Browse Forums Building A New House 1 Mar 29, 2012 3:16 pm Hi guys, I'm about 90% of the way through completing my plans with my architect for my new house. My father will be the builder although he has not built in about 10 years and is out of touch with pricing. I would like to try and get some preliminary pricing on major cost items, so that if I need to change anything as it is becoming too expensive to build, I can do so without paying the architect a fortune. Is there any software or websites out there that I can look at to get a feel for what major cost items will cost? (ie. roof tiling, brick laying, plastering etc.) Obtaining quotes from trades people can sometimes be hard without completed plans and knowing the tradies themselves. Re: Owner builder - need help with pricing 2Mar 29, 2012 3:41 pm Hi Chrip, Let me begin by congratulating you on taking this HUGE step!....it's true what people say about buying or building your home, it's one of THE most impotant descisions you'll ever make in your life. I'm no expert when it comes to costing, but I can tell you this , my husband & I started building our house in June 2010, & due to the builder going into liquidation, we are only just aout to move into our new home. To answer a little part of your question, I think the best thing to do, is to get quotes based on how many squares you're house is going to be ( e.g. an average 3 bed house is about say 24 sq ) . As you know you're biggest cost will be the foundation & excavations, slab, roof, frame & bricks. If you get quotes for these, you'll at least get "some" idea or ball park figure of the intial costs. Everything else such as plumbing, sheeting etc, will probably need a proper plan to get quotes, it's also wise to include a + or - of say $50K for those unexpected costs that may arise. It's a very exciting project to take on, especially when you get to see your house materialise infront of your eyes from a mere drawing to an actual house. Always keep referring back to this " Homeone Building Forum " as it's a very useful site & you'd be very surprised how many people like yourself may be encountering the same problems & or challenges when building. Good luck with your build. Re: Owner builder - need help with pricing 3Mar 29, 2012 3:53 pm springtime Hi Chrip, Let me begin by congratulating you on taking this HUGE step!....it's true what people say about buying or building your home, it's one of THE most impotant descisions you'll ever make in your life. I'm no expert when it comes to costing, but I can tell you this , my husband & I started building our house in June 2010, & due to the builder going into liquidation, we are only just aout to move into our new home. To answer a little part of your question, I think the best thing to do, is to get quotes based on how many squares you're house is going to be ( e.g. an average 3 bed house is about say 24 sq ) . As you know you're biggest cost will be the foundation & excavations, slab, roof, frame & bricks. If you get quotes for these, you'll at least get "some" idea or ball park figure of the intial costs. Everything else such as plumbing, sheeting etc, will probably need a proper plan to get quotes, it's also wise to include a + or - of say $50K for those unexpected costs that may arise. It's a very exciting project to take on, especially when you get to see your house materialise infront of your eyes from a mere drawing to an actual house. Always keep referring back to this " Homeone Building Forum " as it's a very useful site & you'd be very surprised how many people like yourself may be encountering the same problems & or challenges when building. Good luck with your build. Thanks very much. I have approved floor plans so I know exactly how big the house is (40 square including garage). Framers, foundations, excavations and slab will have to wait until the Engineering is complete, so I will make an allowance for all of this, say $50k. I think everything else (bricks, tiling, plumbing etc.) can be quoted on with my plans as they are. Hi VK, Think it's worth investing time in an Owner Builder course to equip you with basic knowledge on Australian Building Industry and its regulations. Also, I suggest… 11 23025 While i was across this behavior's pre appointing my (the builders) surveyor, I did tell the builder i was aware what they were doing and while i disagreed with it, they… 13 14601 |