New Build Advice

boslp6guf03v74

Hi all,

I am currently looking at the option of purchasing a half acre site near my home house with the view of building a house.

Due to my current income, I'm only eligible for approx. €140k mortgage.

I understand €140k wouldn't build much, but subject to planning i'm considering opting out of statutory certification and building a 200sqm two storey house and completing the ground floor (110sqm) for now with the first floor (90sqm) left as a shell. The aim would be to finish this off over time.

Basically my questions are:
(a) has anyone done something similar in the last year / two years?
(b) how much per SQM would it cost to build? €800-€1200?
(c) different option: has anyone built a 60sqm "garage" first and fitted it out for habitable accommodation? If this route is an option, the aim would be to convert the building into a garage when the house is complete?

Cheers!

Metric Tensor

You can't get a mortgage to half finish a house - so your only options in this regard would be if you had €140k in the bank.

If the bank give you money to build a house they expect it finished and will hold back on the last payment until it is + they also ask for costings in advance to show that it can be built for the amount you say.

boslp6guf03v74

Hi Metric Tensor,

Thanks a million for your reply; its a shame, but I suppose that's the way banks operate.

Regarding the Bank holding back on the last payment; is "finished" regarded as plastered with second fix? Or fully flooring, painted, and furnished?

Thanks!

Gumbo

Kian Green Mace wrote: »

Hi Metric Tensor,

Thanks a million for your reply; its a shame, but I suppose that's the way banks operate.

Regarding the Bank holding back on the last payment; is "finished" regarded as plastered with second fix? Or fully flooring, painted, and furnished?

Thanks!

Compliant with Planning & Building Regulations will be required for the bank.

Metric Tensor

You'll also need at a minimum a kitchen, bedroom and bathroom. i.e. A house can be compliant with the building regulations but not have a kitchen installed but usually that would not be acceptable as "complete" to the financial institutions.

I've also recently heard a bank saying that externally the footpaths need to be completed but not the tarmacadam.

They will also need a certificate of compliance, which can't be done without an air-tightness test and BER Certificate. The full heating and renewable energy systems have to be installed and running to get that over the line.

The way the bank see it is that they have to be able to sell the house in the morning if you default on your mortgage.

mike_2009

You might be better off looking at building it yourself, pay as you go. That's if you can buy the land outright. Planning permission and drawings don't have to cost the earth but you'll need to invest a LOT of time over a protracted period which may put a strain on relationships etc. You might need to look to the UK for some courses but there are a few held in Ireland too. I'm thinking timber framed might be the way to go - there's a 5 day course in Wales but you would need other trades to plug the gaps and be mates with a good builder who knows the regs etc. One option anyway.

boslp6guf03v74

Thanks everyone for your reply, I appreciate it. Will look into the options further.

goldenhoarde

Kian Green Mace wrote: »

Thanks everyone for your reply, I appreciate it. Will look into the options further.

How about a dormer that you do the upstairs at a later date? Do just the downstairs don't forget the stairs and make sure to have the plumbing put to the upstairs initially so that it doesn't need to be done later. Also the dormer windows were put in at the initial build phase

Not that I have any idea of costs etc but I know some one who did this and finished the upstairs a good few years later 5+

ajarms86

goldenhoarde wrote: »

How about a dormer that you do the upstairs at a later date? Do just the downstairs don't forget the stairs and make sure to have the plumbing put to the upstairs initially so that it doesn't need to be done later. Also the dormer windows were put in at the initial build phase

Not that I have any idea of costs etc but I know some one who did this and finished the upstairs a good few years later 5+

tbis dormer idea is actually a good one and I have heard of people getting their bouse across the banks 'finished' line by presenting the house as a single story bungalow then adding the second story after the fact.

from a costing POV/starting out with a habital garage, google search the 40k house project, think the architects name was jake stevens or somthing, build his house using large garage/barn shed construction methods

BryanF

ajarms86 wrote: »

tbis dormer idea is actually a good one and I have heard of people getting their bouse across the banks 'finished' line by presenting the house as a single story bungalow then adding the second story after the fact.

from a costing POV/starting out with a habital garage, google search the 40k house project, think the architects name was jake stevens or somthing, build his house using large garage/barn shed construction methods

'Dominic Stevens'

And I don't believe for a second that anyone could build a house for that. The guy has taken liberties with what most consider 'a house', and what most consider included in 'building a house'.

You might build a 30m2 extension for that, but 40k would be swallowed in prelims and fees on a new build.

ajarms86

Yeah that's the one, it's Dominic Stevens, thanks for reminding me,

It was actually the 25K House project, I came across an article in an Architecture mag, but here is the link to his website with more details: http://www.dominicstevensarchitect.net/#/25k-house-prototype/

In terms of liberties yup he basically made a farm shed with insulation, windows, plumbing and a kitchen, he's obviously not including site costs, planning, taxes etc. for the OP this might be similar to your "garage" idea hope this helps give you a few idea's.

would be good to hear how you get on, I currently have a client who wants to achieve something similar with 'shipping containers' (yes I think he is mad too)

mike_2009

I originally looked into shipping containers after that Grand Design's episode about that farmer up north who built his own out of 2 + 2 containers. There's a New Zealand episode more recently who based their house around containers but they went way over budget and the containers only formed part of the house.
More interestingly they built apartments out of shipped modules in Sandyford a few years ago and more recently an entire hotel in Manchester out of modules made the same size in China but pre wired, plumbed etc and just shipped over and dropped into place.
My hope is you'll get the like's of Ikea offering an all in package one day, go and pick out your modules, get them shipped to site and connected up and you're done! Then if you want an extension, get planning, drop in a few more and it's far easier to upsize/downsize and should be much cheaper at this scale too.
You can definitely build you own home for 25-50K but the laws, planning contributions and skills gap pushes the price much higher.
I met someone developing tiny homes in Dublin City Center recently but I'm not sure about living in one myself.

If you're stuck consider a canal boat, only a few € a year on taxes!!

Anyway, that 140K would definitely cover a house but you'll have to be tight on budget and have a look at prefab options to reduce your risk. I'll PM you one option worth investigating.

BryanF

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