Self build costs

[Alpecker]

If you have done a self build (4/5 bed detached house) please can you let me know your costs for things that aren't the building e.g. land, solicitor, planning etc. Thanks in advance.

Much more than we initially thought!

@mabelchiltern that is my big worry... We've been offered some land and told to make an offer. Where to start!! We're working backwards from total budget but we really need to know fees etc.

I think. When we looked into it, it was roughly £10k/sq foot depending on groundwork's, foundations and the finishes.

Really depends which area of the country

@Stinkbomb. Sq ft or sq m? Or my 2000 sq ft home is a pipe dream!!

Start with getting a site investigation report and land valuation done based on the current planning status. Otherwise the vendor benefits from your risk. Sign an option that nets off any planning specified costs from the land value and make it conditional on getting planning. Eg the planning condition says you have to have a bus stop moved to give a wide enough splay. Net the cost off the agreed land value.
Works costs are dependent on the spec - most of mine are coming in at £1200 to 2000 PSM. Having said that I work in social housing sector so are basic spec. When budgeting cost it up and add a healthy contingency 20% or more.
On costs +10% of works costs
Legals 1500 but I get a good rate.
Site remediation - get it costed from the SI report.

Ooh, good point - sorry.
It was a price given by the architect after the groundwork costs (eg site investigation and other pp conditions), so probably by sq meter

Buy some homebuilding magazines; doing a first self build you either need a couple of years to research and plan or you need a very good contingency budget (in my experience). But it’s well worth doing if you can.

@Unescorted thank you. Who would I go to to get the site investigation and land valuation report?

10k sq m will get you a grand design, unless you're building on a swamp!

Even 10k per sq m sounds insane - that would be 2M for a 200sq m house... (sorry for derailing). Maybe Stinkbomb’s architect was talking about the final value? (provided it’s a very expensive area).

It's West Midlands. I'm thinking architects and solicitors fees.

Environmental consultant for the SI and valuation surveyor (quantity surveyor... RICS accredited for a red book) for the valuation. There are some companies that do the QS, planning and environmental all under be roof.

I may have found a local valuer thank you.