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Dormer Bungalow

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  • 20-05-2021 3:42pm
    #1
    MattSkiba
    Registered Users Posts: 7 ✭


    Hi All,

    Hope you can help with a question. I'm in the process of looking at building a one off build. As we all probably know the cost at the minute to build is high. We require a three bedroom house. My question is:

    Is is cheaper to build a dormer bungalow and put two of bedrooms in the attic as opposed to building two stories?

    I know it's very simplistic but I was thinking that because there isn't going to be bricks for the 2nd level and the attic would have to go in anyway it would surely be cheaper but as I'm finding out, what I think, is normally wrong!

    Regards

    MattSkiba


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    #2
    Penn
    Registered Users Posts: 33,232 ✭✭✭✭Penn


    It's not going to be that much cheaper. There's an economy of scale, which is that considering you'd be doing so much of the internal stuff to have rooms upstairs anyway (stairs, internal finishes, windows etc), the cost of the additional height of external walls wouldn't be that much dearer.

    You could do storey and a half, or modify external finishes so that it's brickwork at ground floor level only and then rendered blockwork over, or brickwork for one section of the house and rendered blockwork on the rest.

    But no, considering the blockies have to build the walls up to a certain height anyway, the extra few courses it'd take to go storey and a half wouldn't be that much extra and would vastly improve your layout options internally.

    It depends a lot on the layout and style of the house, proposed finishes etc.


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    #3
    turnfan
    Registered Users Posts: 211 ✭✭turnfan


    As someone who built a dormer, albeit 10 years ago, i can recommend a 2 storey all day long.

    Simpler construction and with the price of timber now, most likely cheaper per usable sq ft.

    A lot depends on your design requirements, planning and internal layout preferences.


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    #4
    MicktheMan
    Registered Users Posts: 2,823 ✭✭✭MicktheMan


    turnfan wrote: »
    As someone who built a dormer, albeit 10 years ago, i can recommend a 2 storey all day long.

    Simpler construction and with the price of timber now, most likely cheaper per usable sq ft.

    A lot depends on your design requirements, planning and internal layout preferences.

    and soooooo much more straight forward to airtighten.


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    #5
    MattSkiba
    Registered Users Posts: 7 ✭MattSkiba


    Is the cost of a timberframe/passive house much cheaper? given the cost of timber is cheaper?


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    #6
    rn
    Registered Users Posts: 1,056 ✭✭✭rn


    I would wager dormer won't be cheaper. What you save in blocks, will easily be spent on a more complex roof. I had to put steel in the roof of my story and half build. And the upstairs rooms are restricted by the roof.

    The only reason to consider dormer is where local planning restricts overall build height and you can't afford the appropriate size in a bungalow.


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    #7
    MattSkiba
    Registered Users Posts: 7 ✭MattSkiba


    Thanks rn


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    #8
    sydthebeat
    Subscribers Posts: 40,995 ✭✭✭✭sydthebeat


    MattSkiba wrote: »
    Is the cost of a timberframe/passive house much cheaper? given the cost of timber is cheaper?

    God no.

    The main advantage of timber frame is speed of construction and more exact tolerances.... Costs are equal of not more than a traditional block build.

    Passive level builds are more expensive again


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