Cost per square foot

blindside88

Hey I'd appreciate any help that the knowledgeable boardsies can offer. My self and my fiancé are thinking of building a 3 bed bungalow in the Carlow area (1400-1600 square feet), I spoke to my bank manager and he said they would loan us up to 360k based on our income (we wouldn't pass a stress test for quite that much and have no intention of borrowing that much), he said when building they base your mortgage on €100 per square foot to allow for unexpected expenses. Can anyone offer an insight into what the current rate is? I am aware that you would need much more info to be accurate. Thanks in advance

wirehairmax

No such thing as price per sq foot.
See here for guide from SCSI
http://www.scsi.ie/rebuildpr
http://www.scsi.ie/rebuild2012

blindside88

Thanks, I know it's not how a contractor would price but I'm looking for a rough guide, (build cost divided by square footage of house)

fealeranger

From my friends experiences over the last 18 months and 4 houses later the cost worked out at €70/sq foot down stairs and €30 for upstairs. Please keep in mind these were self builds with a high standard of finish. If you get a contractor this will change. These prices do not include lawn or price of site as they were gifted from parents to son/daughter. These are just a guide from up to date projects for reference.

blindside88

That's great thanks. I've also had a site gifted to me as a wedding present from my soon to be in laws. I'm also getting the ground works done at cost price by a family member but I will be going with a contractor for te rest as I'm not in the trade myself

BryanF

blindside88 wrote: »

Hey I'd appreciate any help that the knowledgeable boardsies can offer. My self and my fiancé are thinking of building a 3 bed bungalow in the Carlow area (1400-1600 square feet), I spoke to my bank manager and he said they would loan us up to 360k based on our income (we wouldn't pass a stress test for quite that much and have no intention of borrowing that much), he said when building they base your mortgage on €100 per square foot to allow for unexpected expenses. Can anyone offer an insight into what the current rate is? I am aware that you would need much more info to be accurate. Thanks in advance

somewhere between 100 -130 is a reasonable estimate.

blindside88

BryanF wrote: »

blindside88 wrote: »

Hey I'd appreciate any help that the knowledgeable boardsies can offer. My self and my fiancé are thinking of building a 3 bed bungalow in the Carlow area (1400-1600 square feet), I spoke to my bank manager and he said they would loan us up to 360k based on our income (we wouldn't pass a stress test for quite that much and have no intention of borrowing that much), he said when building they base your mortgage on €100 per square foot to allow for unexpected expenses. Can anyone offer an insight into what the current rate is? I am aware that you would need much more info to be accurate. Thanks in advance

somewhere between 100 -130 is a reasonable estimate.

Really? I had heard Anecdotaly that it was closer to 65-85 unfurnished but as I said I have no experience of this myself

engineermike

blindside88 wrote: »

Really? I had heard Anecdotaly that it was closer to 65-85 unfurnished but as I said I have no experience of this myself

I know of a number of builders in the Dublin area working at a figure of
80 € per square foot. I would have thought Carlow build costs / labor would be down on Dublin's prices although.

Costs escalate when you spec. - renewable heat systems, UF heating, triple glazed windows and higher spec insulation during the build.
However what ya can spend extra on these will pay you back early enough in the lifetime of the house!.
The norm is give the plans to a builder - he'll pass them along to his QS ( or not a bad idea to engage your own QS - as they will act on your behalf and give you a true sense of cost / in comparison to your main contractor - there's loads of QS out there looking for work atm ! )
Your figure is arrived at, and then just divide by the sq ft. of the build.
Some of the links above aren't bad to get a rough figure either.
Mike F

blindside88

engineermike wrote: »

blindside88 wrote: »

Really? I had heard Anecdotaly that it was closer to 65-85 unfurnished but as I said I have no experience of this myself

I know of a number of builders in the Dublin area working at a figure of
80 € per square foot. I would have thought Carlow build costs / labor would be down on Dublin's prices although.

