to demolish the existing and build a basement). From there on it was straightforward to source trades to complete each stage and get ahead of the next few steps.

 

Once we'd made the TF decision, we got a QS to do a detailed estimate (still no drawings at this stage, in fact we never bothered with more drawings from architect post planning as the TF firm did all we needed). We used this estimate to sense check quotes and look for savings.

 

N.B. You've not mentioned whether your plot is greenfield and needs services, access etc or if you're doing a demolition.

 

[nod]

1 hour ago, Indy said:

Following on from the other thread I've posted in the new build section, I now have a final set of plans that will be submitted for formal approval this week (hopefully). Obviously, can't predict what the planners will come back with but assuming that the overall space/design stays roughly the same and I want to utilise the time between planning being submitted and granted (could be 6m from the worst case reports I'm hearing!).

 

From a chat with my architects, who are incredibly helpful and pragmatic - we should be estimating £3500/sq m. At a floor space of 300sq m - this would put the build cost over £1m, which is bonkers and totally unaffordable. I guess what I'm trying to understand is whether these are on the pessimistic side or should I just give up and accept reality (which in turn could even mean selling the plot without the build as we can't really afford that build much).

 

I see figures of £2k to £2.5k bandied about, which I'm guessing are ex VAT which is fine as ours is a new build so VAT exempt. That makes it slightly more palatable at bringing the cost down to say £600k - £750k.

 

As a bit of background, both my wife and I are not really DIY enthusiasts. I do odd jobs around the house but that in no way translates to building a house. Both of us are competent at project management, but

(a) This is not in the construction industry

(b) Have incredibly demanding full time jobs

(c) 2 young kids to look after

So I'm not really sure taking over PM for a new build will be the wisest decision. I am reading up as much as I can, attending all webinars, NSRBC fairs etc to get myself as familiar as I can.

 

Floorplans etc are all here

https://ibb.co/H4TzPj7
https://ibb.co/Dp2jj6P
https://ibb.co/JcR6NB3
https://ibb.co/FXk5tvy

 

So my question is, what should be the next step? Do I contact a QS or estimators online to get a BoQ (unpriced), use the service at Travis Perkins etc or just wait until we have technical drawings to talk to builders who will come back with build costs?

 

EDIT: Forgot to add location, we're in Elmbridge (Surrey) - which is a fairly pricey part of the South East so I do expect things to be more expensive generally.

 

Just to add what others have said 

We have taken the triangular glass out on two vaulted ceiling’s Which gives a massive saving 

[Indy]

33 minutes ago, nod said:

We have 416 m and we will be around a third of that 

I'd be very interested to hear you managed that? Doing some of the work yourself, or just acting as the PM (i.e. organising trades, finding the cheapest materials etc)?

[Haylingbilly]

This does seem like a high build cost for the design but some points to clarify

What are you looking at for material choices for outside walls, roof, windows etc? Zinc roof, trendy cladding and fancy windows  will push the cost up and set the tone for the choice and cost of materials for the rest of the build.

What are your ground conditions like? (phone the local building control - they will have an idea if you don't know)

Any access or other constraints that will add time and complexity to the build

How close to the boundary are you building?

 

 

[Indy]

18 minutes ago, Bitpipe said:

 

To be blunt, you have three choices.

 

1) find the gap in your £1M budget and keep your shoes clean.

2) exit your comfort zone and get involved in the build

3) quit your project.

 

We ticked all the same boxes as you - zero experience, zero DIY talent, and we also had busy jobs and small kids. In Berkshire so same neck of woods cost wise. We were also looking at unaffordable costs for our 400m2 home but managed to get it in for £1500/m2 back in 2016. Appreciate that there has been a lot of inflation since but £2k-2.5k/m2 should still be very doable.

 

£3500 /m2 is a very premium price - no doubt you could spend that but it feels very top end. 

 

Using a single main contractor is always the most expensive route as they will price contingency and management overhead into their costs.

 

However as a self builder, you don't need to get your hands dirty, you just need to organise trades, contracts and occasionally materials and preferably live on site (which will save you £££ on rent especially in the SE). A laptop and phone plus a tape measure will be your main tools.

 

When you get planning, the decision on what to build your house from is still an open question. Planners only care about the external appearance.

 

So, assuming you're successful, you now need to spend some time evaluating different build methods. Get budgetary quotes from builders assuming brick & block. Shop your planning drawings around timber frame companies to get frame costs. Talk to ICF firms for their perspective. You don't need detailed drawings to do this (indeed, having such drawings assumes you've already made that decision).

