House building costs around the country - Mod warning in first post

muffler

Nearly forgot about this till I got a PM so I'll bump it up if anyone wants to add a few up to date prices.

Poor Uncle Tom

Recently priced out some work, all builders finish as described previously.

2,850 sq ft two storey in South Tipp came back at €75/sq ft.

2,200 sq ft bungalow in Waterford came back at €73/sq ft.

2,600 sq ft bungalow in Cork came back at €78/sq ft

clint_eastman

My own was priced at €75/sq foot (incl. VAT) for 3050sqft in Co. Limerick recently. I had some lower quotes but this was the most realistic and included to builders finish. OFCH with rads, solar, 150mm cavity fully pumped, insulated slabs, PVC windows, red deal joinery etc. I'm gone direct labour anyway but €75 seems to be the figure I've heard from others around the location.

mr_edge_to_you

as we near the end of our build i can add we are looking at a complete cost of €150 per sq ft with a contractor in meath/dublin area.

this includes almost €25k that has to spent on costs incurred not relating directly to the build - council contributions, engineer, solicitor, ESB, architect, planning. they are a significant part of the costs and I think they should be considered - i accept they are not building costs but costs that we incur to turn a field into our home.

our house is 2200 sq 1.5 storey with separate garage.

my €150/per sq ft includes:

• All professional, legal, utility and council charges.
• Silver bead pumped cavity with 39mm insulated plaster board on all external walls.
• Vertical source (180m drilling) heat pump with underfloor heating upstairs and downstairs and 300 litre hot water tank.
• Concrete floors upstairs.
• Granite cills and chimney top.
• High quality Danish AluTimber double glazed windows including front door, back door and 2 sets of double doors and one big sunroom and also 4 velux windows.
• Air tightness membrane and tape.
• Man made fibre cement slates.
• Pine skirting and architrave, walnut engineered doors, chrome door handles, ash/walnut stairs and semi solid walnut floor in sitting room.
• 1 electric shower, 3 mixer valves (all branded), 4 shower trays and doors, 4 toilets, 4 handbasins (1 double unit) and bath.
• 200sq yds of floor and wall tiles supplied and fitted.
• Walnut kitchen and island with quartz worktop.
• 55sq yd cobble lock patio.
• Premium brand stove with granite fire place.
• High electrical spec (incl light fittings)
• All walls and skirting/architrave painted.
• Alarm system supplied and fitted.
• All excess soil removed and site levelled.
• Coloured exterior render.
• Pillars/walls at fron gate matching the house with driveway kerbed off ready for tarmac.

There are so many things we could've done cheaper but we set our stall out from the start to build the house to the highest spec we could afford. Personal preference will decide the cost!

morning delight

clint_eastman wrote: »

My own was priced at €75/sq foot (incl. VAT) for 3050sqft in Co. Limerick recently. I had some lower quotes but this was the most realistic and included to builders finish. OFCH with rads, solar, 150mm cavity fully pumped, insulated slabs, PVC windows, red deal joinery etc. I'm gone direct labour anyway but €75 seems to be the figure I've heard from others around the location.

Our house is nearly ready to go out to tender and, depending on the quotes coming back, I'm toying with going direct labour myself. Have you an idea of what you'll save? Have you experience in the building trade?

danbohan

morning delight wrote: »

Our house is nearly ready to go out to tender and, depending on the quotes coming back, I'm toying with going direct labour myself. Have you an idea of what you'll save? Have you experience in the building trade?

it used to be 25% to 33% on contractors prices , but contract prices are so keenly priced now its hard to say , you will have more control , probably better spec for your money , but unless you have some knowledge of construction or/ and be prepared to spend a lot of time on the site you might be better with a contractor .

muffler

Sorry lads but can we keep this thread free for posts regarding the actual building costs that people have paid throughout the country.

Feel free to start another thread to debate other matters.

Thanks

gpjordanf1

muffler wrote: »

Sorry lads but can we keep this thread free for posts regarding the actual building costs that people have paid throughout the country.

