If you want to build a home, the first thing you need to know is how many square metres you will build and the budget. If that budget is greater than £1,000 /m2 you should have no problem building. But when you go below that figure (and also depending to a great extent on the area in which you are going to build) it is very likely that you will need to adjust the budget of the work.
To do so, you can follow the following tips.
Choose The Appropriate Construction System
This point is probably the most difficult to explain and, at the same time, one that can affect the budget the most. An important part of the construction budget of a house is allocated to the structure and the envelope, and more and more construction solutions are available to carry out these parts of the project.
The same house built in wood, in brick, in concrete or with a metallic structure, will have drastically different prices. Also, every year new systems come out, such as aerated concrete or compressed straw constructions, and the choice is increasingly complicated.
To make this point even more convoluted, one type of system is not always cheaper than another. Although brickwork is normally the most economical option, followed by concrete and ending with the metal structure, factors such as the availability of that material in the area or your experience with said material can also affect the price.
The most advisable thing is to assess the most viable options for each house when the architect is developing the basic project, to know which is the most economical construction system for each case.
Prioritize The Essentials
If the budget is very tight and it is necessary to adhere to it, the best solution is to remove certain items. It does not necessarily imply that certain parts of the house are being sacrificed. But some budget points are not essential for the construction of the house and can be executed in the future without damaging the habitability of the house.
Normally, the first items to consider are those related to the urbanization of the plot. These include pathways, gardening, perimeter fencing, swimming pool, etc. Although these points are not executed during the construction of the house, they can be included in the project later, if they already have the necessary permits.
Inside the house, you can do without certain finishing items, but never items of structure and facilities. For example, you can leave the entire electrical installation of the house. But dispense with the placement of wall lights or lamps, since they can be placed later without a problem.
Divide The Budget By Trades
Different trades are involved in the construction of a home, from the bricklayer, who is the one who probably spends the most time on the job, to the most specialized professionals, such as thebuildingcomplianceteam.com that provides acoustic sound testing and other building compliance services, or an installer of photovoltaic solar panels. But in general, there are five trades within the work: bricklayer, electrician, plumber, carpenter and locksmith.
If you run a small construction company, you probably have several bricklayers on staff (labourers and tradesmen) and if you run a medium one, you may also have electricians and plumbers. But in most cases, construction companies subcontract most of the work and, sometimes, even all the manual work.
Every time you subcontract to an external worker or company, it is a saving on maintaining permanent staff on payroll. That means that if you look for each specialist trade independently, you will achieve very important savings. Unfortunately, this is not as simple as it sounds, since you will have to organize all the workers and companies, and this usually leads to much longer construction times.
So try to keep the core work in-house and outsource the most specialized jobs.