 

Everything aside from the frame will be the same  - roofing, windows, exterior cladding, internal fix & finish, landscaping etc.

 

Timber frames lend themselves to self project managing as many of the structural issues are addressed in the one package - sometimes even foundation systems. We went that route (getting a separate contractor to demolish the existing and build a basement). From there on it was straightforward to source trades to complete each stage and get ahead of the next few steps.

 

Once we'd made the TF decision, we got a QS to do a detailed estimate (still no drawings at this stage, in fact we never bothered with more drawings from architect post planning as the TF firm did all we needed). We used this estimate to sense check quotes and look for savings.

 

N.B. You've not mentioned whether your plot is greenfield and needs services, access etc or if you're doing a demolition.

 

 

 

Very useful info and I'll try and reply to the main points:

1. Its not a greenfield site. It currently has a 1950s bungalow (100sq m) on it that we wanted to refurbish but the architect recommended a demolish and rebuild approach due to size and scale of changes that we planned, and the VAT savings.

 

2. In terms of the 3 options that I outlined, there's only 1 really viable option

a) find the gap in your £1M budget and keep your shoes clean.

Can't do this as much as I'd like, and even the £2.5k figure is going to stretch us to breaking point as it is (with loans from family factored in).

 

c) quit your project.

Don't want to do it - it took us over a year to find this property and the location is perfect. Schools, transport, access to green spaces, community feel etc all work for us and more importantly - the garden is big enough AND facing the right way.

 

b) exit your comfort zone and get involved in the build

This is the path we'll end up taking but I'm trying to understand whether its worth it. Will my eagerness to help and gung ho attitude make up for total lack of experience? I've heard horror stories of being ripped off by builders, trades, suppliers as soon as they know you're a newbie to the industry.

 

3. Construction method wise, I'm not tied into any but Timber frame looked to be a suitable option due to the speed and the fact that you get a watertight shell built in weeks rather than months. I'll be taking the design to a few now and start the conversations, but one company I did speak to earlier (Dan-Wood) indicated that this was too bespoke of a design and they couldn't deliver it without major changes. Cost is going to be the primary driver and the architects are suggesting TF will end up being slightly more expensive than blocks and brick, with the advantage of speed.

 

I will also look into ICF and speak to a few companies but any suggestions on either TF or ICF builders that work in the SE area would be greatly appreciated.
 

 

[Indy]

19 minutes ago, Andy brown said:

This does seem like a high build cost for the design but some points to clarify

What are you looking at for material choices for outside walls, roof, windows etc? Zinc roof, trendy cladding and fancy windows  will push the cost up and set the tone for the choice and cost of materials for the rest of the build.

What are your ground conditions like? (phone the local building control - they will have an idea if you don't know)

Any access or other constraints that will add time and complexity to the build

How close to the boundary are you building?

 

 

 

Material choices - outside will be brick with tiles on the roof. Not sure about fancy cladding but I do like the timeless look of brick houses.

Windows, glazing wise - we're going to go for the best we can afford without being OTT. The big expense is going to be the 6m sliding doors on the GF, for which I want the slimmest profile doors to maximise views to the garden. The focus will be to get high quality materials for the fabric of the building - insulation, UFH, ASHP, MVHR and then do the internals slowly as the funds will allow.

Ground conditions - don't know, but there is currently a bungalow that we'll demolish and relay the foundations so should be fairly straight forward.

Access constraints - not a big issue. We're right next to a major 2 lane road with access via a dropped kerb, but a very slight incline up to get to get to our property. There's a few trees/small brick wall at the front currently - all of which will be cleared as part of the site cleanup and prep activities.

Distance from boundary - at least 1m on all sides (on the planners recommendation), with the front being about 1.3m narrowing to 1m towards the rear of the house (as the plot isn't exactly a rectangle and narrows down).

[Haylingbilly]

16 minutes ago, Indy said:

Ground conditions - don't know, but there is currently a bungalow that we'll demolish and relay the foundations so should be fairly straight forward.

 

I am not sure that is a safe assumption, if you want to get clarity on build cost, ground conditions is one of the first to get sorted. A call to building control and or a ground survey would be time and money well spent. 

 

Otherwise your answers make me think £2000-£2500 is a more reasonable build cost...

[Buzz]

2 hours ago, Indy said:

So my question is, what should be the next step? Do I contact a QS or estimators online to get a BoQ (unpriced), use the service at Travis Perkins etc or just wait until we have technical drawings to talk to builders who will come back with build costs?