Feel free to start another thread to debate other matters.

Thanks

My Uncle in law if you follow me.

building a standard plain 4 bed bungalow in Mayo, This is a turn key finish.

98k all in.

I nearly fell, but he got 4 quotations, 2 over 100K & 2 under, infact one was 96k. But he was hoping for the builder who gave the 98k quotation because he is excellent.

clint_eastman

What size is the bungalow?

gpjordanf1

clint_eastman wrote: »

What size is the bungalow?

At a guess its about 1,200 or 1,300sq ft but I will be looking at the plans again this weekend.

Not 100% sure

John_John_

mr_edge_to_you wrote: »

as we near the end of our build i can add we are looking at a complete cost of €150 per sq ft with a contractor in meath/dublin area.

this includes almost €25k that has to spent on costs incurred not relating directly to the build - council contributions, engineer, solicitor, ESB, architect, planning. they are a significant part of the costs and I think they should be considered - i accept they are not building costs but costs that we incur to turn a field into our home.

our house is 2200 sq 1.5 storey with separate garage.


my €150/per sq ft includes:

• All professional, legal, utility and council charges.
• Silver bead pumped cavity with 39mm insulated plaster board on all external walls.
• Vertical source (180m drilling) heat pump with underfloor heating upstairs and downstairs and 300 litre hot water tank.
• Concrete floors upstairs.
• Granite cills and chimney top.
• High quality Danish AluTimber double glazed windows including front door, back door and 2 sets of double doors and one big sunroom and also 4 velux windows.
• Air tightness membrane and tape.
• Man made fibre cement slates.
• Pine skirting and architrave, walnut engineered doors, chrome door handles, ash/walnut stairs and semi solid walnut floor in sitting room.
• 1 electric shower, 3 mixer valves (all branded), 4 shower trays and doors, 4 toilets, 4 handbasins (1 double unit) and bath.
• 200sq yds of floor and wall tiles supplied and fitted.
• Walnut kitchen and island with quartz worktop.
• 55sq yd cobble lock patio.
• Premium brand stove with granite fire place.
• High electrical spec (incl light fittings)
• All walls and skirting/architrave painted.
• Alarm system supplied and fitted.
• All excess soil removed and site levelled.
• Coloured exterior render.
• Pillars/walls at fron gate matching the house with driveway kerbed off ready for tarmac.

There are so many things we could've done cheaper but we set our stall out from the start to build the house to the highest spec we could afford. Personal preference will decide the cost!

Hi, thanks for the detailed run down of costs, very informative. Myself and my wife are currently trying to decide whether to build or just buy, but we are leaning towards building. We are looking at the Dublin/Meath area, or Trim direction if possible.

So apart from living items Tables/chairs/beds/furniture etc. did this cost represented everything else bar actually buying the land? Were there any other major costs involved?

Can I ask how long this build took?

Many thanks again

mr_edge_to_you

Ye it was pretty much the whole lot. Bar a few hundred euro for painting. Like i mentioned already the non build costs really clock up and I think people underestimate the significance of them. My fiancee owns the site.

John_John_

I totally agree, it's easy to say it will be €80 Per sq. yard, and it will be, but they forget to mention the huge amount to be spent on other things as you said which when you work it out will bring the total significantly higher...

Thanks again for the info, very helpful.

PS I saw the pictures of your house on another thread, looks lovely! Best of luck with it

red mist

hi do you have details for the builder seems good price

mr_edge_to_you

red mist wrote: »

hi do you have details for the builder seems good price

who's builder?

annie gilpin

muffler wrote: »

Sorry. its not for me but a client .

just started the thread to see what contractors were charging around the country.

hi muffler.i also live in donegal and am building a new house and was wondering where is the best and cheapest for blocks,concrete etc.

muffler

annie gilpin wrote: »

hi muffler.i also live in donegal and am building a new house and was wondering where is the best and cheapest for blocks,concrete etc.

Quite a few good suppliers but you do need to ring them for an up to date price.

