Are there any well recognised rules of thumb for how much a house would cost to build?

There is a plot of land for sale, that has caught my eye, and I’m trying to work out if I could sell up and do my very own grand design. I’ve no real idea how much a house would actually cost to build. For arguments sake, lets say its an easy site with access etc and a bog standard 3 bed detached would be the plan. There must be some back of a fag packet calculation I can do to come up with an approximate ball park figure?

I’m sure the Internet will throw up a few cost per square m according to how you specify.
Not sure these days used to be around 1000 per m but could well be nearer 1500 now I would imagine for something decent. If you want a standard new build house like a developer would build then a fair bit less.

Have a look at grand designs, rule of thumb is about double what you have 🙂

Local house builder should be able to give you some idea if there are any private developments near you.

When I built my house self build magazine was a good resource
http://www.self-build.co.uk/project-cost-calculator

Nice one cheers all. Grand designs does help a bit, basically looking at £150k ish.

Now I just have to work out a) if I could actually get planning permission for the land, its cheap so guessing it would be difficult and that’s putting people off. b) how much more expensive my “grand design” would be over and above a bog standard house!

c) find a nice caravan to live in until……

Depends on spec, but we work on a rough guide of £1400-1500/m2. Obviously more if you want a lot of high cost finishes.

HOW MUCH!?

built the barn for about 850 /sqm admittedly we didn’t need to build the roof

Where is the site? Need an architect?

Ahh – if no planning permission yet then avoid. If the present owners could have got permission they would have done and sold for much more.

Do lots of homework if you still want to proceed.

Site is in north Somerset, and I would definitely use an architect.

It doesn’t have planning permission, and therefore (if it goes for the guide price) will be cheap. I wouldn’t be in any rush to develop it, but would just hold onto it applying for planning permission every now and then as the rules are altered etc.

Bear in mind you might still own a plot of land only when you finally kark it.

My company would be happy to help out, but we are probably too far away. A local firm would be more practical. However, if you are stuck, please let me know. We do work all over the country so are no strangers to working further afield.

We are based in West Sussex, by the way – Cowan Architects Ltd.

Mike

Nice one cheers Mike.

Johndoh, if all else fails, it would make a lovely grave yard!!

It doesn’t have planning permission, and therefore (if it goes for the guide price) will be cheap. I wouldn’t be in any rush to develop it, but would just hold onto it applying for planning permission every now and then as the rules are altered etc.

That sounds very much like land bank scam talk.

Please don’t say the plot is part of a land bank scam, if it is, don’t touch it. You will never get planning permission. And no, the rules wont change – whatever the seller might be claiming.

Cheers e_l. Its ok its not a land bank. Its just a bit of pasture that’s for sale via an estate agent etc. Reason its cheap is its priced at pasture land prices, about 10k / acre.

You could always buy it and start to use it as a scrap metal yard until the authorities cave in and decide a nice 8 bed mock Tudor is preferable 🙂

No land which has a likely potential for development is going to sell at £10k an acre. Still, it’s your choice.

I would check to see if there are any covenants on the land before you take the plunge. Also speak to the local Planning department: They may charge you £60 for the pleasure, but it would be worth it.

All fair comments. Cheers guys. I’d only buy it if I could afford to write the purchase price off and have it as just a remote garden. That would be the worst case. But who knows how 5, 10 or 15 years could effect panning rules etc.

The planning department will be able to tell you the likelyhood of getting permission; as will a good planning consultant.

Not quite found the right bit of the local plan yet, but the map that borders it says its an AONB. Guessing that will complicated planning!

It will, but it’s not insurmountable.

Ah, one more step closer. I think its a site of Nature Conservation Interest. Now just need to dig out those regs…

the map that borders it says its an AONB. Guessing that will complicated planning!

I would have thought so, although on the plus side you’ll presumably have some stunning views from your house.

