Is brick and block cheaper than SIP with brick slip?

[flanagaj]

Our build has been spec'd as brick / block.  Estimators online have come back with 340k for a 200m2 house with oak cladding / aluminium windows and seam sealed roof.   After I have tweaked the numbers for the tasks I intend doing myself and removed the associated project manager, site labourer (runner) I have got the price down to 267k.  I have achieved this as follows.

1) Removed the roof installation cost (going on Catnic course as installing myself),

2) Cladding installation

3) Decorators. 

 

I can probably shave some more off of this price, as I intend on doing a fair amount of first / second fix carpentry myself.  The roof is a simple low dual pitch with no hips or valleys (rafters are only 4.5m), so on reflection that is probably cheaper for me to cut the roof myself as opposed to using the trusses that were spec'd by estimators online.

I really do need to pull this build in as cheaply as possible, as my wife and I do not want to have to sell it post construction.   We fully understand that we might be doing this build for 3-5 years, but it's our dream plot and we understand that roughing it in a static is a small price to pay to enable us to have a dream home for our retirement.

I have digressed somewhat, and what I was really wanting to ask is whether a SIP / brick slip (me installing brick slips) lower build would come in cheaper than if I was to construct with brick / block (labour only brickie, ~ £1 / brick).  I could send off for a revised estimators online quote for SIP / brick slip, but I thought someone on here might simply say "yes, it will be cheaper, or no, it will be more expensive"

As always, appreciate the wisdom out there.

[Thorfun]

11 minutes ago, flanagaj said:

so on reflection that is probably cheaper for me to cut the roof myself as opposed to using the trusses that were spec'd by estimators online.

Ignoring costs this is one thing I wish we’d done. It would’ve made fitting the airtight membrane so much easier without having to cut around trusses. 

[Thorfun]

Why SIP specifically and not also compare to timber frame? SIPs don’t perform well acoustically afaik due to the PIR insulation sandwich. 
with TF you can fill with other insulation to make it perform better acoustically. 
 

also, if you want to do work yourself and save money and have 3-5yrs then you could do what we did and get an open timber frame and do the insulation yourself. 
 

search for my blog on here to see what we did. 

Edited Sunday at 09:27 by Thorfun
Added blog reference

[flanagaj]

52 minutes ago, Thorfun said:

Why SIP specifically and not also compare to timber frame? SIPs don’t perform well acoustically afaik due to the PIR insulation sandwich. 
with TF you can fill with other insulation to make it perform better acoustically. 
 

also, if you want to do work yourself and save money and have 3-5yrs then you could do what we did and get an open timber frame and do the insulation yourself. 
 

search for my blog on here to see what we did. 

Thanks.  I hadn't considered a timber frame.  I will have a look at your blog.  Did you choose timber frame for cost reasons, speed of build  ... ?

[nod]

2 hours ago, flanagaj said:

Our build has been spec'd as brick / block.  Estimators online have come back with 340k for a 200m2 house with oak cladding / aluminium windows and seam sealed roof.   After I have tweaked the numbers for the tasks I intend doing myself and removed the associated project manager, site labourer (runner) I have got the price down to 267k.  I have achieved this as follows.

1) Removed the roof installation cost (going on Catnic course as installing myself),

2) Cladding installation

3) Decorators. 

 

I can probably shave some more off of this price, as I intend on doing a fair amount of first / second fix carpentry myself.  The roof is a simple low dual pitch with no hips or valleys (rafters are only 4.5m), so on reflection that is probably cheaper for me to cut the roof myself as opposed to using the trusses that were spec'd by estimators online.

I really do need to pull this build in as cheaply as possible, as my wife and I do not want to have to sell it post construction.   We fully understand that we might be doing this build for 3-5 years, but it's our dream plot and we understand that roughing it in a static is a small price to pay to enable us to have a dream home for our retirement.

I have digressed somewhat, and what I was really wanting to ask is whether a SIP / brick slip (me installing brick slips) lower build would come in cheaper than if I was to construct with brick / block (labour only brickie, ~ £1 / brick).  I could send off for a revised estimators online quote for SIP / brick slip, but I thought someone on here might simply say "yes, it will be cheaper, or no, it will be more expensive"

As always, appreciate the wisdom out there.

