How Long Did yer Build take?

Salmon

Hi all,

Lots of self-builders on here so as i'm currently starting the blocks on a new build i thought it'd be interesting to see how long builds took all folk on here?
Maybe if we could start a list broken down like this it might be useful for others!:

Build type (direct-labour, contractor, etc):
House Size:
Construction method (Cavity, Timberframe):
Planning process length:
Start date:
Finish (or expected) finish date:
Months to complete:
Lessons Learned:
% over or under budget:
Price per ft2:

There may be additional information that would be helpful for people, feel free to add to this if you wish!

construct06

Build type - direct-labour
House Size - 3000 SQ. FT.
Construction method - Cavity
Planning process length: 8 weeks
Start date: june '04
Finish finish date - finished
Months to complete - 24 months
Lessons Learned - plan ahead, kepp after people even if u feel its too early....
% over or under budget - about on target ( can get carried away with internals after all ur hard work and scrinmping and saving on the externals)

Price per ft2: approx. €50

Salmon

Thats a great price per ft2!! I always wondered if there was a certain amount to be gained by economies of scale when building a house. I hope to build my 3200 ft2 for €70 per ft2 excluding the site price!! That gives me some encouragement although I know prices may have gone up since you started! Was the house fully finished when u moved in construct?

Musha

Build type direct-labour (Selfbuild did a lot of work ourselves)

House Size:2400sqft + garage
Construction method Cavity,
Planning process length: bought site will plans
Start date: Nov 2003
Finish july 2004
Months to complete:9mths would have been less if the blocklayers had not disappeared set us back by 4 weeks
Lessons Learned:don't trust blocklayers
% over or under budget: about even
Price per ft2 53 euro
add approx 3000 for landscaping and stone for drive.

That was for the completed house, tiled, carpeted and extra furniture and kitchen appls

twenty8

Build type Contractor
House Size: 3,500
Construction method Cavity
Planning process length: 3 months
Start date: July 06
Finish (or expected) finish date: Builder off site early Feb 07 - tilers etc after that
Months to complete: 8 months
Lessons Learned: watch for hidden costs - everywhere!!
% over or under budget: On budget - apart for extras requested - entrances, drive, stonework, extra velux etc
Price per ft2: 110 - to finish to up pink skim. Includes windows, doors, architraves, skirting, electrics, plumbing etc.

A once in a lifetime project.....

squire1

Build type - Contractor ( Foundation & shell) - Direct Labour roof, plaster, elec, plumbing.
House Size - 2000 SQ. FT.
Construction method - Cavity Block
Planning process length: 6 months
Start date: August 05
Finish finish date - April 06
Months to complete - 9 months
Lessons Learned - Keep a very close eye on all tradesmen until you are confident they are up to the job. Do not be afraid to sack a tradesman immediately if he is not working to your standards. Dont leave your tools where tradesmen can find them. I've nothing against tradesmen really, just one in particular.
% over or under budget - More or less on target for build. Fitting out/decorating is another matter. Still ongoing (does it ever stop?)

Price Sq Ft : €80. How did you guys do it so cheap?

lastbuilders

Build type - Direct Labour.
House Size - 2700 SQ. FT.
Construction method - Timber Frame
Planning process length: 4 months as turned down once
Start date after planning gained: December 05
Finish finish date\ Moving in date - December 06
Months to complete - 12 months but not finished drive, piers, fence, landscaping
Lessons Learned - keep close eye on trades.

% over or under budget - Bit over budget but less than agreed mortgage

Price Sq Ft : €75.Does not include site price. Includes detached garage, kitchen, floors, tiling, wood pellet boiler, HRV system, plumbing, elec etc.

