Quick Build Homes
More and more people in the UK are considering building their own homes, especially as climbing up the housing ladder is becoming increasingly less expensive. There are new government initiatives to encourage self-building in an effort to help solve the country’s housing crisis with bodies such as the National Association for Self-Construction and Habits (Nacsba) supporting them.
Unfortunately, misconceptions about self-construction are still common, and that could be the fault of TV shows like “Grand Designs”, where the people behind the constructions seem incredibly brave/obsessive or… there must be a change in the way think here. Good architecture for your home isn’t about being “off the wall” or expensive, it’s about responding to your needs as a occupant. The successful project will result in a home that you will not only enjoy living in every day, but will also meet the requirements in your brief – and a large part of your brief is your budget!
How much does it cost to build a house?
With some smart design and project management, it is possible to build an inexpensive home for less than £100,000. Homebuilding and Renovating has put together a pinterest board with some great examples of what can be achieved when planning a self-constructed budget home.
6 ways to build fast homes
– It’s all in the design and layout
Most cost saving exercises will take place during the design and planning phase of the project. A well-thought-out design that balances all cost ramifications can save you a fortune! It is worth taking the time to find a good architect to get this thing right. Their fee is a small percentage of the construction cost, but the right design can end up saving you more money overall (plus giving you a home you’ll love!)
– Keep it simple in engineering
A surefire way to add extra costs to your self-structure is to start with a challenging plan, full of curves and complications. The work will account for a large portion of the costs of self-construction, so it is useful to question every aspect of the design. For every detail or intersection, your architect should think: How complicated (and expensive) is it to build this?
– Consider your construction method and the materials carefully
There is no single “cheap” solution here and you must weigh that decision against factors other than material cost. Durability, life and maintenance will affect the total cost of your home over a given period. Can you imagine living in this house for the next 25 years? 50 years? 100 years? The cheaper construction now may not result in the cheapest overall cost during its lifetime. A similar argument can be made for building environmental credentials. For example, it may be worth spending more to get some effective insulation in the walls to keep heating bills low for years to come!
– Labor costs
Labor can account for a high percentage of your total costs, so you may consider doing it yourself as often as you can. This decision will certainly affect which construction method you choose.
– Be efficient with the floor area
Square space is of course an important contributor to our self-built cost, and with the help of your architect it pays to find clever ways to reduce the footprint but still get on your wish list. However, you will find that economies of scale come into play, so each additional square foot should cost a little less than the previous one!
– Space planning
The open plan living is becoming more and more popular in new homes, and for good reason; It brings more natural light and provides a more social living environment. However, large, barrier-free spaces can end up being very costly due to the additional structure required (usually roof steel). There are ways around this, such as adding columns to reduce steel spans. These columns or structural walls will need to be placed carefully to ensure minimal impact on the flow of spaces/views etc. Again, this is where a good architect will come on their own!
Source: Quick Build Homes