What area of Donegal are you in?

annie gilpin

muffler wrote: »

Quite a few good suppliers but you do need to ring them for an up to date price.

What area of Donegal are you in?

im going to build in creeslough,going to be getting digger man in shortly and hoping to get founds in for christmas

DrPhilG

Muffler, what sort of prices per square ft is common in Donegal now? Is it lower than when this thread started, due to the economic shambles?

Half thinking of looking to build now if the economy means the prices are lower. Mind you the price you quoted on the very first page worked out at about €75 per square foot.

muffler

DrPhilG wrote: »

Muffler, what sort of prices per square ft is common in Donegal now? Is it lower than when this thread started, due to the economic shambles?

Half thinking of looking to build now if the economy means the prices are lower. Mind you the price you quoted on the very first page worked out at about €75 per square foot.

Not a lot of change tbh. You should get a decent builders finish for around €75 - €80 per sq. foot, Of course if you shop around you may get it a little cheaper but like everything in this life the cheaper it gets the more wary you have to be.

DrPhilG

Thanks. Surprised that the prices haven't dropped. I would have assumed that with the recession etc there's be more competition among builders/tradesmen and therefore lower prices.

angela59

In my own opinion, I think the cost of building is still very high compared to buying a second hand house. The cost of buying a second hand once off house is now a lot cheaper than buying a site and building from scratch -so I feel the price to build - labour costs have to come more in line with the drop in prices of property. Perhaps I am wrong, but I have seen two lovely once off houses on either 1/2 acre or 1 acre being sold for anything from 230,000 to 290,000 and they are finished kitchens, wardrobes etc, landscaped, tarmaced etc etc. These houses range in size from 3000 sq feet down to 2500 sq feet - so this would equate to E76 per square foot for site and house completely finished and landscaped to E112 per square foot for site, house and everything completely finished. The price of E75 per square foot to build does not include site, finishing of house and landscaping etc etc. There is still a huge gap which needs to be bridged!

Angela59

braftery

Building Material Prices are on the increase throughout Europe, expected rise 7%-15% in 2011.

Ireland imports nearly all of the raw materials; ie Steel, Timber, Aluminium, and products made from them.

We can expect to see these price rises in the Irish hardware suppliers as the year goes on.

Wages will continue to stay low as people are trying to feed their families with what they can, but you cant build your house out of cheap labour alone.

braftery

angela59 wrote: »

In my own opinion, I think the cost of building is still very high compared to buying a second hand house. The cost of buying a second hand once off house is now a lot cheaper than buying a site and building from scratch -so I feel the price to build - labour costs have to come more in line with the drop in prices of property. Perhaps I am wrong, but I have seen two lovely once off houses on either 1/2 acre or 1 acre being sold for anything from 230,000 to 290,000 and they are finished kitchens, wardrobes etc, landscaped, tarmaced etc etc. These houses range in size from 3000 sq feet down to 2500 sq feet - so this would equate to E76 per square foot for site and house completely finished and landscaped to E112 per square foot for site, house and everything completely finished. The price of E75 per square foot to build does not include site, finishing of house and landscaping etc etc. There is still a huge gap which needs to be bridged!

Angela59

If you feel these second hand houses are right for you and cost less than you can build for, then they represent good value.

But if you dont like the location and/or the design, then their price is immaterial, because you are never going to buy them.

We are likely to see more disconnection between prices for second hand and new one off builds.

There is going to be value in the second hand market in ireland for several years as the Banks and NAMA sell off property with defaulted loans. These "sell off" properties will be the driving force for the market values of second hand property and green site values.

The cost of construction labour will be driven by the cost of living in Ireland and the minimum wage, until demand exceed supply,which is unlikely for a while.

The cost materials will be determined by demand for those materials in Greater Europe and the UK. The slump in Ireland will have no effect on the prices, as we are simply to small a market.

Personally, I do not think cost of labour has anywhere lower to go and cost of materials will definitely rise. Therefore excluding site costs (which could do anything !), my belief is that, the cost of construction will probably start to increase in the second half of 2011.

