Actual recent house build cost breakdown

newhousebuild

I recently completed a new build near Cork City. I learned a lot from this forum over the last few years and wanted to share some of my experience, but particularly regarding the costs. It might be useful to somebody.

We probably couldn’t have timed things any worse as we were hit with the late stages of COVID and also the manic price increases post-COVID. I definitely wouldn’t have started the project if I knew how much it would have cost us at the end.

Regarding the timeline. We purchased our site in August 2020, poured foundations in September 2021 and moved into the finished house in March 2023. We used a main contractor for everything. His contract was for 15 months duration.

The house is a 4 bedroom (all en-suite) detached house with flat roof construction. Its floor area is 256sqm but there is also a detached garden office of 24sqm. The garden office is built to the same specifications as the house so, for the calculations below, I would consider the property floor area to be 280sqm. There is a block built, fully insulated 25sqm garage with a powered sectional garage door.

We generally went for high specification throughout and we have fully landscaped the gardens and fitted an electric entrance gate. I appreciate this might not be typical but I hope it might be helpful as many areas will be relevant.

So, what did it cost us? 

Our final figure is an eye watering €986,600 which works out at €3,523 per sqm. This is including the site purchase and absolutely everything else for a 100% completed project. 

Without the site cost included, it would be €2,766 per sqm. Whilst I’m absolutely sure that you could build for less than this, our standard builder’s finish alone was €1,916/sqm. I think it would be tough to get below €2,500 per sqm for a complete finish house. That’s just my opinion.

Anyway, here’s a slightly more detailed breakdown (all including VAT):

Site Costs: €212,000

Site purchase (including stamp duty) €189,000

Site Clearance & boundary walls €23,000

Builder’s contract: €522,000 

Builder’s finish €522,000*

*this included the house as per the architect plans - including plumbing (UFH and air source heat pump), electrical, windows/doors (Rational triple aluclad), MHRV, roof structure, interior and exterior painting, all carpentry (except flooring), driveway finish (gravel), all site-works and garage. It excluded flooring finishes, kitchen/utility, sanitary ware, furniture, appliances, connection charges, fees etc.)

Professional Fees & Charges: €51,200

Architect €21,000

Engineer €7,000

Irish Water - waste connection €4,000

Irish Water - water connection €2,300

ESB connection - €3,500

Council contributions - €5,300

Site insurance - €1,600

Landscape design - €2,000

Legal fees - €4,500

Exterior: €50,400

Entrance gates & railings €18,000

Landscaping €18,000

Patio (120sqm of porcelain) €14,400

Interior: €151,000

Kitchen & Utility €32,000

Appliances €7,000

Built in wardrobes €13,000

Flooring €23,000 (timber downstairs, carpet upstairs)

Furniture €19,800

Bathroom ware €19,200

Lighting €3,300

Electric fires €4,400

Bathroom Tiling €16,300

Blinds/Curtains €9,000

Alarm/CCTV €4,000

I’m happy to try and answer any questions you may have. I’m not here to argue with anybody - I can only speak from my experience. 

billy_beckham

If....if you were to sell, would you recoup your outlay??

TokenJogger

What job do you do and is there any openings ? Near 1M build eeek !

Scoopsire

@newhousebuild congrats and wishing the best of luck with it.

Thank you for sharing this info, currently trying to get an extension moving in Dublin.

Would you mind sharing some details on the u values of the structure and build method is block/timber frame?

Is it a complex house design or something more standard rectangle, 2 storey?

newhousebuild

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120881640#Comment_120881640

No, unfortunately not. Not in the area where I live anyway. It’s valued at €875k which is typically the ceiling for this area. I didn’t build to sell so the final value is somewhat irrelevant to me but it’s always at the back of my mind.

newhousebuild

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120881785#Comment_120881785

Good luck with the extension, it’s hard work but ultimately worth it.