Personally i would start by sounding out different builders/trades locally ,  get estimates from builders who will quote to build up to the shell with roof and tiles including groundworks and drainage . these will only be an estimate at this time but will give you a good feel as to where you need to be £ per m2. 

[saveasteading]

3 hours ago, Indy said:

we should be estimating £3500/sq m. At a floor space of 300sq m - this would put the build cost over £1m, which is bonkers

For interest, what would that sell for when complete?

£1M to build plus all land and all fees, and something for yourself (20%) for risk and hassle. 

I'm not surprised the architect is being really helpful and pragmatic. Are they anticipating a percentage of a high build cost?

 

Test their pragmatism and tell them a build budget. Plus some incentive like they don't get paid if it goes over.

 

It is a simple design with plenty of internal walls so can be timber frame based. That will also reduce the amount you need Surrey builders.

The more that comes in the package the less you need trades and also helps speed.

eg the insulation and inner walls can be included, even wired and with windows and doors fitted

 

I have built in Surrey, and had to take Kent workers there to get a sensible price and work ethic, and Kent is hardly cheap.

 

As my other post, get rid of fake chimney. The planners are always surprised to hear it is fake but can't justify it when smoke is bad and wasting materials is bad ....and i could list 5 more reasons. So that is £2,000 saved and just another £198,000 to find...but I think you can.

[joe90]

24 minutes ago, Buzz said:

Personally i would start by sounding out different builders/trades locally ,  get estimates from builders who will quote to build up to the shell with roof and tiles including groundworks and drainage . these will only be an estimate at this time but will give you a good feel as to where you need to be £ per m2. 

My builder did a firm quote fir founds, shell, roof and plastering and I did all the rest.

[Dave Jones]

what is the GDV of the site when finished ?

 

 

[Bitpipe]

18 minutes ago, Indy said:

 

 

Very useful info and I'll try and reply to the main points:

1. Its not a greenfield site. It currently has a 1950s bungalow (100sq m) on it that we wanted to refurbish but the architect recommended a demolish and rebuild approach due to size and scale of changes that we planned, and the VAT savings.

 

2. In terms of the 3 options that I outlined, there's only 1 really viable option

a) find the gap in your £1M budget and keep your shoes clean.

Can't do this as much as I'd like, and even the £2.5k figure is going to stretch us to breaking point as it is (with loans from family factored in).

 

c) quit your project.

Don't want to do it - it took us over a year to find this property and the location is perfect. Schools, transport, access to green spaces, community feel etc all work for us and more importantly - the garden is big enough AND facing the right way.

 

b) exit your comfort zone and get involved in the build

This is the path we'll end up taking but I'm trying to understand whether its worth it. Will my eagerness to help and gung ho attitude make up for total lack of experience? I've heard horror stories of being ripped off by builders, trades, suppliers as soon as they know you're a newbie to the industry.

 

3. Construction method wise, I'm not tied into any but Timber frame looked to be a suitable option due to the speed and the fact that you get a watertight shell built in weeks rather than months. I'll be taking the design to a few now and start the conversations, but one company I did speak to earlier (Dan-Wood) indicated that this was too bespoke of a design and they couldn't deliver it without major changes. Cost is going to be the primary driver and the architects are suggesting TF will end up being slightly more expensive than blocks and brick, with the advantage of speed.

 

I will also look into ICF and speak to a few companies but any suggestions on either TF or ICF builders that work in the SE area would be greatly appreciated.
 

 

 

 

Talk to MBC, and some others - if you keep getting the same feedback then you'll need to tweak your design but to be honest it does not look that radical, we have a 6m wide 3m deep cantilevered box sticking out of the front of our house and MBC did not blink.

 

[Indy]

25 minutes ago, saveasteading said:

For interest, what would that sell for when complete?

£1M to build plus all land and all fees, and something for yourself (20%) for risk and hassle. 

I'm not surprised the architect is being really helpful and pragmatic. Are they anticipating a percentage of a high build cost?

 

Test their pragmatism and tell them a build budget. Plus some incentive like they don't get paid if it goes over.

 

It is a simple design with plenty of internal walls so can be timber frame based. That will also reduce the amount you need Surrey builders.

The more that comes in the package the less you need trades and also helps speed.

eg the insulation and inner walls can be included, even wired and with windows and doors fitted

 

I have built in Surrey, and had to take Kent workers there to get a sensible price and work ethic, and Kent is hardly cheap.