Rick Deckard

any chance this could be a sticky? really handy references inc..

muffler

peatcass wrote: »

any chance this could be a sticky? really handy references inc..

Unfortunately we are full of stickied threads at the moment but I do accept your point that this thread is something that should be readily available.

I have an idea for this so leave it with me.

doniepony

Hey Guys,
Just at stage of sending spec of to builders to get a quote. I am building in West Cork-just wondering if anyone has recommendations for builders down this side of the country could they please PM me-also to stay on topic what to people think the cost per square foot it down here for builders finish?

muffler

peatcass wrote: »

any chance this could be a sticky? really handy references inc..

I have now started a new thread here which will contain links to all the popular threads.

Hopefully it will be helpful to people.

galwaytt

angela59 wrote: »

In my own opinion, I think the cost of building is still very high compared to buying a second hand house. The cost of buying a second hand once off house is now a lot cheaper than buying a site and building from scratch -so I feel the price to build - labour costs have to come more in line with the drop in prices of property. Perhaps I am wrong, but I have seen two lovely once off houses on either 1/2 acre or 1 acre being sold for anything from 230,000 to 290,000 and they are finished kitchens, wardrobes etc, landscaped, tarmaced etc etc. These houses range in size from 3000 sq feet down to 2500 sq feet - so this would equate to E76 per square foot for site and house completely finished and landscaped to E112 per square foot for site, house and everything completely finished. The price of E75 per square foot to build does not include site, finishing of house and landscaping etc etc. There is still a huge gap which needs to be bridged!

Angela59

On face value, you are correct.

However, buying used, you are still buying used. It more than likely will not be an efficient home, in terms of current building standards (BER, etc), so the headline figure will be low (purchase), and the cost to run, high. It's long-term value will always be towards the bottom of the market.

I know of one house, 3900 sq ft 'traditional build' - built inside the last two years, and it's heating bill is €3,300 per annum........you truly do get what you pay for......

Even spending the same money on a new, maybe even smaller house, built to the best standards will make it both a cheaper and more comfortable place to live, with lower running cost, and, if you're worried about such thing's, the prospects for it's valuation, down the road, is much better.

As for cost's right now - I'm seeing A2 and higher houses coming in, on client's finished houses, in the region of € 1,000 - €1,300 per square metre. This is complete, turn-key, c/w Solar, UFH, MHRV, Hi-Spec windows (imported ), Rainwater Harvesting, all interior decoration and fit-out.

Was in just such a one last Saturday (360sq m), for the first time since the client's moved in. Ambient temp inside 20deg C, no heat on (not required), energy bill for Sept - Jan was €50 in LPG and 184 litres of oil (AGA). Compare that to the build I mention above........

danbohan

galwaytt wrote: »

On face value, you are correct.

However, buying used, you are still buying used. It more than likely will not be an efficient home, in terms of current building standards (BER, etc), so the headline figure will be low (purchase), and the cost to run, high. It's long-term value will always be towards the bottom of the market.

I know of one house, 3900 sq ft 'traditional build' - built inside the last two years, and it's heating bill is €3,300 per annum........you truly do get what you pay for......

Even spending the same money on a new, maybe even smaller house, built to the best standards will make it both a cheaper and more comfortable place to live, with lower running cost, and, if you're worried about such thing's, the prospects for it's valuation, down the road, is much better.

As for cost's right now - I'm seeing A2 and higher houses coming in, on client's finished houses, in the region of € 1,000 - €1,300 per square metre. This is complete, turn-key, c/w Solar, UFH, MHRV, Hi-Spec windows (imported ), Rainwater Harvesting, all interior decoration and fit-out.

Was in just such a one last Saturday (360sq m), for the first time since the client's moved in. Ambient temp inside 20deg C, no heat on (not required), energy bill for Sept - Jan was €50 in LPG and 184 litres of oil (AGA). Compare that to the build I mention above........

they must been on holidays with those figures , aga gives normal usage figures for 2 oven oil model of 40 litres per week !