Browse Forums Building A New House 1 Mar 23, 2008 2:04 pm How much extra did everyone pay the building firm above and beyond the standard price? Did anyone ONLY pay the builder the standard price and then take care of everything else themselves? We just paying just over $18,000 above and beyond our building firm's base price.
It's amazing how high the cost goes up when you upgrade or alter things! Fiona Re: How much extra did you pay? 2Mar 23, 2008 5:02 pm Yeah, we built on acreage with convenant requirements which needed to be met by the builders - hence the advertised base price was alot less than our final price. I also made alterations to the design which also added to the cost, along with a high wind rated site & reactive soil conditions.
I was amazed at the extra costs that appeared at contract stage - we had to negotiate a few items and add things / subtract things to balance the books. I very nearly took the option of walking away at that stage, but we ended up at a price I was comfortable with. But at least this happened at the contract stage - $18,000 above the base price is pretty good I would have thought. Unless you mean the $18,000 was added to the price after construction started - that's a different story. Re: How much extra did you pay? 3Mar 23, 2008 5:11 pm Our base price - about $280k - after our modifications (adding another 20-25 sqm onto the house) it will be more like $420k
That's upgrading to caesarstone and a whole lot of additional finish upgrades inside. After 4 years - we're in! Re: How much extra did you pay? 4Mar 23, 2008 5:27 pm Ours was $270K base price plus site costs+upgrades of $60K and things that we are going to do after handover of approx $70K (floor/window coverings, driveway, front/back landscaping). ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Built the Nevada 42 Next project - landscaping! Re: How much extra did you pay? 5Mar 23, 2008 5:42 pm We have paid an additional $70K over the base price of our home and that does not include things like the landscaping, driveway, floor coverings, window coverings etc.... Re: How much extra did you pay? 7Mar 23, 2008 5:54 pm Quote: There you go nzfiona.... Does that make your 18K feel like a bargain ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Built the Nevada 42 Next project - landscaping! Re: How much extra did you pay? 8Mar 23, 2008 5:57 pm $18K.....I WISH!!!!!
Note to self.....must have more self control when designing & building our next house!!!! ......hmmmm....i seriously doubt it though!!! Re: How much extra did you pay? 10Mar 23, 2008 6:56 pm We paid 130k more than I hoped I would
Totally being unrealistic, I knew deep down what our final price would be just by calculating square footage. Mrs B Re: How much extra did you pay? 11Mar 23, 2008 7:59 pm The base price of my home is $181K but I have increased the size of many of the rooms and also added a 4th bathroom its now more like $300K (without electricals, landscaping ,driveway, carpets and blinds)and going to Increase.!!!! Costs just spiral when you make structural changes!!
I think I keep deluding myself that I will find a way to finish on budget...buget??? *bemused* $18,000 over budget would be a dream come true for me.! Raz If you think you can, you can. Re: How much extra did you pay? 12Mar 23, 2008 8:01 pm Originally had budget of $500k to have house fully finished, landscaped pool the whole hog, getting quotes back at around $660k mind you that includes the pool . but not the garden or curtains..
Spoke to a school Mum the other day, they just finished their gardens for $100K scared the hell out of DH!! Lets just say that we are doing the big rethink on the size of the house, and if we should build at all or buy established. Our land cost $325k so when we do the figures its pretty scary...DH doesnt like debt, but I want a new house!! Paula Re: How much extra did you pay? 13Mar 23, 2008 8:32 pm Paula Originally had budget of $500k to have house fully finished, landscaped pool the whole hog, getting quotes back at around $660k mind you that includes the pool . but not the garden or curtains.. Spoke to a school Mum the other day, they just finished their gardens for $100K scared the hell out of DH!! Lets just say that we are doing the big rethink on the size of the house, and if we should build at all or buy established. Our land cost $325k so when we do the figures its pretty scary...DH doesnt like debt, but I want a new house!! Hi Paula, Your budget is around the same price as mine. Keep shopping around for a good builder, they are there. You will find one when you least expect it If you dont mind me asking, what side of Melbourne are you buiding on? Mrs B Re: How much extra did you pay? 15Mar 24, 2008 7:03 am Paula Originally had budget of $500k to have house fully finished, landscaped pool the whole hog, getting quotes back at around $660k mind you that includes the pool . but not the garden or curtains.. Lets just say that we are doing the big rethink on the size of the house, and if we should build at all or buy established. Our land cost $325k so when we do the figures its pretty scary...DH doesnt like debt, but I want a new house!! Paula - so does your $660k include the land or just the house (pool, etc etc)? I remember reading somewhere that you shouldn't spend more than 2x your land on house and landscaping - otherwise you may be overcapitalising & may not get that money back when you sell (if you ever plan to sell!) After 4 years - we're in! Re: How much extra did you pay? 16Mar 24, 2008 9:16 am Quote: If you dont mind me asking, what side of Melbourne are you buiding on? My land is in Plenty, bordering on greensborough. 1000 sqm Quote: Paula - so does your $660k include the land or just the house (pool, etc etc)? Just the house, we have hadd the land for 2 1/2 years already. Quote: I remember reading somewhere that you shouldn't spend more than 2x your land on house and landscaping - otherwise you may be overcapitalising & may not get that money back when you sell (if you ever plan to sell!) Well thats OK then $325K on land times 2 = $650K only $10K over!! Maybe show DH that and it will make him happier Paula Re: How much extra did you pay? 17Mar 24, 2008 10:49 am I think in the end we will spend $80k to $100k more. Some of this has gone to making the house bigger (larger rumpus and study), but it's amazing how much is going to all those little items, which add up very quickly Re: How much extra did you pay? 18Mar 24, 2008 11:39 am our base for the house was approx 135,000 and we will be paying approx 205,000, so approx $70,000 extra. again this does not include carpet, curtains, gardening, fencing, driveway etc. On the road to building our 1st home Re: How much extra did you pay? 19Mar 24, 2008 12:27 pm We started with a budget of about $8,000/sq fully finished (flooring, curtains, finishes) for a 35-40 sq home on land about 200k. This did not of course include gardening, pergola, cement etc. What we ended up with was a relatively restraint $8,800/sq - of a 50sq home . Upgrades were of the 80k mark plus another 40k for pergola, gardens, cement etc.
Mom, the ever pessimist, was quoting at least $9,000/sq when we first started so we proved her wrong! Re: How much extra did you pay? 20Mar 24, 2008 1:31 pm stonecutter1309 Paula Originally had budget of $500k to have house fully finished, landscaped pool the whole hog, getting quotes back at around $660k mind you that includes the pool . but not the garden or curtains.. Lets just say that we are doing the big rethink on the size of the house, and if we should build at all or buy established. Our land cost $325k so when we do the figures its pretty scary...DH doesnt like debt, but I want a new house!! Paula - so does your $660k include the land or just the house (pool, etc etc)? I remember reading somewhere that you shouldn't spend more than 2x your land on house and landscaping - otherwise you may be overcapitalising & may not get that money back when you sell (if you ever plan to sell!) Stonecutter...the 2x land thing that you mention is really interesting. Has anyone else heard of this before? I knew that there was a point where spending too much on your house & landscaping was overcapitalising....The 2x factor sounds about right....Glad I'm under that even with all my changes & landscaping... Hi Mofflepop, I would recommend finding a building designer to prepare plans, they should design to your specified budget. The benefit is you can tender the project out… 9 20183 No the fireplace doesn’t work. It’s been enclosed. I’m not sure what was removed, as it was done quite some time ago - well before what I can see with photos online… 2 11530 |