It is a very common trait for people to say that they got something for cheaper than it was. Some times I hear people after building their one off home that they did it for X amount per ft2 and I look at the building and I say, “how? That looks more expensive than that!”. When you get into the nitty gritty of it all, you realise that the figures are misleading and manipulated to make it sound cheaper. So when someone tells you they can build their home for €100/ft2 and yours is coming in at €150/ft2, do not despair or think that there is something wrong or that you have been had, more often than not there is a legitimate reason for it and a way of explaining why.
Firstly, everyones house is different. We have explained on other blogs how each house is individual to each personal needs and this therefore creates a difference in end costs. Simple things like a bungalow will generally cost more than a 2 storey house per ft2 for the simple reason that the ground works and roof coverings will be much more than a 2 storey house and a greater cost than building the suspended first floor. Finishes and specification will change from house to house and vary the end costs.
Another factor, and in one off houses can be quite considerable, is how much work did that person put in. Many times I see someone saying “I got my house built for x amount per ft2”. When pushed on it, they then reveal that they were a carpenter or ground worker and did a load of work themselves. And whilst this saves them actual cost and expenditure on their own house, the value of their work or the loss of earnings from not doing paid work elsewhere is not considered at all in their end cost on their own house which distorts the figure.
Are they counting everything that has gone into the house? Some people will just use their mortgage figure as their final end cost, but they may have sunk a substantial amount of personal savings into the project too. Are they counting the finished job as being the shell and then all the flooring and furnishings are not included in their end cost. Have they left out any siteworks or landscaping costs?
Many people when in their designing, planning and construction stages will watch all the reality TV shows about building. One of the more popular ones is Grand Designs and I must admit, when it gets to the end, after months of hardship and exuberance, they declare their end cost to be something so miniscule it never makes sense. Or they get very vague about it. I’ve watched shows with big glazed panels costing multiple of thousands, high end roofing or façade features and then they say their end cost was only a couple of hundred thousand. Its just not feasible and I do not believe a word of it at times!
So the point here is, yes, some people may indeed get their house finished for a ridiculously cheap price, but more often than not, there is a very valid reason why and do not feel like your price is way too high just by hearing other peoples quotes. If you have doubts over a quote received or your contractors rates, it is advisable to always get a few quotations to compare prices. If you do have very genuine concerns, your QS will be able to study the figures and advise you.