Rates for building in NI

blondette31

Hi Everyone,

Can anybody give me an idea of the going rate of building a house in NI now?? i.e. cost per m2 or per ft2? and would that cost include materials?

Thanks

waltsalt

I'd be interested in knowing this too.

It really is a bit of a conundrum when you're looking to build because you need to get an architect and planning permission before you can secure a mortgage but without the mortgage it's difficult to know what size of house to tell the architect to design for you!

If you were to build a 2000 square foot house then a £10 a square foot difference in a quote ends up meaning £20,000 difference in build costs!

CL

There is an existing thread for this here.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/1446619

blondette31

Great Thanks CL will have a good read after dinner

A.L.D.A

waltsalt wrote: »

I'd be interested in knowing this too.

It really is a bit of a conundrum when you're looking to build because you need to get an architect and planning permission before you can secure a mortgage but without the mortgage it's difficult to know what size of house to tell the architect to design for you!

If you were to build a 2000 square foot house then a £10 a square foot difference in a quote ends up meaning £20,000 difference in build costs!

But surely what you can borrow depends on your income, and start from there. There are people building for £550 per sq. m. and less. These are dangerously low prices and you have to add on site works. Also much depends on the type of specification and how much you are spending on kitchens etc. So it is all a bit vague to start with. My advice is to over estimate likely costs and be realistic. It is better to have surplus than shortage at the end.

The other thread mentioned above covers the ground well.

polpoo

It's important that you set the brief and budget at the outset. A good architect will design a house to suit your needs and your budget.

waltsalt

The other thread has a lot of good info.

I have a good idea of what mortgage I can get. So I have a good idea of what size of house I want. Based on what I read it seems pretty realistic. I guess the worry is that it ends up costing a lot more to build than estimated.

While it makes sense to be cautious and have a surplus of money at the end of the build it also would be a shame to have compromised the build and have a smaller house than what one would have liked.

I could afford to build the desired size if I got quotes in for as much as £650/sq metre but if it was more than that then it might be a struggle.

So obviously the worry is getting plans drawn up for a house, getting the planning permission passed and then getting building quotes back that throw all the plans in the water.

A.L.D.A

waltsalt wrote: »

I could afford to build the desired size if I got quotes in for as much as £650/sq metre but if it was more than that then it might be a struggle.

So obviously the worry is getting plans drawn up for a house, getting the planning permission passed and then getting building quotes back that throw all the plans in the water.

If you keep the structure of the building relatively straight forward and do not indulge in expensive frills you should be able to build for that provided there are not abnormal site problems or problems bringing in services, connecting to the road etc.

I recently saw a design for a house that would have been cheaper to build, if a bit larger. Walls did not line up, beams everywhere, resting over windows and doors, beams to hold other beams up. Poor design can have expensive consequences. It is not just the structure but layouts that are spatially inefficient. There are also considerations in relation to long term cost in use.

And then there is the Planning Service and what they think you should be allowed to build! The planning fee (tax) is now over £800.

waltsalt

Good stuff A.L.D.A.

I'm not looking to build anything off of Grand Designs, I'm happy enough for a straight forward enough design from the outside so long as I can have the space and comfort I want on the inside. I obviously don't want the thing to be ugly but inside is where you spend most of the time!

Planning is defintely a time consuming process. I already have plans passed a couple of years ago for a bungalow (plans that I borrowed from a friend) but now I hope to get a design of my own and hopefully go storey and a half. They weren't keen on a two storey dwelling 'cause it was breaking the horizon line.

I think the other big decision I need to make is what energy solutions are best to put in.

@blondette31 sorry to hijack this thread a bit. I didn't mean to. How are you getting on with your plans? Do you know what you want to build?

blondette31

Some really good info on the other thread lots of food for thought.

@waltsalt I'm only really starting to properly research tbh and appreciate figures etc may change. I have a house to sell first which isn't ideal with the way the market is atm, the profit would buy the land, with a little left over. I don't want anything too flashly just a straight forward family home and would prefer a bungalow. It is something I've always wanted to do but I have lots of researching to do. There are lots of risks and I just want to make sure when the time comes I'm as well prepared as I can be should something go wrong, overbudget etc etc. Any thoughts on energy solutions??

waltsalt

I have just been reading through this blog:-

http://selfbuildardmore.blogspot.com/

While the house being built by that dude is pretty massive it gives a real good indication of the steps involved and costs of labour and materials.

With regard to energy solutions I think I'm definitely going to get some solar panels installed at the offset. But I read the efficiency of these vary greatly depending on their position so hopefully I'll be able to get an appropriate roof to locate them on. Yet another thing to think about at the design stage.

I'm also thinking about an air source heat pump at the minute and maybe a Mechanical Heat Recovery System. I'm not too sure yet, I need to read about them a bit more to see if there is real value in them because while I want to be a bit more environmentally friendly I also want to be able to afford it all!!

I think upgrading on insulation sounds like the best idea though regardless of what heating solution you go for.

Saying all that, this is all just theory for me at the minute. I guess while each house is very individual everybody will have different experiences.