Self Build 2017/2018

Penelope Petra

Hi all, looking to build a 2300 sq ft bungalow in Cork in the near future. Hubby is a Carpenter so will be able to do a lot of the work himself, just wondering if anyone has done this lately and done a lot of the work themselves and if so what the price per square foot came in at? Thanks.

FiOT

Hi Penelope,
We are actually in a similar position to yourselves, self build and the other half is a carpenter. He works for a construction company so while he's a carpenter by trade he has a lot of experience in other trades and comfortable trying his hand at a lot of things. Our house is 2650sqft 2 storey., very simple design and layout.

At the moment we are at first fix stage having started last April and so far the big things we have been able to do ourselves have been:
- Prepared site and digging foundations for house and garage (borrowed a digger off his boss for a few days and one lad to help). Had to pay for materials and "mate rate" labour.
- Laying of radon barrier (the two of us tackle this on the hottest day of the year - torture) Again just had to pay for materials.
- Pouring of subfloor (himself and two friends did this over a day)
- He cut the roof himself, we prepared all rafters and then he got two other carpenter friends to help him put the roof up, materials and day rate labour costs.
- Sourced and bought all scaffolding, we have sold it now and made most of our money back.
- Upstairs stud walls, paid for materials
- All fascia, soffit and gutters, just paid for materials.
- Fitting of velux windows, roofer was happy for us to do this.
- Shuttering and pouring of concrete stairs, we did this over a week in the evenings, really tough job mentally and physically. Got one friend to help him for a bit while it was being poured. It's turned out a stunning job and as we just had to pay for materials it's cost us about 1/4 of what it could have cost as there is a twist in the stairs and a curve in the landing.
- Fitting of all granite surrounds, ordered all of these from China and then he fitted them with the stone mason on site. Stone mason was happy he didn't have to do them and didn't charge us for helping lift/position bits and pieces as he was there on site anyway.
- Airtightness on windows, this has been my absolute favourite job, I have pretty much decided on a career change! We have an airtightness contractor to do all other aspects of airtightness.

What we've had to pay for in outside labour apart from friends rates helping us out:
- Blocklayers, I think it came to about €10,000 for house and garage for blocklaying with 200mm cavity. You could paint the walls they're so tidy.
- Roofers, I think €3,600 it came to, think it was 80c a slate for house and garage... give or take!
- Plasterers, all outside plastering of house and garage, €4,200.
- Stone mason, €45 per sqm.
- Windows, A rated and passive, inward opening windows and doors, €26,000.

I have probably forgotten lots here but I hope it gives you an idea. The thing I'd say is that labour is the cheapest part of building. The money we have saved on labour by doing it ourselves, we have invested in better quality materials that maybe wouldn't have been put into our house otherwise due to budget. For us, yes self - building was always the right decision because of his trade and contacts but the real positive I see of self - building is that you can build a super quality house with the money you save, not that you save money and that's it, if that makes sense!

Self - building is hard. No two ways about it. We survive on toast and microwaved dinners. We go from our day jobs straight to the site almost every day. It is time consuming and every job takes twice as long as you think it will. There are so many "bits" to houses that you will never even know are there when you're living in the house and these all take time. Be prepared to give up at least the next year of your life to it!
We have no regrets and thankfully agree on most things about the house so that makes it easier but just a warning of what you're getting yourself into!!

FiOT

P.s. I think I've learned that a "price per sq ft" is only possible after you've finished the build! Completely non- realistic and impossible to determine before you start!

Penelope Petra

FiOT wrote: »

P.s. I think I've learned that a "price per sq ft" is only possible after you've finished the build! Completely non- realistic and impossible to determine before you start!

Thanks so much - great info there! Yes my husband will turn his hand to a lot of things so hopefully we'll save money along the way - I'll have to work on my patience though!

Dermot113

Hi all,

Can anyone please advise the average cost per sq ft in Co Clare?

Looking to build a 2 story 2500 sq ft house. Nothing too unusual in the design with the exception of a couple of rooms with some full length windows.

Thanks
Dermot

jb2018

Hi,

we are at the pricing stages of building house.. What was you overall cost per sq foot? we are hoping to go direct labour as my husband is a cabinet maker and will do a lot of the work himself. prices are varying alot, which i know it all down to spec, any info would be great!
thanks