Your probably looking around 30% cheaper for a solid build 

[flanagaj]

2 minutes ago, nod said:

Your probably looking around 30% cheaper for a solid build 

Ok.  That is a significant sum of money.  Given we will be living on site and getting the build done for less money is a far greater priority than getting it completed quickly, I think I won't bother with the SIP option.

[nod]

30 minutes ago, flanagaj said:

Ok.  That is a significant sum of money.  Given we will be living on site and getting the build done for less money is a far greater priority than getting it completed quickly, I think I won't bother with the SIP option.

I should have added That sips TF is super quick and convenient 

But with anything building related 

Speed comes at a price 

We are just finishing off our second build Having done most things ourselves 

Under £1000 m2 both times 

[JohnMo]

Why not ICF, pretty easy DIY option. Our walls (200m² single storey upto 3.5m tall) took two of us 4 weeks start to finish.

[flanagaj]

Just now, JohnMo said:

Why not ICF, pretty easy DIY option. Our walls (200m² single storey upto 3.5m tall) took two of us 4 weeks start to finish.

 

Does the same logic apply for a two storey property.  You just keep raising the scaffolding and pumping in the concrete?

[crispy_wafer]

Brick/block 200 sq/m and about 215k flooring/kitchen/skimming and bathrooms to finish and this is me diying it from watertight.  Targeting < 250k, but we will be taking a kitchen from rehome etc as this will see us through 5 years or so till I’ve got money for replacement, but even saying that if we choose wisely it could be longer.  Not really skimped on anything other than trades so far.  5yrs and counting 

🤣

Edited Sunday at 12:27 by crispy_wafer

[flanagaj]

25 minutes ago, crispy_wafer said:

Brick/block 200 sq/m and about 215k flooring/kitchen/skimming and bathrooms to finish and this is me diying it from watertight.  Targeting < 250k, but we will be taking a kitchen from rehome etc as this will see us through 5 years or so till I’ve got money for replacement, but even saying that if we choose wisely it could be longer.  Not really skimped on anything other than trades so far.  5yrs and counting 

🤣

Great to hear.  So both @Nod and yourself are my inspiration for my build.

[nod]

2 minutes ago, flanagaj said:

Great to hear.  So both @Nod and yourself are my inspiration for my build.

😁

[Nickfromwales]

30 minutes ago, flanagaj said:

Great to hear.  So both @Nod and yourself are my inspiration for my build.

How hands on are you in terms of heavy graft, 1st & 2nd fix carpentry, boarding, floor coverings etc? 
 

@nod is a 1 man army, and multidisciplinary, hence his very low costs.

 

Good to see you’ve gone through an estimator as that’s always a sobering process, obvs with the aim of deleting what / who you can and replacing with your own time and skills.

[crispy_wafer]

36 minutes ago, flanagaj said:

Great to hear.  So both @Nod and yourself are my inspiration for my build.

It’s very achievable, the only problem being time, don’t set unrealistic time targets.  I’m not flogging myself into the ground either, as a family we’ve got to live life too, that’s how I’ve gone about it.

 

ive made mistakes, but nothing expensive in terms of material cost, just time!  Be prepared to learn, mistakes happen, but hey, so what, we keep fighting, and we’ll do better next time. If you get p’ssed off, tools down shut the door go and have a cuppa.

[flanagaj]

2 hours ago, Nickfromwales said:

How hands on are you in terms of heavy graft, 1st & 2nd fix carpentry, boarding, floor coverings etc? 
 

@nod is a 1 man army, and multidisciplinary, hence his very low costs.

 

Good to see you’ve gone through an estimator as that’s always a sobering process, obvs with the aim of deleting what / who you can and replacing with your own time and skills.

Very hands on.  Will do footings myself, all 1st and 2nd fix carpentry, plumbing.  Appreciate this is going to seriously push out our build time, but if it keeps cost down, then it's a win.

[Thorfun]

6 hours ago, flanagaj said:

Thanks.  I hadn't considered a timber frame.  I will have a look at your blog.  Did you choose timber frame for cost reasons, speed of build  ... ?

Environmental reasons mostly to reduce our carbon footprint as we had sh!t loads of concrete in the basement so didn’t want any above ground. 

[JohnMo]

7 hours ago, flanagaj said:

 

Does the same logic apply for a two storey property.  You just keep raising the scaffolding and pumping in the concrete?

Pretty much.

[JohnMo]

Doing it again, I would most likely do a version of twin stud construction. And construction stick build on site. No big deposits to companies, builders merchants only delivery as required.