How much does it cost to build a house?

[MrsJAlfredPrufrock]

I know this is a bit how long is a piece of sting. But to build a detached 5 bedroom 3 bath house, not including the plot of land. With quality materials, nice bricks, proper clay tiles with aquality finish indoors. Not timber frame.

Perhpas someone can point me to some example houses and costs. Just to give me an idea.

string

Cost 70k 20 years ago. Does that help

alopeciamum - Did you build your own house?

It's dependent on so many things.

It can cost a fortune to get services into the plot if there's some distance to the nearest point they can make a connection. For my uncle's house it cost them over £10k to get the gas connected.

Then there's the cost of the finish - I know you said 'a quality finish' but you can spend £5k on kitchen units or £30k+ obviously.

We were looking at building something simlar to what you're talking about, though, and were given estimates of £190k to £240k about 3 years ago.

I would say £200k would be very reasonable though because the higher prices included things like oak skirtings and interior doors as well as high-end shower units and some expensive kitchen appliances etc.

We're in Yorkshire by the way.

Rough guide my guess now £150 per square foot. 5 bed from 1800 to 2500 so 270k to 375k???

According to homebuilding and renovation £626/m2 to £1010/m2 dependent on the quality you want.

I'd say a good sized 5 bed house is 2500sqft and that works out at 212m2.

With the land, it is unlikely to work out cheaper than building a house that is already there.

oh dear. That is what wine and cookies do to your mind.

It is unlikely to be cheaper than buying a house.

Thank you all. V interesting. Not as much as I thought really.

We asked Hauf Haus (sp?) and it was £250 a square foot, including most finishing, except for the kitchen.

More than you plan for... and forget the tables in Homebuilding&renovating

Construction prices have been shooting up as far as I can tell; cost of materials as well, builders seem to be busy regardless of the economy and are not inclined to give any better prices.. We've built very different house to what you are planning, putting all our money in good insulation, solar PV etc rather than a high spec kitchen and are looking at £1200/m2 excl fees (planning, building warrant, architect). When we started I'd say that that would be priced similar as buying a house in this area. Two years down the line, we could have bought a much bigger house for the same money.....

I would only build again if I had a very good deal on the land

Do you want a flat pack system build, a standard catalogue clone, some dreary example from one of those tedious TV programmes or a builder specified and "designed" bore?

Are you an individual who wants to be responsible for the project of a lifetime? To take your aspirations and dreams and make them real? How about something unique, exciting and bespoke?

Here is where you shoud start:

Pendeen's Good Deed for Fellow Architects

(Assuming your plot is not in Cornwall) :)

We did a self build.

We got a catalogue house, but because my architect friend knew the manager at our local branch, (similar to Hauf sort of thing), he released the drawings to her, and she made LOTS of changes, made it bigger, changed the rooms around. Extended balconies around the house. Made it much more open plan, changed staircases around.

Staying within budget, yet getting high quality, beech flooring, underfloor heating throughout the groundfloor, high spec bathrooms, etc, required carefull planning and meticulous attention to detail and cost.

What are your plans op?

This may be too late but saw your question and joined 2 minutes ago in order to say - a new build guide is it costs approximately the cost of the land. Am talking from experience so know you would be ripped off if it costs anymore.
Obviously when it comes to for example granite work tops or a cheap substitute is a personal decision. So the how long is a piece of string is exactly that regarding top of the range interiors as opposed to average. But do not let this stop you because you can spend on whatever you really want bit by bit once you have a bed in it. Literally. It is cheaper than buying from a house building firm. Just make sure you are vigilant that the land is accessible to all mains services and has planning permission for the type/size house you want. I did it and it is a fulfilling experience. If you get a good architect he will keep an eye on the builder all the way. Sometimes you may need to compromise, but when I said you only need a bed, suppose you want 3 bathrooms just fit one first and if money is short buy small portable oven and microwave and something to sit on. If money is no object make sure you get costs in writing but the architect also takes care of this too. Then after building is complete he will be very strict with your builder to put right anything not up to standard. Hope this helps anyone out there who is thinking of doing this. Last but not least if unlike me you know how to self build you are really quids in. Good luck

So the cost of building a new house should be the same as what a house is insured for right?

We are just in the process of doing this. If your house is completely demolished ie fire/explosion there are still the costs of clearing the area before rebuilding. If it is only part demolished then it may cost more to repair what is left before the rebuilding. In many cases you need to be insured for more than the cost of a new house. This especially pertinent for a listed building.

Look around at comparable new houses nearby. The price they sell for is one-third plot, one-third building costs, one-third profit for the developer.

@MattMagnolia
Well it wouldn't be quite that simple. A developer's build cost would be significantly lower due to economies of scale (on land, labour and materials) and expertise. Nothing can be done about the economies of scale, but the expertise element is why self-build is most advantageous for people who are involved in the building industry in some capacity.

Neophytes (unless they're highly resourceful) are likely to end up spending more than if they purchased an equivalent existing house.
Added to this is the fact that financing for a self-build is trickier than buying.
All this may or may not be an issue depending on the individual's reason for opting for self-build.