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Cost of building 800 sq foot house

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  • 28-02-2021 10:58pm
    #1
    Nnc1
    Registered Users Posts: 8 ✭


    Have very limited budget of about 60-100k
    Looking to build a small house to suit me for now, about 700 to 800 Square foot, bungalow or 2 story, whatever I'll get planning for. I already own the site.
    My intention was to start, using my savings and hope to finish it in stages and build on in years to come. I've no problem living in an unfinished house as it'll be mine. Would I be able to get it to a livable standard with this budget. Am I mad??
    I'm in Kildare. Tia.


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    #2
    mickdw
    Registered Users Posts: 23,282 ✭✭✭✭mickdw


    Nnc1 wrote: »
    Have very limited budget of about 60-100k
    Looking to build a small house to suit me for now, about 700 to 800 Square foot, bungalow or 2 story, whatever I'll get planning for. I already own the site.
    My intention was to start, using my savings and hope to finish it in stages and build on in years to come. I've no problem living in an unfinished house as it'll be mine. Would I be able to get it to a livable standard with this budget. Am I mad??
    I'm in Kildare. Tia.

    Alot of your fixed costs still apply to even a small house so the cost per sqm rises when dealing with small works - for example, your esb connection will cost the same, water connection, sewer or septic tank all cost the same regardless.
    In kildare, i cant see you getting anywhere with that kind of budget. Some councils also levy substantial development contributions - ive no idea whether kildare do or not though.
    One thing i would say is that should you go ahead, design the larger house that can be built in phase 1 800 sqm phase 2 readily added in future.


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    #3
    Nnc1
    Registered Users Posts: 8 ✭Nnc1


    mickdw wrote: »
    Alot of your fixed costs still apply to even a small house so the cost per sqm rises when dealing with small works - for example, your esb connection will cost the same, water connection, sewer or septic tank all cost the same regardless.
    In kildare, i cant see you getting anywhere with that kind of budget. Some councils also levy substantial development contributions - ive no idea whether kildare do or not though.
    One thing i would say is that should you go ahead, design the larger house that can be built in phase 1 800 sqm phase 2 readily added in future.

    Thanks for replying. That's exactly what I plan on doing, my architect is currently drawing up plans phase 1 of 3. I'm aware of the fixed costs already. Hoping to make a start anyway with what I have :)


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    #4
    Gumbo
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 38,533 Mod ✭✭✭✭Gumbo


    I don’t think 100k gets you into a space that’s habitable.
    Planning fees.
    Connections.
    Contributions.
    Renewables.
    Insulation.
    Fitting it out to a good enough standard that it can be signed off as habitable by your architect/engineer.


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    #5
    mike_2009
    Registered Users Posts: 528 ✭✭✭mike_2009


    Best of luck with the project! It can be done but that's a tight budget - check out the €25,000 house by Dominic Stevens for inspiration. You can definitely build in phases and start out on that budget but it's when you have to add in all the services and associated plant it quickly adds up (and the services have to copy with the final size). Ask for a caravan in the planning permission so you can live on site until it's ready but I'm hoping you already live nearby so you've covered there. There was a guy in Graven Hill / Grand Designs that was living out of one of the units as he built on top of his day job. Basin of water and a portaloo, camping stove but he did it! Of course you're not allowed until it's habitable but I'd love to do that to achieve the dream!
    Risk check:
    Exact Development contributions - if you're building in 3 phases do you get planning for all 3 phases and hence have to pay development contributions for all 3 phases in one go or do you apply for planning for each phase separately and only pay the contributions for each. That's the commencement notice payment hurdle after all the Architect fees/design phase is over.
    A good quantity surveyor might be useful to see what all this would cost exactly - there are online only services which can help - besides pricing, they give you an exact schedule of materials and quantities which can be useful going forward to price with a local builders merchant.
    Check the ground, water table, suitability for foundations, slope, any risk here? For Septic this can be an expensive part.
    Service connections - get prices now if you can and see what ducting / trenchwork is required, is there spare capacity to connect you to the local schemes, is a well going to be required, good to see what services are available, you can get maps by request online. Some connections are much more expensive if they have to erect poles etc.
    Insurance - if it's going to take a few years, how much and can you extend. Some policies ramp up fast so price worst case.
    You'll get the shell for that price, it's all the rest that's going to be challenging but I hope you pull it off! Best of luck.


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    #6
    Nnc1
    Registered Users Posts: 8 ✭Nnc1


    mike_2009 wrote: »
    Best of luck with the project! It can be done but that's a tight budget - check out the €25,000 house by Dominic Stevens for inspiration. You can definitely build in phases and start out on that budget but it's when you have to add in all the services and associated plant it quickly adds up (and the services have to copy with the final size). Ask for a caravan in the planning permission so you can live on site until it's ready but I'm hoping you already live nearby so you've covered there. There was a guy in Graven Hill / Grand Designs that was living out of one of the units as he built on top of his day job. Basin of water and a portaloo, camping stove but he did it! Of course you're not allowed until it's habitable but I'd love to do that to achieve the dream!
    Risk check:
    Exact Development contributions - if you're building in 3 phases do you get planning for all 3 phases and hence have to pay development contributions for all 3 phases in one go or do you apply for planning for each phase separately and only pay the contributions for each. That's the commencement notice payment hurdle after all the Architect fees/design phase is over.
    A good quantity surveyor might be useful to see what all this would cost exactly - there are online only services which can help - besides pricing, they give you an exact schedule of materials and quantities which can be useful going forward to price with a local builders merchant.
    Check the ground, water table, suitability for foundations, slope, any risk here? For Septic this can be an expensive part.
    Service connections - get prices now if you can and see what ducting / trenchwork is required, is there spare capacity to connect you to the local schemes, is a well going to be required, good to see what services are available, you can get maps by request online. Some connections are much more expensive if they have to erect poles etc.
    Insurance - if it's going to take a few years, how much and can you extend. Some policies ramp up fast so price worst case.
    You'll get the shell for that price, it's all the rest that's going to be challenging but I hope you pull it off! Best of luck.

    Thanks so much for the vote of confidence in a sea of negativity :)

    My architect/engineer has been invaluable so far, knows the area, prices the site is flat and no issues there, do up plans in such a way that can easily be built onto in years to come, hence this house is phase 1 of 2,3... but getting planning and paying the contributions for phase 1 now. He will also help me project manage the build (not sure if he 100% know this yet!)
    Yes I will be living beside the site and will do as much as I can, well once the shell is built! Just hoping it wont be an eye sore for years to come, but I will still be able to save as its being built.


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