Lastbuilders

Build type (direct-labour, contractor, etc): Direct Labour for roof & floor screed & DIY for everthing else.
House Size: 200m2
Construction method (Cavity, Timberframe): ICF
Planning process length: 12 weeks (second time around)
Start date: August 2004
Finish (or expected) finish date: Spring 2007, excluding garage & landscaping
Months to complete:18 months (long pauses in construction)
Lessons Learned: Most things take longer & are harder than you think!
% over or under budget: +20% (forgot to include 'essential items' like fees, service connection charges & insurance)
Price per ft2: €80, including kitchen & Bathroom, but excluding garage & landscaping

smashey

I can see this thread providing some good information to people here.

Sticky.

AJL

Build type (direct-labour, contractor, etc): direct labour
House Size:3400 sqft
Construction method (Cavity, Timberframe): Kinspan Tek with single block outer leaf
Planning process length:8 weeks
Start date: July 07
Finish (or expected) finish date: April 07
Months to complete:9 months
Lessons Learned:Get good tradesmen that you can trust even if it costs that bit more
% over or under budget:16%
Price per ft2:105 cant believe you can do it for less than 80.Well done to those that did.

Cushtie

Location: Limerick County
Build type (direct-labour, contractor, etc): direct labour
House Size:2800 sqft
Construction method: Cavity
Planning process length: 8 weeks ish
Start date: NOVEMBER 05
Finish (or expected) finish date: Hopefully May 2007
Months to complete:19 Hopefully
Lessons Learned: there is no such thing as a stupid question? Family members doing part of the build are great but can also be a right pain on the ass, Don't let it consume you. Take the odd weekend off and don't even look at it. I could write a book of lessons learned!!!

% over or under budget: Looks to be coming in ok but will Know at the end

Price per ft2: €70 if it stays on budget (Not Including price of site)

pops

Build Type - Direct Labour
House Size - 1800 sq ft
Construction Method - Block built
Planning Process lenghth - 4 months
Started - December 2004
Finish - 2 Weeks time!
Months to Complete - 26
Lessons learnt - Pay the extra for an experienced tradesperson
% over budget - 10%
Price per ft2 - 110, including geothermal heating, woodpellet stove, high-spec floors, doors etc. biocycle, groundworks, furniture & fittings.
(this is my first post!)

DanPOOL

Build type - direct-labour
House Size - 2650 SQ. FT.
Construction method - Timber Frame - Woodhouse TF
Planning process length: 16 weeks
Start date: Nov '05
Finish finish date - July '06
Months to complete - 8 months
Lessons Learned -
1. dont skimp on important things like heat system or windows: cheap is dear in the long run.
2. be ruthless with builders/trades because they will be ruthless with you.
3. go Timber Frame - solid 6" construction, meets the same regs that block houses do, warmer than a block house could ever be and easy to use as a self builder.
3. patience with 'good' trades repays in the end - but watch them like they were children, they'll try anything!
Price per ft2: approx. €56

Builderwoman!

€50, 53 and 56 per sq foot...God lads how the heck did you manage that? Sorry to be nosey...but does that include fitted kitchen, wardrobes, outside paths, driveway, garage, additional insulation, good windows stuff like that?
Did you also do a lot of work on site yourselves??

Kashkai

My build will run to €120 sq ft and I thought that was reasonable (I had gotten quotes that worked out at €160 sq ft.

My build will include everything bar the kitchen and floors so I think its not too bad for someone caught in the "Greater Dublin" hyper expense zone:eek:

muffler

This particular thread is worth its weight in gold so to speak. What I would like to see is details posted up on completion of the works giving an account of price per sq. foot/metre, how much over or under budget, etc etc.

A brief statement would be great as it would be easy for other users to trawl through it and get a few ideas.