Costs escalate when you spec. - renewable heat systems, UF heating, triple glazed windows and higher spec insulation during the build.
However what ya can spend extra on these will pay you back early enough in the lifetime of the house!.
The norm is give the plans to a builder - he'll pass them along to his QS ( or not a bad idea to engage your own QS - as they will act on your behalf and give you a true sense of cost / in comparison to your main contractor - there's loads of QS out there looking for work atm ! )
Your figure is arrived at, and then just divide by the sq ft. of the build.
Some of the links above aren't bad to get a rough figure either.
Mike F

Thanks mike that's great, we will probably be putting in triple glazed windows to reduce road noise from passing farm machinery and increase heat efficiency

sas

blindside88 wrote: »

Thanks mike that's great, we will probably be putting in triple glazed windows to reduce road noise from passing farm machinery and increase heat efficiency

While triple glazing is recommended I am under the impression that it doesn't in any noticeable way reduce noise. There is a thread on the main construction forum with someone explicitly complaining that they were missold windows on this basis.

We have triple glazing in our home and can hear heavy machinery passing up and down the lane in front of our house.

Quazzie

blindside88 wrote: »

Thanks mike that's great, we will probably be putting in triple glazed windows to reduce road noise from passing farm machinery and increase heat efficiency

Triple glazed windows doesn't always equals increased heat efficiency, as depending on window location and orientation the solar gain lost because of triple glazing can negate any losses.

sydthebeat

basic 2011 reg compliant costs for a "builders finish" type house in carlow could cost in the region of €90-100 build costs for a bog standard house in 2012.

a 2008 reg house would cost in the region of €80-90

blindside88

sydthebeat wrote: »

basic 2011 reg compliant costs for a "builders finish" type house in carlow could cost in the region of €90-100 build costs for a bog standard house in 2012.

a 2008 reg house would cost in the region of €80-90

Great to know thanks, is there a notable heat difference?

sas

Quazzie wrote: »

Triple glazed windows doesn't always equals increased heat efficiency, as depending on window location and orientation the solar gain lost because of triple glazing can negate any losses.

I'm told that the PHI maintain that this a myth. They state that over a year triple glazing will always offer a net gain. It was apparently put to Wolfgang Feist during one of the Croke Park PH conferences. I wasn't there though so this is 2nd hand.

I'm under the impression that solar gains contribution is overplayed. When we need it most we have the least etc.

Also, I'm under the impression that triple glazing doesn't offer the noise cancellation that is associated with it generally.

DOCARCH

sydthebeat wrote: »

basic 2011 reg compliant costs for a "builders finish" type house in carlow could cost in the region of €90-100 build costs for a bog standard house in 2012.

a 2008 reg house would cost in the region of €80-90

Very important factor to highlight. Historical ballpark costs per sq.ft. in the past need to be updated/an adittional % factored for compliance with current building regs.

sydthebeat

blindside88 wrote: »

Great to know thanks, is there a notable heat difference?

are you asking if there is a "heat" difference between the two regulations?

firstly, did you apply for planning permission before 1 december 2011 ?

the 2008 regulations meant that a house was supposed to be 40% more efficient than the 2005 regulations.
the 2011 regulations means that a house has to be 60% more efficient than the 2005 regulations... so you could say that the 2011 regs are 20% more efficient than 2008 (i suppose )

sydthebeat

DOCARCH wrote: »

Very important factor to highlight. Historical ballpark costs per sq.ft. in the past need to be updated/an adittional % factored for compliance with current building regs.

im giving my experience with tendered quotations.

DOCARCH

sydthebeat wrote: »

im giving my experience with tendered quotations.

