Self build questions??

Levi25

Hello All

We've just started the site works in our self-build so no doubt I will be on here constant looking for advice.

I have a few questions and would love if someone could help me out:

1. We got self build insurance, while digging foundation our digger hit an undergrund esb cable, who is responsible for this? Will the self build cover pay - don't have policy doc yet!

2. Our house is 3,000 sq ft, our blocklayer is doing all the blockwork for 8.5K, is this a good price? (Its a dormer bungallow)

yop

Depends on the number of blocks lad, price vary from 1 euro to 1.30 per block

lomb

Levi25 wrote:

2. Our house is 3,000 sq ft, our blocklayer is doing all the blockwork for 8.5K, is this a good price? (Its a dormer bungallow)

jesus thats cheap, u couldnt get a garden wall done in dublin for that

prospect

Levi25 wrote:

1. We got self build insurance, while digging foundation our digger hit an undergrund esb cable, who is responsible for this? Will the self build cover pay - don't have policy doc yet!

I would say the person hired to clear the site/dig.

AFAIK, it is their responsability to go into your local authority offices, and obtain site plans showing all services in the area.

lomb

if ye didnt know to contact the esb/council for services locations b4 building do u really think u have enough experiance to want to attempt to build a house?

also u should know to the nearest nickel what blocklaying costs per sq foot. for ecxample reinforced concrete is 63 quid per sq meter (i was talking to a surveyor in the north and he knew prices to the nearest 1 pouind)u need to hire a quantity surveyor at the very least and an engineer to even atempt it. oterhwise it wont work well, i can promise u that.

yop

lomb - are you saying that in order to attempt a self build you need to hire a quantity surveyor?

lomb

yop wrote:

lomb - are you saying that in order to attempt a self build you need to hire a quantity surveyor?

i am if u dont want to get ripped off, and he hasnt got an knowledge of costs of bricks per sq foot, foundations, roofs, windows, plumbing, electrics, windows, driveways etc etc etc. yer man has hired 2 quantity surveyors and he pays them 35 grand sterling which he obviously da year. mayb if he can get someone as a nixer to do it for him. i dont know but i know there is a proper way to do things where things go smootly or anyother where it will be as rough as sandpaper. . yer man said even graduates know zip about anything, they need real world experiance and he said that takes a few years.

u have to pay for knowledge and work, that is tghe economy we live in, just as u expect to get paid in your job a contractor/ engineer/ architect expects to get paid in theirs. if they do a good job economically there is no problem in paying them. at the end of the day most if not all of their profit will be mortgaged over 30 years at 3.5 % meaning it will cost shag all more to do it properly than a gunter job where the house may not even be right or costing more due to time off from work/ rebuilding due to a cock up. i mean even hitting an esb cable could cost thousands.......

yop u built your house economically, but only after learning nearly as much about things as a engineer or surveyor would know....u could make a very good living i reakon helping to manage self build projects for sure. tehre is def a demand for that out there.

yop

lomb wrote:

i am if u dont want to get ripped off, and he hasnt got an knowledge of costs of bricks per sq foot, foundations, roofs, windows, plumbing, electrics, windows, driveways etc etc etc.

Words to note would be "hasn't got knowledge".

Personally I think the key with a self build is that you really need some knowledge in building and if you really don't have a clue of the difference between different strenghts of concrete, the different between joists and rafters (some people don't! ) then you are going to get burnt.

I have been noting especially as regards the geothermal the more knowledge you have the less crap they try to fill you with and you can really decide what is better, not base it all on cost.

Levi25

Hi Lomb

I am actually a woman, I've noticed that you referred to me as 'him'

Yes we do have costs of everything, as I was merely asking if it sounded like a good price for a 3000sq ft house. 25newton concrete for foundations is €80 per metre a bit dearer than 63, we shopped around and got prices of up to €83 per metre.

With regard to the ESB cable, we had hounded them (the ESB) for the past four months to move the ESB pole before work commenced. They insisted that the foundations be dug and the pole woule then be moved.

To be fair, all of my family are in the trade, engineer, electrician, plumber, carpenter ...

lomb

mayb ive misjudged u then but u take my point, as long as per square foot costs are within ballpark figures give or take 5 or 10%,dont worry about it, just release the funds(dough) and check the quality is ok b4 the next step. thats the same as any business,time is money and u cant mess around even if somethings a 'little' dear say 15%. im sure u know what i mean

yop

fuk, 83 per sq meter, must be cheaper cement down here!!
got it for 70 per sq meter in the end, and I thought that was dear!

Apologise if I referred to you as him, fair play to you for getting into the nitty gritty of the building and good luck with the build

lomb

yop wrote:

fuk, 83 per sq meter, must be cheaper cement down here!!
got it for 70 per sq meter in the end, and I thought that was dear!

Apologise if I referred to you as him, fair play to you for getting into the nitty gritty of the building and good luck with the build

sorry yop as regards in northern ireland we were taking about reinforced concrete in commercial buildings with the steel running thru it, the floors were made of this, the beems of precast concrete are just craned in, creating floors in a day. the structure is just steel premade, and welded/bolted on site, he reakoned that the build cost for well fited out offices was not more than 63 pounds sterling per sq foot +vat contracted out (newry) for a 2 storey building.

ps i know u were referring to her quote for normal concrete. anyway my point is everything has a defined cost within a margin and things just become a science. the difference between 70 and 83 is 15% the point where really u should think about looking for anotehr quote. although it depends on how much u will need so if its a small amount dont worry where as if the differnce is thousands than anotehr price can be had in minutes over the phone probably.thats just an example.

Wobs

Hi,

Im building a 2800 sq ft dormer. Im being quoted 12k for block work, so your 8.5k sounds good to me. Obviously there could be differrences with regards to how complex or straight forward a build is etc. (pieces of string ) but even so I think I'll be looking for some more quotes!

Levi25

Hi Wobs,

We got a few quotes for the block work, the dearest was 11K. But I suppose it depends where you are based.

Some just quote really high if they're not interested.