Thanks folks.

galwayrush

Location: Galway County
Build type direct labour
House Size:4200 sq ft plus 1000 sq ft attic
Construction method: Timber Frame
Planning process length: 10 months:mad:
Start date: december 04
Finish (or expected) finish date: Hopefully june 2007
Months to complete:30 +
Lessons Learned: Borrow enough to finish it faster

% over or under budget: well below, i'm a joiner,did my own raft made my own timber frame, doors, windows, internal joinery ( all solid Ash ) including a curved Ash staircase,

Price per ft2: €50 not counting any of my own labour and some bartering along the way.

muffler

Good post galwayrush. It would be great to get all the feeback in that format. Keep us updated when you are finished.

galwayrush

muffler wrote:

Good post galwayrush. It would be great to get all the feeback in that format. Keep us updated when you are finished.

Cheers Muffler.:cool:
The time factor did save us a fortune as it gave us time to work on the house in our spare time,having a deadline would mean we would have had to pay people to do stuff we could manage ourselves. and we had no rent, as we built our garage first and turned it into a small appartment, we reckon we've saved over 70 K in rent since we built the garage (or chalet) 7 years ago.This money obviously went into the house.Once we're in the house, we'll rent out the Chalet.
Another important thing is to shop around, take one example plastering slabs, we saved 2 euros a slab by shopping around, 600 slabs later, a saving of 1200 euros.
The house is high spec, all ceilings are double slabbed, joisting at 12" centres as opposed to 16".

yop

Location: Mayo County
Build type direct labour - a lot of self work!
House Size:2100 sq ft
Construction method: Timber Frame
Planning process length: 6 months
Start date: Arpil 05
Finish : Sept 06
Months to complete:16
Lessons Learned: Wait for the right trademen, no matter how long it takes. Get them to do the work, not some jumped up little apprentice who does not care about ur house, or his bosses rep. He can get another job no bother!
Better than weight watchers

% over or under budget: About 20% below - Did a lot of work ourselves so that brought it down. Estimated savings by doing it ourselves circa 40-45k euro


Price per ft2: €75 euro inc site, totally finished and furnished inside bar 1 room ( The now gym!!)

Deleted User

Deleted User wrote:

Build type (direct-labour, contractor, etc): Direct Labour for roof & floor screed & DIY for everthing else.
House Size: 200m2
Construction method (Cavity, Timberframe): ICF
Planning process length: 12 weeks (second time around)
Start date: August 2004
Finish (or expected) finish date: Spring 2007, excluding garage & landscaping
Months to complete:18 months (long pauses in construction)
Lessons Learned: Most things take longer & are harder than you think!
% over or under budget: +20% (forgot to include 'essential items' like fees, service connection charges & insurance)
Price per ft2: €80, including kitchen & Bathroom, but excluding garage & landscaping

Moving in date 11 May 2007, expect to finish (external) work on the main house autumn 2007

tradesman

quoting prices per sq ft is all very well but everyone has to be quoting to the same specified finish! remember, price isnt always everything. Dont forget you are not buying a product but a tradesmans hands, experience, skill and knowledge!

smashey

tradesman wrote:

quoting prices per sq ft is all very well but everyone has to be quoting to the same specified finish! remember, price isnt always everything. Dont forget you are not buying a product but a tradesmans hands, experience, skill and knowledge!

Indeed. :rolleyes: Prosperous Dave could tell you a thing or two about skill and knowledge.

Tradesman, I think we are all aware of this as the figures and posts in this thread will tell you.

tradesman

tradesman wrote:

quoting prices per sq ft is all very well but everyone has to be quoting to the same specified finish! remember, price isnt always everything. Dont forget you are not buying a product but a tradesmans hands, experience, skill and knowledge!

Many of us have done some (or in some cases most) of the work ourselves and that is reflected in the cost/ft. Good tradesman ARE worth their weight in gold when their services are needed.

There are several types of self-builder, ranging from those who tell the architect what thery want and wait for the keys!, to those who do the entire project themselves including all the construction.

It's one of the attractions of SELF-building is that you can stand back at the end of and say "I built that!" and save some money or have higher quality fittings in the house.

BadCharlie

Started my house may the 7th 2005. And am only living in my house since may the 7th 2007. So it took 2 years ouch!