Yip. Just to say that I was agreeing with/supporting your post (i.e. in that you highlighted this factor).

sydthebeat

DOCARCH wrote: »

Yip. Just to say that I was agreeing with/supporting your post (i.e. in that you highlighted this factor).

thanks

i thought you might have been referring to the fact that retrospective survey have shown that lots of houses didnt actually meet the applicable regs and therefore a % on top of "accepted" construction costs should be applied.

to the OP, when working out what kind of house you want to build... it has become a lot more pertinent to work from your budget backwards.... rather than the 'tiger' way of wanting a certain "floor area" and then applying for the mortgage after.

engineermike

sydthebeat wrote: »

thanks

i thought you might have been referring to the fact that retrospective survey have shown that lots of houses didnt actually meet the applicable regs and therefore a % on top of "accepted" construction costs should be applied.

to the OP, when working out what kind of house you want to build... it has become a lot more pertinent to work from your budget backwards.... rather than the 'tiger' way of wanting a certain "floor area" and then applying for the mortgage after.

Absolute agreement ! too work back from your budget - again your own QS can give you figures to adjust and merge in line with your budget.
Point of note : Heavy Plant / farm machinery is impact noise & high decibel air born that you will find hard to conceal - bar building further back from the road.
Triple glazing was given as a 'cost factor' as opposed to if it will work. - Good design in an efficient home - maybe, but I'd be on the fence about it myself atm.
In a traditional masonry build I'd be more inclined to watch my budget and maximize my solar gains by - increasing window sizes on south facing elevation - some full length feature windows and double doors etc -
And on the north face increase insulation U values with in budget etc.
Agrement (NSAI) certified materials & compliance with regulations, EPA guidelines etc. will push your costs up to a '%' - but only to add to the overall longevity of the building.
mike F

blindside88

All great info guys thanks very much, we haven't had the plans drawn up yet but have been looking at the following plans for example

http://www.irish-house-plans.com/one_catalog/bw003/bw003.htm

http://www.planahome.ie/plans/b18

We will probably be looking at getting started on the plans in January but just wanted a rough idea, very helpful all round

BryanF

blindside88 wrote: »

All great info guys thanks very much, we haven't had the plans drawn up yet but have been looking at the following plans for example

http://www.irish-house-plans.com/one_catalog/bw003/bw003.htm

http://www.planahome.ie/plans/b18

the bastardvilles bungalow bliss is calling....

PLEASE get someone to design your home that understands your PARTICULAR site and KNOWS where the sun rises and sets!!!!!!!!!!!

why not review
http://www.seai.ie/Renewables/Renewable_Energy_for_the_Homeowner/Passive_House_Guidelines.pdf

http://www.constructireland.ie/

http://www.architecturalassociation.ie/publications/

and get an architect or at least and Arch Tech to help you through the design/ planning/ tender and construction process

DOCARCH

blindside88 wrote: »

http://www.irish-house-plans.com/one_catalog/bw003/bw003.htm

Sweet Baby Jesus!

Second one is 'better' but follow Bryan's advice!

blindside88

Thanks Bryanf

We will be using a local architect throughout the design process and tender. The above plans were only an example of the room sizes we are interested in. The architect in question has designed a number of the houses along the road

blindside88

DOCARCH wrote: »

blindside88 wrote: »

http://www.irish-house-plans.com/one_catalog/bw003/bw003.htm

Sweet Baby Jesus!

Second one is 'better' but follow Bryan's advice!

What in particular don't you like about the first (I wouldn't be happy with the internal layout of the first, but can see a couple of tweaks in it)

muffler

blindside88 wrote: »

http://www.irish-house-plans.com/one_catalog/bw003/bw003.htm

What can I say but..........

blindside88

muffler wrote: »

blindside88 wrote: »

http://www.irish-house-plans.com/one_catalog/bw003/bw003.htm

What can I say but..........

Anything you don't like specifically? Or is it everything?

muffler

blindside88 wrote: »

Anything you don't like specifically? Or is it everything?

It would be a lot easier to tell you what I like but lets stay on topic and talk about the pricing aspect.

DOCARCH

Yes....that later. Aside from layout issues, I cannot see that house type/style fitting in anywhere, town or country (in this country anyway)!

You say in your OP, you are thinking of builidng in the 'Carlow area'? Is it rural or urban Carlow?