 

As my other post, get rid of fake chimney. The planners are always surprised to hear it is fake but can't justify it when smoke is bad and wasting materials is bad ....and i could list 5 more reasons. So that is £2,000 saved and just another £198,000 to find...but I think you can.

 

Nothing as such for the architect, they're engaged only to provide the plans and drawings and have so far discouraged me from engaging them for PM activities. It's a small firm and I met one of the partners online through another forum, and he's been super helpful with a lot of 'free advice' so far, but its getting to the point where I need a constant sounding board and he's advised me that future enquiries may be charged for at their hourly rate (which is fair enough).

 

Any recommendations on TF companies, or are they are all the same? Where, apart from checkatrade, mybuilder, houzz would I start looking?

 

As for the final value - I'm estimating in the region of £1.8 to £2m, based on a value of £600/sq ft that I've seen in the area recently. At that level, it would just about break even for us as the plot wasn't cheap. The plan is not do up and sell, but live here for the next 20 odd years till the younger one (currently 1yr old) has shipped off to uni and then move afterwards as access to schools won't be a requirement anymore.

[Bitpipe]

1 hour ago, Andy brown said:

I am not sure that is a safe assumption, if you want to get clarity on build cost, ground conditions is one of the first to get sorted. A call to building control and or a ground survey would be time and money well spent. 

 

Yup - you don't need to spend a fortune initially but any SE who is designing your foundation (whether as part of the TF package or standalone) will want to see some kind of ground report.

 

You can always take a punt and have the groundworkers start digging but very risky should it not go well. 

 

1 minute ago, Indy said:

 

Nothing as such for the architect, they're engaged only to provide the plans and drawings and have so far discouraged me from engaging them for PM activities. It's a small firm and I met one of the partners online through another forum, and he's been super helpful with a lot of 'free advice' so far, but its getting to the point where I need a constant sounding board and he's advised me that future enquiries may be charged for at their hourly rate (which is fair enough).

 

That's not a bad position to be in. We discharged our own planning conditions (not hard) and did our own liaison with a private building inspector firm who were great. Saved a bunch on architect fees (£15k). Aside from the TF detailed drawings, we never had a set of drawings for the build but no one ever seemed interested in them anyway, once the shell is up that is what your trades will be coming to look at and quote against.

 

A QS spreadsheet is useful though as they will calculate areas and volumes etc which speeds up getting quotes and gives you a baseline to compare against. 

 

1 minute ago, Indy said:

 

Any recommendations on TF companies, or are they are all the same? Where, apart from checkatrade, mybuilder, houzz would I start looking?

 

No, they are not all the same. They vary greatly in what they provide as standard and extra. Some are more experienced than others in delivering a low energy airtight shell. 

 

Start by googling timber frame suppliers and look here for some recommendations. We used MBC and were very happy, but they are far from the cheapest - you do get a complete package though, including passive slab foundation.

 

You may be able to augment a simpler, cheaper quote with local joinery services (internal stud walls etc) but that can mean more local labour and supply of materials. Also look out for expectations to provide your own cranage, safety systems etc etc.

 

I had a spreadsheet of what was in and out and what the equivalent costs were.

 

My rule in our build was to do supply and fit as much as possible as it was all zero rated at source and maximised cash flow. We directly bought some items like velux windows, internal doors, MVHR system (self install) and sanitary wear when we could get a good deal or were wanting a specific look.

 

Anything you source directly you can claim VAT back on at the end of the build, but just once so best not to tie up too much cash in that if you can help it.

 

1 minute ago, Indy said:

 

As for the final value - I'm estimating in the region of £1.8 to £2m, based on a value of £600/sq ft that I've seen in the area recently. At that level, it would just about break even for us as the plot wasn't cheap. The plan is not do up and sell, but live here for the next 20 odd years till the younger one (currently 1yr old) has shipped off to uni and then move afterwards as access to schools won't be a requirement anymore.

 

Good plan, similar to us.

[nod]

2 hours ago, Indy said:

I'd be very interested to hear you managed that? Doing some of the work yourself, or just acting as the PM (i.e. organising trades, finding the cheapest materials etc)?

Our previous build came in at 815m 

Three years ago On atrocious ground 

We have good ground this time So should be able to make a large saving on that 

Materials have gone up But we are hoping to come in under 400 k 

Lots of shopping around 

I’m 60 now But as with our previous build Expect to do most things ourselves 

[Indy]

11 minutes ago, nod said:

Our previous build came in at 815m 

Three years ago On atrocious ground 

We have good ground this time So should be able to make a large saving on that 

Materials have gone up But we are hoping to come in under 400 k 

Lots of shopping around 

I’m 60 now But as with our previous build Expect to do most things ourselves 

Thanks, that's good to know but the situation is quite different to us where I won't have the knowledge or skill to do this on my own. I plan to give most things a go and help out where I can, though do realise the extent of my abilities!