Self Build
2501 sq Feet
Geo Thermal Heating.

sunnysoutheast

Build type (direct-labour, contractor, etc): contract for shell build, direct for 1st and 2nd fix plumb., elec., HRV
House Size: 450m2
Construction method (Cavity, Timberframe): Cavity, conc. 1st floor
Planning process length: usual, one request for FI (site bought with full PP)
Start date: May 2006
Finish (or expected) finish date: Weathertight June 2007. Livable Aug 2007.
Months to complete:15-16 months
Lessons Learned: research is vital, plan for the future (e.g. ducting for HRV, CAT5e/6). budget for the worst case. shop around for everything. good tradespeople are worth waiting for. make sure you're involved and onsite yourself as much as possible.
% over or under budget: probably +5 to 10%
Price per ft2: c.€120, including kitchen & bathrooms, but excluding landscaping

SSE

secman

jEEZ Sunnysoutheast,

4,842 sq foot!!!!! Must have cost a fortune to floor it ! Not to mention the heating bill this winter!!!

Best of luck with filling it


Secman

themadchef

we built a timber frame house (start aug 2003 ..moved in april 2004) by direct labour, approx size is 2800sq ft. total cost of build was 120k, thats everything down to the paint on the walls and turf in the fire . God bless the country workmen! did not include landscaping..a good 30k's worth id say on an acre site

Jollyman

€43/square foot i think that is some sort of record

squire1

Indeed. Fully kitted out and all? Care to let us in on your secrets themadchef? No wonder you could afford 30K on landscaping

themadchef

firstly when we built i thought we would get it done for 100k so actually 20 over budget in my eyes. not exactly paying city prices, live in the west so that helps. trying to remember exactly what each thing cost but the timber frame was a great help (think it was 33k..), when i got him to quote for timber frame, i knocked him down on price and told him if he throws in stairs, doors and, skirting, door saddles etc he had the job. first one in the area so i think he was looking at the long road.
local trades men all priced, took best quotes for all basics, floors, plasrering roof etc. hubby not exactly a DIY man so needed it all. kitchen is seven meters long, 9 wide (im a chef....hence mega kitchen) and heres the icing onthe cake. cheapest kitchen i priced with two level island was 10k!! so got local carpenter to build me one ..with very sexy island in pine with solid beech top for a staggering 2500euro!!!!!!!!! thats materials as well, sure he made a mistake ...must have.
solid timberfloor throughout whole house ..got great deal in Dundalk. when it came to laying it, one guy priced it at 3k !! so i asked another local guy who charged 100E a day (at the time) to work with it and see how he got on. done in 3 days! cost 300E. out side and inside painted for 1k local guy again 3 coat inside, 2 outside . i bought the paint. plasterer inside and out was 3k.....trying to remember roof was 6k i think. foundation and groundwork was around 9k. any way, basic thig was i was a bargain hunter, kept at them to do it for less, and smiled alot! dont have the lanscaping done yet but estimated at 30k ..not seroiusly thinking about it yet though. anyone need names etc of work men if they from Mayo, just pm. and bestof luck to new builders, i found it easy enough. but i think its easier in the country , you know personally who you are dealing with, and prices tend to be cheaper.

bigevelyn

My God Madchef those prices are amazing! Maybe the long dreamed of holiday home in Keel isn't as far away as i thought it was. Better get my own house built first, i suppose!

squire1

I think you are in the wrong buisness themadchef. Property development maybe?

secman

plastering inside and outside €3k ?

This I find incredibley hard to believe. For a nap exterior finish on a typical 2400 sq ft house would be €4500 and the inside would be €7500. And they would be the reasonable ones. !!!!!


yours
secman

smashey

secman wrote:

plastering inside and outside €3k ?