If in a rural area, in adittion to Bryan's links, have a look at this http://www.corkcoco.ie/co/pdf/578944050.pdf

Going Demented

We showed that second plan to our architect. House ended up looking nothing like it. We got rid of the toilet and the utility where it as it with no window we had no evening sun. It ended up as one long room instead. The back door comes in where the bathroom is into a utility. The plans now look nothing like that . Even the front is different. We also went with a 40 pitch roof to allow converting. We showed that to the architect and he completely changed it for the better. However it has ended up 1850sq foot.

blindside88

Thanks, very informative and well laid out. It will be rural Carlow (we are living nearby in rented accom), I know I've dragged this way off topic by introducing the links. But as you can see the two plans are very different to each other so we don't really have an idea of design yet more an idea of size, our design will be heavily influenced by the landscape, views, neighbouring houses (mainly family houses), our architect and of course budget. Thanks for all the info so far guys, keep it coming especially in relation to costs

blindside88

Going Demented wrote: »

We showed that second plan to our architect. House ended up looking nothing like it. We got rid of the toilet and the utility where it as it with no window we had no evening sun. It ended up as one long room instead. The back door comes in where the bathroom is into a utility. The plans now look nothing like that . Even the front is different. We also went with a 40 pitch roof to allow converting. We showed that to the architect and he completely changed it for the better. However it has ended up 1850sq foot.

I can imagine the same happening, we are planning on exactly the same as regards to roof pitch to allow for converting if necessary

sydthebeat

blindside88 wrote: »

Thanks, very informative and well laid out. It will be rural Carlow (we are living nearby in rented accom), I know I've dragged this way off topic by introducing the links. But as you can see the two plans are very different to each other so we don't really have an idea of design yet more an idea of size, our design will be heavily influenced by the landscape, views, neighbouring houses (mainly family houses), our architect and of course budget. Thanks for all the info so far guys, keep it coming especially in relation to costs

the best thing to do is to give your architect a written brief with an idea of room sizes and a list of rooms you want...

then let the architect go do what you are paying him/her to do... which is design the house....

My advice would be not to offer either of those as a starting point.

blindside88

sydthebeat wrote: »

blindside88 wrote: »

Thanks, very informative and well laid out. It will be rural Carlow (we are living nearby in rented accom), I know I've dragged this way off topic by introducing the links. But as you can see the two plans are very different to each other so we don't really have an idea of design yet more an idea of size, our design will be heavily influenced by the landscape, views, neighbouring houses (mainly family houses), our architect and of course budget. Thanks for all the info so far guys, keep it coming especially in relation to costs

the best thing to do is to give your architect a written brief with an idea of room sizes and a list of rooms you want...

then let the architect go do what you are paying him/her to do... which is design the house....

My advice would be not to offer either of those as a starting point.

Sounds like sound advice, that's what I'll do so. Any idea on costs per square foot

sydthebeat

blindside88 wrote: »

Sounds like sound advice, that's what I'll do so. Any idea on costs per square foot

already given

jonniebgood1

Builders quoting 65-70 per sq. ft. in Cavan currently for 2 storey houses.
This is a ball park figure.

Quazzie

jonniebgood1 wrote: »

Builders quoting 65-70 per sq. ft. in Cavan currently for 2 storey houses.
This is a ball park figure.

Two storey houses are cheaper per square foot than bungalows so just keep that in mind.

blindside88

Thanks guys, having a rough price in mind is great even if it is just to know how the building costs match upto tue mortgage. I work about 50 miles away so am planning on using a contractor rather than direct labour as I won't be able to be on site during working hours to make decisions and chase up no shows, also I think the bank prefer if you use a contractor as a price can be agreed upon and you have some come back afterwards

lostinashford

Have planning permission to knock and rebuild, keeping existing 3 room cocrere cottage with minor changes and adding 152m2, including 40m2 one and a half story over part of it. Rest of new build flat roof.

Can anyone who's been through construction recently and happy with the outcome give me an idea of cost per square metre?

Planning to build according to regs regarding insulation with blocks and triple glazed alu-clad windows.

Know theres loads more detail needed to be accurate but just after a rough figure for the square metre cost of building to regs now.

In Ashford, Wicklow - thanks in advance