Ah, so this is what I’d be up against…

POLICY NE.9
Development which would adversely affect, either directly or indirectly the nature conservation value of, Sites of Nature Conservation Importance, Local Nature Reserves or Regionally Important Geological and Geomorphological Sites, as shown on the Proposals Map, or any other sites of equivalent nature conservation value, will
not be permitted unless:
i. material factors are sufficient
to override the local biological geological / geomorphological and
community/amenity value of the site; and
ii. any harm to the nature
conservation value of the site is minimised; and
iii. compensatory provision of at least equal nature conservation value is made.

I’m guessing that would be game over, unless they change the map. The plot is a bit weird and seems to be tacked onto a much larger area…

Don’t sell up before you have clarified the planning.
AONB and SNCI and presumably outside the built environment meaning that countryside policy applies, a presumption against development despite what you have been reading in the papers mean that you probably don’t stand a chance which is why it is £10,000 per acre. Paddock or good farmland value. Build costs if you are paying professional planning and architects fees and a builder rather than doing it yourself will see little change out of £2000/m2 unless you know what you are doing.
Sorry, otherwise everyone would be at it.

Planning does change or can be manipulated. We’ve just tipped and shaped 10000 cube of muck on a green belt site to enable a development that wasn’t feasible without being able to keep the muck “on site” All the land owned by the same bloke who on a whim bought all the fields at the back of the existing site “just in case” it benefitted him.

I would strongly recommend a Planning Consultant: These sort of cases are where they really earn their money.

I can recommend a really good one if you want.

What would a planning consultant do? Genuine question btw.

A planning consultant makes it their business to understand, and therefore be able to manipulate, the current planning regulations.

For example: Recently we got permission on work to a house that far exceeded what you think would normally be allowed, and it was all passed under permitted development (requiring no full application). It was stretching the laws to their absolute limit, but the planning consultant knew how to play it, and we designed it accordingly.

We tend to use our architect for such things. What’s the cost based on re planning consultants, % of project valuation? Would, as in this case, someone who’s trying to keep costs down be better off literally speaking to the planners?

Presumably I could just have a friendly chat with a planning consultant if I crossed their palm with silver. Just to get a feel for the possibilities.

However I like the idea as mikey stated that they know the ins and outs of the law in that specialist area which may be able to force the hand of the local planners. On our commercial developments we’ve had no problems but the houses we’ve developed over the last couple of years have been a complete PITA re planning!

Would, as in this case, someone who’s trying to keep costs down be better off literally speaking to the planners?

I would say try that first, but generally, planners will only stick to the letter of the law. I agree there is a bit of an overlap in duties between the architect and the PC, but planning is all the PC does, and therefore are in a better position to argue over policy.

Presumably I could just have a friendly chat with a planning consultant if I crossed their palm with silver. Just to get a feel for the possibilities.

Sure.

We built ours for £800/m squared at a very hi spec. 2200 m2. Block and render. Lovely house by a beach. Sadly job move meant I lived in it for nine months 😥

The most expensive aspect was the foundation and ground works at £32k due to the sandy nature of the area.

Looking to do another, but possibly timber construction. Just gotta find that plot…….

UrbanHiker – Member
Ah, one more step closer. I think its a site of Nature Conservation Interest. Now just need to dig out those regs…
POSTED 8 HOURS AGO # REPORT-POST

Our house adjoins land if that listing. Last year the council decided it was okay to build on it. Fortunately there was enough outcry to make them reconsider.

Mikey74
I might be in need of some advice , and am near Chichester

Basically bought flat #1 in a 1937 house that was converted into 2 flats in the 80’s.
Bought downstairs flat #2 when it came on the market 5 years later as a BTL.

Have a double garage with a pitched roof which is 13m from the house. Not sure but considering an attempt to build a 2 storey joining extension between house and garage , with another level ontop of garage to make 6 x 6 kitchen overlooking IOW.

Corridors / doors / windows and neighbours plus planning and use of space are the issues, and of course cost.

E-mail me: mpk@cowan-architects.co.uk

That at 13m is a very big extension!