This I find incredibley hard to believe. For a nap exterior finish on a typical 2400 sq ft house would be €4500 and the inside would be €7500. And they would be the reasonable ones. !!!!!


yours
secman

Secman, look at themadchef's location. Achill Island. I think it is possible to get it for that rate.:) The more West/rural the location, the cheaper things get. Add in a good haggler like themadchef and it's not impossible.

themadchef

yeah i know it sounds insane but checked with hubby 3k was the total!, we were lucky we had the site, god bless daddy. sites that cost a bomb. Keel is a rip of Evelyn, sites and houses wayyyyyyyy over priced, the developers totally destroyed a unique village ..and worse still most of them were locals!

i am the bargain hunting queen........(or just lucky)..last month i went into debenahams in galway and picked up 4 pairs of curtains for my living room. the price on the wrapping was 450 euro a pair (FAINT) i paid ......... three euro!!!! three euro a pair, the lady said every thing with a red sticker was dropped to three euro and the curtains as i pointed out had a red sticker, as did all the other stuff i bought, light fittings etc all rrp of over 100 euro most of em anyway. filled 2 cars with stuff cost about 90 euro in total for well over 5k of goods ..drove home to empty car and return for more lovely cheap stuff to find out it was all a pricing error ROFL what a buzz. some times you just get lucky!

sinnerboy

Cant believe low cost folks - well done . Can people state locations please . Typical costs around Dublin have risen ( for contractor tendered work ) to around €200/250 ft2 ( inc VAT ) "turn-key" i.e. incl fittings and decorations + ext works

michael2368

how are you finding the geothermal system. is it expensive to run and who did you get to install it. I am considering installing it into my new house build

alibride

Well we are finally moving in friday week after 13 months of building!! Lots to do with the outside but the house is finished inside. Its a 2200sq ft house. here are some idea of the costs!! Best of luck to ye all
plumber 3.8k
Plasterer 11k
1st fix 12k
2nd fix 5k (6 rooms with solid wood floor)
Kitchen 14k (incl granite)
Bathroom ware 9k
Electrican 6k
Wood pellet boiler (inl flu, manifold, 300ltr tank etc) 18k
cant remember other prices as it seems so long ago now!!

steeo

Build type : contractor
House Size:1500 sqft
Construction method :Cavity outside with a Timberframe structure
Planning process length:8 weeks
Start date: September 06
Finish (or expected) finish date: December 06
Months to complete: 10 weeks start to finish
Lessons Learned:Get good tradesmen that you can trust even if it costs that bit more
% over or under budget:10%
Price per ft2: €103 which included an attic conversion and extended kitchen, house fully networked with Cat 5, alarmed and a printed concrete driveway.

snellers

103 euro using a contractor and in 10 weeks? fantastic stuff!! was this a new build on a 'green site' or an extension to existing property? - or was it maybe the timberframe that enabled extra speed?
just wondering as I am preparing myself for 12 months of grief to get my property up regardless of what anyone is saying - I will be going the timber frame route also so interested to know more!

forgot to ask also where are you based?

steeo

Based in Dublin.

The timberframe was ordered 6 weeks in advance (i think) and they arrived at 6 one morning as i was going to work and when i got home at 1 o clock the ground floor was installed (internal and external walls) and the upstairs external walls had just gone in and by the end of day 2 the structure was water tight including the roof which had its felt laid.

Builder did his 1st fix of electrics and plumbing then another crew from the timber frame suppliers came in and insulated all the internal and external walls and the 2 ceilings (downstairs and upstairs) and the attic.
As soon as the builder was ready the same crew came back and 2 days later all the plaster board was fitted and the stairs then towards the end of the build they came back again and fitted all the skirting boards, doors and frames and surrounds. While the electrics and plumbing was going on inside the blocks were going up outside and the tiles were going on the roof.