The house design is quite standard - two story, block built cavity wall with a 100% Trocal flat roof construction. My final BER was A2 which was the original target.

We have a concrete slab first floor with UFH on both floors.

Some specifics:

Ground Floor Construction

85mm concrete screed floor with reinforcing fibre mesh (with u/f heating pipes) on 500 gauge polythene on 150 Xtrathrm XT/UF rigid floor insulation as per ACD details on 150mm Powerfloated Concrete Floor on DPM/Radon Membrane on 50mm Sand Blinding on 200mm min clean and graded hardcore designed to Engineers Specification. Allow for 35mm Kingspan perimeter insulation. (U-Value - 0.12W/m2K)

Ensure finishing screed is level to avoid requirement for further levelling screed for floor finish. Any further cost requirement for levelling is at main contractors expense. Allow for movement oints in screed to engineers details. Allow for 2no radon sumps and proprietary venting outlets.

Flat Roof Construction

Trocal S 2mm Roofing Membrane (with proprietary capping & upstand) mechanically fixed 150 Xtratherm FR-ALU mechanically fixed rigid insulation to manufacturers requirements on Trocal DS - PE Vapour Check 18mm wbp plywood sheeting on Treated firing pieces at 1:100 falls tapering to 25mm on Roofing joists @ 400c/c to engineers details with air-tightness membrane fixed & taped to underside 50mm timber batten at 400c/c forming service cavity with 12.5mm foilbacked plasterboard and skim finish. Paint to complete. (U-value of 0.15W/m2K).

External Wall Construction

22mm smooth external render with paint finish 100 External Concrete Block; Allow for 40mm air space of 150 cavity gap: 110 Xtratherm Xtrowall Plus 110 insulation 100/215 Internal Concrete Block (where shown) Scratch coat & hardcoat skim finish internally. (U-Value - 0.15W/m2K).

Insulation to be installed to manufacturers requirements. Expansion joints must be provided so as to comply with the Building Regulations 2000 and Home Bond Requirements.

StevenToast

Thanks for sharing your experience.

Its certainly an eye opener and gives food for thought to those thinking about carrying out something similar.

By the sounds of it, it is an amazing house....best of luck!

newhousebuild

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120881852#Comment_120881852

Thanks for your nice comments.

It is a lovely house but still fairly normal. Some of our finishes would be considered premium but the house structure and design itself are fairly standard. The flat roof is probably the only slightly unusual design feature.

I suppose that’s my point in sharing this - one off building is so expensive at the moment. Before I started, I found it difficult to hear real world stories. People also seemed to bend the truth as to what it cost, or didn’t included things which should be included. I wanted to list absolutely everything so it might help someone else who is considering this.

k mac

Thanks for sharing. Howmuch do you think it cost you for the internal finish..as in kitchen,appliances, white goods, bathrooms, tiling, flooring, painting and 2nd fix carpentry. Reason I ask is looking at buying a builders finish house at the minute. Thanks

Donegal1234

Currently building my house atm. Very modern design 230 sqm

Currently just done outside plastering. Below includes labour and material.

Architect fees 7k

Site 65k

Foundations 17k

Blockwork slabs lintels -84k

Roof including trocal S flat roof - 27k

Windows and doors - 32k

Electrical first fix 7k

Plumbing first fix - 17k

Standing seem pipes and guttering - 4.5

Outside plastering - 11k

Total -271.5k

FJMC

Thanks for sharing the information.

Great to have a bit of detail to these things as otherwise its always vague info and stories you normally get.

Is it possible to see an image of the houses - or is that sharing too much?

F

mynewshoes

What percentage of the way through the build/ cost do you think you are? 60%?

brokenbad

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058305961/actual-recent-house-build-cost-breakdown

Good detailed breakdown on costs - that's a significant financial burden to be carrying and you obviously have the means to do so.

However, in reality the average homeowners budget would probably be a third of this at most.

Best of luck in your new home.