[saveasteading]

52 minutes ago, Indy said:

till the younger one (currently 1yr old) has shipped off to uni

Pressure already/ More money as a plumber or bricky, as I was always telling teenagers at careers days.

 

Roe Timber from Margate. perhaps yours is too small but worth asking.

You can just send a full disclosure enquiry to them....own project, here are the drawings, architect not retained, is it of interest?

[saveasteading]

5 minutes ago, Indy said:

do realise the extent of my abilities!

That is a very good start, and you will get help here, but you probably need a biggish general builder or a PM.

[Indy]

47 minutes ago, Bitpipe said:

 

Yup - you don't need to spend a fortune initially but any SE who is designing your foundation (whether as part of the TF package or standalone) will want to see some kind of ground report.

 

You can always take a punt and have the groundworkers start digging but very risky should it not go well. 

Thanks, hadn't really clocked that a ground survey would be required. We did have a topographic survey done though that was more for the architects' benefit in the end.

 

47 minutes ago, Bitpipe said:

 

That's not a bad position to be in. We discharged our own planning conditions (not hard) and did our own liaison with a private building inspector firm who were great. Saved a bunch on architect fees (£15k). Aside from the TF detailed drawings, we never had a set of drawings for the build but no one ever seemed interested in them anyway, once the shell is up that is what your trades will be coming to look at and quote against.

 

A QS spreadsheet is useful though as they will calculate areas and volumes etc which speeds up getting quotes and gives you a baseline to compare against. 

 

Yeah, one of the things that led them to discourage from engaging on as full PM/build activities is that they're physically in another part of the country. Any visits on site from them would incur huge travel charges (either on the train or per mile), so not really a cost effective option.

 

I do plan on getting a QS spreadsheet so that I have some idea of what to expect and can use that to talk to builders and not appear totally naive. So far, I have estimators online and plan to use the paid Travis Perkins option as well. Would be great if you could share yours so I can use as another reference point?

 

47 minutes ago, Bitpipe said:

 

No, they are not all the same. They vary greatly in what they provide as standard and extra. Some are more experienced than others in delivering a low energy airtight shell. 

 

Start by googling timber frame suppliers and look here for some recommendations. We used MBC and were very happy, but they are far from the cheapest - you do get a complete package though, including passive slab foundation.

 

You may be able to augment a simpler, cheaper quote with local joinery services (internal stud walls etc) but that can mean more local labour and supply of materials. Also look out for expectations to provide your own cranage, safety systems etc etc.

 

Pretty much what I had in mind. The first company I spoke to (Dan-Wood) offered a complete turnkey service with very competitive prices and were zero VAT rated, which is what attracted me to them in the first place. After a few discussions, it became clear that we'd be tied into their system and architects and they weren't too keen on a bespoke design so I left it there.

 

A single supplier that handles the slab and then getting the shell up sounds like a good idea, and like you said - they'll be zero rated for VAT. Will reach out to MBC and start my Google Fu!

 

47 minutes ago, Bitpipe said:

I had a spreadsheet of what was in and out and what the equivalent costs were.

 

My rule in our build was to do supply and fit as much as possible as it was all zero rated at source and maximised cash flow. We directly bought some items like velux windows, internal doors, MVHR system (self install) and sanitary wear when we could get a good deal or were wanting a specific look.

 

Anything you source directly you can claim VAT back on at the end of the build, but just once so best not to tie up too much cash in that if you can help it.

 

 

I assume you retain all the VAT invoices and they have to be in your name to do this, but then its all reclaimable once the BC certificate is issued at the end?

 

[Faz]

My 3,000 sq ft build is nearly done (carpets in a weeks time) and has cost £110 psf. I am the site manager, handyman, labourer and forkie mind. Fairly high spec - MVHR, timber floors throughout on gf, ali windows etc etc etc.

 

With the build cost inflation that has taken place this year I would have thought that this cost would be +30 - 40% starting now. Screed - +100%, anything timber - +70 - 100%, Steel - don't know but a massive %, internal doors - +50%, timber flooring - +100% to name a few....

[saveasteading]

2 minutes ago, Indy said:

any SE who is designing your foundation

A local SE will be 90% confident of what will be there, and advise on whether a complex survey is required or a few holes which he can inspect.