The only real delay I had was the corpo with the water. I had a corpo engineer out and he marked the path where the mains water pipe was supposed to run

"all I need is a 2 foot square hole as the pipe is about 14 inches below the path"

Ye right the hole ended up been 8 foot long by 5 foot wide and over 4 foot deep before the builder found the pipe, all hand dug as there was electric cables, telephone lines, gas pipes and unidentified wires crossing throughout the area the engineer wanted dug.

eire1977

Steeo,
If you don't mind, I have a few more questions for you. Who did your timber frame and how much did it cost (with all the extras, them insulating it, fitting plaster board, doors, skirting, frames, etc)? If you had to start again (God forbid) would you go with the same company?

The reason I'm asking is that we hope to start our build sometime in march - so we will be ordering our timber frame soon.

steeo

http://www.riverviewframesystems.ie/

This is the company that did my frame and to be honest they were great. They left the place clean each night and arrived a 8 each morning.

As far as i can remember the frame including everything was €48k including the attic conversion. The insulating, door frames, plasterboarding etc was included in the price.

You can get the doors and skirtings in different styles and finishes at an extra cost or it comes in pine as standard.

eire1977

Thanks for that Steeo, I'll def get a quote from them.

Noviceman

Build type : Direct Labour
House Size: 2500 sq feet plus 2 story garage
Construction method :Cavity
Planning process length: 12 weeks
Start date: Mid March 07
Finish (or expected) finish date: Feb 29, 08, next Friday whoppeeee
Months to complete: 11.5 months
Lessons Learned: Many lessons: Always plan well ahead (2 months). Hardest thing to do is visualise each room in house and how it will be when it's finished, vital when placing sockets, rads, wardrobes etc.. almost impossible to get right. Don't always go for the cheapest tradesman, and don't be afraid to sack them when not going right, we got rid of 2 and don't let them tell you what to do just because it's easier for them oh, be slow to pay full monies ( i paid my plasterer too quick)
% over or under budget:10% over, my wife has expensive taste
Price per ft2: €120 includes everything finished and furnished (beds, sofas, tvs, wardrobes ...etc) including outside, patio, driveway - high spec finish throughout, natural slate roof, sash windows, solar panels, hrv, house networked, alarmed, all lighting inside and out, painted inside and out. I'm sure this could have been done cheaper reading previous posts with the build taking longer. I have 2 small kids and living in 2 bed appmt and wanted this done as quick as possible, also did none of the work myself, just project manage, mainly because of kids again, no time.

Finally, this board has been great when stuck in a jam.....

Noviceman

smashey wrote: »

Secman, look at themadchef's location. Achill Island. I think it is possible to get it for that rate.:) The more West/rural the location, the cheaper things get. Add in a good haggler like themadchef and it's not impossible.

i find that 3k for plastering impossible to believe aswell, i'm in Mayo also, not that rural but not far away, the plasterer would not have made any money at that price, possibly a loss

smashey

Noviceman wrote: »

be slow to pay full monies ( i paid my plasterer too quick)

You read some of my previous posts then.

Well done Noviceman and I hope it goes well for you.

muffler

You're quick outa the blocks this morning smashey. Beat me to it with deleting that post.

themadchef

Noviceman wrote: »

i find that 3k for plastering impossible to believe aswell, i'm in Mayo also, not that rural but not far away, the plasterer would not have made any money at that price, possibly a loss

The guy who plastered my house got three payments of 1k. Sure i got quotes of 8k and 6k, i also got quotes for my kitchen at over 10k, but i got that done for 2.5k, solid beech work top 18 pine cabinets and an island..no doubt you doubt that too :rolleyes:.

Everyone is entitled to believe what they like, but i have no reason to come on here and lie for gods sake.

Do you worry if they are making enough money? Do you think, well maybe the price is too good? or snap their hand off. I know the option i chose.

valz_walsh

Heya,

This is a great thread. Very helpfull.

Does anyone have anyidea how much a timber framed house in North Cork would cost. Looking to build a house, and Iv no idea where to start!! Anyone have any names of timberframe house builders in the Cork area? Also, does anyone have any information on solar panels? Thinking about getting them in as the house is being built.:o